Overview

Norse Mythology is the mythos of the Vikings and North Germanic peoples. It is a stark, fatalistic world of ice and fire, where even the gods are doomed to die.

Core Idea

The core idea is inevitable doom. Unlike the immortal Greek gods, the Norse gods know their end is coming (Ragnarök). Heroism is fighting bravely even when you know you will lose.

Formal Definition

The myths of the Scandinavian people, recorded primarily in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda (written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century).

Intuition

It’s heavy metal mythology.

  • Valhalla: A hall where warriors drink and fight all day, waiting for the end of the world.
  • Yggdrasil: The World Tree that holds the nine realms together.
  • Thor: The hammer-wielding protector of humanity.

Examples

  • Odin: The Allfather, who sacrificed his eye for wisdom and hung himself from the World Tree to learn the runes.
  • Loki: The trickster god, a shapeshifter who causes chaos and eventually leads the giants against the gods.
  • Ragnarök: The twilight of the gods. A great battle where Odin, Thor, and Loki all die, and the world is reborn.

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: Vikings wore horned helmets.
    • Correction: Pure fiction invented by 19th-century opera costume designers.
  • Misconception: It’s just about fighting.
    • Correction: It has deep wisdom (the Hávamál) about hospitality, friendship, and conduct.
  • Saga: Prose narratives about Viking history and families.
  • Runes: The alphabet used by Germanic peoples, often associated with magic.
  • Beowulf: An Old English epic deeply rooted in Germanic/Norse tradition.

Applications

  • Fantasy Literature: Tolkien heavily borrowed from Norse myth (Gandalf is based on Odin; dwarves and elves are Norse concepts).
  • Pop Culture: Marvel’s Thor movies.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Fragmentary Sources: Most of what we know comes from Christian writers (like Snorri) writing centuries after the religion had faded, so it may be distorted.

Further Reading

  • Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
  • The Eddas (Poetic and Prose)