Name: ________________
An Introduction to Norse Mythology
Origins:
Norse 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. Norse mythology is the best-preserved version of the older common Germanic paganism, which also
includes the very closely related Anglo-Saxon mythology.
The Norse Gods are the mythological characters from stories shared by Northern Germanic tribes of the
9th century AD. These stories were passed down in the form of poetry until the 11th – 18th centuries when the
Eddas and other medieval texts were written.
The Poetic Edda (also known as the Elder Edda) was committed to writing about 50 years after the Prose
Edda. 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). 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. 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. 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.
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 mythological images.
--http://thenorsegods.com/the-origins-of-the-norse-mythology/
Key Players:
The Norse people considered two major classes of gods: the Æsir and the Vanir, as well as
several other mythical beings, including giants. Norse Mythology centers largely around the
approaching catastrophic doom of the gods, Ragnarok. All the Norse gods know that
Ragnarok is coming. They know what will happen, that they (and their enemies) will die.
Norse Mythology is somewhat unique in this respect — the gods’ ultimate destiny on the
battlefield is a tribute to the warrior’s pride of the Vikings.
-- http://www.ancient-mythology.com/norse/
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Odin
The chief divinity of the Norse pantheon, the foremost of the Aesir. Odin is a son of Bor and Bestla. He is
called Alfadir, Allfather, for he is indeed father of the gods. With Frigg he is the father of Balder, Hod, and Hermod.
He fathered Thor on the goddess Jord; and the giantess Grid became the mother of Vidar.
Odin is a god of war and death, but also the god of poetry and wisdom. He hung for nine days, pierced by
his own spear, on the world tree. Here he learned nine powerful songs, and eighteen runes. Odin can make the dead
speak to question the wisest amongst them. His hall in Asgard is Valaskjalf ("shelf of the slain") where his throne
Hlidskjalf is located. From this throne he observes all that happens in the nine worlds. The tidings are brought to
him by his two raven Huginn and Muninn. He also resides in Valhalla, where the slain warriors are taken.
Odin's attributes are the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target, the ring Draupnir, from which every
ninth night eight new rings appear, and his eight-footed steed Sleipnir. He is accompanied by the wolves Freki and
Geri, to whom he gives his food for he himself consumes nothing but wine. Odin has only one eye, which blazes like
the sun. His other eye he traded for a drink from the Well of Wisdom, and gained immense knowledge. On the day
of the final battle, Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir.
He is also called Othinn, Wodan and Wotan. Some of the aliases he uses to travel icognito among mortals
are Vak and Valtam. Wednesday is named after him (Wodan).
Balder
The god of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence, and reconciliation. Son of
Odin and Frigg, he was loved by both gods and men and was considered to be the best
of the gods. He had a good character, was friendly, wise and eloquent, although he had
little power. His wife was Nanna daughter of Nep, and their son was Forseti, the god
of justice. Balder's hall was Breidablik ("broad splendor").
Most of the stories about Balder concern his death. He had been dreaming about his
death, so Frigg extracted an oath from every creature, object and force in nature (snakes,
metals, diseases, poisons, fire, etc.) that they would never harm Balder. All agreed that
none of their kind would ever hurt or assist in hurting Balder. Thinking him invincible,
the gods enjoyed themselves thereafter by using Balder as a target for knife-throwing and archery.
The malicious trickster, Loki, was jealous of Balder. He changed his appearance and asked Frigg if there was
absolutely nothing that could harm the god of light. Frigg, suspecting nothing, answered that there was just one thing:
a small tree in the west that was called mistletoe. She had thought it was too small to ask for an oath. Loki
immediately left for the west and returned with the mistletoe. He tricked Balder's blind twin brother Hod into
throwing a mistletoe fig (dart) at Balder. Not knowing what he did, Hod threw the fig, guided by Loki's aim. Pierced
through the heart, Balder fell dead.
While the gods were lamenting Balder's death, Odin sent his other son Hermod to Hel, the goddess of
death, to plead for Balder's return. Hel agreed to send Balder back to the land of the living on one condition:
everything in the world, dead or alive, must weep for him. And everything wept, except for Loki, who had disguised
himself as the witch Thokk. And so Balder had to remain in the underworld.
The others took the dead god, dressed him in crimson cloth, and placed him on a funeral pyre aboard his
ship Ringhorn, which passed for the largest in the world. Beside him they lay the body of his wife Nanna, who had
died of a broken heart. Balder's horse and his treasures were also placed on the ship. The pyre was set on fire and the
ship was sent to sea by the giantess Hyrrokin.
