Norse Mythology

by Oliver Laine

  Disguising himself in shaggy furs and clothes that had been treated with sand and tar, Ragnar takes up his weapons and sets out to do battle with the serpent. He spears the serpent through the heart and then cuts off his head, and as promised, takes Thora as his wife – but he has to divorce Lagertha in order to do so.

  Lagertha eventually forgives him and marries another man – but when Ragnar is threatened by civil war, she sails to his rescue with 120 ships and a force of loyal warriors under her command. On returning to her home, Lagertha finds out that her new husband has been treacherous and untrue – so she kills him with a spearhead that was concealed in a pocket of her gown and takes over his kingdom. She remains one of Ragnar’s allies until the end of his life.

  For her part, Thora bears Ragnar two sons, named Agnar and Eric – but she dies of illness only a few years into the marriage.

  After a period of mourning, Ragnar takes up the mantle of conqueror once again, ranging through unfamiliar lands. One day, his men become entranced by the beauty of a young woman who has just finished bathing – and they get so distracted that they allow the bread that they had been baking to burn. Ragnar asks them to explain themselves and they tell him about the girl, so he sends her a message that is also a riddle: she must appear to them, but she must “arrive neither dressed nor undressed, neither alone nor in company, and neither hungry nor full”.

  She obliges him: when she arrives at the encampment, she is dressed in a net, biting down on an onion, with a dog trotting by her side. Ragnar becomes convinced that she is both beautiful and intelligent, and that’s when he learns her name: she was raised under the false name “Kráka”, but her real name is Aslaug – the daughter of the great hero Sigurd and the indomitable Valkyrie Brynhild.

  Not only does Aslaug give Ragnar four more sons, she rides into battle, too. When Agnar and Eric, Ragnar’s sons by Thora, are captured and killed, she takes up the name “Randalin” and goes to avenge them. Her sons, Ivar the Boneless, Hvitserk, Ubbe, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye lead an armada of ships, while Aslaug/Randalin travels by land with an escort of 1,500 loyal warriors. After a long battle, Aslaug and her sons were victorious, having won their vengeance for their step-family.

  Aslaug also knew some of the magic that her mother had taught to her father, and she used those spells to weave an enchanted shirt for Ragnar. He wears it as part of his customary armor when he goes on subsequent raids, and it is only when his enemies tear it away from him that they are able to vanquish him, throwing him into a pit of snakes.

  Chapter 6

  The Nine Worlds

  Anyone who takes a quick look at the stories of Norse mythology soon learns about the many places in which these tales are set – many places, that is, and many worlds. Characters might be told to journey through several worlds just to reach their destinations or learn that the great battle they are to take part in is in some other realm and not the one that they had been born in.

  The Norsemen understood that the universe was divided into several realms or worlds, which were all connected by the great and holy ash tree named Yggdrasil. Its branches span the entire breadth and width of the heavens, while its roots extend toward, and are nourished by three great sources of water.

  Yggdrasil supports and connects the nine different home worlds of the various races and creatures found throughout Norse mythology. While the original names of these realms have been lost, modern research and reconstructions have provided us with the following list.

  Asgard is the home of the Aesir. They gather by one of the roots of Yggdrasil to pass judgments and confer among themselves. Urd’s Well is located here, as is the hall of the heroes, which is known as Valhalla. In order to reach Asgard, one must travel by the rainbow bridge Bifröst.

  Álfheimr is the home of the light elves.

  Niðavellir, also known as Svartalfheim, is the home of the dark elves, who are also identified as dwarves.

  Midgard is the home of the humans, and the gods of the Aesir consider it to be under their protection.

  Jötunheimr is the home of the Jötnar. Its capital is Utgard. Mímir’s Well is located here.

  Vanaheimr is the home of the Vanir.

  Niflheim is a world of ice, cold, mist, and darkness. There are conflicting reports about this realm; in some stories Niflheim is the location of the world of the dead, which is named Hel, and is ruled over by the queen of the same name: Hel, the daughter of Loki. Other stories refer to Hel as Helheimr, a realm unto itself.

  Muspelheim is a world of fire, ash, and smoke. It is the home of many of the giants who will fight the gods at Ragnarök.

  Chapter 7

  Norse Paganism

  Norse paganism continues up to this day. It is proof that people from Northern Europe have high regard for their religion and mythology. In fact, Icelanders have erected a shrine for their principal gods – Odin, Thor, and Frigg – a practice that was prevalent in the time of the Vikings.

  In Iceland, there is an association called Asatruarfelagio, which advocates the worship of Norse deities, although its priest Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson doesn’t believe that Odin, the one-eyed god, exists. Therefore, the belief in the gods and the building of the shrine is simply a preservation of their cultural heritage, as the myths are the results of the collective unconscious, man’s response to nature and his environment, and the workings of his genius. Still, there are 2,400 members of Asatruarfelagio in Iceland.

  Meanwhile, the temple has a dome and the structure is circular, similar to the Roman coliseums and the shrines of days old. The temple in Iceland is built on a hill that overlooks the country’s capital. The temple also doubled as an assembly hall for funerals and weddings and other religious activities. As for the neo-pagans in the country, they still do celebrate, albeit partially, certain holidays by killing and sacrificing animals, drinking, eating, reading, and merrymaking.

