Norse, Viking or Scandinavian mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian peoples, including those who settled on Iceland, where most of the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal Andhrímnir ( Old Norse "sooty" is the Chef of the Æsir and Einherjar in Norse mythology. Borr or Burr (sometimes anglicized Bor or Bur) was the son of Búri and the father of Odin in Norse mythology Bragi is a Skaldic god in Norse mythology. Etymology Bragi is generally associated with bragr, the Norse word for Poetry Búri was the first god in Norse mythology. He was the father of Borr and grandfather of Odin. In Norse mythology, Dagr ( Old Norse "day" is Day personified For the folk music band see Forseti (band. Forseti ( Old Norse "the presiding one" actually " President Heimdall ( Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin is one of the Æsir Hermóðr the Brave ( Old Norse "war-spirit" is a figure in Norse mythology. Höðr (often anglicized as Hod) is the brother of Baldr in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Hœnir is one of the Æsir. In Ynglinga saga, along with Mímir, he went to the Vanir as a hostage Kvasir is a god in Norse mythology. Kvasir was created from the saliva of all the gods making him the wisest of the Vanir, but was quickly murdered In Norse mythology, Lóðurr is one of the Æsir. In Völuspá he is assigned a role in animating the first humans but apart from that he is In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES In Norse mythology, Móði (anglicized Módi or Modi and Magni are the sons of Thor. In Norse mythology, Óðr ( Old Norse "Frenzy" or Óð, sometimes angliziced as Odr, is a figure associated with the major goddess Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Váli is a son of the god Odin and the giantess Rindr. In Norse mythology, Víðarr ( Old Norse, possibly "wide ruler" is a god among the Æsir associated with vengeance For other meanings of Ve, see Ve (disambiguation. For other meanings of Vili, see Vili (disambiguation. In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal Eir ("help" or "mercy" in Old Norse is in Norse mythology, a Goddess of the Æsir who is called 'best of physicians' in the Edda Frigg (or Frigga) is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. gna redirects here see also GNA Gná is in Norse mythology, one of the three handmaids of Frigg, together with In Norse mythology, Hlín is one of the three handmaids of Frigg, together with Fulla and Gná. Iðunn (possibly meaning "ever young" or "rejuvenator" is a goddess in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Jörð ( Old Norse "earth" jɔrð Jarð jɑrð in Old East Norse --> sometimes Anglicized as Jord Lofn is one of the Ásynjur in Norse mythology. She is mentioned briefly in Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda. Nanna is a Goddess in Norse mythology, the daughter of Nepr and wife of Baldr (Balder In Norse mythology, Nótt ( Old Norse "night" is Night personified In Norse mythology, Sága or Saga is a goddess of the Æsir and maybe another name for Frigg. Sif ("In-law-relationship" is a goddess in Norse mythology. Sigyn ( Old Norse "victorious girl-friend" is a goddess and wife of Loki in Norse mythology. Sjöfn is one of the Ásynjur in Norse mythology. She is mentioned briefly in Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda. According to the Prose Edda, Snotra is one of the Ásynjur. Her name is clearly derived from the adjective snotr meaning "wise" or "graceful" In Norse mythology, Syn is an Ásynja, or goddess who according to Gylfaginning "guards the doors of the hall and shuts them against those Vár (probably from Old Norse várar: "pledges" is a goddess in Norse Mythology. Vör is one of the Ásynjur according to the Prose Edda. Þrúðr ( Old Norse "strength"sometimes anglicized as Thrúd or Thrud, is a daughter of the major god Thor in Norse Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation. Yngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. In Norse mythology, Gullveig ( Old Norse, potentially " Gold drink" or "gold might" is a mysterious figure who appears solely in the Nerthus is a Goddess in Germanic paganism associated with fertility. Njörðr is a Vanir god in Norse mythology. In surviving sources Njörðr is the father of the major deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed In Germanic paganism, Ullr appears to have been a major god in prehistoric times or even an epitheton (* wulþuz, Old English wuldor, meaning The Norns ( Old Norse: norn, plural nornir) are a kind of Dísir, numerous female beings who rule the fates of the various races of Norse Wyrd is a concept in Old English and Old Norse culture roughly corresponding to fate or Karma. Skuld (possibly "debt" or "future" is a Norn in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology the valkyries ( Old Norse Valkyrja "Choosers of the Slain" are Dísir, minor female deities Brynhildr is a Shieldmaiden and a Valkyrie in Norse mythology, where she appears as a main character in the Völsunga saga and some Göndul is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. She is attested in Hákonarmál, Völuspá and in Darraðarljóð Gunnr or Guðr is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. Her name means "battle" and is cognate with the English word " Gun " Hildr is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. Hildr is attested in Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda as Högni's daughter and Hedin's wife in the Hlaðgunnr, Hlaðguðr or Svanhvít is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology, attested a minor character in Völundarkviða. Róta is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. According to the Prose Edda she attended the battlefields along with Gunnr and Skuld and chose Skuld (possibly "debt" or "future" is a Norn in Norse mythology. Sigrdrífa is Valkyrie in Norse mythology. She appears in Sigrdrífumál as the mentor of Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigrún ( Old Norse "victory rune " is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. Skögul or Geirskögul is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. She is attested in Völuspá and occurs as a minor character in Sváfa is a Valkyrie and the daughter of king Eylimi in Norse mythology. Þrúðr ( Old Norse "strength"sometimes anglicized as Thrúd or Thrud, is a daughter of the major god Thor in Norse An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming Beyla is one of Freyr 's servants along with her husband Byggvir, in Norse mythology. Byggvir is a figure in Norse mythology. The only surviving mention of Byggvir appears in the prose beginning of Lokasenna, and stanzas 55 through 56 of Dark elves (Old Norse Dökkálfar, usually called the Svartálfar "black elves" are known as a class of elves living underground in Old In Norse mythology, the Svartálfar ("black elves" or Dökkálfar (" Dark elves " are supernatural beings (Old Norse " Wayland (also spelled Weyland, Wieland, Weland, Welent and Watlende) is a smith of Germanic legend A jötunn, sometimes anglicized as jotun (pronounced yotun is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength Ægir ( Old Norse "sea" is a Jötunn and a king of the sea in Norse mythology. Angrboda ( Old Norse Angrboða 'Harm-foreboding' appears in Norse mythology as a giantess In Norse mythology, Baugi was a Jotun and brother of Suttung, who had hidden the Mead of poetry after obtaining it from Fjalar and Galar In Norse mythology Beli is probably a giant. He was killed by Freyr. In Norse mythology, Bergelmir ( Old Norse, "Mountain Yeller" or "Bear Yeller" was a frost giant, the son of Thrudgelmir In Norse mythology, Bestla was an ancient Jotun, a daughter of Bolthorn. In Norse mythology, Billingr (or Billing) was the father of a maiden desired by Odin. In Norse mythology, Bölthorn (or Bölthor) was a frost giant, the father of Bestla and maternal grandfather of Odin. Býleistr ('bee-lightning' sometimes anglicized Byleist) is the brother of Loki in Norse Mythology. In Norse mythology, Elli ( Old Norse "old age" is a Personification of Old age who in the Prose Edda book For the moon of Saturn named after Fárbauti see Farbauti (moon. Fornjót ( Old Norse Fornjótr) is an ancient giant in Norse mythology, the father of Kári (a personification of wind of Logi (a personification In Norse mythology, Geirröd was one of the Jotuns and father of Gjálp and Greip. Gerðr is a Jötunn in Norse Mythology most well known as the wife of the Norse god Freyr. For the moon of Saturn named after Greip see Greip (moon. In Norse mythology, Gjálp and Greip were two giantesses In Norse mythology, Gilling was one of the Jotuns and father of Suttung. In Norse mythology, Gríðr ( Old Norse "greed" is female a Jötunn who aware of Loki 's plans to have Thor killed at the In Norse mythology, Gunnlod ( Old Norse Gunnlöð, meaning war-foam) was a daughter of Suttung, who was set guard by her father in Ægir ( Old Norse "sea" is a Jötunn and a king of the sea in Norse mythology. See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Hel (sometimes Anglicized or Latinized as Hela) is the ruler of Hel, the Norse In Norse mythology, Hrym is a giant and the captain of the ship Naglfar. In Norse mythology, Hræsvelgr ("Corpse Swallower" is a giant who takes Eagle form Hrod is a giantess of Norse mythology and the wife of Hymir, a giant friendly to the Æsir. Hrungnir ( Old Norse "brawler" was a Jötunn in Norse mythology, slain by the god Thor with his hammer Mjolnir. In Norse mythology, Hymir was a giant, a husband of Hrod. He owned a mile-wide cauldron which the Æsir wanted to brew beer in Hyndluljóð or Lay of Hyndla is an Old Norse poem often considered a part of the Poetic Edda. In Norse mythology, Hyrrokkin ("Fire-Smoked" possibly referring to a dark shrivelled appearance In Norse mythology, Járnsaxa (jɑrnˈsæksə Old Norse "iron- sax " is a giantess. In Norse mythology, Laufey or Nál was with Fárbauti, the mother of Loki, Helbindi and Byleist. In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES In Norse mythology, Máni ( Old