A Guide to Norse Mythology

The term Norse Mythology refers to the collection of stories central to the native pagan religion, Old Norse paganism, of the Vikings, Germanic peoples that existed primarily in Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, prior to the widespread conversion of Christianity, around the time c. 790 to c. 1100 Common Era (CE). In other words, Norse Mythology is comparable to the Bible of Christianity or the Torah of Judaism. That is, a collection of stories which provide teachings and clarity to the way of life of said religion’s members. However, unlike Christianity or Judaism, Old Norse paganism is polytheistic, meaning that there are multiple celestial beings, gods, present. An important note about Norse Mythology in a modern context is that some of the interpretations are somewhat subjective due to the lack of historical evidence prevalent from the period. This article discusses widely accepted information detailing the main beliefs of Old Norse paganism, and thus the stories of Norse Mythology.

To understand Norse Mythology, it is important to understand its origins. In this deviation of paganism, it is believed that prior to what can be seen today, there was the abyss of Ginnungagap, which exists between Muspelheim and Niflheim: the elemental lands of fire and ice respectively. When the frost of Niflheim and the flames of Musplheim collied in Ginnumgagap they formed Ymir, who was the first celestial giant. Eventually, after the collision formed a few more beings, Odin and his brothers slew Ymir. They used the dead body of Ymir to form the world (Midgard) and put a fence around it to keep any giants out. The first humans created by the gods were called Ask and Embla which were formed from tree trunks. The gods created eight other worlds, totaling nine, which existed around the cosmic tree of life, Yggdrasil: Midgard, land of humanity; Asgard, world of the Æsir tribe; Vanaheim, world of the Vanir tribe; Jotunheim, world of the giants; Niflheim; Muspelheim; Alfheim, land of the elves; Nidavellier, land of the dwarves; and Hel, land of the dead.

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The pantheons of Old Norse paganism can be most generally categorized into three main groups: Æsir, Vanir, and Jötnar.

Gods and goddesses grouped together into the pantheon of Æsir were those which were associated with the cosmos in Norse Mythology. In terms of followership, Æsir gods were most closely followed by people in government positions as well as warriors as they most closely correspond to ideas such as justice and wisdom. Regarding mythology, it was believed that Æsir gods resided in Asgard, one of the nine realms, which was located at the sunniest branches of Yggdrasil. This pantheon was led by Odin who was known by most as a wanderer, who traveled throughout all the cosmoses and became very knowledgeable. Other notable members include Thor, the god of war and protector of the Æsir and Loki, mostly known for being a trickster.

Deities of the pantheon of Vanir resided in the world of Vanaheim, which was most likely west of Asgard. Vanir deities were associated closely with sexuality, fertility, and the future. As such these goods were mostly worshipped by farmers. The most well-known deity of this group was Freyja, who was Odin’s wife. She was fond of love and material possessions.

The Jötnar, more commonly known as giants, were not exactly a pantheon but rather an inhuman form of celestial being which had power equal to that of gods in the Æsir and the Vanir; they represented chaos and destruction. The term “giant” has since evolved, and its meaning today differs from Norse Mythology, in which they were spiritual beings which didn’t necessarily have to be large in size. Another word that may be able to better describe the Jötnar is devourer. One of the more well-known devourers is the Fenrir; meaning “He Who Dwells in the Marshes.” The Fenrir is the most well-known wolf in Norse Mythology because he was the child of Loki, and was raised by gods in the Æsir in order to be kept under control and prevent the mass destruction of the 9 worlds. Eventually, due to his extremely abnormal rate of growth, they decided to imprison him. After 3 attempts to bind him, he was eventually imprisoned until Ragnarök where he was able to break free and kill Odin.

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Amongst the key beliefs of Old Norse pagans was fate, an important principle in the lives of the people during the time. Interestingly enough, it was believed that fate was binding for even the gods. The only beings which were not subject to fate were the Norms, a trio of female entities who were extremely wise, who lived at the base of Yggdrasil and carved fate directly into the tree for the entirety of the cosmos; their magic abilities were unrivaled and thus the gods were subjected to the same fate as everyone else. It was said there was even a particular kind of magic art called seidr, which could see fate. It was those who practiced seidr who prophesized Ragnarök: the final tale of Norse Mythology in which the entirety of the cosmos including divine beings would be destroyed during the harshest winter (Fimbulwinter) which lasts three times as long as a normal winter and will put the whole population into crisis leading to the destruction of man by man. This will eventually result in the escape of Fenrir who will rampage all 9 worlds and the rising of Jormungand, the greatest serpent who lives at the bottom of the sea, whose landfall will cause all the land to flood. This all culminates eventually in all land sinking into the sea, and nothing will be left other than the void.

Another key belief in Old Norse is ancestor veneration, which is a common practice amongst most pagan religions. Ancestor Veneration is a cultural practice in which family members continue to remember and respect one’s deceased ancestors by providingofferings for the ancestors and praying to them. In Old Norse paganism it was believed that if an ancestor was venerated properly, you would be rewarded with fertile lands, and the more someone contributed to the fertility of lands while they were alive, the more power they had in death to control the prosperity of land.

Unlike some more modern-day religions such as Christianity, which have quite a defined idea of the afterlife, Old Norse paganism doesn’t have as clear of a picture as the records of such were not well documented. Through the limited resources available, it was deciphered that when one died that would go to one of the other worlds, the most popular of these being Valhalla, “the hall of the fallen” which was presided over by Odin who would eventually use the brave warriors in Valhalla to fight in alongside him during Ragnarök. However, most people that died, of course, were not the most fearsome warriors and thus would probably not end up in Valhalla. The more common location of the dead was Hel, the underworld. It is important to make the distinction between the Christian Hell and Hel of Norse Mythology; unlike its Christian counterpart Hel was not where you would be sent to suffer eternally, in fact where one ended up in the afterlife was not dictated by their behavior whilst alive whatsoever. From the limited knowledge available it would seem that activities during the afterlife primarily consisted of eating, drinking, fighting on occasion, and sleeping.

In today’s modern world there are plenty of references made to Norse Mythology. One of the most common of these is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which portrays the Æsir God, Thor in a modern and at times in a comedic manor. Additionally, there are a number of other members of the pantheon that make an appearance throughout the franchise’s existence, most notably Loki. Norse Mythology is also very much associated in comics throughout the entire world, making appearances in several works as well as in anime. As a practicing religion Norse paganism like most religions of the time is nearly nonexistent. However, the stories continue to exist throughout all of time.