ODIN, THE WANDERER: The influence of Norse Mythology in the Tourism creation

Dadas las condiciones ambiéntales necesarias, la segunda gran Guerra dio como resultados un crecimiento económico y una disponibilidad de consumo sin precedentes a la vez que un gran avance en la condición técnica de los países vencedores quienes, indudablemente, observan la creación de una nueva actividad en donde se “expande” el derecho a las vacaciones para una gran cantidad de segmentos, el turismo. Esta masividad es paralela no solo a la economía de consumo sino a la turistificación de las economías emergentes. Dentro de esta coyuntura, muchos historiadores apuntan al mundo greco-romano como el arquetipo ideal y cultural del turismo moderno y los viajes. Si bien la influencia de Roma en el mundo moderno es significativa, la tesis del presente trabajo es que el turismo tiene una gran influencia de la mitología y la hospitalidad germánica. Un dios viajero, una red de alianzas inter-tribales, y la creencia del mundo como un espacio cerrado a la voluntad humana hicieron de la mitología escandinava una pieza clave del turismo moderno. En perspectiva, la idea que todo viaje confiere sabiduría y fuerza (macht) superior es propia de esta cultura, y sienta la base para la creación medieval del Grand-Tour.Given the economic and social condition after the World War II, consumption and capital expanded worldwide to the extent of bringing many benefits to defeating countries. Undoubtedly, we are witness of the inception of a new reality based on the right of consumption that was materialized in the holidays and the touristification of developing economies. Although the eyes of historians are put to the Roman-World to denote the principle of mobility associated to travels and leisure, we argue that interesting discoveries can be done whether historians in tourism and hospitality fields turned their attention to Norse-Mythology. This paper stimulated a hot-debate in a point which merits to be studied in next layouts. Underpinned in the proposition that the principle of predestination and mobility were two key factors for the inception of tourism, the present work explored the contributions the mythology can exerts in tourism-related research. At a first glance, Norse-culture valorized the belief in an upmost God (Odin) whose nomadic nature led him to run across the world in shapes of different animals. In sharp contrast with scholars already assumed, travels as a form of discovery and conquest were coined 5 centuries before the advent of Roman Empire. The idea that every trip gives wisdom and power (macht) is typical of this culture and provides the basis for the creation of the medieval Grand-tour