Norse "moon" is the Moon personified In Norse mythology, Móðguðr ( Modgud) was the giantess guardian of the Gjallarbrú. In Norse mythology Mundilfari or Mundilfäri (Possibly Old Norse "the one moving according to particular times" is a father of Sól Muspelheim ("Flameland" also called Muspel ( Old Norse Múspellsheimr and Múspell, respectively is the realm of Fire Hrungnir ( Old Norse "brawler" was a Jötunn in Norse mythology, slain by the god Thor with his hammer Mjolnir. Narfi in Norse mythology may refer to the son of Loki or the father of Nótt, the personified Night. In Norse mythology, Olvaldi was a giant and the father of Thjazi, Gangr and Idi as well as the grandfather of Skaði. Ragnhild, (1000s-1100s is a local Saint whose Veneration is attested in late Medieval Sweden and whose name was particularly associated with In Norse mythology, Rán ( Old Norse "theft robbery" is a sea goddess. Snær ( Old Norse) Snærr, East Norse Sniō, Latin Snio) 'snow' in Norse mythology seemingly a personification of snow appearing In Norse mythology, Suttung was a Jotun, son of Gilling, who (along with Suttung's mother had been murdered by Fjalar and Galar. For the moon of Saturn named after Surtr see Surtur (moon. In Norse mythology, Surtr ( Old Norse "black" Þökk ( Old Norse "Thanks" is a giantess in Norse mythology, presumed to be Loki in disguise who refuses to weep for the slain In Norse mythology, Þjazi (anglicized as Thiazi, Thjazi or Thiassi) was a giant and the father of Skaði. In Norse mythology, Þrívaldi (anglicized as Thrívaldi or Thrivaldi) whose name means "thrice mighty" is a giant killed by In Norse mythology, Þrúðgelmir ( Old Norse "Strength Yeller" is a frost giant, the son of the primordial giant Aurgelmir (who In Norse mythology, King Þrymr ( Thrymr, Thrym; "uproar" of the jotnar stole Mjollnir, Thor 's hammer to In Norse mythology, Útgarða-Loki (Anglicized as Utgarda-Loki and in other ways was the ruler of the castle Útgarðr in Jötunheimr. Vafþrúðnir ( Old Norse "mighty weaver" is a wise Jötunn in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Ymir, also named Aurgelmir ( Old Norse gravel-yeller) among the giants themselves was the founder of the race of Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate Alvíss ("All-Wise" was a dwarf in Norse mythology. Thor 's daughter Þrúðr, was promised to Alvíss In Norse mythology, Andvari ( Old Norse "careful one" is a dwarf who lives underneath a Waterfall and has the power to change himself Brokkr is a dwarf from Norse mythology, brother of Eitri (or Sindri) In Norse mythology, Durin is the name of a dwarf mentioned in Völuspá and repeated in Gylfaginning. In Norse mythology, Dvalin is a dwarf who appears in several Old Norse tales and Kennings The name translates as "the dormant one" In Norse mythology, Eitri (or Sindri) is a dwarf and the brother of Brokkr. In Norse mythology, Fáfnir ( Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother In Norse mythology, Fjalar and his brother Galar, were dwarves who killed Kvasir and turned his blood into the Mead of poetry, which Gandalf is a Dvergr ( Norse dwarf) in Norse mythology, appearing in the poem Völuspá in the Poetic Edda. In Norse mythology Litr (often anglicized as Lit, confer Icelandic litur) which means "colour" is a name borne by a In Norse mythology, Norðri Suðri Austri and Vestri ("Northern Southern Eastern and Western" are four dwarves in the Prose Edda Reginn, often Anglicized as Regin, in Norse mythology, was the son of Hreiðmarr and foster father of Sigurd. In Norse mythology, Sindri (from the Old Norse sindr: "spark" is the name of both a character (probably a dwarf) and a hall that will Eadgils, Adils, Aðils, Adillus, Aðísl at Uppsölum, Athisl, Athislus, Adhel was a Semi-legendary king Agne, Agni, Hogne or Agni Skjálfarbondi was a mythological king of Sweden, of the House of Yngling. Aslaug, Aslög, Kraka, Kráka or Randalin, was a queen of Scandinavian mythology who appears in Snorri 's Edda Björn Ironside ( Old Norse and Icelandic: Björn Járnsíða, Swedish: Björn Järnsida) was a legendary Swedish king who would have Berserkers (or Berserks) were Norse Warriors who wore coats of wolf or bear skin and who were commonly understood to have fought in an uncontrollable Dag the Wise or Dagr Spaka (2nd or 3rd century AD was a mythological Swedish king of the House of Ynglings He was the son of Dyggvi, the former In Norse mythology Domalde, Dómaldi or Dómaldr was a Swedish king of the House of Ynglings cursed by his stepmother according to A draugr or draug (original Old Norse plural draugar, as used here not draugrs) or draugen ( nor. Dyggvi or Dyggve was a mythological Swedish king of the House of Ynglings He died in bed and never reached Valhalla. In Norse religion, the Einherjar ( Old Norse "lone fighters" are spirits of warriors who had died bravely in battle. In Norse Mythology, Ask and Embla ( Old Norse: Askr ok Embla) were the first two humans created by the gods See Alaric for the Gothic kings Alrek and Eirík ( Old Norse Alrekr and Eiríkr Fjölnir, Fjölner, Fjolner or Fjolne ( 1st century BC - early 1st century AD was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling Fróði (from Old Norse Fróðr) or Froda ( Old English) is the name of a number of legendary Danish kings in various texts including In Norse mythology, Grimhild was the witch who cast a spell on Sigurd making him leave his wife Brünnehilde, for Gudrun. Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king in Scandinavia present in Norse mythology. The Haddingjar refers on the one hand to legends about two brothers by this name and on the other hand to possibly related legends based on the Hasdingi, the royal dynasty Hagbard and Signy (Signe (the Viking Age) or Habor and Sign ( h) ild (the Middle Ages and later were a pair of Hake, Haki or Haco, the brother of Hagbard, was a famous Scandinavian Sea-king, in Norse mythology. Halfdan ( Old Norse) or Healfdene ( Beowulf) or Haldan (Danish Latin sources (late 5th century, early 6th century Halfdan the Old ( Old Norse Hálfdanr gamli and Hálfdanr inn gamli) was an ancient legendary king from whom descended many of the most notable lineages Harald Wartooth ( Old Norse: Haraldr Hilditönn, modern Swedish and Danish Harald Hildetand) was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark Helgi Hundingsbane is a hero in Norse sagas Helgi appears in Volsunga saga and in two lays in the Poetic Edda named Helgakviða Hjalmar and Ingeborg was a legendary Swedish couple The male protagonist Hjalmar and his duel for Ingeborg figures in the Hervarar saga and in Hrólfr Kraki, Hroðulf, Rolfo, Roluo, Rolf Krage (early 6th century) was a Legendary Danish king who appears both in Hugleik or Ochilaik (a namesake of Hygelac) was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling, according to the Ynglinga saga Hvitsärk (Whiteshirt was one of the legendary sons of the 9th century Norse king Ragnar Lodbrok and his wife Kraka, attested to by the Saga of Ragnar Ingeborg is a Scandinavian name carried by many prominent women in Scandinavian history and mythology Ingjaldr hinn illráði or Ingjald illråde ("ill-ruler" was a legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings Ingjald may have ruled sometime Jorund or Jörundr ( 5th century) was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling. KARL (1051 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Country music format In Norse mythology, Gudrun, who is called Kriemhild in the Nibelungenlied, was the sister of Gunnar. In Norse mythology, Líf and Lífthrasir ( ON: Líf ok Lífþrasir) (both relating to the word "Life" are the last human man and woman In Norse mythology, the Marmennill were mermen with the ability to prophesize the future "Gorr" redirects here For the Marvel Comics character see Gorr (comics. This is about the Swedish king Ohthere For the Norwegian voyager by the same name see Ohthere of Hålogaland Ohthere, Ohtere (the Raum the Old (Old Norse Raumr inn gamli) is a legendary king in Norway in the Hversu Noregr byggdist and in Thorsteins saga Víkingssonar Röskva is a person from Norse mythology who appears in Snorri's Edda. The name Sigar can refer to three people in Scandinavian mythology, surrounding the legends of Sigurd the dragon slayer Siggeir is the king of Gautland (ie Götaland /Geatland but in some translations also rendered as Gothland) in the Völsunga saga. This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund for other meanings see Sigmund (disambiguation. Signe is the name of two heroines in two connected legends from Scandinavian mythology which were very popular in medieval Scandinavia Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. Sigurd Ring ( Old Norse: Sigurðr hringr) or Ring ( Old Norse: Hringr) (ca 750) was a Swedish and Danish king mentioned in Sinfjötli (in Old Norse) or Fitela (in Anglo-Saxon) in Norse mythology was born out of the incestuous relationship between Sigmund Skoglar Toste or Skoglar Tosti (there are several variations was a chieftain from the Swedish province of West Götaland. Sveigðir, Sveigder or Swegde was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling in Norse mythology. Svipdag ( Old Norse "sudden day" is the hero of the two Old Norse Eddaic poems, Grógaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál, which Þjálfi ( Old Norse) or Þjelvar (Old Gutnish) is a farmer's son in Norse mythology who appears twice in Snorri 's Edda Vanlandi or Vanlande was a Swedish king at Uppsala of the House of Yngling in Norse mythology. A Völva (also Vala, Spákona) is a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology. Yngvi and Alf were two legendary Swedish kings of the House of Yngling. Yrsa, Yrse, Yrs or Urse ( 6th century) was a tragic heroine of Scandinavian legend Auðumbla (also spelled Auðumla, Auðhumbla or Auðhumla) is the Primeval cow of Norse mythology. According to Þulur, Blóðughófi ( Bloody Hoof, sometimes Anglicized Blodughofi) is the horse of Freyr. Eikþyrnir ( Old Norse "oak-thorny" is a stag which stands upon Valhalla in Norse mythology. Fenris redirects