Anita Yasuda - Explore Norse Myths!: With 25 Great Projects

Newest titles in the Explore Your World! Series Check out more titles at www.nomadpress.net Nomad Press A division of Nomad Communications 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Copyright 2015 by Nomad Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review or for limited educational use. The trademark Nomad Press and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc. ISBN Softcover: 978-1-61930-320-1 ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-61930-316-4 Illustrations by Bryan Stone Educational Consultant, Marla Conn Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to Nomad Press 2456 Christian St. White River Junction, VT 05001 www.nomadpress.net C ONTENTS Introduction
Lets Explore Norse Mythology! Chapter 1
A Giant Universe Chapter 2
Tides of Technology Chapter 3
Exciting Explorations Chapter 4
Fierce Fighters Chapter 5
Lasting Legacy Chapter 6
Similar Stories Interested in primary sources? Look for this icon. Use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR code and explore more about Norse myths! You can find a list of URLs on the Resources page.

If the QR code doesnt work, try searching the Internet with the Keyword Prompts to find other helpful sources. KEYWORD PROMPTS Norse mythology Do you like stories of heroes, villains, and mystical lands teeming with magical characters? Welcome to the once-upon-a-time land of fire and ice! This is the world of Norse myths , which are ancient stories from northern Europe. Why did the Norse people create these myths? What do they tell us about the real Norse people? In this book, youll discover poets called skalds , raiders called Vikings , warriors called berserkers , and a terrific cast of different characters. WordsKnow Norse: the people of ancient Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. myth: a traditional story that expresses the beliefs and values of a group of people. skald: a professional Norse poet.

Vikings: people from Scandinavia who raided coastal towns in Europe between the eighth and tenth centuries. berserker: a ferocious, uncontrollable fighter. Youll read myths and legends about heroes and villains, including Odin, Thor, Loki, and the giant Surtur. But first, lets meet the people of Scandinavia. THE NORSE PEOPLE Scandinavia is in Northern Europe and includes Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. WordsKnow legend: a story about heroes from the past. tribe: a large group of people with the same language, customs, and beliefs. tribe: a large group of people with the same language, customs, and beliefs.

From the eighth to the twelfth centuries, the people of Scandinavia were called Norsemen. This means Men of the North. They were also called Vikings. Vikings carried out surprise raids on coastal towns. They took as much treasure as they could carry and then sailed awayfast! DID YOU KNOW ?The incredible ships of the Vikings allowed them to reach North America from ancient Scandinavia. They arrived there five centuries before Christopher Columbus! No one knows the exact meaning of the word Viking. In Old English , Viking, or wicing, means pirate. In Old Norse , the word vik means bay. It also means a place in Norway called Viken, where Viking ships sailed from.

If a man went on a raid, people said that he had gone Viking. Most Norsemen hunted and fished, grew crops , and raised livestock . They were also skilled ship builders. Their ships were the best the world had ever seen. Vikings gave their ships names, such as Snake of the Sea. WordsKnow Old English: a language spoken in England between the fifth and eleventh centuries. crops: plants grown for food and other uses. livestock: animals raised for food and other uses. livestock: animals raised for food and other uses.

Norsemen used their ships to push beyond their own region of Scandinavia to explore and trade. Their vast trade network stretched from central Asia to the Arctic. Their adventurous spirit even brought them to North America, more than 3,000 miles away! The Norse settled in these new lands. They brought their families with them and built farms. Some people worked as craftsmen and others as traders. KEYWORD PROMPTS merriam-webster MYTHS FROM THE NORSE Do you like good stories? The Norse told exciting stories about gods and heroes. KEYWORD PROMPTS merriam-webster MYTHS FROM THE NORSE Do you like good stories? The Norse told exciting stories about gods and heroes.

Their stories had dramatic beginnings, twists and turns, and surprise endings. Norse mythology helped people understand their world. When the sky thundered or the earth trembled, people blamed it on the gods. Even the mountains and oceans and rivers of their homeland had supernatural beginnings in myths. Stories also described what happened when people died. WordsKnow mythology: a collection of stories that are often focused on historical events.

Myths express the beliefs and values of a group of people. supernatural: beings, objects, or events that cannot be explained. Myths are fictional, which means they are not true, but we can learn about the lives of the Norse through the stories they told. There are also many different versions of the myths, which can be confusing. Norse gods were like people. They could be angry, sad, jealous, or in love.

Norse gods did not live forever. Some Norse gods were wise, such as Odin, the father of the gods. He was the powerful ruler of the gods, usually shown wearing a wide-brimmed hat and carrying a spear.