The mythology of the Vikings is still alive today in popular culture: everyone knows of Thor, the Norse god of war (made popular through the Marvel Cinematic Universe); Ragnarök, the great battle at the end of the world, where many gods and heroes perish and the earth is submerged in water; the tragic love story of Siegfried and Brunhild, central to the music and operas of German composer Richard Wagner; the characters of Loki the Trickster, the great god Odins eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and elves, dwarfs and trolls, all popular motifs in 20th century fantasy literature. In Norse Gods & Myths see how Odin exchanged his eye in order to drink from the wisdom-giving Mķmisbrunnr magical well; learn how Loki cut off the hair of the beautiful goddess Sif as a practical joke, and had to repay Thor by obtaining the all- powerful hammer Mjöllnir from artisan dwarves; explore how Asgard, the mythical dwelling place of the gods, was fortified by the giant jötunn in exchange for the fertility goddess Freyas hand in marriage; and marvel at Yggdrasil, the sacred tree around which the Norse cosmos developed. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding with 100 illustrations and photographs, this book will fascinate anyone interested in the mythology that brought us the terrifying giant wolf Fenrir and the goddess Hel, ruler of the underworld.
Papildus informācija
Beautiful hand-bound volume featuring the Norse Gods and mythology
Contents Introduction: Sources Much of what we know about Norse creation
myths come from the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda two Old Norse textbooks
written in Iceland during the early 13th century by scholar Snorri Sturlson.
Nineteenth century scholars brought the mythology of Scandinavia back to the
popular notice of many people in Germany and England; Norse mythology was
recognized as the latest surviving form of Germanic paganism. Creation Myths
and Cosmology The universe began with a realm of ice and a realm of fire
floating side by side in a void. As these realms crept slowly toward each
other, the ice began to melt, and the droplets gathered into the shape of a
jötunn, or giant. His name was Ymir, and, when he slept, more jötnar were
born from the sweat of his armpits. The first humans were created from fallen
trees. After manufacturing the cosmos from Ymirs corpse, Odin and his
brothers began to explore the new realms, and in one place they found a
beach, with two tree trunks lying side by side. The trunks resembled a man
and a woman, but they were completely lifeless and inert. Midgard, the Middle
Earth, the abode of mankind, made from the body of the first created being,
the giant Ymir. Yggdrasill, in Norse mythology, the world tree, a giant ash
supporting the universe. Gods: AZ Norse mythology is unusual in that it has
two sets of deities who became a single pantheon. The clash between the Aesir
(gods of war) and Vanir (gods of nature or fertility) could have a different
mythic significance, however. It might indicate a change in society to a more
martial outlook, since although the two sets of gods are supposedly equal,
the Aesir seem to be the senior partners. Baldur - God of beauty,
innocence, peace, and rebirth. Consort: Nanna. Dead, Killed by his blind
brother, Höšr, who was tricked by Loki into killing him with a spear of
mistletoe. Borr - Father of Óšinn, Vili and Ve. Consort: Bestla Bragi -
God of poetry, music and the harp. Consort: Išunn. Bśri - Ruler of
Prehistory, the first god and father of Borr. Dagur - God of the daytime,
son of Delling and Nótt. Delling - God of the dawn. Eir - Goddess of
healing. ostre - Goddess of spring. Elli - Goddess of old age. Forseti
- God of justice, peace and truth. Son of Baldr and Nanna. Freyja - Goddess
of love, fertility, and battle. Consort: Óšur Freyr - God of fertility.
Consort: Gerš. Frigg - Goddess of marriage and motherhood. Consort: Óšinn.
Can also be pronounced "Frigga". Fulla - Frigg s handmaid. Gefjun -
Goddess of fertility and plough. Hel - Queen of Helheim, the Norse
underworld. Daughter of Loki Heimdallur - One of the Ęsir and guardian of
Įsgarš, their realm. Hermóšur - The heroic son of Odin.Tried to rescue
Baldur. Hlķn - Goddess of consolation and protection. Höšr - God of
winter. Killed by Vali. Hnir - The silent god. Išunn - Goddess of youth.
Consort: Bragi. Jörš - Goddess of the Earth. Mother of Žórr by Óšinn.
Kvasir - God of inspiration. Killed by Dwarves. Lofn - Goddess of forbidden
loves. Loki - Trickster and god of mischief . Magni - god of strength.
Son of Thor. Mįni - God of Moon. Mķmir - Óšinn s uncle. Decapitated by
Vanir. Nanna - Goddess of joy and peace, an Įsynja married with Baldr and
mother to Forseti. Died because of Baldur's death. Neržus - A goddess
mentioned by Tacitus. Her name is connected to that of Njöršr. Njöršur -
God of sea, wind, fish, and wealth. Killed in Ragnarok. Nótt - Goddess of
night, daughter of Narvi and mother of Auš, Jörš and Dagur by Naglfari, Annar
and Delling, respectively. Óšinn - The "All Father" God of war, associated
to wisdom, poetry, and magic (The Ruler of the gods). Sįga - Goddess of
wisdom. Possibly another name for Frigg. Rįn - Goddess of the sea. Wife of
Ęgir. Sif - Goddess of harvest. Wife of Thor. Sigyn - Goddess of
fidelity. Wife of Loki. Sjöfn - Goddess of love. Skaši - Goddess of
winter; Njöršr's wife. Snotra - Goddess of prudence. Sol (Sunna) -
Goddess of Sun. Swallowed by Skoll. Thor - son of Óšinn God of thunder and
battle. Consort: Sif. Thruer - daughter of Thor and Sif. Tżr - God of
war. Also the god of the skies. Ullr - God of ski/winter, hunt, and duel.
Son of Sif. Vįli - God of revenge. Vįr - Goddess of contract. Vé - One
of the three gods of creation. Brother of Óšinn and Vili. Vķšarr - God of
the forest, revenge and silence. Vör - Goddess of wisdom Jotnar and Other
Creatures Norse mythology was populated by a range of creatures, in addition
to mortals and gods. Some were monsters, some personifications of natural
forces, and some were powerful supernatural beings. Others, like the Jotnar,
were very similar to the gods and could have children with them. Many of the
gods had at least one parent who was a Jotunn. Norse mythology tells of a
variety of magical creatures. These include Elves, Dwarfs, Trolls, Valkyrie,
multi-legged horses like Sleipnir, sea beasts such as Jormungand, the wolf
Fenrir, and the gold-hoarding dragon Fafnir. A Valkyrie is a figure in Norse
mythology depicted as a warrior woman on horseback, a wolf or boar, and armed
with a spear, who decides the fate of warriors in battle and carries the dead
to Odin's Valhalla. Heroes Sigmund Signy, see Valkyries Hjordis (Sisibe), see
Valkyries Sinfjotli Helgi Helgi Hiorvardsson Sigurd/Siegfried Hagen Gunnar
Hogni Gudrun (Grimhild) Brunhild Thišrek Völund Višga Heimir Ragnarok The
Valkyrie are maidens who carry half of those slain in battle to Valhalla to
be ready to do combat when Ragnarok, the foretold battle at the end of the
world, arrives. Some dead go to Hel. At Ragnarok, the gods Odin, Thor, Tżr,
Heimdallr, and Loki are killed by fire jotunn; the world is destroyed and
then repopulated by two human survivors.
Ben Hubbard is a nonfiction author whose titles include Samurai Warrior: The Golden Age of Japan's Elite Warriors 15601615, Gladiator, The Viking Warrior and The Plantagenets.