here See Fenrir (disambiguation for other uses In Norse mythology, Garmr or Garm ( Old Norse "rag" is a dog associated with Ragnarök. In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki (also Gere and Freke) are a pair of wolves, companions of the god Odin. Grani is a mythical eight-legged Horse that appears in Norse mythology. Gullinbursti (meaning "Gold Mane or Golden Bristles" is a Boar in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Gullinkambi (" Golden comb" was a Rooster who lived in Valhalla, where he woke up the Einherjar every In Norse mythology, Gulltoppr ( Golden Mane, sometimes Anglicized Gulltopp) is one of the horses of the gods In Norse mythology, Hati Hróðvitnisson (first name meaning "He Who Hates Enemy" is a wolf that according to Gylfaginning chases the Moon across Heiðrún is a Goat in Norse mythology, which produces Mead for the Einherjar. In Norse mythology, Hildisvíni (“battle swine” was Freyja's Boar which she rode when not using her cat-drawn Chariot. In Norse mythology, Hófvarpnir ("Hoof Thrower" was a Horse ridden by Gná, a handmaiden of Frigg. In Norse mythology, Hræsvelgr ("Corpse Swallower" is a giant who takes Eagle form In Norse mythology, Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi are the horses of Dagr (day and Nótt (night Huginn and Muninn, sometimes anglicised Hugin and Munin, are a pair of Ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. Jörmungandr, alternately referred to as the Midgardsormr or World Serpent, is a Sea serpent of the Norse mythology, the middle child of the Lindworm (cognate with Old Norse linnormr 'constrictor snake' Norwegian lindorm 'serpent' German Lindwurm 'dragon' In Norse mythology, Mánagarmr is another name for the wolf Hati, referring to his hunting down the moon during the Ragnarök and swallowing it In Norse mythology, Níðhöggr ( Malice Striker, often anglicized Nidhogg) is a dragon who eats the roots of the World Tree In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr ( drilling tooth, sometimes anglicized Ratatosk) is a Red squirrel who runs up and down with messages in the In Norse mythology, Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi are the horses of Dagr (day and Nótt (night For the moon of Saturn named after Skoll see Skoll (moon. In Norse mythology, Sköll ( Old Norse "treachery" is In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin 's eight-legged steed and the greatest of all Horses His name means smooth or gliding, and is In Norse mythology, Svadilfari ( Old Norse "unlucky traveler" is a stallion, owned by an unnamed Hrimthurs ( Rime giant In Norse mythology, Sæhrímnir ( Old Norse "sooty sea-beast" is the creature killed and eaten every night by the Æsir and Einherjar In Norse mythology, Tanngrisnir ( one who has sparse teeth) and Tanngnjóstr ( one who grinds his teeth) are a pair of magic Goats which See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to In Norse mythology, Veðrfölnir ("the one bleached by the weather" or Veðrlaufnir is the name of a hawk sitting between the eyes of an eagle in the crown Alfheim redirects here For other uses see Alfheim (disambiguation Álfheimr or Alfheim ( Elf-home) is the abode of the In Norse mythology, Andlang (also Andlàngr or Öndlangr) is described as the second heavenly realm which stretches between the first containing the halls This article is about the realm of Norse Mythology For other uses of the names Asgard, Asgaard and Asgård, see Asgard (disambiguation In Norse mythology, Barri is the place where Freyr and Gerðr are to consummate their union as stated in the Skírnismál: Bifröst ( Old Norse bifrǫst, literally the "tremulous way" from bifask "to tremble" and rǫst "a distance" in Bilskirnir ( Old Norse "lightning-crack" is the hall of the god Thor in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Breiðablik ( Broad-gleaming) is the home of Baldr. In Norse mythology, Élivágar ( Ice Waves) are rivers which existed in Ginnungagap at the beginning of the world In Norse mythology, Éljúðnir (sometimes Anglicized to Eljudnir) is Hel's hall located in Niflheim as described in chapter 34 of Snorri In Norse mythology, Fensalir ("water falls" was Frigg 's hall in Asgard. In Norse mythology, Fólkvangr ("field of the host" is the dwelling of Freyja in Asgard, the world of the Æsir, where stands In Norse mythology, Gimlé (alternately Gimli) was a place where the survivors of Ragnarok were to live In Norse mythology, Ginnungagap ("magical (and creative power-filled space" was the vast primordial void that was omnipresent and omnipotent and pervaded all existence In Norse mythology, Gjallarbrú is a bridge spanning the river Gjöll in the Underworld which must be crossed in order to reach Hel, according In Norse mythology, Gjöll ( Old Norse meaning "resounding" is one of the eleven rivers traditionally associated with the Élivágar, according In Norse mythology, Glasir ( Old Norse "gleaming" is a tree with golden leaves located in Asgard outside the doors of Valhalla. Glitnir (glit nitor splendor OHG kliz E shining is the hall of Forseti, the Norse god of law and justice and the seat of justice amongst gods and In Norse mythology, Gnipahellir (mountaintop cave is an overhanging cave where Garmr, the hound is chained here until the onset of Ragnarök. See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Hel (sometimes Anglicized or Latinized as Hela) is the ruler of Hel, the Norse See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Hel (sometimes Anglicized or Latinized as Hela) is the ruler of Hel, the Norse Heimdall ( Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin is one of the Æsir Hindarfjall or Hindafjall ("Hind mountain" is the mountain where Brynhildr lives in the Völsung cycle. In Norse paganism, hörgr (plural hörgar) was a type of Altar, constructed of piled stones In Norse mythology, Körmt and Örmt are two rivers which Thor wades over every day when he goes to judgment by Yggdrasill. Jötunheimr (often anglicized Jotunheim) is the world ( Heim 'home homeland' of the Jötunn (two types rock (or hill giants and frost (or In Norse mythology, Járnviðr ( Old Norse "Iron-wood" is a forest inhabited by troll women who bore giantesses and giant Wolves. In Norse mythology, Hliðskjálf (sometimes Anglicized Hlidskjalf; from hlid "side gate" or hlifd "protection" Midgard (an Anglicized form of Old Norse Miðgarðr) is an old Germanic name for our World, the places inhabited by humans, Muspelheim ("Flameland" also called Muspel ( Old Norse Múspellsheimr and Múspell, respectively is the realm of Fire Myrkviðr (from Proto-Germanic *merkʷjo-widuz) was the name of a forest in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Náströnd ( Corpse Shore) is a place in Hel where Níðhöggr lives and sucks corpses Niflheimr or Niflheim (" Mist Home" the "Abode of Mist" or "Mist World" Nifl being cognate with the Old English In Norse mythology, Sessrúmnir ("Room of seat" was Freyja 's hall in the Fólkvangr. In Norse Mythology, Singasteinn was a small Skerry from which Loki tried to steal the necklace Brisingamen while in the guise of a seal In Norse mythology, Slidr is a river in Hel, the land of the dead In Norse mythology, Sökkvabekkr (generally believed to mean "Sunken Benches" is the dwelling of Odin and Sága or of Sága alone In Norse mythology, Þrúðvangar (anglicized Thrúdvangar or Thrudvangar or Þrúðvangr (anglicized Thrúdvang or Thrudvang, which means "Plain(s / Field(s In Norse mythology, Þrymheimr ("house of uproar" was the abode of Þjazi, a giant located in Jötunheimr. In Norse Mythology, Útgarðar (literal meaning "Outyards" plural of Útgarðr; the word can be anglicized to Utgard, Utgardar See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic enormous For the imprint see Aardvark-Vanaheim. For the Norwegian metal band see Vanaheim (band. Hvergelmir ( Old Norse "bubbling boiling spring" is the wellspring of cold in Niflheim in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Vígríðr is the giant plain where Ragnarök will be fought In Norse mythology, the Vimur is the largest of the Elivagar rivers that were formed at the beginning of the world In Norse mythology, Vingólf is one of the buildings of the gods In Norse mythology, Ydalir (" Yew dales" was Ullr 's hall In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World In Norse mythology, Andvarinaut ("Andvari's Gift" is a magical ring capable of producing gold first owned by Andvari. In Norse mythology, Brísingamen (from Old Norse brisinga "flaming glowing" and men "jewellry ornament" is Draupnir is a golden Arm ring possessed by Odin, the highest god in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Eldhrímnir ( Old Norse "fire-sooty" is the cauldron in which the cook of the gods Andhrímnir, prepares Sæhrímnir In Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn ( Old Norse "yelling horn" is the horn with which the gatekeeper god Heimdallr, announces Ragnarök Gleipnir is the binding that holds the mighty wolf Fenrisulfr in Norse Mythology. In Norse mythology, Gram ( Old Norse "wrath" is the name of the Sword that Sigurd (Siegfried used to kill the dragon In In Norse paganism, helskór ( "hel-shoes") were put on the dead so that they could go to Valhöll. Mímir's Well ( Old Norse Mímisbrunnr) is one of three wells at the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil in Norse mythology Mistilteinn ("Mistletoe" is Hrómundr Gripsson's Sword in Hrómundar saga Gripssonar, a Legendary saga from Iceland Naglfar, in Norse mythology, is described in the Prose Edda as a ship made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead In Norse mythology, Óðrerir, Óðrørir or Óðrœrir refers either to one of the vessels that contain the Mead of poetry (along with In Norse mythology, reginnaglar were nails that decorated sacred columns In Norse mythology, Hringhorni is the name of the ship of Baldr, described as the "greatest of all ships" In Norse mythology, Skíðblaðnir (the name can be anglicized as Skídbladnir, Skídhbladhnir or Skíthblathnir) is the ship of For other uses see Tyrfing (disambiguation Tyrfing or Tirfing was a Magic sword which figures in a poem from the Wyrd is a concept in Old English and Old Norse culture roughly corresponding to fate or Karma. The blót ( Old Norse plural same as singular refers to Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and Elves. In Norse paganism, hörgr (plural hörgar) was a type of Altar, constructed of piled stones Human sacrifice is the act of Homicide (the Killing of one or several Human beings in the context of a Religious ritual ( ritual killing Seid or seiðr is an Old Norse term for a type of Sorcery or Witchcraft which was practiced by the pre-Christian Norse. See Symbel (band for the British band Symbel ( OE) or sumbel ( ON) was an important Germanic drinking The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods A Völva (also Vala, Spákona) is a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology. Yule is a winter festival historically celebrated primarily in northern Europe but now celebrated in many other countries in various forms Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Norse mythology is the best-preserved version of the older common Germanic paganism, which also includes the closely related Anglo-Saxon mythology. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Anglo-Saxon paganism refers to the Migration Period religion practiced by the English in 5th to 7th century England. Germanic mythology, in its turn, developed from an earlier Indo-European mythology. The existence of similarities among the deities and religious practices of the Indo-European (IE peoples allows glimpses of a common Proto-Indo-European
Norse mythology is a collection of beliefs and stories shared by Northern Germanic tribes. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic It had no one set of doctrinal beliefs. The mythology was orally transmitted in the form of poetry and our knowledge about it is mainly based on the Eddas and other medieval texts written down during and after Christianization. Oral tradition, oral culture and oral lore is a way for a society to transmit history, literature, law and other Knowledges This page refers to the Eddur poems and tales of Norse Mythology The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with
Some aspects of Norse mythology passed into Scandinavian folklore and have survived to modern day. Beings of Scandinavian folklore Perhaps most abundant are the stories about the race of Trolls ' a cunning and deceitful people living in the forestlands Others have recently been reinvented or reconstructed as Germanic neopaganism. Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism. The mythology also remains as an inspiration in literature (see Norse mythological influences on later literature) as well as on stage productions and movies. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Norse mythology provides a rich and diverse source which many later writers have borrowed from or built upon
Contents |
Sources
Most of the existing records on Norse mythology date from the 12th to 18th century, having gone through more than two centuries of oral preservation in what was at least officially a Christian society. At this point scholars started recording it, particularly in the Eddas and the Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson, who believed that pre-Christian deities trace real historical people. This page refers to the Eddur poems and tales of Norse Mythology Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse Kings' sagas. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician There is also the Danish Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, where the Norse gods are more strongly Euhemerized. Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c Euhemerus (Εὐήμερος (working late fourth century BC was a Greek mythographer at the court of Cassander, the king of Macedon. The Prose or Younger Edda was written in the early 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, who was a leading poet, chieftain, and diplomat in Iceland. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( It may be thought of primarily as a handbook for aspiring poets. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" It contains prose explications of traditional "kennings," or compressed metaphors found in poetry. For the Wikipedia guideline regarding editing articles see WikipediaManual of Style. A kenning ( Old Norse kenning, Modern Icelandic pronunciation) is a Circumlocution used instead of an ordinary Noun in Old Norse These prose retellings make the various tales of the Norse gods systematic and coherent.
The Poetic Edda (also known as the Elder Edda) was committed to writing about 50 years after the Prose Edda. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval Manuscript Codex Regius. It contains 29 long poems, of which 11 deal with the Germanic deities, the rest with legendary heroes like Sigurd the Volsung (the Siegfried of the German version Nibelungenlied). Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. Although scholars think it was transcribed later than the other Edda, the language and poetic forms involved in the tales appear to have been composed centuries earlier than their transcription.
Besides these sources, there are surviving legends in Scandinavian folklore. Some of these can be corroborated with legends appearing in other Germanic literatures e. g. the tale related in the Anglo-Saxon Battle of Finnsburgh and the many allusions to mythological tales in Deor. The Finnesburg Fragment is a fragment of an Old English poem of the type called a leoð, or " lay. " Deor " (or " The Lament of Deor " is an Old English poem, from the 10th century AD, preserved in the Exeter Book When several partial references and tellings survive, scholars can deduce the underlying tale. Additionally, there are hundreds of place names in Scandinavia named after the gods.
A few runic inscriptions, such as the Rök Runestone and the Kvinneby amulet, make references to the mythology. The Rök Runestone ( Swedish: Rökstenen; Ög 136) is one of the most famous Runestones featuring the longest known runic inscription The Kvinneby amulet ( Öl SAS198943) is an 11th century runic Amulet which was found in the mid-1950's in the soil of the village Södra Kvinneby in There are also several runestones and image stones that depict scenes from Norse mythology, such as Thor's fishing trip, scenes depicting Sigurd (Sigfried) the dragon slayer, Odin and Sleipnir, Odin being devoured by Fenrir, and one of the surviving stones from the Hunnestad Monument appears to show Hyrrokkin riding to Baldr's funeral (DR 284). A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism The Sigurd stones form a group of seven or eight Runestones and one Image stone that depict imagery from the legend of Sigurd the dragon slayer Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin 's eight-legged steed and the greatest of all Horses His name means smooth or gliding, and is The Hunnestad Monument (Hunnestadsmonumentet DR 282 - 284, once located at Hunnestad in Marsvinsholm north-west of Ystad, Sweden, was the largest In Norse mythology, Hyrrokkin ("Fire-Smoked" possibly referring to a dark shrivelled appearance
In Denmark, one image stone depicts Loki with curled dandy-like mustaches and lips that are sewn together and the British Gosforth cross shows several intriguing images. In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES The Gosforth Cross is a large stone Anglo-Saxon High cross in the churchyard at Gosforth in the English county of Cumbria, an area There are also smaller images, such as figurines depicting the god Odin (with one eye), Thor (with his hammer) and Freyr (with his erect phallus). "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation.
Cosmology
Scandinavians believed there are 'nine worlds' (níu heimar), that many scholars summarize as follows:
- Ásgarðr, world of the Æsir. In Norse Cosmology the World Tree Yggdrasil unifies nine worlds ( Old Norse: níu heimar) that represent all that exists In Norse Cosmology the World Tree Yggdrasil unifies nine worlds ( Old Norse: níu heimar) that represent all that exists This article is about the realm of Norse Mythology For other uses of the names Asgard, Asgaard and Asgård, see Asgard (disambiguation In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal
- Vanaheimr, world of the Vanir. For the imprint see Aardvark-Vanaheim. For the Norwegian metal band see Vanaheim (band. Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir.
- Miðgarðr, world of humans. Midgard (an Anglicized form of Old Norse Miðgarðr) is an old Germanic name for our World, the places inhabited by humans,
- Muspell, world of the primordial element of fire. Muspelheim ("Flameland" also called Muspel ( Old Norse Múspellsheimr and Múspell, respectively is the realm of Fire
- Niflheimr, world of the primordial element of ice. Niflheimr or Niflheim (" Mist Home" the "Abode of Mist" or "Mist World" Nifl being cognate with the Old English
- Hel, underworld, world of the dead.
- Álfheimr, world of the Álfar (elves). Alfheim redirects here For other uses see Alfheim (disambiguation Álfheimr or Alfheim ( Elf-home) is the abode of the An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming
- Svartálfaheimr or Nidavellir, world of the Dvergar (Norse dwarves). In Norse mythology, Svartálfheimr is the underground domain and home of the Svartálfar (meaning the ' Black elves ' and possibly referring to Norse dwarves In Norse mythology, Niðavellir ( Dark fields) is a land inhabited by the dwarves. Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate
- Jötunheimr, world of the Jötnar (giants). Jötunheimr (often anglicized Jotunheim) is the world ( Heim 'home homeland' of the Jötunn (two types rock (or hill giants and frost (or A jötunn, sometimes anglicized as jotun (pronounced yotun is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength
Note the boundaries between Niflheim, Jötunheimr, Hel, Niðavellir, Svartálfaheimr, and several other significant places like Utgarðr remain uncertain.
