The Vikings firmly believed in life after death, as indicated by the elaborate burial practices, which ensured that people were able to take what they needed with them from this life into the next. They also believed in multiple different afterlives, most of which were a reflection of this life. Where you ended up depended…
Belts, a very useful accessory, have been around since ancient times. They have been worn since the Bronze Age (c. 2000 BC), and those worn by the Greeks and Romans would look familiar today. The Vikings also wore belts that would not be too out of place in a modern wardrobe. The belt itself was…
Many people are familiar with the Oseberg ship burial, as it is one of the most famous and well-preserved ship burials surviving from the Viking age. It is known for its elaborately decorated ship, unusual Buddha bucket, and the two enigmatic women buried inside. Fewer people know that it is one of our few sources…
While Loki is often cast as the major villain in retellings of Norse mythology, it is actually Loki’s children who are some of the most terrifying creatures in Norse tales. The children of Loki with the giantess Angrboda were Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel. These children were feared and persecuted by the Aesir gods, acts that…
Are you looking for a strong Norse name for your baby girl? Are you having a little Shieldmaiden? Below is a list of Norse names from the Viking sagas and Norse mythology, with their meanings and connections to surviving people and stories. Don’t forget that Viking men had the habit of taking the name of…
Are you looking for a strong Norse name for your baby boy? Are you having a little Viking? Below is a list of Norse names from the Viking sagas and Norse mythology with their meanings and connections to surviving people and stories. Don’t forget that Viking men had the habit of taking the name of…
Looking for the perfect new Viking tattoo for you? The Vikings relied heavily on symbols to communicate their faith and beliefs. They wore them as amulets, carved them into buildings and on stones as marks of protection, and added them to images to create additional layers of meaning. They even believed some of their symbols…
Gjallarhorn, meaning “hollering horn,” is in some way one of the best-known mystical objects from Norse mythology. We are told in the story of Ragnarok that Heimdall, the guardian of the Rainbow Bifrost Bridge and the gates of Asgard, will sound Gjallarhorn when he sees the giant hoard approaching Asgard, and it will be heard…
Galdrastafir are magical runic staves found in Icelandic grimoires from the post-Viking age. They include symbols of protection, wayfinding, and revenge. Discover the meaning of some of these important symbols, where they come from, and how they were used. The Vikings believed that the runes were not a created alphabet, but rather a fundamental part…
Ravens and other birds of prey were common symbols in Vendel Era jewelry. This was the pre-Viking era, between roughly 550 and 800 CE, when the Norsemen were already thriving in Scandinavia and were just beginning to raid areas such as the Balkans. Several different styles of bird pendants, buckles, and ornaments have been found,…
