For centuries, the Scandinavian people, known as Vikings, instilled fear across Europe with their raids and plundering. From the Russian steppes to Istanbul and even farther, these warrior communities also engaged in trade with the Arabian Peninsula. Recent excavations in Canada's Newfoundland region have confirmed rumors that Vikings were the first Europeans to discover the American continent.
While Vikings terrorized Europe, particularly in the British Isles and France, they eventually transitioned to settled life, influenced by the rising wave of Christianity. Due to geographical factors and their distant location from the Catholic Church, Christianity took longer to establish firm roots in Northern European territories. After the Middle Ages, the northern countries adopted Protestantism, and while they initially held conservative views, they gradually diverged from other European countries in terms of religious elements. Today, Northern European nations exhibit some of the most secular lifestyles in Europe.
As their descendants embraced a secular way of life, Vikings adhered to pagan beliefs. Nordic paganism, encompassing the pre-Christian beliefs of the Scandinavian peoples, is also referred to as Norse mythology.
The most significant texts regarding Scandinavian pagan belief, known as Nordic paganism, are the Elder Edda and the Younger Edda. These two important works detail the religious and mythological aspects of the Scandinavian culture.
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In Norse mythology, the chief god is Odin, and Valkyries are his assistants who lead brave warriors fallen in battle to Valhalla, Odin's hall and the Viking paradise. According to this belief, those who die in battle will go to Valhalla alongside Odin. When these valiant warriors die, Valkyries come to take them to Valhalla. Valhalla, in the Scandinavian language, means "Hall of the Slain." Valkyries, adorned with helmets, transform the souls of those they bring to Valhalla into Einherjar, fierce warriors who will fight alongside Odin during Ragnarok, the end of the world.
In Norse mythology, there are beings apart from the gods, including dwarves, giants, elves (as known from "The Lord of the Rings"), humans, and monsters. Einherjar are the spirits of brave warriors who guard Asgard. Every morning, they are awakened by the crowing of Gullankambi, signaling the beginning of Ragnarok.
The creation belief in Norse mythology is a complex one. Initially, there was only a void called Ginnungagap. Death existed in Niffleheim, where 11 rivers flowed. When the fire from Muspelheim and the ice from Niffleheim met in Ginnungagap, Ymir, a giant, was formed. Another version suggests that when fire and ice collided and melted, the first cow was shaped, and this cow, named Audhumla, nourished Ymir. While feeding Ymir, Audhumla also licked salt blocks, giving them the shape of the first human. Thus, the first human, named Buri, came into being. From the union of Buri with the giantess Bestla, Odin and Vili, the first gods, were born. Odin and his brother together killed Ymir. Ymir's blood formed the seas, his head the sky, and his body the lands.
One of the most significant symbols in the epic is Yggdrasill, the tree of fate. According to belief, this magnificent ash tree at the center of the world has roots extending to Muspelheim (the realm of fire and giants), Vanaheim (the realm of the Vanir, another group of gods), and Midgard (the realm of humans). In its branches lies the realm of the gods, Asgard. Different versions of the story suggest that one root extends to the realm of the dead, Hel, while another pierces through Midgard. Odin, the chief god, created humans from Yggdrasill, the fate tree.
Thor, Odin's son and the second most powerful god, is the god of thunder. With his hammer, Mjolnir, he brings thunder and lightning. Mjolnir is the symbol of Thor's power. The northern people, believing that Thor lived in a palace named Bilskirnir, held Thor in high regard. According to mythology, Thor is eventually killed by Jormungand, a venomous serpent. It is prophesied that after Ragnarok, the day of reckoning, Thor will be resurrected with the power of his father Odin.
Loki, Odin's blood brother, is known for his trickery and deceit. It is believed that Loki is a giant. Loki and his children are portrayed as sinister and malevolent figures in this belief. The Aesir gods adopted him. Loki has the ability to shape-shift. Loki's children include Jormungand, the poisonous serpent that kills Thor during Ragnarok, Hel, the queen of the realm of the dead, and Fenrir, the monstrous wolf. Fenrir, bound by chains, will break free during Ragnarok, signifying the onset of the end of the world.
Freyr, the god of agriculture, prosperity, and fertility, is the most renowned member of the Vanir family, another group of gods. The Vanir gods symbolize fertility, wealth, and abundance. Freyja, the goddess of beauty and love, is also a prominent figure. Njord, the sea god highly esteemed by the Vikings, is also a member of the Vanir family. According to belief, Njord lives in Asgard, the realm of the gods. Njord is also the god of nobility. His steed is named Sleipnir, a grey horse with eight legs capable of traversing land, sea, and air.
Heimdallr, one of the Aesir gods, possesses the ability to see and hear everything. He guards the Bifrost bridge, the bridge between Asgard and Midgard, and is the guardian of the passage between humans and gods. Heimdallr is also known as Gjallarhorn, blowing his horn to announce the impending doom before Ragnarok. Heimdallr is credited with establishing social classes among humans.
Ragnarok, the Day of Doom in Viking mythology, is the ultimate battle between gods and demons, where everything will come to an end. According to prophecy, Thor, the god of thunder and the mightiest god, will battle Jormungand, Loki's son and a monstrous serpent. Thor defeats and kills Jormungand, but is poisoned by it and succumbs to death. The chief god Odin will also be defeated by Fenrir, Loki's other son, during Ragnarok.
Vidar, Odin's son, seeks vengeance for his father by killing Fenrir. Afterward, the gods engage in a battle to the death. Loki and the god Heimdallr face each other in a fatal combat. Following this, the world will be consumed by fire, and the universe will sink into the sea. Everything will come to an end, and a new beginning will emerge. As the world rises from the sea again, the children of the gods will settle in Asgard, taking the place of their fallen parents.
Moreover, the influence of Norse mythology on the English language is quite evident. The Vikings, after raiding Britain for years and even seizing control of London, left a lasting impact on the culture and language of the British Isles.
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