The myths and legends of the peoples have been characterized as part of the culture and beliefs of each region where they have developed. For example, Europe has the nordic mythology, which focuses on the Scandinavian and German populations. Here you will know everything about her.
Mythology
The most interesting aspects of each town are its myths and legends. This is especially due to the fact that many of them originate denominations or characteristic stories of certain places, events and even objects. It is common, especially in Europe, to place special emphasis on these issues, as is the case with Norse mythology.
Also related as Germanic and Scandinavian, Norse mythology encompasses the religion, beliefs and legends of the ancient populations located in central and northern Europe.
This also includes the former Iceland (currently a sovereign country located on an island), Britannia (denomination given to the island of Great Britain), Gaul (region where Belgium, France, western Switzerland are currently located). , northern Italy, Germany and the Netherlands).
In this way, in all the places mentioned above was where what is now known as Norse mythology developed.
However, although it constitutes the stories shared by the North Germanic peoples, it was not shared by the Uralic Nordic populations, that is, the Finns, Estonians and Lapps, nor by the Baltic, made up of the Lithuanians and Latvians.
Other aspects
This is because these ethnic groups have their own mythology, which is similar to that of other Indo-European populations. Although a truth granted by the deities to mortals was not described, Norse mythology also includes stories about the peoples who learned the stories of the gods, by their visit.
Similarly, they do not have a sacred book, since the stories were spread orally through extensive poetry, especially during the Viking Age, with emphasis on the Eddas (compilations of stories) and other medieval documents. elaborated in the Christianization and after it.
The vast majority of the stories of Norse mythology remain today, especially in rural areas. While others have had an adaptation of the so-called German neopaganism, and have even been the literary source for various audiovisual productions.
Cosmology
One of the main characteristics of Norse mythology is that the world is represented by a flat disc, located in the branches of the so-called Yggdrasil world tree, which constitutes the support of the nine worlds.
Norse mythology worlds
The tree of life, Yggdrasil, through its roots and branches made possible the union of the worlds of:
- Asgard: world of the Aesir, having as ruler Odin and his wife Frigg, which had around it a wall that had not been completed, which is attributed to an anonymous hrimthurs, owner of the Svaolifari stallion horse, according to Gylfafinning. Valhalla is located in the internal area. Therefore, it was the high area of the sky where the deities resided.
- Midgard: To him belong the men originated by the deities Odin and his brothers, Vili and Ve, after the fight with the primeval giant Ymir.
- Helheim or Hel: It is called the realm of death, it is located in the deepest and darkest area of Niflheim, another world of Yggdrasil. Its ruler is the goddess Hela.
- niflheim: It constitutes the kingdom of darkness and darkness, even around it there is a lot of fog. It is inhabited by the dragon Niohoggr.
- muspelheim: constitutes the kingdom of fire, where the Fire Giants live, Surt being the most powerful. The meaning of the name is due to a hearth of fire, since Muspel means fire and Heim is related to the hearth. They considered it to be the highest of the realms, located higher than Asgard, where the Aesir lived, and to the south was Jotunheim, the realm of ice, and the Jotnar.
- Svartalfaheim: It was also called Nioavellir, there are those who describe that in it were the dark elves known as Svartalfar, where the two classes of elves came from Alfheim. It is also associated with this kingdom, that the Nordic dwarves were from there.
- Alfheim: Also called Ljusalfheim and considered the home of the elves. Identifying in this way two types of elves, the luminous ones or ljósafar, who resided in Alfheim and the dark ones or svartálfar, which were found in the internal area of the mountains. Although both are relatives of shared blood, they were characterized by having different purposes.
- vanaheim: in it resided the Vanir, who were one of the groups of deities other than the Aesis.
- Jotunheim: considered as the kingdom of the giants, where they were of two types, the Rock and Ice, called jotnar.
