1. Norse Mythology

2. Where do these myths come from?
Northern Europe
What is now modern-day Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Finland
Scandinavia
It is the mythology of the North Germanic people stemming from Norse paganism and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia and into the Scandinavian folklore of the modern period.

3. The Beginning
Ginnungagap was the great emptiness before there was a world, or any living things in it.
Far to the South of the Ginnungagap was the fiery realm of Muspell, with its long, hot rivers full of poison and vast lakes of fire.
Nothing could grow in this burning realm.
To the North was the dark and cold realm of Niflheim, where icy fountains spewed forth freezing rivers.
Nothing could grow here either, for the sky was always dark and the mountains were blocks of solid ice.
Slowly, over years and years and years, the fiery blasts from Muspell began to melt the icy mountains of Niflheim.
Out of the melting ice, the giant Ymir emerged, the first being of the vast Ginnungagap.

4. Next to him there emerged a cow from the ice
Next to him there emerged a cow from the ice. The cow licked the salt from the ice mountains and Ymir drank the cow’s milk. Ymir grew larger and larger.
The cow licked away entire mountains of ice. Slowly she licked the ice from two more beings, this time the god Buri and his goddess wife.
They had a son named Bor, and his son was named Odin, who became the king of all the gods.
Ymir was cruel and brutal. Odin and the other gods could no longer abide by his evil acts and together the gods slew him. Ymir’s huge body formed the earth.
His blood became the sea, his flesh became the land, his bones the mountains and his hair the trees. Odin and the other gods formed the sky with his skull, held up by four towering pillars.
Odin gathered sparks from the fiery depths of Muspell and created the sun and moon. These he set in the sky.
As the sun and moon shone over the new world in the Ginnungagap, the ice began to melt and plants and trees began to grow.

5. The greatest tree of all was the Yggdrasil, which grew in the very center of the earth. Its roots penetrated into the bottom of creation and its leaves reached the very top of the sky.
Odin was satisfied with the new world, and named it Midgard, ‘The Middle Land’.
But the world still needed people. On one of his walks, Odin found two fallen trees, an ash and an elm. He lifted them from the mud and formed the first man and woman from them. Odin breathed life into the beings, gave them reason and feelings, hearing and sight.
He named the man Ask and the woman Embla. From these two sprang the entire human race. The humans had the task of looking after Midgard, while the gods ascended to Asgard, their realm in heaven.

6. However, not everyone was pleased with Odin’s work
However, not everyone was pleased with Odin’s work. Ymir’s giant sisters were still mourning his death and were looking for a way to take their revenge on the gods who killed him.
They gathered at the foot of Yggdrasil and began carving lines into it.
Each line was a human life, filled with twists and turns, beginning with a man’s birth, and ending with his death. At the end of each line they made a deep cut to ensure that humans would never be as powerful as the gods.
These spells were so powerful that not even Odin could do anything to change them. Thus Yggdrasil became known as ‘The Tree of Life’ and humans knew death and suffering in their world.

9. Yggdrasill: The Mundane Tree or World Tree
Goes through all levels of the universe:
the heavens : Valhalla
the earth: Midgard
the underworld: Hel
The Bifrost Bridge links the Real & Supernatural world together
Seen as a rainbow to humans
At the roots of the tree are the Norns (fate).

10. Ragnarok This is the Final Battle – Norse Apocalypse
Between the giants and the gods
It will destroy most of the universe and the Frost Giants are slated to win.
The world is to be enveloped in flames and will be born anew. The surviving humans from a wood, Lif and Lifprasir, meet and the land will be fertile and green, and they will repopulate the world.

11. Norse Afterlife Hel – Hel’s murky realm Valhalla – Odin’s martial hall
Fólkvangr – Freyja’s field
Rán – claims those who die at sea
Gefjon – is attended by virgins upon their death

12. Valhalla & Fólkvangr Valhalla Fólkvangr Warrior Heaven
Hall of the Slain
Traditionally, it was though to be found in Asgard, but new info says that it is actually located in Midgard, among the humans.
Fólkvangr
Freyja rides to battle among the dead and chooses those to go to her afterlife field
Some say she is searching for her husband Óðr to find him or his soul.

13. Cosmology Elements of the cosmos are personified Sun – Sól, a goddess
Moon – Máni, a god
Earth – Jörð, a goddess
Units of time also
Day – Dagr, a god
Night – Nótt, a jötunn

14. Norse Gods and Goddesses

15. Gods & Goddesses Polytheistic
They would walk among the mortals constantly.
They were respected and revered for this trait and feared for their power.

16. The Two Families AESIR VANIR The Main Gods
Odin
Thor
Often represents Wisdom and Power
VANIR
Njord & his children
Twins Freya & Freyr
Often represented (in religion & myth) with love, fertility, and material wealth

18. Odin Chief of the gods and men – called Allfather
Father of Thor, Balder, and other gods
Wears winged or floppy hat
God of magic, wisdom, wit and leaning; later with war and bloodshed
Odin pierces himself with a spear and hangs on Yggdrasil for 9 days and nights to learn the secret knowledge of runes
Has one eye because he traded it for a drink from the spring of clairvoyance to gain inner wisdom
Resides in Valaskjalf (“shelf of the slain”)
Attributes are the spear Gungnir (which never misses its target) the ring Draupnir and his 8-footed steed Sleipnir.
During Ragnarok he will be killed by the wolf Fenrir
The day Wednesday is named for him.
He can travel to any realm within the 9 Nordic Worlds. His 2 ravens travel the world daily and return to tell him everything that has happened in Midgard. All of his actions are related to knowledge, wisdom, and the dissemination if ideas and concepts to help mankind. He can make the dead speak in order to question the wisest amongst them. He is the only head Deity that is also the god of thought and logic . It’s interesting to note that the Norse people set such a great importance upon logic. Runes are a simple writing system that were used for charms. Runes means “secret”.
His two ravens are called Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory)

