Norse mythology refers to the legends, stories, and scripted sources that comprise the myths of the Scandinavian Norse society.
The mythology is mainly derived from two key sources, Prose Edda and Poetic Edda. The sources mention a large body of gods and goddesses as well as various stories and incidents involving them.
According to Nose mythology, nine worlds exist around the tree Yggdrasil and that world is born and reborn in multiple cycles. The Norse mythology mentions many heroes, wars, conflicts, and interesting stories. Mythology played an important role in the Viking society and gods like Thor and Odin were regularly called upon for help.
According to the source of Norse mythology, the realms of ice and fire existed before anything else was created. An empty void existed between these realms to prevent them from colliding. But then both realms expanded and ultimately met.
The realm of the fire melted the realm of ice and from the melted ice came two beings – Ymir, the giant, and Audhumla, the cow. The cow licked the ice and uncovered Buri who became the ancestor of all the gods.
Buri’s son Borr and Bestla the giantess then gave birth to the earliest Norse gods including Ve, Vili, and Odin. The three gods slew Ymir the giant and fashioned the earth from his flesh, skull, blood, and bones.
The Tree of Life or Yggdrasil has a central significance in Norse mythology. According to Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Yggdrasil is a huge ash tree. The tree was considered holy and the Vikings believed that all the realms of the worlds existed around this tree.
The tree was thought to be located at the center of the cosmos. The tree itself stands in Asgard, home of the Norse gods while its roots and branches extend to all the other realms. The tree itself is home to only a handful of creatures – an eagle, a dragon, and three stags.
Vikings believed in a large pantheon of gods which played a vital role in Norse mythology. Notable gods and goddesses of the pantheon include Odin, Thor, Loki, Frigg, Baldr, Freyr, and Freyja among others. The gods in Norse mythology live in Asgard, the heavenly realm removed from the world of humans.
Thor Norse God
Odin is the most powerful god. He is the ruler of the Asgard. Two separate families of gods exist in Norse mythology, namely Aesir and Vanir. Of these, the Aesir are the more powerful side headed by Odin and supplanted by his Loki. The Vanir are a smaller and less powerful family including the powerful goddess Freyja.
Odin is the ruler of Asgard, the realm of the Norse gods. He is also the most powerful god in the Viking pantheon. Odin is depicted as both wise and powerful. He hung upside down on Yggdrasil for nine days to gain wisdom.
His attempts at wisdom also cost him an eye so he is depicted as one-eyed in Norse mythology. Odin is credited with inventing runic alphabets and is associated with poetry and wisdom. He is the father of Thor, the powerful Norse god, and Loki, the mischief-maker.
Thor was the most popular Scandinavian god during the period of the Vikings. The mythology legends had it that Thor’s hammer could crush mountains and carried immense power. Thor figures as Odin’s sin on the Norse mythology.
The Vikings associated Thor with lightning and thunder, power and strength. Thor was called upon before battles and when performing feats of strength. In the Norse myths, Thor is also the father of a number of gods and goddesses including Pruor and Magni.
Prose Edda is one of the key sources of Norse mythology. It is written in the Old Norse language and dates back to the 13th century. The origins of the cosmos as well as the creation and destruction of the worlds are detailed in Prose Edda.
Prose Edda is divided into three parts. Although the exact identity of the author is not known, many believe that it was the Iceland historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson.
Old Norse Language
Poetic Edda is the single most important source of Norse mythology. Its authorship is not known but many historians believe that the text dates back to the 13th century. As the name suggests, Poetic Edda is comprised of several long poems which details many key events in Norse mythology.
Much of what we know today about Norse mythology is largely due to the Poetic Edda. As with Prose Edda, Poetic Edda was written in Old Norse and later translated into other languages.
Ragnarok in Norse mythology is a series of events that will ultimately result in the deaths of leading Norse gods and the end of the world. It is the equivalent of Armageddon in other religions.
According to Norse mythology, Ragnarok begins with a harsh winter. Fenrir the Wolf breaks loose and wrecks havoc in the cosmos. It devours the sun and together with the forces of the Underworld, attacks Asgard the realm of the gods.
In the ensuing battle, Odin dies fighting Fenrir. Thor dies while killing the Midgard Serpent. Then the whole world is put ablaze by the giant Surtr. When a new world rises from the sea, it is inhabited by very few gods and a new generation of humans.
Norse mythology has a complex view of the afterlife. Some mythology sources state that the dead goes to a realm called Hel. When Odin’s Baldr dies, he goes to Hel according to the mythology. For those who die fighting valiantly in combat, the fate is different.
Half of those who die fighting are taken by the valkyries to the majestic hall of Odin, Valhalla. The other half is claimed by the goddess Freyja and go to her beautiful meadows and fields in Folkvangr.
It is interesting that the afterlife fate in Norse mythology for those who die in combat is held to be different from those who die a non-combat death.