Loki did not escape punishment for his crime and Hod was put to death by Vali, son of Odin and Rind.
Vali had been born for just that purpose. After the final conflict (Ragnarok), when a new world arises from its ashes,
both Balder and Hod will be reborn.
In some versions it was his mother who had these disturbing dreams about his death.
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Old Norse: Baldr
Njord
The Norse god of winds, sea and fire. He brings good fortune at sea and in the hunt. He is married to the
giantess Skadi. His children are Freya and Freyr, whom he fathered on his own sister.
Originally, Njord was one of the Vanir but when they made peace with the Aesir, he and his children were given to
them as hostages. The Aesir appointed both Njord and Freyr as high priests to preside over sacrifices. Freya was
consecrated as sacrificial priestess. She taught the Aesir witchcraft, an art that was common knowledge among the
Vanir.
Old Norse: Njöror
Kvasir
In Norse mythology, Kvasir was the wisest of the Vanir, fashioned from the spittle of all the gods. Two
brothers, the dwarves Fjalar and Galar, invited him to a feast in their dismal cavern and killed him. The dwarves
mixed his blood with honey and preserved it in two jars and a cauldron. The mixture fermented, creating the mead of
poetry. Those who drink it become inspired poets.
Sometime later, the brothers murdered the giant Gilling and his wife. Gilling's son, Suttung, came looking for his
parents and threatened to kill the dwarves. The brothers gave the mead to Suttung in return for sparing their lives.
Suttung hid the mead in the center of a mountain and ordered his daughter Gunnlod to guard it.
Suttung boasted of his treasure, and when the god Odin learned of it he went to Jotunheim to obtain the
mead. Disguised as a farmhand, Odin worked for Suttung's brother, Baugi, all summer. When the work was done,
Odin asked Baugi to give him a drink of the mead. Reluctantly, Baugi drilled a small hole through the side of the
mountain and into the chamber where the mead was kept.
Odin changed himself into a snake and slithered through the hole into the chamber where Gunnlod guarded
the mead. Resuming the form of a giant man, he persuaded Gunnlod to give him three sips of the mead. Odin
drained all three vessels, changed himself into an eagle, and flew back to Asgard.
According to Kevin Crossley-Holland's book The Norse Myths, the name Kvasir is derived from the
Russian word kvas which denotes a type of fermented drink similar to beer but stronger (page 191).
Idun
The goddess of eternal youth, married to Bragi, the god of poetry. Idun is the custodian of the golden
apples of youth. When the gods feel old age approaching, they only have to eat of the apples to become young again.
As a goddess of fertility, youth and death, it is possible that she was originally one of the Vanir.
Idun was once abducted by the storm giant Thiazi and in this interval the gods began to age rapidly. She
was eventually rescued by Loki who changed her into a nut and brought her back to her hall. The gods were restored
to youth soon after.
Thor
Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is a son of Odin and Jord, and one of the most
powerful gods. He is married to Sif, a fertility goddess. His mistress is the giantess Jarnsaxa
("iron cutlass"), and their sons are Magni and Modi and his daughter is Thrud. Thor is helped
by Thialfi, his servant and the messenger of the gods.
Thor was usually portrayed as a large, powerful man with a red beard and eyes of
lightning. Despite his ferocious appearance, he was very popular as the protector of both gods
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and humans against the forces of evil. He even surpassed his father Odin in popularity because, contrary to Odin, he
did not require human sacrifices. In his temple at Uppsala he was shown standing with Odin at his right side. This
temple was replaced by a Christian church in 1080.
The Norse believed that during a thunderstorm, Thor rode through the heavens on his chariot pulled by the
goats Tanngrisni ("gap-tooth") and Tanngnost ("tooth grinder"). Lightning flashed whenever he threw his hammer
Mjollnir. Thor wears the belt Megingjard which doubles his already considerable strength. His hall is Bilskirnir,
which is located in the region Thrudheim ("place of might"). His greatest enemy is Jormungand, the Midgard
Serpent. At the day of Ragnarok, Thor will kill this serpent but will die from its poison. His sons will inherit his
hammer after his death.
Donar is his Teutonic equivalent, while the Romans see in him their god Jupiter. Thursday is named after
him.
Freyr
Freyr is the god of sun and rain, and the patron of bountiful harvests. He is both a god of peace and a brave
warrior. He is also the ruler of the elves. Freyr is the most prominent and most beautiful of the male members of the
Vanir, and is called 'God of the World'. After the merging of the Aesir and the Vanir, Freyr was called 'Lord of the
Aesir'. Freyr was also called upon to grant a fertile marriage.