More of the Nordic cosmogony
From the root of the tree originated a fountain that filled the well of knowledge, which was guarded by the giant Mímir. In addition, there was also the god Heimdall, who protected the tree from the attacks caused by the dragon Niohoggr, as well as from the large number of worms that wanted to move through its roots and disappear the deities that he represented.
However, it had the support of the Norns who irrigated it with the waters of the Urd well. In fact, it had a bridge that linked it to the place of the deities, the Bilfrost, which was crossed by them to enter Midgard. He also knows the origin of the universe according to the Mayans.
Mythological creatures in cosmogony
Another of the great characteristics of this tree from Norse mythology is that it had honey, an eagle, a squirrel, a dragon and four deer. Therefore, these creatures were the following:
- Nidhogg: dragon that was located in the roots and gnawed them, in order to defeat the eagle.
- The Eagle: It had no name, it was located on the highest branch, where it watched over all the worlds of Norse mythology.
- View: falcon that was in the brow of the eagle, in charge of monitoring her movements.
- Ratatosk: squirrel that moved from the roots to the cup, to bring false news from the dragon to the eagle, as well as the opposite, thus generating discord between the two.
One of the highlights of Norse mythology is that they have various dualities. Among them is what refers to day and night through Dagr / Skinfaxi and Nótt / Hrímfaxi.
In Norse mythology, the sun is attributed as feminine while the moon is masculine, through Sól and Skoll, the moon and the wolf with Maní and Hati, as well as the distinction between the kingdoms of Niflheim and Muspelheim, which originate the world. Therefore, it is considered as opposite aspects for the origin of the universe.
Major gods of Norse mythology
Among the prominent gods of Norse mythology, are:
Dagr
He is the god who represents the day, in Norse mythology. He is described in the Poetic Edda, compiled through traditional sources, as well as in the Prose Edda. In it he is described as the descendant of the god of twilight, Delling, and the goddess of the night, Nótt. He is also related to the horse with a very shiny mane, named Skinfaxi.
Skinfaxi and Hrimfaxi
They are the horses of Dagr and Nótt. The denomination of these creatures has as meaning, the bright and frosty manes. In the case of Hrimfaxí, he moved through the sky using Nótt's chariot, so during each morning he sprinkled the earth with the slime.
While Skinfaxi moved through Dagr's chariot, in the sky during the day, while his manes gave light to the earth and the sky.
nott
It is the representation of the night in Norse mythology. She daughter of the giant Norfi. Her appellation is depicted in various poems of the Poetic Edda.
Salt
Also known as Sunna, it is the goddess of the Sun, daughter of Mundilfari and Glaur. According to Norse mythology, she moved through the skies, using a chariot pulled by two steeds, named Arvask and Alsvid. In the course of the day she was chased by the wolf Skoll, who wanted to eat her.
This story from Norse mythology was associated with solar eclipses, since they meant that Skoll almost reached it, thus causing a brief shadow. In fact, according to destiny, Skoll would reach her and devour her, having as a replacement her daughter, who was in charge of guiding the Sun. In addition to that, the Earth was protected by Svalin, a shield located between her and the Sun. to avoid high heat. Even in this mythology, the Sun did not bestow light, as it originated from the manes of Alsvid and Arvak.
Skol
It was the wolf that went after the horses Arvak and Alsvid, as it wanted to devour. He was the brother of Hati, who persecuted the god Máni, associated with the moon.
Peanut
For Nordic mythology, it was the representation of the Moon. According to accounts, she had the goddess Sól as a sister and was a descendant of Mundilfari and Glaur. He being chased by the wolf Hati.
Hatice
It was the wolf that chased Máni through the sky at night. Even when he was close to him, he caused lunar eclipses. He was Skoll's brother. According to stories from Norse mythology, the children made a lot of noise so that he would get away from the moon.
supernatural beings
In Norse mythology, the gods are classified as follows:
viking gods
The Nordic populations praised two types of deities, where the main one was the Aesir. These were in Asgard, along with the Asynjur goddesses, thus integrating the group headed by Odin, a god considered to be the most important and the most noble.