  Strangely, Scandinavians and Icelandic people treated religion as part of their life. They didn’t just worship their gods in temples, but they also did so in the comfort of their homes. During the era of the Vikings, when the latter sacked other regions, they conducted their worships outdoors. Traders and seafarers from Sweden –the Geats – left their sacrifices or conducted rituals under a giant oak tree as an act of gratitude for a successful and safe travel.

  In the Norse sagas, there is the story of a temple that was built at the foot of a holy mountain. This temple was dedicated to Thor. However, there were no historical accounts that could prove the existence of such temple.

  The description of the temple is exemplary and vivid, though. It is tall with a pedestal on the floor. This pedestal was where the religious put an arm ring for the oath, a bowl for blood and sacrifices, and their idols.

  In yet another saga, the Vatnsdaela, an old man chose the valley of Vatnsdalur to build him home. Consequently he also built a huge temple on the same site where he found his amulet of Freyr, which has long been missing. It is obvious that in the sagas, the building of temples is linked to divine intervention and miracles (as in finding the missing amulet). Fast forward to the dawn of the 20th century, archaeologists unearthed ruins of temples at Haukadalur.

  In the Egils saga, on the other hand, the author described a gruesome event in a temple in Norway. After the feast, while men were drinking, one man killed another. The kingdom proclaimed the murderer an outlaw, because of the crime and because he defiled the temple.

  It’s easy to look for a pattern in Norse paganism and worship. Norsemen apparently built small shrines for them to personally conduct their worships. Like in most temples, the faithful could keep and leave an arm ring for his oaths and a small bowl for his sacrifice. This shrine may be built outside, under a tree or beside a stone or mound (as long as the shrine is surrounded by nature).

  The Norsemen took their worships seriously, to the extent of creating laws for worship. For example, the faithful should keep a silver arm ring that weighed two ounces or more. The chieftain had to wear the
arm ring during the assemblies. Moreover, he had to smear or redden the arm ring with the blood of the sacrificed animal. If one had to ask for favors, he had to swear before the ring and invoke a god, usually the main gods of Norse religion. The pagans were also made to pay taxes for the temple. As expected, there were punishments for those who defiled the shrines.

  Even during the rise of Christianity in Norway, some Norsemen did not stop from worshipping their gods despite the laws forbidding it. In Fjord, Norway, people especially farmers “fed” their silver and gold idols of the gods.

  Ibn Fadlaan also wrote about Norse worship in 921. Traders who just docked also carried with them perishable goods such as milk, bread, onions, liquor, and meat, apparently sacrifices for their gods. Meanwhile, Icelandic faithful lay prostrated before their idols. It’s important that they do this on the ground, closer to nature (Note that gods also manifested themselves in natural phenomena).

  Archaeologists for their part have also unearthed gold foil, about three-eighth of an inch, with an illustration of a man and a woman embracing each other. In some parts of Iceland, the gold foils contained writings (perhaps prayers) that invoked landvaettiror land spirits. These land spirits were believed to protect people from famine and blessed farmers with good soil and a bountiful harvest. Norsemen likewise believed that the land spirits were the first inhabitants of the land and thus it was customary to pay respects to them.

  Another feature of Norse paganism especially prevalent in Icelandic literature is the appearance of the volva, a female seer who predicted the destinies of children. To obtain the knowledge of the volva, there must be a special rite conducted. If done right, the volva would then chant spells. Worshippers would prepare a high seat for the volva and gave her food offerings.

  Norsemen truly believed that the way to be favored by the gods is to be close to them as much as possible. Since this wasn’t physically possible, the believers frequented the places sacred to the gods. They also had a toast to the gods and still made sacrifices and offerings (mostly food now) so they would in return be bestowed with protection, luck, good harvest, a successful travel, and fertility. Warriors and king sought divine intervention from the chief god, Odin. Families turned to Freyr. Women prayed to Freya, while travelers worshipped Thor.

  Unlike Christianity, the laws governing Norse religions are anchored on shame and honor; a believer was punished if he had wronged the gods in a particular way, such as making the wrong sacrifices, or forgetting a ritual.

  Norse paganism also considers luck as an important part of life. While Christian teachings say that everything happens for a reason, and that you have been given free will, Norsemen were taught that luck is needed for you to survive. Essentially this luck also comes from divine favors. Thus, Norsemen could choose the god they would worship if the said god gave the believer some luck. If, however, the believer thought he was unlucky, he could worship another god.

  Norsemen also thought that the power to see the future and make predictions was a gift from the gods – and a prophetess was considered lucky in Norse religion. The prophetess looked like how seers looked in most European literature – wearing a long cloak, with accessories on her head, carrying a staff and a pouch filled with magical stones, runes, and herbs.