Each world also had significant places within. Valhalla was Odin's hall located in Asgard. See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic enormous It was also home of the Einherjar, who were the souls of the greatest warriors. In Norse religion, the Einherjar ( Old Norse "lone fighters" are spirits of warriors who had died bravely in battle. These warriors were selected by the Valkyries, Odin's mounted female messengers whose sparkling armor supposedly created the famed Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. In Norse mythology the valkyries ( Old Norse Valkyrja "Choosers of the Slain" are Dísir, minor female deities Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. The Einherjar would help defend the gods during Ragnarok, when everyone would die in a great battle between the gods and their iniquitous enemies. In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (rɑgnɑrɔk Old Norse "Final destiny of the gods" refers to a series of major events including a great battle foretold A battle, incidentally, emphasising an order-versus-chaos duality common to many ancient mythologies and no less present in Norse mythology. Niflhel was a hellish place in Hel, where oathbreakers and other criminals suffered torments (compare Greek Tartarus). Niflhel ("Misty Hel " Nifel being cognate with Nebel, a German and Latin root meaning Cloud) is the name of a location in In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place
These worlds were connected by Yggdrasil, or the world ash root, a giant tree with Asgard at its top. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World Chewing at its roots in Niflheim was Nidhogg, a ferocious serpent or dragon. In Norse mythology, Níðhöggr ( Malice Striker, often anglicized Nidhogg) is a dragon who eats the roots of the World Tree The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide Asgard can also be reached by Bifrost, the magical rainbow bridge guarded by Heimdall, the mute god of vigilance who could see and hear a thousand miles. Bifröst ( Old Norse bifrǫst, literally the "tremulous way" from bifask "to tremble" and rǫst "a distance" in Heimdall ( Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin is one of the Æsir
The cosmology of Norse mythology also involves a strong element of duality; for example the night and the day have their own mythological counterparts-- Dagr/Skinfaxi and Nótt/Hrímfaxi, the sun Sól and the chasing wolf Skoll, the moon Mani and its chasing wolf Hati, and the total opposites of Niflheim and Muspell in the origin of the world. In Norse mythology, Dagr ( Old Norse "day" is Day personified In Norse mythology, Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi are the horses of Dagr (day and Nótt (night In Norse mythology, Nótt ( Old Norse "night" is Night personified In Norse mythology, Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi are the horses of Dagr (day and Nótt (night For the moon of Saturn named after Skoll see Skoll (moon. In Norse mythology, Sköll ( Old Norse "treachery" is In Norse mythology, Máni ( Old Norse "moon" is the Moon personified In Norse mythology, Hati Hróðvitnisson (first name meaning "He Who Hates Enemy" is a wolf that according to Gylfaginning chases the Moon across Niflheimr or Niflheim (" Mist Home" the "Abode of Mist" or "Mist World" Nifl being cognate with the Old English Muspelheim ("Flameland" also called Muspel ( Old Norse Múspellsheimr and Múspell, respectively is the realm of Fire This might have reflected a deeper metaphysical belief in opposites as the foundation of the world. Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science
Supernatural beings
There are several "clans" of Vættir or animistic nature spirits: the Æsir and Vanir, understood as gods, plus the Jötnar, the Álfar and Dvergar. Vættir or wights are nature spirits in the Norse religion. These nature spirits divide up into 'families' including the Álfar (elves Dvergar (dwarves In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. A jötunn, sometimes anglicized as jotun (pronounced yotun is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength In Norse mythology, the light elves ( Old Norse: Ljósálfar) live in the Old Norse version of the heavens in the place called Álfheim Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate To this list can be added the dead in the Underworld. The distinction between Æsir and Vanir is relative, for the two are said to have made peace, exchanged hostages, intermarried and reigned together after a prolonged war, which the Æsir had finally won. Some gods belong in both camps. Some authorities (compare Mircea Eliade and J.P. Mallory) consider the Æsir/Vanir division to be simply the Norse expression of a general Indo-European division of divinities, parallel to that of Olympians and Titans in Greek mythology and to a similar structure in parts of the Mahabharata. Mircea Eliade ( – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian historian of religion fiction writer philosopher and professor at the University of Chicago James Patrick Mallory is an Irish-American archaeologist and Indo-Europeanist. The existence of similarities among the deities and religious practices of the Indo-European (IE peoples allows glimpses of a common Proto-Indo-European In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance
Generally, despite ambiguity, the Æsir and their allies represent the natural forces of cosmic order, whereas the Jötnar represent the natural forces of destructive chaos. The Jötnar compare to the Titans and Gigantes of Greek mythology and generally translated as "giants", although "trolls" and "demons" have been suggested as suitable alternatives. See Gigantes y cabezudos for the giant figures of Spanish culture A troll is a fearsome member of a race of creatures from Norse mythology. Notably, a foreboding figure like Loki was the child of two giants, and likewise Hel his daughter. In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES Even so, the Æsir frequently intermarry the Jötnar, and themselves for the most part descend from them. Loki himself is thought to be the blood brother of Óðinn and thus counted as one of the Æsir. Blood brother can refer to one of two things two males related by birth or two or more men not related by Birth, who swear loyalty to one another Some of the giants are mentioned by name in the Eddas, and they seem to be representations of natural forces. There are two general types of giant: Thurses and the normal thuggish giant, but there was also a giant made of stone and a giant made of fire. There were also elves and dwarfs, whose role is shadowy but who are generally thought to side with the gods. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate
In addition, there are many other supernatural beings: Fenrir the gigantic wolf, and Jörmungandr the sea-serpent (or "worm") that is coiled around Midgard. Fenris redirects here See Fenrir (disambiguation for other uses The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora Jörmungandr, alternately referred to as the Midgardsormr or World Serpent, is a Sea serpent of the Norse mythology, the middle child of the These two monsters are described as the progeny of Loki, (Edit: Loki was not a god, but he had gotten magical powers after mixing blood with Odin, he was a trickster, but not the god of trickery or mischief) the trickster-god, and a giant (Hel is the third of these offspring). More benevolent creatures are Hugin and Munin (thought and memory, respectively), the two ravens who keep Odin, the chief god, apprised of what is happening on earth, since he gave his eye to the Well of Mimir in his quest for wisdom, Sleipnir, Loki's eight legged horse son belonging to Odin and Ratatosk, the squirrel which scampers in the branches of Yggdrasil. Huginn and Muninn, sometimes anglicised Hugin and Munin, are a pair of Ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. Mímir's Well ( Old Norse Mímisbrunnr) is one of three wells at the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil in Norse mythology In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin 's eight-legged steed and the greatest of all Horses His name means smooth or gliding, and is In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr ( drilling tooth, sometimes anglicized Ratatosk) is a Red squirrel who runs up and down with messages in the
Along with many other polytheistic religions, this mythology lacks the good-evil dualism of the Middle Eastern tradition. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two". The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Thus, Loki is not primarily an adversary of the gods, though he is often portrayed in the stories as the nemesis to the protagonist Thor, and the giants are not so much fundamentally evil, as rude, boisterous, and uncivilized (except in the case of the Thurses who were not quite so uncivilized). The Protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. The dualism that exists is not good vs. evil, but order vs. chaos. The gods represent order and structure whereas the giants and the monsters represent chaos and disorder.
Völuspá: the origin and end of the world
The origin and eventual fate of the world are described in Völuspá ("Prophecy [spá] of the völva"), one of the most striking poems in the Poetic Edda. Völuspá ( Prophecy of the Völva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. A Völva (also Vala, Spákona) is a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology. These haunting verses contain one of the most vivid creation accounts in all of religious history and a representation of the eventual destruction of the world that is unique in its attention to detail.
In the Völuspá, Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon, has conjured up the spirit of a dead völva and commanded this spirit to reveal the past and the future. She is reluctant: "What do you ask of me? Why tempt me?"; but since she is already dead, she shows no fear of Odin, and continually taunts him: "Well, would you know more?" But Odin insists: if he is to fulfill his function as king of the gods, he must possess all knowledge (Edit: Odin had to give his right eye for this knowledge). Once the völva has revealed the secrets of past and future, she falls back into oblivion: "I sink now".
The beginning
According to Norse myth, the beginning of life was fire and ice, with the existence of only two worlds: Muspelheim and Niflheim. When the warm air of Muspelheim hit the cold ice of Niflheim, the giant Ymir and the icy cow Audhumla were created. In Norse mythology, Ymir, also named Aurgelmir ( Old Norse gravel-yeller) among the giants themselves was the founder of the race of Auðumbla (also spelled Auðumla, Auðhumbla or Auðhumla) is the Primeval cow of Norse mythology. Ymir's foot bred a son and a man and a woman emerged from his armpits, making Ymir the progenitor of the Jotun, or giants. Whilst Ymir slept, the intense heat from Muspelheim made him sweat, and he sweated out Surtr, a giant of fire. For the moon of Saturn named after Surtr see Surtur (moon. In Norse mythology, Surtr ( Old Norse "black" Later Ymir woke and drank Audhumbla's milk. Whilst he drank, the cow Audhumbla licked on a salt stone. On the first day after this a man's hair appeared on the stone, on the second day a head and on the third day an entire man emerged from the stone. His name was Búri and with an unknown giantess he fathered Bor, the father of the three gods Odin, Vili and Ve. Búri was the first god in Norse mythology. He was the father of Borr and grandfather of Odin. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. For other meanings of Ve, see Ve (disambiguation. For other meanings of Vili, see Vili (disambiguation.
When the gods felt strong enough they killed Ymir. His blood flooded the world and drowned all of the giants, except two. But giants grew again in numbers and soon there were as many as before Ymir's death. Then the gods created seven more worlds using Ymir's flesh for dirt, his blood for the Oceans, rivers and lakes, his bones for stone, his brain as the clouds, his skull for the heaven. Sparks from Muspelheim flew up and became stars.
