Tag: mythology
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Norse Mythology: Yggdrasil
For the Norse, Yggdrasil was their world(s) tree. That’s right, world(s)—because they conceived their cosmos as having 9 worlds, not just 1. This raid therefore aims to plunder the heart of their cosmos to better understand Yggdrasil’s role and its symbolism in the Norse world(s)view. We won’t talk about everything (like Odin’s well-known sacrifice upon…
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Raid 15: Norse Mythology — Yggdrasil
For the Norse, Yggdrasil was their world(s) tree. That’s right, world(s)—because they conceived their cosmos as having 9 worlds, not just 1. This raid therefore aims to plunder the heart of their cosmos to better understand Yggdrasil’s role and its symbolism in the Norse world(s)view. We won’t talk about everything (like Odin’s well-known sacrifice upon…
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Raid 14: Norse Mythology – Midgard and Asgard
It’s not a stretch to say that Midgard and Asgard are the two most important worlds of the Norse cosmos, for they are the homes of us humans and our gods. But…have you ever wondered why they’re both conceived of as fortresses? It’s not a coincidence. In this raid, we’ll go through the must-know details…
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Norse Mythology: Creating the Cosmos
The Norse imagined the creation of the cosmos as a story of ice and fire—but it’s really nothing like the more well-known Song of Ice and Fire that people prefer to talk about now. Well, perhaps they used to until a certain show ended on a less-than-popular note. But I digress. In this raid, we’re…
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Álfablót: Sacrificing to the Elves (Audio Version)
Occasionally, Viking fans and modern-day Norse pagans throw around the term álfablót (elf-sacrifice), but what does that actually involve? What is an elf-sacrifice, anyway? And what is it for? In this episode of the Fjorn’s Hall Podcast, I share a few stories from medieval sources dealing with this topic: sacrifices made to the elves. Although…
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The Poetic Edda: Studying a Source for Norse Mythology
In recent years, the popularity of the Norse myths has grown exponentially. With bestselling books such as Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and History Channel’s award-winning television series Vikings, the stories of the Norse gods and their human heroes have become a part of our modern cultural life. The thousand-year-old deities that encompassed a rich oral…
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Like Norse Mythology? Here are Some Resources.
Of course, I do have my own fair share of resources about Norse mythology here in the Hall, including Lore Tomes about the Norse Gods, several posts about the Land-Spirits (including a podcast episode), and information regarding the Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar. But for those who really want to explore this topic further, here are several…
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Land-Spirits, III: Dealing with New Neighbors
☞ Before reading: This is part III of the (slightly modified) written form of the Fjörn’s Hall Podcast episode titled “Landvættir: The Land-Spirits of the Medieval North.” You may listen to it here, or you may enjoy it in written form below! Looking for part II? Dealing with New Neighbors: Iceland’s Settlers Encounter the Land-Spirits…
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Land-Spirits, II: Don’t Scare Them!
During the late 9th century, Norse famers, mostly from Norway and including a few small-scale chieftains, migrated to a new island… Read more:
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Advice from Odin, II: New Year
Some folk say that a new year means little more than a changing date, but most people see this time is an opportunity for renewal. For those seeking to better themselves this year, I hope that you all succeed in fulfilling your oaths—and we shall drink to your honor this night, as we celebrate! In…
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Advice from Odin, I: Drinking
This advice is always good to follow, but I tend to share it the most around New Year’s (for fairly obvious reasons). That said, whether it is that time of year or not, allow me to share some of Odin‘s warnings and advice about drinking. After all, we should all drink responsibly. Besides, I don’t…
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Land-Spirits, I: What Are They?
In the next few Hearthside History posts, we’re going to talk about the landvættir, or the land-spirits of the medieval North. A lot of folk hear about them whenever October comes around because contemporary followers of the Old Ways consider them important during harvest-related holidays, such as Vetrnætr (Winter Nights), which was between October 19th…
