Norse Mythology (Parts 1 & 2)

[Angroth]

Norse Mythology
(Parts 1 & 2)
by Angroth

A Little Background
Norse myths were passed by people telling stories, usually bards whom would use the stories as another way to entertain their audience, be it in a tavern or to their lords. These myths were sometimes poems which the bards would tell or sing. They would do this so that they could have rhymes to create more of an impact to who was being told.
To get an idea of where the Norsemen travelled and told their stories, they had explored from Norway up to Iceland and Greenland, also back down to Britain and France. They also spread across to Finland, Russia and down to Germany, so yes it was quite a vast area (basically the whole of Europe).

Unfortunately is was about the 9th century AD that Christian missionaries came to Denmark. Slowly over the next few hundred years Christianity became more accepted and belief in the old gods died out (curse those bastards!)


The Nine Worlds
The highest plane of worlds were Asgard, Vanaheim and Alfheim. Warrior gods (Aesir) lived in Asgard, fertility gods (Vanir) lived in Vanaheim and Light Elves lived in Alfheim.

The middle plane of worlds were Midgard, Jotunheim, Nidavellir and Svartalfheim. Midgard was connected to Asgard by a great bridge named Bifrost, the guardian of this bridge was Heimdall (a god). Midgard was where humans live (Earth). Giants were said to either live in Jotunheim (inside a fortress), however some said they lived far across the ocean. Nidavellir was where the Dwarves lived. It was abundant with caves there and burrows, to which the Dwarves dwelled inside. Not too distant was Svartalfheim where Dark Elves lived. The humans could never leave Midgard because it was surrounded by an everlasting ocean to which housed Jormungand (a giant sea serpant). Jormungand was said to be so big that his body circled Midgard and he had to hold his tail in his mouth.

The lowest level was Niflheim (the Land of the Dead). It was an eternally dark, barren glacier ruled by Hel (Queen of the Dead).

Above all of the Nine Worlds was Yggdrasil, the giant ash tree. It had three large roots (each one for a level of worlds) which firmly held everything together.


The Tale of Creation
Before the world existed there was Niflheim found in the north, an icy land. To the south was Muspell, a land of fire. Ginnungagap was the vast emptiness separating the lands.

Out of Niflheim and into Ginnungagap flowed eleven rivers. These rivers filled the emptiness and froze. As the ice grew ever closer to Muspell the flames melted it. As the ice melted the drops formed two creatures. The first was Ymir (the Frost Giant) and the other was Audumla (a huge cow). Ymir drank Audumla's milk to survive and Audumla licked the salty ice for nourishment. Whenever he slept, Ymir would sweat, and from this sweat came more Frost Giants.

One day, whilst Audumla was licking the salty ice, a large man shaped figure slowly began to appear in the ice. Audumla licked that spot for three days until the figure was freed. It was Buri, who before long had a son called Bor. Bor proceeded to marry Bestla (a Frost Giantess) and they had three sons, Odin, Vili and Ve. These were the first gods.
Ymir and his fellow Frost Giants were evil, and because of this Odin, Vili and Ve hated them. One day the brothers decided to kill Ymir, and in doing so his blood spilled out in torrents and swept away all of the Frost Giants except for Bergelmir and his wife. Bergelmir survived as he managed to escape into a hollow tree trunk. And so, all the Giants were decided from this pair.

Upon killing Ymir, Odin and his brothers took his body into Ginnungagap and used it to form the world. His bones and teeth were to make mountains and rocks, his blood became the seas and rivers, his skull made the dome of the sky and his brains become the clouds in the sky.

Vili and Ve found the roots of an ash and elm tree, they used this to create the first humans, The first man was Ask and his wife was Embla. The ash root was used to create Ask and the elm root was used to create Embla.
As all of this was going on, Ymir's flesh was ever decaying, this enticed maggots to appear. The gods decided to change these maggots into small humans, named Dwarves. Four specific Dwarves had the task of holding up the sky, these were called North, South, East and West.

There was a Giant's daughter who was called Night. She had a son named Day. Odin gave them a chariot and the task of circling the world every day.

Taking sparks from Muspell, the gods threw them into the sky, creating the sun, moon and stars.
There was a human named Mundalfair, he had a son and a daughter whom were so beautiful that he called them Moon and Sun after the planets created by the gods. The gods didn't like this and made Moon drive a chariot drawing the moon while Sun guided the sun's chariot. Sun followed Moon across the sky. They had to travel fast because they were forever chased by wolves who would eat them if they managed to catch up. Skoll was the wolf who chased Sun and Hati was the wolf who chased Moon. They were evil children of an ancient Giantess who lived in the Iron Wood on Earth.


