I have heard quite a few people suggest that the image of Santa Claus, an important character in the Christain Christmas festival, is based on Odin, the All-Father and principal Viking god. They make a good point. If you look at traditions surrounding Santa Claus, especially before Coca-Cola reimagined him for their brand in the…
In season three of the History Channel’s series Vikings, we are introduced to a character called Harbard. A man with some kind of mysticism about him, he turns up in Kattegat and causes quite a lot of trouble before he disappears again.As most of the characters in Vikings are based on historic individuals or figures…
When you explore the VKNG Jewelry shop, you will notice that we have a large collection of Mjolnir pendants. You might wonder why Thor’s Hammer is so prolific in our store? Thor the Protector The name of Thor’s Hammer in the Viking tongue is Mjolnir and it was a powerful symbol of protection. Thor was…
The Vikings believed in many different types of divine beings. There were gods, giants, light elves, and other beings that don’t seem to fit into any of these categories. The Vikings believed that they were all more than human and assigned them similar attributes and powers. And thanks to plenty of unclear sources and interbreeding…
Odin is the All-Father, he is the creator of mankind, and is the father of many of the Aesir gods, including Thor, Baldur, Vidar, Vali, and others. But what of the other races of gods, for example, the Vanir, what is their origin and bloodlines? The little information that survives about the father of Odin,…
Odin is the principal god in the Norse pantheon. Called the All-father, it was Odin who created Midgard with the help of his brothers Vili and Ve, and created mankind to inhabit the realm. He then went on to be the ruler of all the Aesir gods and the most important deity worshipped by the…
The Viking runes are a fascinating topic for historians and mystics alike. As well as being a system of writing that reveals fascinating snippets about the lives of the Vikings, the Vikings believed that the Norse runes also had magical properties, exploited by Viking runemasters, and also used by modern diviners. Let’s take a look…
Of the many gods and goddesses in the Norse pantheon that receive little popular attention, Idun is among the most fascinating. She is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, her role and purpose suggest that the Vikings did not believe their gods to be immortal in an absolute sense. Secondly, she clearly demonstrates that Norse beliefs…
There are many more gods in the Norse pantheon than just the ones that most people know from the Marvel cinematic universe. Unfortunately, our knowledge of many of them is quite limited because we have to piece it together from fragments of surviving information. Bragi, the Bard of Asgard, is one of those gods about…
Norse mythology describes the universe as a fascinating cosmos with many intriguing worlds. But one of the most interesting elements of the Norse cosmos is not a world at all, but the Rainbow Bifrost Bridge. An enchanted bridge created by the gods, it connects the worlds of the Aesir gods and men, allowing the gods…