Tag: norse mythology
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Mermaids, Sirens, and Sea-Dwellers in Norse Mythology
manic-entity asked: Do you know of any kinds of mermaids or sirens or other sea dwellers in Norse myth? (If there’s two things I love, it’s mermaids and Norse myth) Off the top of my head, I cannot think of specific mermaids in Norse mythology. I can, however, recall that there is a Danish fairytale from…
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Objects Associated with Thor in Norse Mythology
Anonymous asked: I dreamt of a wooden bowl washed with seawater that caught the sunlight and was hailed by a chorus that sang “Thor lives!” Was this entirely dream-fiction or are there objects beyond the hammer associated with Thor? The first thing that comes to my mind when you describe your dream is a scene from Brennu-Njáls…
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Women in the Viking Age, Part 3 (War)
The modern world longs for a place in our history in which women were not bound by the struggles they have faced for so long. The Viking realm has been no exception to this desire. The women in the Viking Age have presented us with an interesting situation. There is a significant amount of strong,…
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Birch and Oak in Norse Mythology
Anonymous asked: Hello! I was wondering if birch or oak had any special meanings/symbolism in Norse Mythology; Specific aspects regarding Norse mythology and Norse paganism still remain elusive to me, but I have done my best to find some helpful information. I have read in many places that Freyja and Frigg are associated with birch, but…
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Sagas: Skalds and Poetry
This week we will begin a discussion on skalds (poets) and their tradition. Poetry had a much higher value in the medieval world than it does today. Words had power, so much so that they could even physically deform you. Law texts specifically note punishments for slandering someone’s name. This is not only unique to Scandinavian region…
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Sagas: Snorri and Eddas
This week we will continue our discussion of Viking Age related literature by entering the realm of the Edda and Eddic poetry. We will start by discussing an important Icelander named Snorri Sturluson, discussing the literature that has preserved much of our mythological material. Contents: Snorri Sturluson (d. 1241) Snorri Sturluson was a prominent member of…
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Notes on Freyr and Elves
@rickthesicilian asked: “I had no idea that elves were ancestor spirits. Could you elaborate on this (or provide a source that can in your place)? Also, what implications does this have for Freyr? He was at one point said to be the “ruler of the elves,” or something similar, iirc. Does this give him lordship over…
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Strong Women in Norse Mythology, Sagas, and History
Anonymous asked: Hello, im not sure if you already postet something on this topic but could you tell me a bit about strong women in the viking age or mythologie? (Links to your blog post about that topic would help 2) Thank you in advance, your blog is beautiefull ♡ I have only touched on this…
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Viking Spirituality
Spirituality, in historical terms, is something quite difficult to assess. That being said, I do not expect to touch on everything nor to be the only interpretation that is out there. This lesson will also be a little sparse on detailed information. Instead, it will focus more on giving a general impression of spirituality during…
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Notes on Ice and Fire Giants in Norse Mythology
gothic-metalhead-deactivated202 asked: Question connected with last crash course post – can you tell something more about ice/fire giants? I can definitely do my best. Eldjötnar (Fire Giants) (Eldr = fire, Jötnar = giants) I am not sure that they are often directly referred to in such a way, but I do believe that Surtr and the other jötnar of Muspellsheimr (also referred to just as Muspell)fit such…
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Norse Mythology: Gods and Races, Part 3
At last, we reach the final segment of this lesson on Norse Mythology. This will actually conclude our discussion of Norse Mythology, moving next to something related – spirituality. Following that lesson will be runes. This lesson will cover some of the major races of the Norse Cosmology: Giants, Dwarves, Elves, Valyries, and Norns. These are most…
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Notes on Valkyries
1224isy-blog asked: Notes on Valkyries and the like? I do enjoy a good, open-ended question, so thank you for asking! Though, it is still a bit of an informal post on my behalf, but still it should be worthwhile. The Valkyries are quite an interesting feature in Norse and Germanic mythology. They appear quite frequently in…