The Tale of Odin
Odin was an Aesir (warrior gods). He was the first god, and the father of all other gods. Nonetheless, Odin was not only Aesir but also Vanir (king of gods). He created humans, all living creatures and made the Earth and sky itself. Unfortunately not much is known of what happened to his brothers Vili and Ve.
Odin was a great king. Gods and humans alike feared his anger, which despite his role, was not always justified. Sometimes he would use his power in bad ways merely to please himself. Because of this he was respected and worshipped by nobles and kings, rather than being loved by everyone.

Being the god of battle, Odin was the sole person to start wars on Earth, which he did by throwing his spear down. Warriors would try their hardest in combat to please him, as it was he who decided who won the battle. However he was known to be unpredictable and could grant a victory to the unexpected side.

Little do most people know, Odin was not only the god of battle but also the god of wisdom and poetry. He made a deadly journey to Jotunheim to obtain the Mead of Poetry. On occasion he would allow a human to sip from the it and therefore become a great wise poet. He constantly sought extremely hard for wisdom and paid dearly for his knowledge. He had to face death (but with his powers returned) for knowledge of the dead. It was due to this that magicians worshipped him.
Those who died in bed or of a disease were taken by Hel, those lucky enough to be slain in battle were taken by Odin into his great hall known as Valhalla (Hall of the Slain). Odin was the god of death but Freyja entertained the dead warriors.

Valhalla was in Asgard. These chosen heroes spent the day fighting and every evening was a feast where they could drink with Odin. Valhalla's walls were made of golden spears and its roof was made of golden shields. The hall was large enough to hold 800 men and it had 540 doors.

Valaskjalf (Shelf of the Slain) was Odin's other hall, here he sat on his great throne with Frigg by his side. Here, on his throne he would watch over the Nine Worlds. He had two ravens (Huginn and Munnin) which flew across these lands and gathered any news, they would whisper to him, helping him in his task.

Odin had female warriors that carried out his will. These were the Valkyries. They swooped over battle on horses helping in battles. They chose heroes to fill Valhalla. A man chosen by a Valkyrie was said to see one just before they died. When they weren't fighting in battles, the Valkyries were as servants and would serve the meals to the warriors in Valhalla.

Odin's wife Frigg was the Queen of Gods. She cared for all humans, especially woman and their children. Frigg gave birth to Odin's son Balder (who died a tragic death). Balder was a kind god and Frigg mourned terribly. Many woman sympathised with Frigg but she was lucky enough to have their other son Bragi to survive and marry Idunn.


The End of the World
Loki stayed away from the gods after killing Balder. After a long time of mourning, the gods eventually decided that it must stop. So Aegir and Ran held a feast. Thor was off fighting Trolls, and Loki was not invited, either way he was still avoiding the gods, minus those two, everyone was there.

Half way through the feast Loki came. He hated the sight of the gods and mocked them all, telling all of their secrets in the process. After this Thor came. Loki insulted him too and then fled the feast. The gods were angry with Loki and decided to hunt him. Loki became a salmon and swam down a waterfall to escape but by now the gods knew Loki's tricks and caught him in a net.

The gods knew death was too good for Loki and thought it would be best to make him suffer. First they turned Loki's son Vali into a wolf and let him tear apart his brother Narvi into shreds. Then they tied Loki across sharp rocks in a cave deep in the mountains. Skadi proceeded to place great snake on the ceiling which dripped venom from its fangs into Loki's face and eyes, inflicting great pain. The gods didn't enjoy doing this but thought it was a just action.
Loki's evilness and Balder's death told the coming of the end of the world. This was known as the Doom of the gods and was called Ragnarok and even to this day Ragnarok has yet to come.

There were many predictions of Ragnarok and it was thought that the quarrels between the gods and Giants will slowly grow more and more fierce and frequent. There was to be constant war all over Earth and even families will slay eachother. Midgard is to freeze thus killing all humans (except two who climb up Yggdrasil for safety). Skoll and Hati will finally catch the sun and the moon and devour them leaving the Earth in eternal darkness.
Loki and Fenrir will break their chains and join sides against the gods. Jormungand will heave himself out of the waves and invade the land making the Earth shake. Loki will then lead an attack on Asgard. The Giants and flame creatures of Muspell will join his force. Hel will bring her army of dead souls to fight alongside Garm and all other evil creatures.
Heimdall's horn (Gjall) will sound the warning across all Nine Worlds. The battlefield will be Vigard and there the gods will face their enemies and they will one by one destroy eachother. Fenrir will kill Odin and then be killed by Vidar, Odin's son. Loki and Heimdall will kill eachother and Thor will destroy Jormungand only to die from its venom. Finally, Garm and Tyr will die fighting eachother as will countless others in the final battle.
Surt will fling fire in all directions and evidently destroy Asgard and Migard. The Earth will sink into the sea and all life will vanish. And so Ragnarok will have taken place, the end of the world.