One day when the gods were walking they found two tree trunks. They transformed them into the shape of humans. Odin gave them life, Vili gave them mind and Ve gave them the ability to hear, see, and speak. The gods named them Ask and Embla and built the kingdom of Middle-earth for them and to keep the giants out the gods placed a gigantic fence made of Ymirs eye-lashes around Middle-earth. In Norse Mythology, Ask and Embla ( Old Norse: Askr ok Embla) were the first two humans created by the gods
The völva goes on to describe Yggdrasil and the three norns (female symbols of inexorable fate; their names - Urðr (Urd), Verðandandi (Verdandi), and Skuld - indicate the past, present, and obligatory actions to occur), who spin the threads of fate beneath it. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World The Norns ( Old Norse: norn, plural nornir) are a kind of Dísir, numerous female beings who rule the fates of the various races of Norse Wyrd is a concept in Old English and Old Norse culture roughly corresponding to fate or Karma. Skuld (possibly "debt" or "future" is a Norn in Norse mythology. She then describes the war between the Æsir and Vanir and the murder of Baldr, Odin's handsome son whom everyone but Loki loved. (The story is that everything in existence promised not to hurt him except mistletoe. Taking advantage of this weakness, Loki made a mistletoe spear and tricked Höðr, Odin's blind son and Baldr's brother, into using it to kill Baldr. Mistletoe is the common name for a group of hemi-parasitic Plants in the order Santalales that grow attached to and within the Höðr (often anglicized as Hod) is the brother of Baldr in Norse mythology. Hel said she would revive him if everyone in the nine worlds wept. A giantess - Thokk, who may have been Loki in shape-shifted form - did not weep. Þökk ( Old Norse "Thanks" is a giantess in Norse mythology, presumed to be Loki in disguise who refuses to weep for the slain After that she turns her attention to the future.
The end times (Eschatological beliefs)
The Old Norse vision of the future is bleak. Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (rɑgnɑrɔk Old Norse "Final destiny of the gods" refers to a series of major events including a great battle foretold Norse mythology's vision of the end times is stark and pessimistic: not only are the Norse gods capable of being defeated by residents of Yggdrasil's other branches, but in fact are destined to be defeated, and have always lived with this knowledge. In the end, it was believed, the forces of chaos will outnumber and overcome the divine and human guardians of order. Loki and his monstrous children will burst their bonds; the dead will sail from Niflheim to attack the living. Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, will summon the heavenly host with a blast on his horn. Heimdall ( Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin is one of the Æsir Then a final battle will ensue between order and chaos (Ragnarök), which the gods will lose, as is their fate. The gods, aware of this, will gather the finest warriors, the Einherjar, to fight on their side when the day comes, but in the end they will be powerless to prevent the world from descending into the chaos out of which it has once emerged; the gods and their world will be destroyed. There are two optimistic facts, however: Not only will chaos also be defeated, but a new, better world will emerge from the ashes of the old one. Odin will be swallowed by Fenrir. Thor will kill Jörmungandr, but will drown in its venom. Loki will be the last to die, having taken a wound from Heimdall that, although was taken at the same time as Loki's wound on Heimdall, did not kill the god of chaos and fire in that instance.
And although the gods were destined to be defeated and killed, Baldr and Hodr, along with the new world, will be born again.
Kings and heroes
The mythological literature relates the legends of heroes and kings, as well as supernatural creatures. A Legendary saga or Fornaldarsaga (literally a tale of times past) is a Norse saga that unlike the Icelanders' sagas, takes place The Sigurd stones form a group of seven or eight Runestones and one Image stone that depict imagery from the legend of Sigurd the dragon slayer The Völsunga saga is a Legendary saga, a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the origin and decline of the Volsung clan These clan and kingdom founding figures possessed great importance as illustrations of proper action or national origins. The heroic literature may have fulfilled the same function as the national epic in other European literatures, or it may have been more nearly related to tribal identity. A national epic is an epic poem or similar work which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular Nation; not necessarily a Many of the legendary figures probably existed, and generations of Scandinavian scholars have tried to extract history from myth in the sagas. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages
Sometimes the same hero resurfaces in several forms depending on which part of the Germanic world the epics survived such as Weyland/Völund and Siegfried/Sigurd, and probably Beowulf/Bödvar Bjarki. Wayland (also spelled Weyland, Wieland, Weland, Welent and Watlende) is a smith of Germanic legend Wayland (also spelled Weyland, Wieland, Weland, Welent and Watlende) is a smith of Germanic legend Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. Beowulf (ˈBeɪoʊwʊlf/ /ˈBeɪəwʊlf Old English ˈbeːo̯wʊlf is a legendary Geatish hero and later king in the Old English epic poem named after him Other notable heroes are Hagbard, Starkad, Ragnar Lodbrok, Sigurd Ring, Ivar Vidfamne and Harald Hildetand. Hagbard, the brother of Haki and son of Hamund, was a famous Scandinavian Sea-king, in Norse mythology. Starkad, Old Norse: Starkaðr or Störkuðr, Latin: Starcaterus, and during the late Middle Ages, also known as Starkodder Ragnar Lodbrok (Ragnar "Hairy-Breeks" Old Norse: Ragnarr Loðbrók) was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly Sigurd Ring ( Old Norse: Sigurðr hringr) or Ring ( Old Norse: Hringr) (ca 750) was a Swedish and Danish king mentioned in Ívarr inn víðfaðmi or Ivar Vidfamne was a king of parts of Scandinavia. Harald Wartooth ( Old Norse: Haraldr Hilditönn, modern Swedish and Danish Harald Hildetand) was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark Notable are also the shieldmaidens who were ordinary women who had chosen the path of the warrior. shieldmaiden was a Virgin who had chosen to fight as a warrior in Scandinavian folklore and mythology and they are often mentioned in Sagas such These women function both as heroines and as obstacles to the heroic journey.
Norse worship
Centres of faith
The Germanic tribes rarely or never had temples in a modern sense. The Blót, the form of worship practiced by the ancient Germanic and Scandinavian people resembled that of the Celts and Balts : it could occur in sacred groves. Celtic mythology is the Mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the Religion of the Iron Age Celts Like other Iron Age The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European A major event leading to the eventual formation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, took place in what is commonly referred to within the Church as The It could also take place at home and/or at a simple altar of piled stones known as a "horgr". In Norse paganism, hörgr (plural hörgar) was a type of Altar, constructed of piled stones However, there seem to have been a few more important centres, such as Skiringssal, Lejre and Uppsala. For another Viking Age site see Kaupanger. Kaupang is a town founded in the 780s during the time when the Vikings started to launch their Lejre is a town and municipality ( Danish, kommune) on the island of Zealand in east Denmark. Gamla Uppsala ("Old Uppsala" is a parish and a village outside Uppsala in Sweden. Adam of Bremen claims that there was a temple in Uppsala (see Temple at Uppsala) with three wooden statues of Thor, Odin, Idoki and Freyr. Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods
Priests
While a kind of priesthood seems to have existed, it never took on the professional and semi-hereditary character of the Celtic druidical class. A druid was a member of the priestly and learned class in the ancient Celtic societies This was because the shamanistic tradition was maintained by women, the Völvas. A Völva (also Vala, Spákona) is a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology. It is often said that the Germanic kingship evolved out of a priestly office. Germanic monarchy, also called barbarian monarchy, was a monarchical systemof government which was predominant among the Germanic tribes of Late Antiquity This priestly role of the king was in line with the general role of godi, who was the head of a kindred group of families (for this social structure, see norse clans), and who administered the sacrifices. for the town in Nepal see Gothi Nepal A goði or gothi (plural goðar) is the Old Norse term for a Priest The Scandinavian clan or ætt (ˈɛtt in Old Norse) was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing
Despite the shamanistic Völvas, this religion was not a form of shamanism. A Völva (also Vala, Spákona) is a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology.
Human sacrifice
A unique eye-witness account of Germanic human sacrifice survives in Ibn Fadlan's account of a Rus ship burial, where a slave-girl had volunteered to accompany her lord to the next world. Human sacrifice is the act of Homicide (the Killing of one or several Human beings in the context of a Religious ritual ( ritual killing Ahmad Ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād (أحمد بن فضلان بن العباس بن رشيد بن حماد was a 10th century Arab Muslim Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians A ship burial or boat grave is a Burial in which a Ship or Boat is used either as a container for the dead and the grave goods or as a part More indirect accounts are given by Tacitus, Saxo Grammaticus and Adam von Bremen. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the
However, the Ibn Fadlan account is actually a burial ritual. Ahmad Ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād (أحمد بن فضلان بن العباس بن رشيد بن حماد was a 10th century Arab Muslim Current understanding of Norse mythology suggests an ulterior motive to the slave-girl's 'sacrifice'. It is believed that in Norse mythology a woman who joined the corpse of a man on the funeral pyre would be that man's wife in the next world. For a slave girl to become the wife of a lord was an obvious increase in status. Although both religions are of the Indo-European tradition, the sacrifice described in the Ibn Fadlan account is not to be confused with the practice of Sati. Ahmad Ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād (أحمد بن فضلان بن العباس بن رشيد بن حماد was a 10th century Arab Muslim Satī ( Devanagari: सती, the feminine of sat "true" (also suttee) is a Funeral practice among some
The Heimskringla tells of Swedish King Aun who sacrificed nine of his sons in an effort to prolong his life until his subjects stopped him from killing his last son Egil. For the village in Azerbaijan see Avun; for the airport with the IATA location identifier "AUN" see Auburn Municipal Airport (California. According to Adam of Bremen, the Swedish kings sacrificed male slaves every ninth year during the Yule sacrifices at the Temple at Uppsala. Yule is a winter festival historically celebrated primarily in northern Europe but now celebrated in many other countries in various forms The Swedes had the right not only to elect kings but also to depose them, and both king Domalde and king Olof Trätälja are said to have been sacrificed after years of famine. In Norse mythology Domalde, Dómaldi or Dómaldr was a Swedish king of the House of Ynglings cursed by his stepmother according to Olaf Tree Feller ( Old Norse: Ólafr trételgja, Swedish Olof Trätälja, Norwegian Olav Tretelgja) was the son of the Swedish king Ingjald
Odin was associated with death by hanging, and a possible practice of Odinic sacrifice by strangling has some archeological support in the existence of bodies perfectly preserved by the acid of the Jutland peatbogs, into which they were cast after having been strangled. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Peat is an accumulation of partially Decayed Vegetation matter. An example is Tollund Man. The Tollund Man is the naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the time period characterised in Scandinavia as the However, we possess no written accounts that explicitly interpret the cause of these stranglings, which could obviously have other explanations.