He is married to the beautiful giantess Gerd, and is the son of Njord. His sister is Freya. He rides a chariot
pulled by the golden boar Gullinbursti which was made for him by the dwarves Brokk and Eitri. He owns the ship
Skidbladnir ("wooden-bladed"), which always sails directly towards its target, and which can become so small that it
can fit in Freyr's pocket. He also possesses a sword that would by itself emerge from its sheath and spread a field
with carnage whenever the owner desired it.
Freyr's shield bearer and servant is Skirnir, to whom he gave his sword, which Skirnir demanded as a reward
for making Gerd his wife. On the day of Ragnarok he will battle without weapons (for he gave his sword away to
Skirnir), and will be the first to be killed by the fire giant Surt. The center of his cult was the city Uppsala in Sweden.
In southern Sweden he was called Fricco.
Freya
In Norse mythology, Freya is a goddess of love and fertility, and the most beautiful and propitious of the
goddesses. She is the patron goddess of crops and birth, the symbol of sensuality and was called upon in matters of
love. She loves music, spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves (fairies). Freya is one of the foremost
goddesses of the Vanir.
She is the daughter of the god Njord, and the sister of Freyr. Later she married the mysterious god Od
(probably another form of Odin), who disappeared. When she mourned for her lost husband, her tears changed into
gold.
Her attributes are the precious necklace of the Brisings, which she obtained by sleeping with four dwarfs, a
cloak (or skin) of bird feathers, which allows its wearer to change into a falcon, and a chariot pulled by two cats. She
owns Hildesvini ("battle boar") which is actually her human lover Ottar in disguise. Her chambermaid is Fulla.
Freya lives in the beautiful palace Folkvang ("field of folk"), a place where love songs are always played, and her hall
is Sessrumnir. She divides the slain warriors with Odin: one half goes to her palace, while the other half goes to
Valhalla. Women also go to her hall.
Old Norse: Freyja, Friia
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Heimdall
Heimdall is the god of light, the son of nine mothers (variously given as the daughters of Geirrendour the
Giant or of Aegir). He was born at the end of the world and raised by the force of the earth, seawater and the blood
of a boar. Because of his shining, golden teeth he is also called Gullintani ("gold tooth"). His hall is Himinbjorg,
The Cliffs of Heaven, and his horse is Gulltop. Heimdall carries the horn Gjallar.
He is the watchman of the gods and guards Bifrost, the only entrance to Asgard, the realm of the gods. It is
Heimdall's duty to prevent the giants from forcing their way into Asgard. He requires less sleep than a bird and can
see a hundred miles around him, by night as well as by day. His hearing is so accurate that no sound escapes him: he
can even hear the grass grow or the wool on a sheep's back. At the final conflict of Ragnarok he will kill his age-old
enemy, the evil god Loki, but will die himself from his wounds.
As the god Rig ("ruler"), Heimdall created the three races of mankind: the serfs, the peasants, and the
warriors. It is interesting to note why Heimdall fathered them, and not Odin as might be expected. Furthermore,
Heimdall is in many attributes identical with Tyr.
Old Norse: Heimdallr
Tyr
The original Germanic god of war and the patron god of justice, the precursor of Odin. At the time of the
Vikings, Tyr had to make way for Odin, who became the god of war himself. Tyr was by then regarded as Odin's
son (or possibly of the giant Hymir). He is the boldest of the gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle. Tyr
is represented as a man with one hand, because his right hand was bitten off by the gigantic wolf Fenrir (in oldNorse, the wrist was called 'wolf-joint'). His attribute is a spear; the symbol of justice, as well as a weapon.
At the day of Ragnarok, Tyr will kill the hound Garm, the guardian of the hell, but will die from the wounds
inflicted by the animal. In later mythology, "Tyr" became to mean "god". He is also known as Tîwaz, Tiw and Ziu.
Valkyries
The Valkyries ("Choosers of the Slain") are beautiful
young women, mounted upon winged horses and armed with
helmets and spears. Odin needs many brave warriors for the
oncoming battle of Ragnarok, and the Valkyries scout the
battlefields to choose the bravest of those who have been slain.
They escort these heroes, called the Einherjar to Valhalla, Odin's
hall.
The Valkyries are also Odin's messengers and when they ride forth on their errands, their armor causes the
strange flickering light that is called "Aurora Borealis" (Northern Lights).
Some of the Valyries are Brynhildr, Göll, Göndul, Gudr, Gunn, Herfjoturr, Hildr, Hladgunnr, Hlokk, Hrist,
Sigrdrifa, Sigrún, and Svafa.