Despite the world ending there is still hope. The Nine Worlds will be gone but Yggdrasil will survive. The land will rise up again from the Ocean and a brand new Earth will form. The couple who fled the battle and went up Yggdrasil (Lif and Lifthrasir) will climb down to the Earth and renew the human race.

Before the sun was swallowed by Skoll she will have a daughter who will return to light the world after Ragnarok. With the coming of light, plants and animals will soon reappear.

Surprisingly enough there will be survivors among the gods. Vidar and Vali are said to survive. Modi and Magni (Thor's sons) will find the great Mjollnir and carry on. Balder, Nanna, Hod and Honir will be revived and start the new race of gods who will live in peace.



The Tale of Thor
Odin's eldest son was Thor, the thunder god. His mother was most likely Frigg but was sometimes referred to as Jorth (which means Earth and Frigg was associated with Earth so this makes sense) unless it was a one night stand with some other woman!

Even for a god Thor was extremely physically powerful and large. He had flailing long hair and beard. He was known to be quick tempered but forgiving. It was fortunate his rage would pass or else you would easily end up dead. He was a very honourable god and preferred battle of raw strength rather than deceit or magic.

As you might have guessed, his mental prowess wasn't something he could boast, like his physical abilities. Other gods would occasionally mock him for being a simple minded fellow but this only made the people love him more (farmers etc) as he was simple but powerful.

Thor was the Defender of Asgard. He protected it for the gods from their enemies. He fought many creatures including Giants. He was also the Keeper of Oaths. People would swear oaths to copies of Thor's arm ring in his temples. They would then be responsible to Thor to keep their word.

Thor crossed the skies in his chariot pulled by two giant goat type creatures. They were called Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder. Whenever there was thunder it was the hooves of these creatures that would be the cause of the noise (it was the sound of their hooves). Thor would create and manipulate storms and thunders by blowing through his beard. Sailors were known to pray to him for protection from bad weather on their journies.

Thor had much magical equipment! His belt would double his strength when he had it buckled on and his iron gauntlets would allow him to grasp any weapon (even weapons of other gods). Thor's most famous piece of equipment was his war hammer Mjollnir. It would always hit Thor's target and return to his hand afterwards. Many people said that thunderbolts were caused by Thor throwing his hammer down. Mjollnir had yet more powers though, it would bring good fortune. People made small copies of it to give newborn, brides and the dead good luck.


The Tale of Balder
Balder was the son of Odin and Frigg. He was an Aesir god. He brought joy and harmony everywhere he went, everyone loved him. He was very handsome and had fair hair. He was the god of light, purity and beauty. Always kind and gentle, he was also a very wise god. His good judgement was sought for in great disputes and he was often able to reconcile enemies.

Balder was married to Nanna. Together they lived happily in their hall Breidablik located in a tranquil countryside in Asgard. Their son was Forseti, the god of justice. Unfortunately Loki's spite and envy eventually brought the death of Balder.


The Tale of Tyr
Tyr was the bravest of all gods. He earned his reputation through his courage in dealing with Fenrir. One of his hands was torn off by Fenrir's deadly jaws and he was sometimes later referred to as the one handed.

Tyr was known for his honour as much as his bravery. Much like Thor he would never break his word. This inevitably made him the god of law and order. People would use his name for contracts, pledges and promises. He was also the patron of the local gatherings (the Thing) where Norsemen traditionally passed laws and settled disputes.


The Tale of Loki
Loki's actual parents were the Fire Giants Farbauti and Laufey, therefore he wasn't actually a god at all. Nonetheless he was the lived in Aesir in Asgard and was the sworn brother and friend of Odin.

He was often to joke at things, physically he was very agile and he was handsome too. He loved adventures and so was nosy too. He was creative, fun to be with but couldn't draw himself from gambling.

As so you can tell, he often got into trouble. He amused the other gods when he wasn't getting on the wrong side of them. Fortunately for him he would find a way to get out of some of his troubles without getting into any danger. Heimdall was wise enough to see through Loki but the other gods would take his advice on certain matters (which wasn't always a good thing).