Odin
He was the main god of Norse mythology and even of various religions of Ethenism. He was considered to be the deity of wisdom, war, and death, as well as that of magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt. He lives in Asgard in the palace of Valaskjálf, elaborated for him, in which was his throne, called Hiloskjálf, in which he observed what happened in the nine worlds of Norse mythology.
During battle, he used his spear, which was called Gungnir, and was on his eight-legged steed, named Sleipnir. He was the son of Bor and the giantess Bestla, brother of Vili and Vé, husband of Frigg, and father of various deities, including Thor, Balder, Vidar, and Váli.
Thor
Surely when you hear the name of this deity, you relate it to the movie that receives the same name. This is in Norse mythology the god of thunder, characterized by having iron gloves, his hammer Mjolnir and a belt with powers. Similarly, he is associated with strength and at a hierarchical level he is related to Odin.
Balder
In Norse and German mythology, he was the god of peace, light, and forgiveness. He also son of Odin. He was also associated with beauty and intelligence.
Tyr
Considered as the god of courage and war, who sacrificed his hand in order for the other gods to tie the wolf Fenrir, for which he was described as the One-Handed Man. He is variously depicted, for in the Elder Edda he is a descendant of the giant Ymir and Frilla, while in the Lesser Edda he is credited with being the son of Odin and Frigg.
Bragi
Regarded as the god of poetry and the Bards. He was the son of Odin, whose personal poet he was, and the giantess Gunlod. He belonged to the group of the Aesir with the greatest wisdom. It is attributed to him that he was the first to rhyme, standing out in that area, so the people who stood out in his poetry were called Bragi.
In the same way, he is known as the god with the oblique beard, as well as the one in charge in Valhalla, to grant the welcome drink to those who had just arrived and receive them with words of courtesy, while he entertained by reciting his verses.
He was the husband of Idun, who was one of the most outstanding goddesses of Norse mythology, because she had the so-called apples of youth, essential for the world of Asgard, because the Aesir consumed them to stay young.
Heimdall
Considered as the guardian god of Norse mythology, Heim being related to the home and Dallr as unknown. He descended from Odin and the nine giant women who nurtured him by giving him boar blood. He was characterized by having sharp eyesight, fine hearing and staying awake for days.
He was described as a god with incredible perception, since he listened when the grass grew, which caused him to be designated as the protector of Asgard and the Bifrost, which was the rainbow that formed the bridge between both places.
In addition, he had a horn, called Gjallarhorn, which Odin gave him, to warn the fight between the deities and the giants, after the end of the world, Ragnarok. According to a tradition of Norse mythology, she descended to Earth and begot three lineages in three women, these being the princes, subjects and servants.
Hear
He was a blind god from Norse mythology and the brother of Baldr. He was the one who unintentionally killed his brother and was killed by Vali, a descendant of Odin. The story in the Eddas describes that Baldr, having nightmares, was with an omen about his death and that of his mother, the goddess Frigg, who moved to make all things swear that they were not going to do anything to her son. .
However, the god Loki who couldn't stand Balder's ego and invulnerability, upon finding out, was upset so he disguised himself and spoke to Frigg, who told him that she didn't consider the mistletoe to swear, since it was harmless.
Therefore, upon obtaining that information, he created a dart using a branch of mistletoe and directed Hoor to throw it jokingly, which ended up causing him to kill Baldr. According to another version of this account from Norse mythology, Loki is not described, as only Baldr is said to have been killed by Hoor with a stab wound.
Odin punished Loki by tying three stones to him and causing a snake to spit venom into his face at certain times, which caused him great pain and ended up disfiguring his face. He also knows the god jupiter.
Vidarr
Also son of Odin and the giantess Grior. He regarded as the god of silence, revenge and justice. According to the story of the reborn world which emerges after Ragnarok (battle of the end of the world), Vidarr would return with his brother Vali.
In the course of Ragnarok, Odin is devoured by the wolf Fenrir, so Vidar to take revenge kills the animal. According to some accounts, he killed Fenrir when he stepped on his jaw with his foot, since the shoe was made of leather straps, in which the men who followed the Aesis, opened the shoes in the area of the fingers and heels to have more. force.
Having his foot located in the wolf's jaw, he tore it apart. However, another account describes that he used his sword to kill him by sticking it through the heart. Also, this god is referred to as the silent son of Odin and the best at solving problems.
Valid
Son of Odin and the giantess Rind. Which is mentioned prior to the Ragnarok fight, he was not a known god, as he originated from the skalds (Viking warrior poets). He is described as the one who went to get revenge on Hoor by placing him on top of a bonfire, due to him killing Baldr.
However, he was considered the god of eternal light, in fact because the rays of light were called arrows, he was represented or revered as an archer.
Even its month in the Norwegian calendar is represented by the sign of the bow and is given the name Liosberi, bearer of light, because it falls between the months of January and February. In addition, the early Christians gave the month of February to Saint Valentine who was an archer and, like Vali, represented brighter days, aroused feelings of love and protected lovers.
Ull
Descendant of Sif and also adopted son of Thor. According to accounts in Norse mythology, he was a major god in prehistory who was mentioned in texts from the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. He is also known as the god of close combat.
forsetia
Considered as the god of justice, peace and truth for Norse mythology. He descended from Baldr and Nanna. He lived in Glinir, which was related to the bright, referring to the silver ceiling that was located in the hall, as well as the golden pillars from which a light was generated that was observed from a wide distance.
In Norse mythology, he is also credited as the most wise and eloquent god in Asgard. He was the one who stood out in the inconveniences, since he obtained the solution through mediation. One of his main characteristics was that he sat in his lobby granting justice to those who sought it and also had the solution of inconveniences, considering what was fair for each fact.
Therefore, he was a sweet god, who favored peace, especially when those judged by him lived safely and served their sentence. In this way, he received much respect, since the most prominent oaths were pronounced in his name.
So he is not described during Ragnarok, so he is known as a god of peace. Some consider that he was the ancestor of the Frisians.
Loki
Descendant of the giants Farbauti and Laufey, having Helblindi and Býleistr as brothers. According to the Eddas, he is attributed as the origin of all fraud, in addition to integrating freely among the deities, for which Odin considered him his brother until Balder's murder.
As mentioned above, the Aesis trapped him and pinned him to three rocks, so the prophecy described that he would break free of those bonds to fight the deities at Ragnarok. He is considered the misfortune of the Aesir and men, since he was cunning, capricious and intriguing, for which he was attributed as the god of chaos and chance, characterized as a liar.
Major Goddesses of Norse Mythology
As in other mythological stories, in Norse mythology there are also various goddesses.
Frigg
Considered one of the main goddesses of Norse mythology. She is the wife of Odin and queen of the Aesir. She goddess of the sky, fertility, love, home rule, marriage, motherhood, domestic arts, foresight, and wisdom. She so she is related to the goddess Aphrodite, from Greek mythology.
According to the description of the Eddas, she was one of the primordial gods of Norse mythology, like Freyja. In various accounts, she is described as a wife and mother, characterized as possessing the power of prophecy, but not mentioning what she knew.
She was the only one who, together with Odin, could sit on the Hlioskjálf throne, while observing what was happening in the nine worlds of Norse mythology. Her sons were Baldr, Hoor and she had Hermóor, Heimdall, Tyr, Vidar and Váli as stepsons.
Some accounts of Norse mythology describe Thor as his brother and sometimes as his stepson. He is associated with Eir, the goddess of healing who accompanied her at times and had Hlín, Gna and Fulla as assistants.
And go
It is also part of the Ásynjur, as well as the Valkyries. She is credited as the goddess of healing, health, and euphoria. In this way, she had extensive knowledge about the medicinal properties of herbs and even she had the ability of resurrection.
In fact, she was very close to Frigg and was one of the goddesses located on the Lyfjaberg mountain. She was associated with the Vanir, due to her knowledge of the healing properties of plants and herbs. She is described in various accounts in the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and skaldic poetry.
sjofn
It belongs to the Ásynjur of Norse mythology, described very briefly in the Prose Edda, in fact it is not referred to in the Poetic Edda. It was characterized by guiding the thoughts of men towards love.
Yes
Another of the Ásnjur of Norse mythology. She considered the goddess of oaths, associated with vows and marriage contracts. She is described in the Lesser Edda.
A son
Considered as the goddess invoked by the accused in a trial, vigilance and truth. She was also one of the helpers of the goddess Frigg. She was the guardian of the threshold where she prevented the entry of those who were not part of it. She was described in the Prose Edda and in skaldic poetry.
Thin
It is only described in the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. She was the wife of the god Bragi, she was in charge of caring for the apples in a chest that gave the gods eternal youth.
The Vanir
Who originally inhabited the sky were the Aesir, however there were also other divinities that the Nordic peoples revered, since they were attributed the power of the sea, the wind, the forests and the forces of nature, which were called The Vanir. Characterized by living in Vanaheim.
Njøror
He is attributed as the god of the fertile land and the sea coast, nautical and navigation. So he is characterized as the one who rules the wind, sea and fire. His wife was Skaoi and his children were Frey and Freyja.
According to some accounts of Norse mythology, he lived in Nóatún, a residence located in Asgard. He is also associated with fertility, as are the rest of the Vanir. He and his children were part of the Aesir, as hostages of the Vanir, after the fight between the two.
Being those hostages considered as the family of the aristocracy and legitimate leaders, although they are not free to go and secure the interests established in the peace treaty. Learn more about Orpheus.
skadi
Regarded as the goddess of winter and a huntress with a bow. Descendant of the giant Jazi and being killed by the Aesir, she headed to Asgard to avenge him. Odin offered to place her father's eyes as stars and choose a god, with the condition that he select only by observing the feet of the candidates.
Therefore, she wanted to select Baldr, but in the end she was wrong and chose Njoror, even though they were not meant for each other, so they ended up parting ways. Some accounts of Norse mythology describe that she married Ullr and others that she had various children with Odin.
Frey
Son of Njoror and brother of Freyja. He regarded as the god of rain, the rising sun and fertility. He also resided in Vanaheim. He had the sword of summer, which was called Summarbrander, since it moved and fought alone through the air. However, he abandoned her to conquer the giant virgin Gerda.
He also had the golden boar named Gullinbursti, which was a gift from the dwarves Sindri and Brokk. He was pulling a chariot with great speed, similar to a horse when he galloped, where the glow lit up the night. Also, this god had a boat, called Skíoblaonir and a horse that ignored obstacles. In fact, he was the favorite god of the elves and one of the most prominent in Norse paganism.
He was associated with sacred royalty, virility, prosperity, the sun and good weather. They even represented him as a fertility god who brought peace and pleasure to mortals. He was also invoked to obtain good harvests.
Freya
According to the Eddas, she was represented as the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, therefore they went to her to achieve happiness in love, assist childbirth and have favorable seasons.
He was also associated with war, death, magic, prophecy and wealth. According to some accounts, he was the one who received half of those who died in the fights in his palace, the Fólkvanger, with Odin being the one who had the rest in Valhalla. She, along with Frigg, were the main goddesses of Norse mythology, so they are represented as the superiors of the Ásynjur.
Relationship between Aesir and Vanir
One of the main descriptions associated with both is that the Aesir were warriors, while the Vanir were considered to be peaceful. However, there are deities that are part of both.
Some accounts of Norse mythology, regarding the Vanir, indicate that they were mostly associated with the earthly character, with respect to planting, weather and harvests. While the Aesir were deities related to spiritual matters.
Between the two groups, the peace agreement prevails, exchange of hostages and the marriages that took place between them, after the long combat, where the Aesir won. In fact, it was what caused Njord to go to Asgard to be there with his two children, the aforementioned Frey and Freyja. As well as Hoenir, brother of Odin, who went to Vanaheim.
Various studies around Norse mythology consider that this relationship between both groups is the symbol of the way in which the deities of the Indo-European tribes replaced the previous gods of nature of the original settlers.
Similarly, other researchers describe that the relationship between the two groups is only a Norwegian manifestation of the classification of the gods among the Indo-Europeans, similar to that of the Olympians and the Titans of Greek mythology. Learn more about the mythological characters.
The Jotuns
Also known as giants, they were considered beings of great danger to men. They were associated with the Titans of Greek mythology. Which is because they were monstrous and very large beings, although with extensive wisdom and wealth, being a benefit on certain occasions for the deities.
Their origin from the cosmos is associated with the formation of Ymir's body, even some of them had a particular beauty. Ymir, who was also called Aurgelmir, was the one who originated the race of giants, being a prominent character in Norse mythology.
Association between the deities and the giants of Norse mythology
As mentioned above, some part of the Aesir are children of the Jotuns, because marriages were made between both groups. In this way, certain giants that are described in the Eddas, are represented as the forces of nature.
So there is a classification between the giants, these are ice and fire. They are characterized by having an implacable hostility with the deities, through the combats that had Thor as the main leader. Also during Ragnarok, the forces of destruction were led by the giants Surt and Hrym.
Out
Regarded as the foremost of the fire giants in Muspelheim, realm of fire. During Ragnarok, his hordes headed to the northern area in the form of the southern wind to destroy the deities.
hrym
This giant was the captain of the Naglfar ship. In the course of Ragnarok, he sailed between Jotunheim to the battlefield of Vigrid, carrying giants, where they would clash with the deities.
Some accounts of Norse mythology describe Loki leading the people of Hela, while Hrym led the giants, Vigrid, after the fire ones, Jormungandr and the wolf Fenrir.
other supernatural beings
Among other types of supernatural beings from Norse mythology, the following stand out:
Norns
They are female spirits, where they are the main Urd, which is related to destiny and what has happened, Verdandi, which represents what is happening at this time and Skul, with what should happen, in fact it is also referred to as associated the latter as part of the Valkyries.
Own descriptions of the Eddas, relate that there were more nornir, which were minors and were assimilated to certain individuals. However, there is also research on the subject that they are related to destiny, so that the past, present and future are intertwined so as not to separate from the prominent Norns.
One of the peculiarities of these spirits of Norse mythology is that they reside under the roots of the ash tree of the tree of life, also known as Yggdrasil. There they unite the tapestries of the destinies and irrigate with the waters and the clay originating from the Urd well, in order to maintain the greenery of the ash tree.
Therefore, the life of each person constitutes a thread in his loom and the length of each cord represents the duration of his life. So in Norse mythology everything is ordered, since even the deities have their tapestries, despite the fact that the Norns do not allow them to see them.
In this way, it is described that the deities also had their end, as established in Norse mythology. The Norns are associated with the Fates of Greek mythology and the Fates of Roman mythology. They are also related to the dísir (feminine divine beings) and the valkyries, having Odin as their leader. Also know about the Greek mythology.
Valkyries
They constitute the minor female entities that served Odin, receiving orders from Freyja. Which had the purpose of selecting the heroes of those who fell in the fights and directed them to Valhalla to become Einherjer.
Therefore, Odin was the one who selected them, they were characterized by their beauty and because they were also strong warriors who could heal any injury. When they took the fallen heroes in battle to Valhalla, they served mead and delighted them with how beautiful they were. They had to be virgins and lived in Vingólf, located next to Valhalla.
dwarves and elves
Of the best known figures in Norse mythology, these two groups are found. As for the dwarves, they were a race that developed from the worms that ate the corpse of Ymir, when he was killed by the deities at the beginning of time.
They are characterized by living underground, specifically in the Svartalfheim, as well as dealing mainly in mining and metallurgy. They also have a hidden and sacred wisdom, with which they made magical weapons granted to the heroes and objects of great power for the deities.
As for the elves, also known as alphas, during the Scandinavian period there were two classifications, which were the light alphas, known as ljósálfar, who resided in the sky, and the black alphas, known as svartálfar.
In fact, they were not considered as elves, but as characters similar to dwarves, so they were a union between the two. In some stories of Norse mythology, it is described that there was a noble image of tall and beautiful elves, which later became known as small and mischievous.
There are myths where these creatures are related to men in a very ambiguous way, because they caused illnesses in them or could even favor them. They also had a sacrificial ceremony that took place at the end of autumn, also called the alphabet by them.
Beasts
One of the prominent characters in Norse mythology is the wolf Fenrir, which was of great size, and the sea serpent Jormungandr, which surrounded the world. Both are even described as the offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboda.
There were also other creatures of this style in Norse mythology, where Hugin and Munin stood out, associated with thought and memory. Which were two ravens that Odin had and they whispered to him what was happening in the world, after having traveled it.
Another of the creatures of Norse mythology, mentioned above, is Ratatosk, which was a squirrel that climbed the roots of the Yggdrasil tree, where Odin hung from its branches for nine days and then observed the runes.
Similarities to other mythologies
One of the main characteristics of the mythologies of each culture is that many of them are usually related, especially in the similarity of their characters and Norse mythology is one of them. However, in this one the common confrontation of good and evil of the Middle Eastern tradition did not occur, since the deities and the forces they represent were different, being the gods for the Scandinavians as powers.
In this way, Loki was not exactly an opponent of the deities, the giants were sometimes not bad, just strong and uncivilized. Therefore, these stories do not describe good versus evil, but rather order versus chaos. Being the deities those associated with order and structure, while the giants and monsters are related to chaos and disorder.
Some of the gods and goddesses of Norse mythology are also related to prominent mythologies, as well as the Greek and Roman, with the difference that each of them focused on their respective culture.
Voluspa
What is related to the origin and destiny of the world of Norse mythology is described in what they called the Voluspá. This is the poem of the Poetic Edda, where the story of creation is evidenced until the end, under the narration of a volva or seer, oriented to Odin.
In this way, it is one of the main poems of the Poetic Edda, where each verse is made up of the stories of Norse mythology. So Odin conjured up the spirit of a deceased volva and commanded her to make the revelation of the past and the future.
kings and heroes
In addition to the aforementioned characters, Norse mythology also describes tales of heroes and kings. Many of them were the ones who created the clans and kingdoms, there are those who allude to the fact that some of them may have existed in ancient times.
Each one is described depending on the area of the Germanic world that is being covered. Among them are:
- Siegfried: also known as Sigurd, who slew a dragon and bathed in its blood, becoming immortal.
- Weyland: Also known as Volundr, considered to be a master blacksmith and craftsman, his stories are described in the Poetic Edda and in some German poetic sources.
- Bodvar Bjarky- One of the berserkers recruited by Hrólfr Kraki, a Viking warrior from the Age of Vendel.
- hagbard: also a Viking from Scandinavia in the Vendel Era, brother of Haki and descendant of Hamun. In some stories he is described as the sea king of Norse mythology.
- starkad: another of the Viking heroes, described with emphasis in the Gesta Danorum and in the Icelandic sagas.
- Ragnar Lodbrook: King of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark who ruled during the XNUMXth century.
- Sigurd Ring: King of Sweden and Denmark.
- Ivar Vidfamne: semi-legendary king of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Sagonia and some areas of England.
- Harald Hiditonn: King of present-day Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and some places in Germany.
- Skaldmos: women who were warriors, known as heroines.
If you were interested in the information in this article, you may also be interested in knowing about Celtic mythology.