Interactions with Christianity
- See also: Christianization of Scandinavia
An important note in interpreting this mythology is that often the closest accounts that we have to "pre-contact" times were written by Christians. The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with The Younger Edda and the Heimskringla were written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, over two hundred years after Iceland became Christianized. The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity This results in Snorri's works carrying a large amount of Euhemerism. Euhemerus (Εὐήμερος (working late fourth century BC was a Greek mythographer at the court of Cassander, the king of Macedon.
Virtually all of the saga literature came out of Iceland, a relatively small and remote island, and even in the climate of religious tolerance there, Snorri was guided by an essentially Christian viewpoint. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Heimskringla provides some interesting insights into this issue. Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse Kings' sagas. Snorri introduces Odin as a mortal warlord in Asia who acquires magical powers, settles in Sweden, and becomes a demi-god following his death. The term " demigod " meaning "half-god" is used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human Having undercut Odin's divinity, Snorri then provides the story of a pact of Swedish King Aun with Odin to prolong his life by sacrificing his sons. For the village in Azerbaijan see Avun; for the airport with the IATA location identifier "AUN" see Auburn Municipal Airport (California. Later in the Heimskringla, Snorri records in detail how converts to Christianity such as Saint Olaf Haraldsson brutally converted Scandinavians to Christianity.
Trying to avert civil war, the Icelandic parliament voted in Christianity, but for some years tolerated heathenry in the privacy of one's home. Sweden, on the other hand, had a series of civil wars in the 11th century, which ended with the burning of the Temple at Uppsala. The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods In England, on the other hand, Christianization occurred earlier and sporadically, rarely by force. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Conversion by coercion was sporadic throughout the areas where Norse gods had been worshipped. However, the conversion did not happen overnight. Christian clergy did their utmost to teach the populace that the Norse gods were demons, but their success was limited and the gods never became evil in the popular mind in most of Scandinavia.
The length of time Christianization took is illustrated by two centrally located examples: Lovön and Bergen. Archaeological studies of graves at the Swedish island of Lovön have shown that the Christianisation took 150-200 years, and this was a location close to the kings and bishops. Lovön is an island located in the Swedish lake Mälaren in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County. Likewise in the bustling trading town of Bergen, many runic inscriptions have been found from the 13th century, among the Bryggen inscriptions. The Bryggen inscriptions are a find of some 670 medieval runic Inscriptions on wood (mostly Pine) and bone found from 1955 and forth at One of them says may Thor receive you, may Odin own you, and a second one is a galdra which says I carve curing runes, I carve salvaging runes, once against the elves, twice against the trolls, thrice against the thurs. Galdr (plural galdrar) is one Old Norse word for " spell, Incantation " and which was usually performed in combination with certain The second one also mentions the dangerous Valkyrie Skögul. In Norse mythology the valkyries ( Old Norse Valkyrja "Choosers of the Slain" are Dísir, minor female deities Skögul or Geirskögul is a Valkyrie in Norse mythology. She is attested in Völuspá and occurs as a minor character in
Otherwise there are few accounts from the 14th to the 18th century, but the clergy, such as Olaus Magnus (1555) wrote about the difficulties of extinguishing the old beliefs. Olaus Magnus ( Olaus Magni or Olaus Magni Gothus) was a Swedish Ecclesiastic and Writer, who did pioneering work for the interest of The story related in Þrymskviða appears to have been unusually resilient, like the romantic story of Hagbard and Signy, and versions of both were recorded in the 17th century and as late as the 19th century. Þrymskviða (the name can be anglicized as Thrymskviða, Thrymskvitha, Thrymskvidha or Thrymskvida) is one of the Hagbard and Signy (Signe (the Viking Age) or Habor and Sign ( h) ild (the Middle Ages and later were a pair of The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar In the 19th and early 20th century Swedish folklorists documented what commoners believed, and what surfaced were many surviving traditions of the gods of Norse mythology. However, the traditions were by then far from the cohesive system of Snorri's accounts. Most gods had been forgotten and only the hunting Odin and the giant-slaying Thor figure in numerous legends. Freyja is mentioned a few times and Baldr only survives in legends about place names. Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism.
Other elements of Norse mythology survived without being perceived as such, especially concerning supernatural beings in Scandinavian folklore. Beings of Scandinavian folklore Perhaps most abundant are the stories about the race of Trolls ' a cunning and deceitful people living in the forestlands Moreover, the Norse belief in destiny has been very firm until modern times. Since the Christian hell resembled the abode of the dead in Norse mythology one of the names was borrowed from the old faith, Helvíti i. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering e. Hel's punishment. Many elements of the Yule traditions persevered, such as the Swedish tradition of slaughtering the pig at Christmas (Christmas ham), which originally was part of the sacrifice to Freyr. Yule is a winter festival historically celebrated primarily in northern Europe but now celebrated in many other countries in various forms A Christmas Ham or Yule Ham is a traditional dish associated with modern Christmas, Yule and Scandinavian Jul.
Modern influences
| Day (Old Norse) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mánadagr | Moon's day |
| Týsdagr | Tyr's day |
| Óðinsdagr | Odin's day |
| Þórsdagr | Thor's day |
| Frjádagr | Day of Freyr/Freyja |
| Laugardagr | Washing day |
| Sunnudagr/Dróttinsdagr | Sun's day/The Lord's day |
The Germanic gods have left numerous traces in modern vocabulary and elements of every day western life in most Germanic language speaking countries. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. An example of this is some of the names of the days of the week: modelled after the names of the days of the week in Latin (named after Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn), the names for Tuesday through to Friday were replaced with Germanic equivalents of the Roman gods. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In English, Saturn was not replaced, while Saturday is named after the sabbath in German.
Viking revival
Early modern editions of Old Norse literature begins in the 16th century, e. Early modern publications dealing with Old Norse ( Viking Age) culture appeared in the 16th century e g. Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (Olaus Magnus, 1555) and the first edition of the 13th century Gesta Danorum (Saxo Grammaticus), in 1514. Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c The pace of publication increased during the 17th century with Latin translations of the Edda (notably Peder Resen's Edda Islandorum of 1665). As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar This page refers to the Eddur poems and tales of Norse Mythology
This renewed interest of Romanticism in the Old North had political implications: A myth about a glorious and brave past was needed to give the Swedes the courage to retake Finland, which had been lost in 1809 during the war between Sweden and Russia. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809 The Geatish Society, of which Geijer was a member, popularized this myth to a great extent. The Geatish Society, or Gothic League ( Götiska Förbundet) was created by a number of Swedish Poets and Authors in 1811, as a social
A focus for early British enthusiasts was George Hicke, who published a Linguarum vett. septentrionalium thesaurus in 1703–5. Year 1703 ( MDCCIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1705 ( MDCCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a In the 1780s, Denmark offered to cede Iceland to Britain in exchange for Crab Island (West Indies), and in the 1860s Iceland was considered as a compensation for British support of Denmark in the Slesvig-Holstein conflicts. Year 1780 ( MDCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Crab Island may refer to Crab Island Guyana, is at the mouth of the Berbice River Crab Island (Queensland, is in the western The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is During this time, British interest and enthusiasm for Iceland and Nordic culture grew dramatically.
Germanic neopaganism
Romanticist interest in the Old North gave rise to Germanic mysticism involving various schemes of occultist "Runology", notably following Guido von List and his Das Geheimnis der Runen (1908) in the early 20th century. Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism. Armanism and Ariosophy are the names of ideological systems of an Esoteric nature pioneered by Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels Guido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List ( October 5, 1848, in Vienna, &ndash May 17, 1919, in Das Geheimnis der Runen (English 'The Secret of the Runes') is a book by Austrian mystic Guido von List, in which he presents his " Armanen
Since the 1970s, there have been revivals of the old Germanic religion as Germanic neopaganism (Ásatrú) in both Europe and the United States. Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism. is Ásatrú ( Icelandic for " Æsir faith" auːsatruː in Old Norse; Norwegian Åsatru, Swedish The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Modern popular culture
Norse mythology also influenced Richard Wagner's use of literary themes from it to compose the four operas that make up Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). The mythology of the Scandinavian peoples preserved in such ancient Icelandic texts as the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and other lays and sagas Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer
Subsequently, J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, especially The Silmarillion, were heavily influenced by the indigenous beliefs of the pre-Christian Northern Europeans. The Silmarillion is a collection of J R R Tolkien 's mythopoeic works edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in As the related Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings became popular, elements of its fantasy world moved steadily into popular perceptions of the fantasy genre. The Lord of the Rings is an epic In many fantasy novels today can be found such Norse creatures as elves, dwarves, and frost giants, though this has back-fired with many viewing these creatures as clichés. Subsequently, Norse mythology has also greatly influenced popular culture, in literature and modern fiction. (See Marvel Comics' The Mighty Thor or Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (Vertigo))
Bibliography
Primary sources
General secondary works
- Aðalsteinsson, Jón Hnefill (1998). Thor is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Sandman is a Comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published in the United States by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval Manuscript Codex Regius. Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages A Piece of Horse Liver: Myth, Ritual and Folklore in Old Icelandic Sources (translated by Terry Gunnell & Joan Turville-Petre). Reykjavík: Félagsvísindastofnun. ISBN 9979542640.