  Some women weren’t so lucky, but they chose to perform a great deed, this time to be buried with their king. A concubine who would be willing to be sacrificed was said to help the king enter Valhalla, the hall of the slain heroes and warriors. This concubine would make the announcement of her sacrifice, and she would be under watchful protection for days. She would be given food and drinks, all to make her happy before the dreaded sacrifice. Before the day of the burial, the concubine would sleep with the king’s men and warriors. She would do the same on the day of the burial, in the burial ship along with the king and his treasures, where she would later be strangled and stabbed and left to burn with the ship.

  How the Nordic People Interacted with the Gods

  Like in other cultures, the Norsemen interacted with gods through dreams and consulting oracles or more specifically, runes.

  Odin was known to have two ravens on his shoulder, which became his eyes to the world. The supreme god also “communicated” to people in poetry, prophecy, and music. Other gods like to reveal their emotions and messages in natural forms, such as thunderstorms. When thunder roars, or when the earth is suddenly blessed with heavy rain, the Norse take it as a response from Thor, the god of thunder.

  When the sun shines, however, it is often interpreted that Baldr, the god of radiance, is at work. Like the sibyl and other gifted mortals, Baldr dreams of events about to happen, including his eventual death.

  Apart from interpreting the weather and other natural occurrences, and experiencing prophetic dreams, the Norse recorded the messages from gods through poems and other documents. The believers prayed for rain, abundance, a child or a lover, and wisdom, and these were blessed by the gods. These accounts are now revealed in the Icelandic Sagas, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, and the Scaldic poems.

  Chapter 8

  The Norse Rituals

  One of the rituals that highly characterize the Norse religion is runecraft. Pagans would inscribe their prayers and songs for the gods in runes. Sometimes these runes are read, colored, and interpreted, and even used to predict the future. The major theme in Norse rituals is divided into three words: bithja (ask), blota (sacrifice), and senda (send). These words already give modern scholars of Norse mythology an image of how the ancient Norse people prayed and asked for blessings. There is an invocation involved – a call or supplication to the god. There is an offering to be made, which could be food, animal, or in some clans, blood of humans. Then there is a sending of the message to the gods. In some cultures, the smoke that rises from the fire and reaches the heavens is a way to send the prayer and the sacrifice to the gods. If the gods are connected to the earth, such as the god of the harvest, the blood is sprinkled into the earth for the god’s “consumption”.

  There are other rituals practiced by the Norse. The most typical is the prayer, the fastest and easiest way to communicate to deities. The prayer of Sigdrifa, for example, is a prayer to Thor. Sigdrifa is a Valkyrie who encounters the Norse hero Sigurd and thus says this prayer: Hail Aesir! Goodly spells and speech bespeak we from you.

  In this prayer, Sigdrifa salutes the god and invokes Thor. She also called upon the powers of Day and Night, as well as that of Earth. The gods answered her salutation and prayer by bestowing the Valkyrie skills in magic and talent in speech. Meanwhile, such prayers to the god of thunder were preserved and recorded by the poet Snorri.

  It is important for whoever was asking for favor to salute the god lest the god is angered. There are descriptive epithets used to greet the deity, followed by the god’s other titles. Some prayers even describe the god’s weapon or tool, which is oftentimes the right tool for the request to be heeded (i.e. Thor’s hammer). The supplicant then summarizes the problem that needs to be addressed.

  Norse gods can also be invoked through the repetition of their names and epithets as well as reference to what these gods did. Sometimes, however, prayers aren’t enough and offerings are being demanded from the supplicant. These offerings often demanded for blood and life, and though this heathen worship is shunned in today’s tradition, it proved to be effective and significant in the ancient times.

  People offered food, flowers, and fruits, too. These are often shared in a feast. In terms of animal offerings, the animal is boiled and partitioned, and everyone eats a part of the animal. The animal’s blood, on the other hand, is sprinkled in the shrine. Norse believers had to participate in the feasts as a way of showing their reverence for the gods. These feasts are not celebrated on just any other day; there has to be a special event that commemorates the feast. Examples are weddings and funerals. In some cases even the king is offered to the gods (though he is not eaten by his followers). As for animals, only healthy animals were offered. Simil
arly, only aromatic herbs and fragrant and fresh flowers were offered.

  Aside from the worship of deities, the Norse and the Vikings also honored the ancestors. They liked to communicate to supernatural beings. Women in particular practiced divination and spell-casting. They often used tools and weapons of warriors, or inscribed runes on these weapons so that certain attributes would then be “transferred” to the warriors. For instance, the Norse prayed for courage and success in war. These words would be inscribed in the tools, and the women would bless them with offerings and an invocation of the gods. Sacrifices of animals that embody strength and power, such as stallions and boars, were also deemed fit during festivals.

  Adam of Bremen in 1075 further described these rituals: there had to be male sacrifices, either a person or an animal; there should be nine heads and four of these offerings should be special or sacred to the deities they were sacrificed to. More important, the offerings are hung in a sacred grove near the temple.

  These religious rites were said to have been performed by a local ruler or a priest. There is also feasting after the offering was done, and the people recited toasts to the deities. It was customary to perform the rituals. If a person refused, he would be driven away from the clan. Even leaders and kings were mandated to participate in the religious rituals.

  Most of these rituals were conducted in natural places such as burial mounds, groves, and hills. There were reports of runes, weapons, and magical tools found in cemeteries.