In addition to the giants and demons we meet in Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore contains many menacing and horrifying creatures who can cause havoc for individuals and communities. Meet ten of the most interesting and intimidating creatures from Norse folklore. 1. Brunnmigi The name Brunnmigi means “pees in wells,” which is a pretty good description…
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki plays a complicated role as a villain turned hero. But in Norse mythology, Loki plays an even more complex role as a hero turned villain who eventually leads the final assault on Asgard and the Aesir gods at Ragnarök. In addition to his leading role as the bad guy,…
The “Viking Age” started at the end of the 8th century when Vikings started raiding neighboring countries, especially Britain. Of course, the people who would become the Vikings were already living in Scandinavia by 790 CE, but they became pirates, or “Vikings,” when they started raiding. Much of the evidence we have for Viking culture…
Many of the most famous images of the Norse gods we see today come from artist Jahn Bauer, composed in the first quarter of the 20th century. Let’s take a look at the life of the man and some of his best-known works. Who is John Bauer? John Bauter was born in Germany in 1882…
Monumental-sized stones with runic inscriptions and decorations have been found throughout the Viking world, especially across Scandinavia. They were usually erected as memorials for the dead. The practice is traditionally thought to have started around the 4th century CE, with the last examples coming from the 12th century. However, a runestone recently discovered at Svingerud…
We know the Vikings had an expansive outlook and looked beyond their territory for trading, raiding, and settlement opportunities. With that in mind, and despite the geographic proximity of Poland to the Viking world, Poland rarely features in English-language scholarship about the Vikings and their activities. Most accounts jump over the large territories to Novgorod…
One of the most famous mortal characters from Norse myth and legend is Sigurd, also sometimes called Sigfried, who had a love affair with a Valkyrie, slew the dragon Fafnir, and died in unfortunate circumstances after acquiring a cursed ring. Sigurd’s story appears in many sources, both Germanic and Norse. Most fascinatingly, his story is…
On this blog, we often cite the Norse sagas as sources for many of the stories and anecdotes we share. However, one famous poem that rarely gets mentioned is Beowulf. This is for several reasons. First, it is an Old English poem set in the Viking World, so there is debate over whether the world…
While there are many famous Norse gods about whom significant information survives, there are also many gods that are only mentioned in passing. We must piece together the stories of these gods from fragments of information, and they have not made their way into the modern imagination in the same way as Odin, Thor, and…
Hermodr is one of the more enigmatic Norse gods, who only appears fleetingly in the surviving sources. The surviving mentions point to a god with a much more complex mythology and significance, which has now been lost to history. Hermodr means “war spirit,” which may seem appropriate for a god who is referred to as…