Loki was especially good at manipulating his form and appearing as a large array of different creatures. He could become any animal at will. He turned into a Giantess to trick everyone and cause Balder's eventual death. He shape shifted into a mare to get out of trouble over a bargain he and the gods made with a stranger. At one point he also turned into a fly to cause some mischief.

The more time that passed, the more the gods realised Loki to be less of a handsome joker and more of an unstable, deceit ridden god. Eventually the gods mocked Loki and believed he deserved any trouble he ever got into, they took sides against him. After they did this Loki grew much more bitter and evil until finally one day his spiteful tricks killed Balder and triggered Ragnarok (Doom of the gods).

Loki had a wife named Sigyn. Despite how he was she loved him and was very faithful. Even after Balder's death she stayed by his side. Sigyn had two sons with Loki, Vali and Narvi. However, Loki's sons didn't last long because after Balder's death the gods turned Vali into a psychotic wolf who then in turn tore his brother Narvi and himself into pieces. They then used Narvi's entrails to bind Loki for his punishment.


The Tale of Njord
Njord was likely the most important of the Vanir gds, and the chief of fertility. He was the god of sea and was vital to the seafaring Vikings. He ruled the waves and the winds, provided fish for the fishermen and calm winds for sea traders.He lived in a hall by the sea called Noatun.

He married a the Giantess Skadi. She was a great huntress and had travelled miles on her snow shoes in winter with her bow and arrow. However, the marriage was not a success. Skadi hated the sea and loved the mountains. Njord could not live without the smell of sea and wasn't very keen of mountains, hence the marriage did not work.


The Tale of Aegir
Aegir and his wife Ran were also sea gods. Together they lived on the sea bed and had a total of nine daughters. Their daughters would move the waves. Much like the sea they lived in, their personalities would change from nice and pleasant to violent and destructive.

They needed subjects for their kingdom so those who would fall overboard or sank in a ship would be netted and dragged down to the ocean floor. Aegir and Ran would entertain them here in their great hall which had the treasure of shipwrecks everywhere.


The Tale of Heimdall
Heimdall was said to be the son of nine maidens. It is possible that these nine maidens were Aegir and Ran's nine daughters. He was very strange however, his senses were supernatural. He cold hear the grass grow and see someone moving a hundred miles away. He was abnormally strong and needed little sleep.

Because of his special abilities he was made the watchman of the gods. He guarded Bifrost (bridge between Asgard and Midgard). He challenged any strangers and warned the gods of their approach. He had the horn Gjall which he blew in warning. It was kept by the Fountain of Mimir. It would later sound through all nine worlds at Ragnarok. Heimdall was Loki's implacable enemy, they would always be fighting. Heimdall rode a gold maned stallion called Gulltop.


The Tale of Freyja
The most famous of all goddesses was Freyja. She was a Vanir, daughter of Njord. She had a brother who was called Freyr. It was said that their mother was Njord's sister (oh yeah). Her symbol was the boar, as was her brothers. Sometimes Freyja was referred to as Syr. She told prophecies and could foretell the future of any newborn baby.

Freyja was the goddess of love and beauty. She had been married to Od. For unknown reasons, he had left her and disappeared. She mourned for him and each of her tear drops were golden.

She liked to have lovers who were gods and humans. She would never love a giant, no matter how much they wooed her. She too loved beautiful objects. She could be so obsessed that one time she spent the night with some dwarves in return for the great necklace named Brisingamen, that they had made.

As a punishment for Brisingamen, Odin crowned Freyja a goddess of death. She presided over battles and caused wars between the kings on Earth. She would fly over the battlefield in her chariot pulled by two large feline creatures. After death, half of the bravest warriors would accompany Freyja at her hall Sessrumnir in Asgard.

Like all Vanir, Freyja too was a fertility goddess. She brought prosperity by granting good harvests and successful fishing. She took special care of women who having babies or getting married and made sure many healthy babies were born, human and animal.


And there, you have the main figures in Norse Mythology.

[lestat3179]

For those wishing more detailed information, this will serve as a decent start:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18947/189...8947-h.htm

This is one of the best translations I've encountered. (Now if only I could find the translation that Crowley was rumored to have done.)

[DerVVulfman]

DOH! I already posted the article you just responded to, Actually, the Norse Mythology (Parts 1 & 2).

REPLACING it with another by Angroth: Colour Symbolism

[DerVVulfman]

I think I dood it... I figure with the Marvel movies and upcoming Thor Ragnarok... this might be popular.

[lestat3179]

They're doing another Thor movie? Would've thought they'd be getting ready to remake Howard the Duck, or maybe do a Jack of Hearts film. lol