The language Conphidance is speaking in the opening minutes is Ibo, a native Nigerian Language.
Zorya Vechernyaya Cloris Leachman represents the Evening Star, Venus, and has two sisters, Zorya Utrennyaya (Morning Star) Martha Kelly and Zorya Polunochnaya (Midnight Star) Erika Kaar. She lives in a brownstone in Chicago that she shares with Czernobog Peter Stormare and her sisters. All are immortal Old Gods. In the case of Zorya Polunochnaya, American Gods took a figure who is often ignored in Slavic mythology and gave her a story. She's mysterious, as midnight should be, and fascinating. The sisters are known as the Auroras in Slavic mythology, in general not as much is known about these legends, particularly compared to Greek and Roman tales. Polunochnaya, the young virgin, is a little sneakier than her better known siblings, who let the sunshine in and out, marking the dawn and dusk. All three of the sisters are also in charge of guarding a spirit monster who is imprisoned in the Great Bear constellation and should he escape he would devour the universe and end the world. Hence, the three sisters take turns guarding him.
Anansi/Mr. Nancy in this series is very different from the character as depicted in the source novel. In the book he is a rotund, elderly man rather. The young, slim, nattily dressed version seen here more closely resembles Spider, Mr. Nancy's son from the companion novel 'Anansi Boys.'
The "Lucille Ball" photos appearing of Gillian Anderson were taken by Mark Seliger for US magazine in the late 1990s. The pictures inspired the producers to cast her as Media who first appears to Shadow as Lucy Ricardo, Ball's iconic I Love Lucy (1951) character.
Shadow yells at Wednesday, "I was lynched, strange f---ing fruit!"
This is a reference to the famous poem "Strange Fruit", written in 1937 by Abel Meeropol as a protest to the rampant lynchings of black people in the United States. It was later sung by Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.
The poem is:
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
This is a reference to the famous poem "Strange Fruit", written in 1937 by Abel Meeropol as a protest to the rampant lynchings of black people in the United States. It was later sung by Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.
The poem is:
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop