Norse Mythology
Norse Mythology
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Norse mythology is the body of myths of the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Norse paganism and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Scandinavian folklore of the modern period.
Norse mythology is the traditional belief system of the people of Scandinavia, which includes the myths, legends, and religious beliefs of the ancient Norse. Here are a few examples of famous myths from Norse mythology:
- The story of the creation of the world: According to Norse mythology, the world was created by the god, Odin, Vili and Ve. They created the world from the body of the giant Ymir.
- The story of Thor: Thor is the god of thunder and is known for his strength and courage. He is often depicted as a fierce warrior, wielding a powerful hammer.
- The story of Odin: Odin is the chief of the gods and is known as the All-Father. He is the god of wisdom, poetry, and war, and is often depicted as a one-eyed old man.
- The story of Loki: Loki is the trickster god of Norse mythology and is known for his cunning and wit. He is often depicted as a shape-shifter and is considered a bringer of chaos and mischief.
- The story of Ragnarok: Ragnarok is the end of the world in Norse mythology, where gods, giants and monsters will fight in a great battle that will ultimately lead to the death of many gods and the destruction of the world.
These myths, along with others, are used by the Norse people to explain the origins of their people and their customs and to reinforce their traditional beliefs and values. Norse mythology is polytheistic, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses, and it was an important aspect of the Norse religion.
Norse Mythology Legends
Angantyr the Berserker
Angantyr's father Arngrim had given him the magic sword Tyrfing, which cut through anything as if through cloth, and which killed a man every time it was unsheathed. He was the tallest of the twelve sons of the berserker Arngrim, and he and his eleve...
Angantyr Heidreksson
Heidrek would have the daughter Hervor and the sons Angantyr and Hlöd. When Heidrek, the king of the Goths died, Angantyr inherited and refused to give Hlöd equal share. Hlöd attacked with the Hunnish army and in an epic battle, Hlöd was slain. A...
Hagbard and Signy
Hagbard and Signe (Signy) (the Viking Age) or Habor and Sign(h)ild (the Middle Ages and later) were a pair of lovers in Scandinavian mythology and folklore whose legend was widely popular. The heroes' connections with other legendary characters place...
Odin
Odin, the supreme deity, had, besides the title of All-Father, many
other names. He was called Ygg (The Awful), Gagnrad (He Who
Determines Victories), Herjan (God of Battles), Har (The High One),
Jafnhar (Even as High), Thridi (Third), 1 Nikar, Nikud...
Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar
Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar
"Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar" is a poem from the Poetic Edda, an ancient collection of Old Norse poems. This particular poem is one of the legendary sagas, telling the story of Helgi Hjörvarðsson, a hero in Nor...
Beowulf
Beowulf is actually not part of Norse mythology but rather an epic poem from Anglo-Saxon (Old English) literature. While it is true that the poem features themes, characters, and settings that are reminiscent of Norse and Germanic folklore, it is dis...
Hervor
Hervor is the name of two female characters in the cycle of the magic sword Tyrfing, presented in Hervarar saga with parts found in the Poetic Edda. One, the viking Hervör, challenged her father Angantýr's ghost in his gravemound for his cursed swo...
Hagbard
Hagbard (Old Norse Hagbarðr), the brother of Haki and son of Hamund, was a famous Scandinavian sea-king in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in Skáldskaparmál, Ynglinga saga, Nafnaþulur, Völsunga saga and Gesta Danorum. The heroes' connections wi...
Frey
Njordâ's son is Frey, who is fair to look upon, mightier and more
valorous than even his own father. He governs weather and tillage; in his
hand lie prosperity, joy, and peace. Like Njord, Frey is called Scion of the
Vanir, the Vanir-God; also, God o...
Einherjar
In Norse mythology, the einherjar (Old Norse literally "army of one", "those who fight alone"[1][2]) are those who have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries. In Valhalla, the einherjar eat their fill of the nightly-resurrecting bea...
BjArn Ironside
BjÃrn Ironside was a historical Norse Viking chief and Scandinavian king. According to the 12th- and 13th-century Scandinavian histories, he was the son of the notorious Viking king Ragnar Lodbrok and himself a legendary king of Sweden. He lived in t...
Haki
Hake, Haki or Haco, the brother of Hagbard, was a famous Scandinavian sea-king, in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in the 12th century Gesta Danorum, and in 13th-century sources including Ynglinga saga, Nafnaþulur, Völsunga saga. If historical, he...
Norse Mythology in POP Culture
Thor: Ragnarok
No Hammer. No Problem.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanche...
Thor: The Dark World
There was darkness.
Thousands of years ago, a race of beings known as Dark Elves tried to send the universe into darkness by using a weapon known as the Aether. Warriors from Asgard stopped them, but their leader Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) escaped to wait for another opportunity. The warriors find the Aether, and...
Thor
Two worlds. One hero.
The warrior Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live amongst humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found streng...
Norse Mythology based games
Bayonetta
An action hack and slash game in which players control a witch named Bayonetta as she fights against angels and other supernatural enemies.
Release Date: 2009-10-29
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U
Genre: Action
Rating: 8.5
God of War
God of War is a story of a father and his son, set in the realm of Norse gods and monsters. The game follows the journey of Kratos, a former Spartan warrior, who is now a father and must learn to control his rage to save his son and the world.
Release Date: 2018-04-20
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Action-Adventure
Rating: 9
Titan Quest
An action role-playing hack and slash game set in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Asia.
Release Date: 2006-06-26
Developer: Iron Lore Entertainment
Publisher: THQ
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Genre: Action role-playing
Rating: 8
Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology is a real-time strategy game set in the ancient world, players control one of three civilizations (Greek, Egyptian, Norse) and use the powers of their gods to defeat their enemies.
Release Date: 2002-10-01
Developer: Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platform: PC
Genre: Real-time strategy
Rating: 8
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
An action-adventure game in which players control a young man named Link, who sets out on a quest to rescue Princess Zelda and defeat Calamity Ganon.
Release Date: 2017-03-03
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Wii U
Genre: Action-adventure
Rating: 9.5
