NORSE MYTHOLOGY Tales of the North Men WHO WERE THE NORSEMEN? NORSE: North men who were farmers & fisherman of Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) and Iceland who were also: fierce warriors expert sailors & navigators pirates BERSERKERS: animal pelt-wearing warriors who fought with a crazy fury (imagined to be the spirit of Odin) Historians believe berserkers consumed drugged foods to inspire their frenzy origin of the word berserk 8 TH 11 TH CENTURY NORSE RAIDS & SETTLE-MENTS Overpopulation & frigid, cruel living conditions prompted some Norsemen to conduct raids of the other European countries VIKINGS: Norse (Scandinavian) raiders who eventually settled in the countries of Germany, France, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Greenland, Russia, and Canada NORSE CULTURE Practiced both animal & human sacrifice on occasion but no effort was made to understand the meaning of such ceremonies The Thing local gatherings where laws were passed & disputes settled Gender Roles between the sexes were very distinct BUT, Norse legends were filled with stories of shield-maidens (women who fought alongside their men) Beliefs: Wyrd: FATE ruled your life The one pure, unsullied good that men could hope to attain was HEROISM (which depended on lost causes) The power of good was shown not by triumph but by continuing to resist evil while facing certain defeat (i.e. a heroic death IS a triumph) Wergild: man-price a payment of money to the kinsmen of the man slain RUNIC ALPHABET Norse History, Culture, & Myths passed orally from one generation to the next for centuries before they were written down RUNES: (magic symbols) earliest Norse form of writing Most modern knowledge of the Norse came from unfavorable Roman accounts of their encounters with them OR by the writings of Icelander Snorri Sturlusson in the 12 th century AD, after Iceland had become Christian (which probably influenced how Snorri told the ancient sagasmuch like the writer of Beowulf!) NORSE COSMOLOGY Creation, Yggdrasil, & Ragnarok NORSE CREATION Pre-existing: Niflheim (place of ice and snow) Muspell (place of flames and fire) Ginnungagap (great emptiness that separated them) 11 rivers (flowed from Niflheim into Ginnungagap where they froze) Ice spread & melted as it neared Muspell 2 Creatures formed from melting drops: Ymir (1 st frost giant) & Audumla (huge cow) Audumla nourisher Survived by licking the salty ice Licked ice for 3 days & revealed BURI (man-shaped supernatural being), grandfather of the gods (Odin & his brothers Vili & Ve) NORSE CREATION Ymir Lived by drinking Audumlas milk More frost giants came from his sweat as he slept Brutal and evil (like all frost giants) & eventually killed by Odin & his brothers (Vili & Ve) His blood flowed out in torrents which swept away all the frost giant except one husband & wife pair Ymirs dead body became the earth flesh became the earth bones & teeth became mountains & rocks blood filled the rivers & seas skull made the dome of the sky brains were tossed into the air as clouds Dwarves created by the gods from maggots crawling on his flesh (4 dwarves hold up sky) YGGDRASIL The World Tree: the axis mundi of the Norse Cosmos A giant ash with three roots that connects the Nine Worlds, which are divided onto three levels, & holds the Nine Worlds firmly in place An eagle perches at its top Nidhogg: serpent that chews at a tree root Ratatosk: Discord squirrel that runs up and down the trunk carrying insults between the eagle and Nidhogg Four deer chew on its branches & leaves Leaves dripped a sweet dew that bees used to make honey THE NINE WORLDS OF THE NORSE COSMOS The Norse believed that there were nine worlds supported by the World Tree, Yggdrasil The lowest level: Niflheim (Hel or the Land of the Dead) and Muspell (Land of Fire) The middle level: Midgard, Jotunheim, Nidavellir, and Svartalfheim The highest level: Asgard, Vanaheim, and Alfheim LOWEST LEVEL OF THE NINE WORLDS Muspell The Land of Fire Guarded by Surt & his flaming sword who was waiting to lead the fiery creatures of Muspell against the gods when the time of their Doom came Niflheim The Land of the Dead Gloomy place of ice, snow, & eternal darkness and ruled by Hel (a) Gate guarded by Garm, a ghastly dog with a bloodstained breast Spring of Hvergelmir Located in Niflheim Into which one of Yggdrasils roots descended Guarded by a vile dragon, Nidhogg, who tried to destroy it by gnawing at the root MIDDLE LEVEL OF THE NINE WORLDS Midgard World of humans Middle Earth battlefield of men Surrounded by the ocean in which lurked Jormungand, the World-Serpent Fountain of Mimir Its water is source of all wisdom jealousy guarded by Mimir Located in Midgard Into which one of Yggdrasils roots descended Jotenheim Land of the Giants Barren mountain range Utgard: giant stronghold Svartalfheim Land of the Dark Elves (Dwarves) Nidavellir: an area of caves & holes belonging to the Dwarves HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE NINE WORLDS Asgard Home of the Aesir (warrior gods) Bifrost Rainbow bridge connecting Asgard to Midgard Guarded by Heimdall, watchman of the gods Well of Urd Located in Asgard & tended by the 3 Norns (who also tended Yggdrasil) Vanaheim Home of the Vanir (fertility gods) Alfheilm Home of the Light Elves RAGNAROK The Day of Doom that will destroy Gods and the entire Earth The Gods know this day is coming & do everything they can to postpone it as long as possible Loki, his children, & the giants will overrun the Aesir Yggdrasil, the World Tree will burn Mani (moon) and Sol (sun) will be devoured by the wolves of darkness that chase them From the ashes a new world will be born, built by new gods THE AESIR Warrior gods worshipped by warriors & kings ODIN Chief of the Norse gods: known as ALL-FATHER & Mankinds Benefactor God of Battle, Poetry, Wisdom, & the Dead Also known as Woden -- Wednesday is named for him (Wodens day) Valhalla: Hall of the Slain Odins hall in Asgard for brave warriors slain in battle Valkyries were his maiden attendants Walls made of golden spears, roof of golden shields 540 doors big enough to allow 800 armed men through, side-by- side Valaskjalf: Shelf of the Slain Odins other hall in Asgard where his throne Hlidskjalf stood Two wolves sit at his feet & Two ravens Hugin (Thought) & Munin (Memory) perch on his shoulders & bring him news from around the world ODIN (CONTD.) Married to Frigg(a), queen of Asgard Gave Runes (symbolic writing) to mankind which he won by sacrificing himself to himself Traded an eye for wisdom when he drank from the Mimirs Well of Wisdom Took Skaldic Mead (which made anyone who tasted it a poet) from the giants Wore a blue (-grey) cloak & a wide-brimmed hat & used the name Vegtam the Wanderer when he traveled Midgard and Harbard when disguised as a ferryman Possessed: Sleipnir: an eight-legged horse Gungnir: magic, dwarf-made spear Gold arm-ring made by dwarves THOR God of the Sky & Thunder: associated with weather, crops, & warriors God of Law & Order & Keeper of the Oaths (copies of his arm-ring were kept in temples & Norse swore oaths on them) Strongest of the Aesir & Defender of the Gods Son of Odin and Jord (Jorth/Fjorgyn which means Earth) Described as having fiery eyes, red hair, & a red beard Wears a magic girdle that doubled his strength Mjollnir: his magic hammer forged by dwarves Married to Sif of the Golden Hair, goddess of fruitfulness & plenty Bilskirnir Lightning Thor & Sifs hall in Asgard Rides a chariot pulled by his 2 goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr (Toothgnasher & Toothgrinder) Thursday is named for him (Thors day) FRIGG(A) Queen of Asgard & Odins wife Goddess of Sky, Marriage, Childbirth, & Motherhood Married to Odin; Mother of Balder, Hoder, Tyr, Bragi, & Hermod The only diety, besides Odin himself, allowed to sit on Odins throne Hlidskjalf Very wise and silent Sits at her spinning wheel, day after day, where the thread she spins are made of gold Tries to save Balder from his fate of death Friday may be named for her (or Freya) TYR God of War (Single Combat), Justice, Law & Order Bravest of the gods & One-Handed Son of Odin & Frigg(a) His name was used to guarantee contracts, promises, & pledges Patron of the Thing gathering where Norsemen passed laws & settles disputes Lost one of his hands to Fenrir, the giant wolf (son of Loki & the giantess witch Angrboda) Tuesday was named for him (Tyrs day) BRAGI God of Poetry, Eloquence, & Music Son of Odin & Frigg(a) Married to Iduna, the Goddess of Fertility, Spring, & Rebirth Greets new arrivals in Valhalla & sings songs celebrating their deeds BALDER God of light, purity, beauty, & happiness Most Beloved of the Gods Holy One & God of Goodness a Christ-like figure Fair-haired & handsome with glowing face Son of Odin & Frigg(a); twin brother of Hoder; father of Forseti (god of justice) As the Sun God he represents the spring sun His death is the first disaster that befalls the gods & signals the beginning of Ragnarok Breidablik: Balder & Nannas hall in Asgard Married to Nanna, whose heart broke upon seeing Balder upon his pyre on a great ship & diedher body was placed beside his before the fire was kindled & ship pushed out to sea His resurrection will signal the new world after Ragnarok HODER Blind brother of Balder Son of Odin & Frigg(a) Accidentally kills him with mistletoe caused by the deception of LOKI THE VANIR Fertility gods worshipped by farmers FREY(J)A Goddess of Love, Beauty, Fertility, War Also known as a battle goddess who rides a giant boar (her symbol) Hildisvini into battle Half of those slain in battle were hers, which she took to Sessrumnir, her hall in Asgard Twin of Freyr; daughter of Njord Her chariot is pulled by 2 grey or black cats Wears Brisingamen, the necklace made by the Dwarves Possesses a falcon cloak that allows flight Friday was named for her, Frigga, or both as some believe they are counterparts of each other FREYR God of Fertility & Prosperity Symbol is the Boar Twin of Freyja, son of Njord Married to Gerd (giantess) Possessed: Magic sword that moved through the air of its own accord Skidbladnir (magic golden ship made by dwarves) Gullinbursti (magic golden boar that pulled his chariot into battle) HEIMDALL Had Nine mothers (possibly the nine daughters of the sea god Aegir & his wife Ran) Watchman of the gods Supernatural senses--has such acute hearing that he can hear a blade of grass grow Guardian of Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge that connects Asgard to Midgard Responsible for the classes of humans: serfs, farm owners, & nobles His horn Gjall will sound the beginning of Ragnarok, the Day of Doom The rooster is his symbol NJORD Sea god Father of twins Frey(r) & Frey(j)a OTHER SUPERNATURALS in the Norse Cosmos VALKYRIES Odins battle maidens who determine the outcome of battles Choosers of the Slain Their chief duty was to go to the battlefield & carry the chosen brave dead to Valhalla In Valhalla, they wait upon Odin, the gods, and the warrior dead NORNS Three female creatures who control the fate of all races Urda sees the past, Verdandi sees the present, & Skuld sees the future Sit at the Well of Urd (well of white water) at the base of Yggdrasil GIANTS Enormous brutes who are the enemies of the Aesir Continually plotting to destroy the gods through tricks & traps Not all Giants are evil, but majority are Thor is the god whom they hate the most DWARVES Short, hairy creatures that live in Svartalfheim Created by gods from maggots crawling in the flesh of Ymir Greedy, cunning, sometimes downright evil Master craftsmen who work underground forging the treasures of the world They are the makers of: Mjolnir Brisingamen LOKI Trickster god & shapeshifter God of Fire; Known as the Doer of Good & the Doer of Evil Part Aesir and part giant Birthed Sleipnir (Odins 8-legged horse) when he changed himself into a pink mare to save Asgard & the Aesir Married to Siguna (goddess of the Aesir) Fathered children Hel(a), Jormungand, & Fenrir with his mistress Angrboda (giantess witch of Iron Wood) ANGRBODA Distress-Bringer Giantess-witch who lived in the Iron Wood of Jotunheim Lokis mistress and mother of his 3 children: Hel (a) Jormungand Fenrir SLEIPNIR Odins 8-legged horse Son of Loki (in pink mare form) & Svadilfari, a giant horse HEL (A) BRUNHILDE