Yorkson - Mythology: Viking Mythology: Gods & Folklords

Mythology

Viking Mythology: Viking Gods & Folklore

By: Kalf Yorkson

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Vikings And Their Tradition

Chapter 2: Viking Beliefs

Chapter 3: Viking Gods

Chapter 4: Myths, Legends, And Folklore

Conclusion

Introduction

I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, Viking Mythology: Viking Gods And Folklore

This book contains a lot of information on the Viking system of belief, their traditions, myths, legends and folk tales. While reliable resources on Norse mythology are somewhat scarce and not always clear, the book strived to compile the stories and ideas from numerous different sources and give answers to some of the most common questions regarding Vikings.

Inside the book, you will find the names and descriptions of all of the main Viking Gods. You will learn about their origins and their importance in the Norse tradition. You will also be able to read some of the best, most interesting legends from this tradition.

The descriptions of mythical worlds and creatures bear clear resemblance to many references in the today's popular culture. Giants, dwarves, gods, and elves are constantly in the state of conflict, and the consequences of their disputes are felt the most by none other but ordinary humans.

Thanks again for downloading this book, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: Vikings And Their Tradition

The Western culture is usually familiar with Greek and Roman mythology and tradition. Names of Greek gods and Roman emperors are often referenced in history books and popular culture alike. It is the tradition that we have learned to accept as our own.

When it comes to Vikings and their tradition, things are much different. Very few people know the names of Viking (Norse) gods or are able to recount even one folktale from their tradition.

As far as the mythology goes, this is a grave injustice and the one that this book will try to rectify at least to a degree. Vikings' folklore is truly a rich and vivid one and the stories of their gods, epic battles and conquests are often breathtaking.

The name Vikings come from the Old Norse language translates as "a pirate raid". It was the common name for the peoples who lived in the far north of Europe, in the territories of today's Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. The name is very descriptive for their way of life, as Vikings spent a lot of time out on the sea, raiding, plundering and conquering.

Vikings were not professional soldiers. They spent a lot of their time at home, fishing and farming. However, when called upon by their local readers, they would readily answer the call. Even if they were not soldiers by the modern definition, they were warriors at hearts, ready to take arms whenever it was required.

The age of Vikings lasted for about 250 years, from 800 -1050 AD. The motives for their attacks and expansion to other countries are unclear to this day and are still debated. One of the reasons for this is the lack of written documents from that period. Although Vikings had their own, runic alphabet, there is a very limited written trail that originates from the era. What little they did leave us has been recorded on runestones.

Most of what we know about Vikings today comes from the documents compiled later, as they came in contact with other European peoples. Many of these have been written by the people whose lives were negatively affected by the Norse tribes, so it is hard to tell what the real facts are.

Regarding Viking tradition and beliefs, however, we luckily have ample sources that can be considered credible.

Icelandic sagas provide us with a unique outlook into lives of Vikings. These sagas (Norse word for a tale or history) are quite similar, in form and otherwise, to western epics. They describe significant battles, important events, traditions and the role of different deities. They were based on oral traditions and stories, transmitted from generation to generation.

We know today that Vikings did not have a centralized religion; in fact, they did not even have a word for the religion. Their faith was a mixture of different beliefs, customs, and myths. Depending on where they lived and on their origins, different people believed different things. The central themes, however, have remained the same for all of them.

They observed the cult of sacrifice, and human sacrifice was not that uncommon. More usually, however, they sacrificed animals or fruits of the land to please the gods.

The pages that follow will try and answer many questions about the gods that Vikings worshiped, the myths they recounted and the ideals they observed as the society. A combination of these elements can provide a good overall picture of who were these people from the North.

Chapter 2: Viking Beliefs

Although the Viking religion was decentralized, it shared many common traits that were observed by everyone regardless of the area they lived in or a house they belonged to. Things essential to every religion, like the theory of creation or the concept of afterlife, were foundations upon which their faith resided.

Creation of giants and gods

According to Norse mythology, at the beginning of everything, there was Nilfheim . It was a cold, dark place, covered with snow and ice. To the south of it, there was Muspelheim , a land of fire. Unlike Nilfheim, which was completely deserted, Muspelheim was inhabited by giants and fire demons.

Between these two places, there was a huge void, called Ginnungapag . It was a vast placed filled with nothing until the elements from Niflheim and Muspelheim combined to give it life. When the ice from the north met fire from the south, in the middle of Ginnungapag, it started melting and from its drops, the first humanoid creature was created.

This creature was called Ymir , and while he was asleep, two giants, a male, and a female came to being from the sweat under his arms. These two gave life to a third one, Thurdgelmir the "Strength Yeller." They all fed on the milk from the cow Audhumla, who was also created when the ice met fire.