by Roger Green
What other books did he write?
He was well known for his retellings of traditional stories. Including those mentioned above, he wrote The Adventures of Robin Hood and King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, all published as Puffin Classics. He also wrote many books for adults, including a biography of his friend C. S. Lewis and one of J. M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan.
Who’s Who in Myths of the Norsemen
THE GODS AND GODDESSES
The Æsir – the ‘sky Gods’, including the warrior Gods Odin, Thor, Tyr, Baldur and Heimdall; they live in Asgard, the uppermost level of the Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
Baldur – the kind, gentle, beloved son of Odin and Frigga.
Bragi – a son of Odin, who marries Iduna, the beautiful Earth maiden, carrier of the Apples of Youth.
Forseti – the Oath Keeper and wise son of Baldur.
Frey and Freya – the Vanir children of Niord and his wife Skadi: Frey is the Lord of the weather, and Master of agriculture; Freya is the Goddess of love and beauty, married to Odur.
Frigga – Odin’s wife and the primary Goddess of love and marriage. She is the mother of twins, Baldur and Hodur.
Heimdall – the keen-eyed watchman of the Æsir and known for his loyalty and faithfulness; he was sent to Earth by Odin to recruit men as soldiers in the last battle to be held against the Giants.
Hodur – Baldur’s blind twin brother.
Honir, Vili and Ve – Odin’s brothers.
Loki – Odin and Honir’s evil cousin, a half Giant who sometimes helps, and sometimes hinders, the Gods.
Niord – a Vanir who makes a pact with Odin against the Giants.
Odin – the great Allfather of the Gods, and God of poetry, battle and death.
Sif – Thor’s wife, whose golden hair is cut off by Thor’s evil cousin Loki.
Thor – the mighty son of Odin, the Lord of Thunder; he carries a huge hammer, called Miolnir, of which the Giants are very afraid.
Tyr – the brave guardian of the Gods, whose right hand is bitten off by the wolf Fenris.
Uller – the God of winter, death, archery and hunting.
Vali – a son of Odin’s, born to slay Hodur for killing his twin brother Baldur.
Valkyries – Maidens of Odin, immortal women, who ride through the clouds to find fallen Heroes to sit in Valhalla.
The Vanir – the Earth Gods, including Niord, Frey and Freya, Gods of fertility, wealth and wisdom.
Vidar – a son of Odin, the silent God of war, and Lord of the Forests.
THE GIANTS (MORTAL ENEMIES OF THE GODS)
Ægir – the Ocean Giant who ruled over the sea.
Bergelmir – the only Rime Giant (the fathers of witches and warlocks) allowed to live after Ymir was killed; Odin and his brothers spared Bergelmir because he was wise and clever.
Borr – the son of Buri, who, with his wife, Bestla, planted the World Tree, Yggdrasill.
Buri – found by the magic cow Audumla, who discovered him by licking ice in the mountains.
Geirrodur – the Giant King of the Trolls.
Gullveig – the Giant maiden, who tricks the Vanir and the Æsir to declare war on each other.
Gunnlod – Suttung’s slow-witted daughter, tricked by Odin into relinquishing the Mead of Inspiration.
Mimir – the oldest and wisest of the Giants, and Guardian of the Fountain of Wisdom, Mimir allows Odin to drink from the Fountain of Wisdom in exchange for his eye.
Norns – powerful female Giants who rule the destiny of Gods and men by seeing into the past, the present and the future.
Rime Giants – Frost Giants, the fathers of witches and warlocks.
Rungnir – the great Giant of the Mountains.
Skrymir – Utgardhaloki’s messenger.
Suttung – keeper of the Mead of Inspiration, made from the blood of wise Kvasir.
Thiassi – the Storm Giant, who is also Loki.
Thrym – Lord of the Noise Giants.
Utgardhaloki – King of Utgard.
Valfthrudnir – the wisest Giant.
Ymir – the first and greatest of all Giants.
MONSTERS
Fenris – the oldest of Loki’s children, Fenris is the biggest and fiercest of all wolves, destined to kill the Æsir.
Hela – daughter of Loki, half human flesh and half decayed flesh, whom Odin made Queen of the Dead.
Jormungand – son of Loki, a writhing serpent whom Odin flung into the sea.
