Tag: Old Norse
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Notes on “A Systematic Re-evaluation of the Sources of Old Norse Astronomy” by Christian Etheridge (2012)
Read the article here. My Motive: As someone who picked up an Astronomy minor as an undergraduate, I can’t help but find myself drawn to historical astronomical traditions (but not cosmology, at least for today). I already know that there is scant evidence for an Old Norse ‘astronomy,’ but I was nevertheless hoping to find…
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Yule with Fjorn (2024)
ᚶᛚᛂᚧᛁᛚᛂᚶ:ᛁᚢᛚ — Gleðileg jól! It’s that time of year again. All my pagan and heathen friends are extra festive, sharing feasts and wishes of warmth with everyone. I love seeing their meals, offerings, and personal customs! After several difficult years (personally), I’ve found this Yule particularly refreshing. Having healed enough to celebrate again, I managed…
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More than You Ever Wanted to Know about a Dwarf Named Litr
After running a poll on social media and realizing that less people knew about Litr the dwarf, I decided to dig a bit too deeply (mostly to showcase medieval manuscripts and Old Norse).
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Notes on Rings in Norse Legends
Anonymous asked: In one of your recent reblogs you said that “Rings worn on the finger, for example, have often played important roles in Norse legends.” Could you please explain more on that? I’ll have to scold my past self for that one. Not only did I leave the footnote for that statement lacking, but I…
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Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar: 2019-2020
Want a cool graphic to help you navigate this year like a Viking? Want one that’s historically informed to the best of this author‘s abilities? Well, for starters then, that was a poor use of the term ‘Viking,’ as most of my guests and readers will know by now. And if that sentence stumps you,…
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Álfablót: Sacrificing to the Elves
It was around the year 1019 when we traveled eastwards into Sweden with our cloaks tightly bound in search for warmth, Sigvat the Poet and I. Winter’s icy grip was strengthening over the land as summer faded with the leaves, but King Olaf II of Norway (now known as St. Olaf) had sent Sigvat there…
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Concerning ‘Red Gold’
When you look at gold, what color do you see? Probably some shade of yellow. Why, then, do Old Norse texts often mention ‘red gold’? Is it different from normal gold? If so, what is it? I was asked this question on Tumblr recently, so I took a moment to dig up an answer. Here’s…
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“All Waters Flow to Dyrafjord”
This quote comes at a pivotal movement of Gisli’s Saga, when a man named Vestein decides to face his fate despite warnings from his friends. At this point, those friends (who were sent by Gisli himself) had ridden tirelessly to catch up to Vestein, and they implored him to turn around before riding into the…
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Njal’s Saga: A Medieval Best-Seller Most People Haven’t Heard of (Audio Version)
Meet Njal’s Saga, a medieval best-seller that most people haven’t heard of. But despite its relative obscurity today, it stands out as an epic story fused with both archetypal heroes and the tragic social realities of the ‘Viking’ world, which have become a cage trapping them and plunging them into a endless tide of human violence beyond…
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Njal’s Saga: A Medieval Best-Seller Most People Haven’t Heard of
If you want to experience a medieval Icelandic ‘family’ saga at peak performance, then this is the saga to read. […]
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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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What is Feud? Solving Problems with an Axe (ft. Beowulf)
Many of the great sagas and ancient lore from the medieval North recount endless, bloody feuds between generations of prominent families: a conflict ends, peace…