Old Norse: Valkyrja. An 8th and 9th century term for them is Wælcyrge.
Loki
Loki is one of the major deities in the Norse pantheon. He is a son of the giant Farbauti ("cruel striker")
and the giantess Laufey. He is regarded as one of Aesir, but is on occasion their enemy. He is connected with fire and
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magic, and can assume many different shapes (horse, falcon, fly). He is crafty and malicious, but is also heroic: in
that aspect he can be compared with the trickster from North American myths. The ambivalent god grows
progressively more unpleasent, and is directly responsible for the death of Balder, the god of light.
Loki's mistress is the giantess Angrboda, and with her he is the father of three monsters. His wife is Sigyn, who
stayed loyal to him, even when the gods punished him for the death of Balder. He was chained to three large
boulders; one under his shoulders, one under his loins and one under his knees. A poisonous snake was placed above
his head. The dripping venom that lands on him is caught by Sigyn in a bowl. But every now and then, when the
bowl is filled to the brim, she has to leave him to empty it. Then the poison that falls on Loki's face makes him twist
in pain, causing earthquakes.
On the day of Ragnarok, Loki's chains will break and he will lead the giants into battle against the gods.
Loki is often called the Sly One, the Trickster, the Shape Changer, and the Sky Traveler.
--http://www.pantheon.org
The Nine Worlds of Norse Mythology
Asgard
This was the home of the gods and goddess. These were the sky gods. There are many gods and
goddesses in Asgard. They are called the Aesir. The chief god was Odin. He was married
to Frigg (also called Frigga) the queen goddess. The Aesir were the dominating gods in Norse
Mythology.
All the gods and goddesses had magnificent mansions in Asgard.
Vanaheim
This was the home of the Vanir gods. The Vanir gods are an old branch of gods. The word “heim” means home.
The Vanir were masters of sorcery and magic. They are also widely recognized for their talent to
predict the future. After the war between the Aesir gods and the Vanir gods, three of the Vanir came
to live at Asgard. Freyja, her twin brother Freyr and their father named Njord. Nobody had mastered
sorcery better than Freyja. She was the one who taught Odin the secrets of magic.
Picture of the goddess Freyja by John Bauer
Jotunheim
This was the home of the Jotuns, the giants. They were the sworn enemies of the Aesir.
They lived in the mountains. The world in Norse Mythology was created from the
corpse of the first Jotun, namedYmir. The Jotuns and the Aesir were constantly
fighting, but love affairs could also occur. Thor and Odin had lovers who were
Jotuns. Freyr married a Jotun. Njord also married a Jotun woman, though not by choice.
Loki was a Jotun who was accepted by the Aesir and lived in Asgard. In the end Loki
does turn against the Aesir showing his true nature. There was a river called Ifingr which
separated Jotunheim, the home of the giants and Asgard, the home of the Aesir. The
river was fast flowing and therefore never froze. In Norway there is a mountain range
called Jotunheimen. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are found in Jotunheimen.
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Niflheim
This was the dark land of mist and cold. It was in the far north. This was the
lowest of all the nine worlds. The home of the dead was in Niflheim. It was ruled
by Hel. It was a gloomy and pitiful place. All humans who died of old age or illness
were sent to live in Hel in their afterlife. One of the three roots of Yggdrasil ended
here in Niflheim. The serpent named Nidhogg resided here. He not only gnawed
on the root of the tree, but also took pleasure in eating corpses.
Alfheim
Alfheim was the home of the light elves. Their home was right by Asgard in the heaven. They were beautiful and
auspicious creatures. They were considered the “guardian angels” in Norse Mythology. The light elves were certainly
a good omen.
The picture shows the goddess Freyja riding in her chariot accompanied by
the light elves.
Freyr was the god of fertility, but also associated with the light and the sun.
The gods gave Freyr Alfheim as a teething present.
Svartalheim/ Svarltheim
This was the home of the dark elves. They lived under the ground. They were hideous and could be a great nuisance
to the humans. The dark elves were nothing but trouble. Many believed dark elves were also responsible for
nightmares. These dark elves were called mare. A mare would sit on a sleeping person’s chest and whisper bad dreams
to haunt the poor soul. A mare could also haunt animals, especially horses. The dark elves could not be exposed to
sunlight. If the sun’s rays reached them they immediately turned into stones.
Nidarvellir/Nidhellir
This was the home of the dwarfs. They lived under rocks, in caves and underground.