PLACES
Asgard – the land of the Æsir, where the Gods and Goddesses live in their mansions and palaces; Asgard lies opposite Midgard (the land of the humans) at the other end of Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge.
Bifrost – the rainbow bridge that connects Asgard and Midgard.
Jotunheim – the land of the Giants.
Midgard – Middle Earth, where the humans live.
Muspelheim – the fire region.
Nifelheim – the region of mist and huge caves below the earth.
Svartalfheim – the home of the Black Dwarfs and Elves.
Thrynheim – the Kingdom of the Winds, and the place of Noise, within the land of the Giants.
Utgard – the Giant city in the heart of Jotunheim.
Valhalla – the great hall where Odin houses his Heroes (men killed in battle).
Vanaheim – the chief dwelling place of the Vanir.
Yggdrasill – the great World Tree.
Did You Know …?
The Vikings worshipped the Norse Gods, and made sacrifices to them in times of danger.
The earliest written sources of Norse mythology date back to the eleventh century – that’s over a thousand years ago.
The points on the compass derive from Norse mythology – the four dwarfs Nordri, Sudri, Austri and Vestri held up the sky, and their names translate as ‘Northern’, ‘Southern’, ‘Eastern’ and ‘Western’.
Some of the days of the week are named after Norse Gods:
Tuesday from the God Tyr
Wednesday from the Old English for Odin (‘Woden’)
Thursday from Thor
Friday from Frigga
Many Norse myths, legends and characters have been turned into superheroes by Marvel Comics. Thor is the most famous comic-book character, and in 2011 the film Thor was released, which made the stories of Norse mythology very popular.
Some Things to Think About …
Which is your favourite episode in Myths of the Norsemen and explain which of the characters you liked best and why?
Why do you think the Norse myths and legends have survived for so many years?
How does the Norse creation story compare to other creation stories you have heard or read about?
If you were a character in Myths of the Norsemen, would you prefer to be a God or a Giant? Why?
There are many monsters and unusual creatures in Myths of the Norsemen. What do you think they looked like? How are they described in the stories?
There are several links between Myths of the Norsemen and other stories you may have heard of. For example, Midgard, or Middle Earth, is the land where humans live. In which other story is there somewhere called Middle Earth?
Some Things To Do …
Yggdrasill – the World Tree – has three roots, which lead to nine different realms of the universe. Let your imagination run free and draw your own World Tree with nine imaginary lands!
Choose a chapter from the book and write a review, saying what you like or dislike about it.
Thor has become a comic-strip superhero. Create your own comic strip, using your favourite character and episode from the book.
Ragnarok is the name given to the Last Battle between the Gods and the Giants. Make up a play about Ragnarok and perform it with your friends. Create costumes and props to make the scene of the Last Battle come to life.
You are a computer-game designer who has been commissioned to create a game based on Myths of the Norsemen.
Who would be the heroe
s and who the villains?
What would your pick-ups be?
What different levels could you have?
What would the game look like? Design some sample screens.
Research the Vikings on the Internet and in the library to find out more about the Viking era.
Glossary
bellows – a device used to blow air at a fire to keep it hot
bower – a shelter
dais – a raised platform in a large room for a speaker
feat – an achievement that requires great skill or strength
fetters – shackles for the feet and ankles
flounder – a small flat fish
hone – to sharpen a tool with a stone
jest – joke
kine – cows and oxen
mason – a builder who uses stone
marshal – arrange a group of people in order
minstrel – a singer or musician
oath – a sincere promise
prophesy – a prediction about the future
runes – magical inscriptions
sibyl – a female prophet or witch
spent – tired
stallion – adult male horse
whetstone – a stone for sharpening the edge of a tool
whither – where
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First published as The Saga of Asgard 1960
Reprinted as Myths of the Norsemen 1970
Reissued in this edition 2017
Digital edition published 2017
Text copyright © Roger Lancelyn Green, 1960
Illustrations by Alan Langford
Introduction copyright © Michelle Paver, 2013
Endnotes copyright © Penguin Books Ltd, 2013
The moral right of the author, introducer and illustrator has been asserted
Cover illustration by Studio Muti
ISBN: 978-0-141-38872-4