- Andrén, Anders. Jennbert, Kristina. Raudvere, Catharina. (editors) (2006). Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes and Interactions. Lund: Nordic Academic Press. ISBN 918911681X.
- Branston, Brian (1980). Gods of the North. London: Thames and Hudson. (Revised from an earlier hardback edition of 1955). ISBN 0-500-27177-1.
- Christiansen, Eric (2002). The Norsemen in the Viking Age. Malden, Mass. : Blackwell. ISBN 1405149647.
- Clunies Ross, Margaret (1994). Prolonged Echoes: Old Norse Myths in Medieval Northern Society, vol. 1: The Myths. Odense: Odense Univ. Press. ISBN 8778380081.
- Davidson, H. R. Ellis (1964). Dr Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1 October 1914 - January 2006 was a British Antiquarian and academic writing in particular Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Baltimore: Penguin. New edition 1990 by Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-013627-4. (Several runestones)
- —— (1969). A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock Scandinavian Mythology. London and New York: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-87226-041-0. Reissued 1996 as Viking and Norse Mythology. New York: Barnes and Noble.
- —— (1988). Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse Univ. Press. ISBN 0815624387.
- —— (1993). The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415049377.
- de Vries, Jan. See Jan de Vries (disambiguation for other people with the same name Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte, 2 vols. , 2nd. ed. , Grundriss der germanischen Philogie, 12–13. Berlin: W. de Gruyter.
- DuBois, Thomas A. (1999). Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. Philadelphia: Univ. Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812217144.
- Dumézil, Georges (1973). Georges Dumézil ( March 4, 1898 – October 11, 1986) was a French comparative Philologist best known for his analysis of Sovereignty Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Ed. & trans. Einar Haugen. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-03507-0.
- Grimm, Jacob (1888). Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm ( Hanau, January 4, 1785 &ndash September 20, 1863 in Berlin) German Philologist Teutonic Mythology, 4 vols. Trans. S. Stallybras. London. Reprinted 2003 by Kessinger. ISBN 0-7661-7742-4, ISBN 0-7661-7743-2, ISBN 0-7661-7744-0, ISBN 0-7661-7745-9. Reprinted 2004 Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-43615-2 (4 vols. ), ISBN 0-486-43546-6, ISBN 0-486-43547-4, ISBN 0-486-43548-2, ISBN 0-486-43549-0.
- Lindow, John (1988). Scandinavian Mythology: An Annotated Bibliography, Garland Folklore Bibliographies, 13. New York: Garland. ISBN 0-8240-9173-6.
- —— (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0. (A dictionary of Norse mythology. )
- Mirachandra (2006). Treasure of Norse Mythology Volume I ISBN 978-3-922800-99-6.
- Motz, Lotte (1996). Lotte Motz, born Lotte Edlis, (August 16 1922 &ndash December 24 1997 was an Austrian-American scholar who published four books and many scholarly papers primarily The King, the Champion and the Sorcerer: A Study in Germanic Myth. Wien: Fassbaender. ISBN 3900538573.
- O'Donoghue, Heather (2007). From Asgard to Valhalla : the remarkable history of the Norse myths. London: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 1845113578.
- Orchard, Andy (1997). Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36385-5.
- Page, R. I. (1990). Norse Myths (The Legendary Past). London: British Museum; and Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-75546-5.
- Price, Neil S (2002). The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia. Uppsala: Dissertation, Dept. Archaeology & Ancient History. ISBN 9150616269.
- Simek, Rudolf (1993). Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Trans. Angela Hall. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. ISBN 0-85991-369-4. New edition 2000, ISBN 0-85991-513-1.
- Simrock, Karl Joseph (1853–1855) Handbuch der deutschen Mythologie. Karl Joseph Simrock ( August 28, 1802 &ndash July 18, 1876) was a German Poet and writer
- Svanberg, Fredrik (2003). Decolonizing the Viking Age. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell. ISBN 9122020063(v. 1); 9122020071(v. 2).
- Turville-Petre, E O Gabriel (1964). Edward Oswald Gabriel Turville-Petre FBA (known as Gabriel (March 25 1908 &ndash February 17 1978 was Professor of Ancient Icelandic Literature and Antiquities at the Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Reprinted 1975, Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-8371-7420-1.
Romanticism
- Further information: Viking revival
- Anderson, Rasmus (1876). Early modern publications dealing with Old Norse ( Viking Age) culture appeared in the 16th century e Rasmus Björn Anderson ( January 12, 1846 - March 2, 1936) was a Norwegian-American author professor and diplomat and the originator Norse Mythology, or, The Religion of Our Forefathers. Chicago: S. C. Griggs.
- Guerber, H. A. (1909). HA Guerber, more commonly known as Helene A Guerber ( Hélène Adeline Guerber) born 1859, died 1929, is a British historian most well known Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas. London: George G. Harrap. Reprinted 1992, Mineola, N. Y. : Dover. ISBN 0-486-27348-2.
- Keary, A & E (1909), The Heroes of Asgard. New York: Macmillan Company. Reprinted 1982 by Smithmark Pub. ISBN 0-8317-4475-8. Reprinted 1979 by Pan Macmillan ISBN 0-333-07802-0.
- Mable, Hamilton Wright (1901). Hamilton Wright Mabie AM LHD LLD (1846–1916 was an American Essayist, editor critic and lecturer born at Cold Spring N Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas. Mead and Company. Reprinted 1999, New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-7818-0770-0.
- Mackenzie, Donald A (1912). Teutonic Myth and Legend. New York: W H Wise & Co. 1934. Reprinted 2003 by University Press of the Pacific. ISBN 1-4102-0740-4.
- Rydberg, Viktor (1889). Abraham Viktor Rydberg ( Jönköping, December 18, 1828 &ndash Djursholm, September 22, 1895) was a Swedish Teutonic Mythology, trans. Rasmus B. Anderson. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co. Reprinted 2001, Elibron Classics. ISBN 1-4021-9391-2. Reprinted 2004, Kessinger Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7661-8891-4.
- Rydberg's Teutonic Mythology (Displayed by pages)
- Waddell, L. A. (1930). Lieutenant Colonel Laurence Austine Waddell (1854 - 1938 was a British Explorer, collector in Tibet, and author The British Edda. London: Chapman & Hall.
Modern retellings
- Further information: Norse mythology in popular culture
- Colum, Padraic (1920). The mythology of the Scandinavian peoples preserved in such ancient Icelandic texts as the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and other lays and sagas Padraic Colum ( 8 December, 1881 &ndash 11 January, 1972) was an Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist, The Children of Odin: A Book of Northern Myths, illustrated by Willy Pogány. William Andrew ("Willy" Pogany (1882-1955 was a Hungarian prolific Illustrator of children's and adult books New York, Macmillan. Reprinted 2004 by Aladdin, ISBN 0-689-86885-5.
- Sacred Texts: The Children of Odin. (Illustrated. )
- Crossley-Holland, Kevin (1981). Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (born 7 February 1941 is an English Children's author and Poet. The Norse Myths. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-74846-8. Also released as The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings. Harmondsworth: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-025869-8.
- d'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar (1967). Ingri ( December 27[[ 904]] – October 24[[ 980]] and Edgar ( September 30[[ 898]] – May 1[[ 986]] Parin d'Aulaire were "d'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths". New York, New York Review of Books.
- Munch, Peter Andreas (1927). Peter Andreas Munch (1810 - 1863 (usually known as P A Munch) was a Norwegian Historian, known for his work on the medieval history of the Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes, Scandinavian Classics. Trans. Sigurd Bernhard Hustvedt (1963). New York: American-Scandinavian Foundation. ISBN 0-404-04538-3.
See also
Spelling of names in Norse mythology often varies depending on the nationality of the source material. For more information see Old Norse orthography. The Orthography of the Old Norse language since the introduction of the Latin alphabet in Iceland was varied historically
- Alliterative verse
- Numbers in Norse mythology
- Project Runeberg - a Nordic equivalent to Project Gutenberg
- Ásatrú The modern practice of Norse beliefs
External links
- A collection of most of the standard texts in English translation (northvegr.org)
- Old Norse Prose and Poetry (heimskringla. In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses Alliteration as the principal structuring device to unify lines of poetry as opposed to Project Runeberg is an initiative patterned after Project Gutenberg that publishes freely available electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the is Ásatrú ( Icelandic for " Æsir faith" auːsatruː in Old Norse; Norwegian Åsatru, Swedish The Northvegr Foundation is a privately owned educational foundation no)
- Jörmungrund: Skálda- & vísnatal Norrœns Miðaldkveðskapar Index of Old Norse/Icelandic Skaldic Poetry (in Icelandic)
- Bibliography of recent scholarship on Norse Mythology & Religion
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic