Tag: vikings
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ヴィンランド・サガ: Vikings in Manga & Anime
Although the Vikings never quite made it to Japan (as far as we know), their culture still managed to find its way there hundreds of years after the Viking Age. But the impact has been…minimal, to say the least. After all, whenever a curious wanderer searches for バイキング (that’s ‘Viking’ in Japanese) on Google, they…
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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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Spring Arrives with Baldr
Today is the first day of spring, which, for me, is a day to admire the constant renewal of life in the world around us. More specifically, though, I always find myself thinking of Baldr, who (as many of us know) returns from Hel to restore life to the post-Ragnarok world. As stanza 59 of Völuspá recounts: …
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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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The Gatewatch: A Troll Hunting Saga
Long ago the northern realm of Noros was wild and full of wicked trolls. Torin Ten-Tree’s great grandfather defeated […]
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‘Viking’ Love Stories
When it comes to love in the medieval North, these are some of the most essential stories to know. We start things off with a fairly detailed discussion of Freyja, the free-spirited goddess of love and war, which includes some coverage of her ferocious cats and her experience with magic (seiðr). But after that, we…
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Resources for Njal’s Saga
Never heard of Njal’s Saga? Don’t worry, you’re not alone—it’s actually a medieval best-seller most people haven’t heard of. But luckily, all you have to do is read this post to get yourself acclimated, and then you’re all set to enjoy one of medieval Iceland’s finest sagas (as so many saga-enthusiasts proudly proclaim)! That introductory…
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Writing a Saga for the 21st Century: The All Father Paradox
What is the All Father Paradox novel about? You might have heard of the Grandfather Paradox? It’s a serious hazard for any would-be time travellers. Imagine you invented a time machine. It is possible for you to travel back in time, meet your grandfather and kill him, all before he sired his own children (your…
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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…
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Feuding, I: What is Feud? Solving Problems with an Axe
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…
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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…