They were masters of craftsmanship. The gods of Aesir received many fabulous gifts
from the dwarfs; the magical ring, Thor’s hammer, and the amazing ship are some
examples of their outstanding talent of craftsmanship. The dwarfs stayed
underground during the day as they would turn into stones if they were exposed to the
sun. The dwarfs could not always be trusted and could be trouble to the gods and the
giants.
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Midgard
Midgard was the home of the humans. It was mostly populated by the Sons of Heimdall.
The humans were constantly exposed to the gods, goddesses and creatures from the other
worlds in Norse Mythology.
It was Odin and his two brothers who had created the humans. A rainbow bridge called
Bifrost connected Midgard and Asgard. The gods frequently travelled across Bifrost.
Muspelheim
Muspelheim was the land of fire. It was ruled by the giant Surt. He was a sworn enemy
of the Aesir. It was located in the far south. It was the first land of existence.
Surt will ride out with his flaming sward at Ragnarok, the end of the world. Surt will
kill Freyr and set fire to Asgard, turning the home of the gods into an inferno.
-- http://norse-mythology.com/The_Nine_Worlds.html
Ragnarok
(also Ragnarök, Ragnarökk)
Perhaps one of the best known myths and one that has inspired artists from painters to video game
designers is the myth of Ragnarok, the Norsemen's own Armageddon.
From the beginning of the myth cycle that we have, it's said that fate predicted the "death of the powers,"
which is what Ragnarok translates to. The "twilight of the gods" is another, popular translation but it is not as
correct. Certain events heralded the coming of this last battle such as the death of the god Baldur, three years of
winter without end called the Fimbulwinter, and the increase in war and tyranny among men were all signs that the
last battle of the gods was coming time. The wolves Skoll and Hati will devour the sun and moon, the stars will go
out and the roosters Gullinkambi and Fjalar will crow to the gods and giants respectively to give one of the last
warnings. Finally all of the world's bonds will break, releasing the giant Loki who will gather his children and the
nations of giants around him to march on to the plain Vigrid (battle shaker) where Ragnarok will take place.
The gods, not to be out done, have their own battle preparations. Heimdall sounds a blast on the magical
Gjallahorn that signals the battle is coming. All of the gods prepare for battle, and their allies such as the einherjar
and the valkyries in Odin's Hall Valhalla and the Alfar in Alfheim as well as the dwarves and others who had sworn
allegiance to the Aesir assemble with the gods and prepare to do battle. At the appropriate time, both forces will
meet and fight on the field of Vigrid, and no matter the tricks, the training or the tactics the outcome was already
foretold long, long ago.
Thor the god of thunder will fight Jormundgand the Midgard Serpent, Loki's eldest son and a serpent large
enough to circle the Earth. Though Thor will kill the beast, the venom from Loki's son will soon after fell the
thunder god. Thor's father, the All Father Odin fights Loki's second son, the giant wolf Fenrir. Despite the length
and savagery of the battle Odin is swallowed by the wolf. Odin's son Vidar will grab Fenrir's jaws and using his great
strength tear the wolf in half from teeth to tail. Tyr, the one handed god of war, will fight the hound of Hel named
Garm and both of them will die in the battle. Even the unarmed Vanir god Frey will try to slow the onslaught of
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Surtur the king of the fire giants. Frey will be killed, and Surtur will set the world on fire after the poison of
Jormundgand has filled the air and helped to destroy the world that is. Heimdall and Loki, ancient enemies, are said
to be the last two combatants to fall at the last battle of the old age.
Of course, unlike other end-of-the-world scenarios Ragnarok doesn't mark the end of everything. In fact,
it's the close of the old cycle, and the beginning of the new. Gods like Vidar, and Thor's sons Modi and Magni are
destined to survive the battle. Baldur will resurrect, and life will be restored to many of the fallen. The air will be
cleared, the world quenched, and two humans who were hidden in the World Tree during the battle will be brought
out to live and repopulate the world.
What does all of this mean? It means that in Norse mythology, as in many pagan myths, everything is
cyclical. The seasons change, and winter gives way to summer before winter comes again. Forces that are
diametrically opposed like Frey and Surtur (nature and wild fire) or Loki and Heimdall (sometimes seen as laziness
and ease versus duty and conviction) will come into conflict and an end will be made of it all. But that isn't the end
of everything. It is just the end of that season, that year that cycle and a new one will begin afterwards.
-- http://www.ancient-mythology.com/norse/ragnarok.php
-- http://voices.yahoo.com/ragnarok-last-battle-norse-mythology-9139239.html
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