19. Thor Thor’s Helmet God of thunder and lightning
Huge, red-bearded, with burning eyes
Similar to Hercules in his feats of strength and giant-killing.
Son of Odin
Mated with giant Jarnsaxa, but his wife is Sif (golden hair)
Mjolnir (the destroyer) – an ax-hammer that can destroy giants and mountains in a single blow; he also carries a belt of strength and iron glove
His home was called Bilskirnir
Has a chariot pulled by two goats. He can kill these goats and eat them and they will come back to life.
Is constantly fighting the World Serpent – Jormungand
He once drank from a horn that was emptying the water from the ocean– gigantic appetite
Thursday is named for him
Thor’s Helmet

20. Balder “The Beautiful” and “The Good” Son of Odin and Frigg
Primarily known for his death and resurrection – Loki tricked his brother Hod into killing him with a mistletoe dart
His death is the harbinger of Ragnarok
After Ragnarok, when a new world arises, Baldor and Hod will be reborn to rule
His hall is Breidablik
Considered to be the best of the gods
Friendly, wise and eloquent, little power

21. Loki God of mischief and fire Trickster figure
Assists and causes problems for the gods
Shape shifter – appears, as salmon, mare, seal, fly, woman
Born of giants, but welcomed by the gods
Responsible for Balder’s death and punished by having snake venom dripped on his forehead
Jormungand (world serpent), Hel, and Fenrir (wolf) are his children
Will begin Ragnarok
Fights with the giants during Ragnarok – slayed by Heimdall

22. Freyr God of sun, rain, and plentiful harvest
God of peace and a brave warrior
Member of the Vanir
Gods gave him Alfheimr, the realm of the Elves
Marrried to giantess Gerd, son of Njord
Rides the dwarf-made boar Gullinbursti – symbol is boar
Possesses a ship which always has a favorable breeze and can be folded together and carried in a pouch
Killed by the fire demon Surt at Ragnarok
Twin to Freya
Has a sword that can fight by itself, but he gives it away
The boar is his symbol

23. Freya Goddess of love and fertility Vanir goddess
Most beautiful goddess
Patron of crops and birth
Daughter of Njord, sister of Freyr
Married to Od, when he died she cried tears of gold
Attributes are the necklace of Brisings (pure gold), a cloak which allows its wearer to change into a falcon, and a chariot pulled by two cats.
The symbol of sensuality, called upon in matters of love
Particularly fond of elves (fairies)
Divides slain warriors with Odin; ½ go to her palace, ½ go to Valhalla . Women also go to her hall.

24. Frigg Mother Goddess, Queen of Asgard
Patron of marriage and motherhood
Goddess of love and Fertility
Wife of Odin, mother of Balder and Hod
Weaves clouds
She knows events
in the present and future,
but is powerless to
change them
Learning of her son’s (Balder) death, she makes everything promise not to harm him – except the mistletoe
The term Friday derives from her name

25. Heimdall “World Brightener”, God of light Son of nine mothers
Born at the end of the world and raised by the force of earth and seawater, and the blood of a boar
Carries the horn, Gjallar, which announces gods, warns of danger, and will signal the beginning of Ragnarok
Great hearing (can hear grass grow) and eyesight
Watchman of the gods and guards Bifrost (the rainbow bridge to Asgard)
Will Kill Loki at Ragnarok, but will die from wounds
Created 3 races of Men: serfs, peasants, and warriors.

26. Tyr God of war and justice Precursor of Odin
Boldest of the gods, inspires courage and heroism in battle
Lost his hand to Fenrir, Loki’s wolf-son
His symbol is the spear which has become a symbol of justice
At Ragnarok, he will kill the hound Garm, the guardian of hell, but he will die from his wounds.

27. Hod God of winter and darkness Blind Son of Odin and Frigg
Tricked by Loki into killing Balder with mistletoe
Vali killed Hod in revenge for Balder
After Ragnarok, he will be reborn and rule with Balder

28. Idun Goddess of immortality Keeps the golden apples of youth
Major story deals with a giant who, with Loki’s help, stole the apples, causing the gods to wither
Married to Bragi

29. Bragi God of poetry and eloquence
Loki calls him “Braggart” and the verb “to brag” comes from his name.
Married to Idun

30. Hel Daughter of Loki Giantess, half alive/half dead
Ruler of Helheim, Goddess of death and the underworld
Half black/ half white
Her face and body are human but her legs are of a corpse
Spread the plague with a rake or a broom
Agrees to release Balder from Helheim if everything weeps for him.

31. Where do we see it? The Obvious Music Beowulf Sigurd the Volsung
The Theft of Thor’s Hammer
The Death of Balder
Music
Wagner’s Valkyrie
Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
Jethro Tull – Cold Wind to Valhalla
Uriah Heep – Rainbow Demon (Ref: Bifrost & Heimdallr)
Many songs by Blind Guardian & Ginnungagap
Very prominent in Heavy Metal

32. Movies
Television
Game of Thrones
Stargate SG-1
Doctor Who
Supernatural
Thor/Avengers
The Mask & The Son of the Mask
How to Train Your Dragon
Sleeping Beauty
Books
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Harry Potter
Witches of East End (Also a TV show)
Magnus Chase & The Gods of Asgard
Manga, Anime, & Video Games
Matantei Loki Ragnarok
Oh! My Goddess!
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Tomb Raider
Max Payne
World of Warcraft
Halo