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Loki: Central in myth, absent from cult
Whilst British actor Tom Hiddleston has received fanfare and plaudits for his duplicitous depiction of Loki on the small and silver screens, people in Viking societies had a far more complicated relationship with the eternal trickster of Norse mythology.4 months ago — Culture and religion -
Skíðblaðnir: Freyr's magical ship and its dwarf-made origins
People in Viking societies were some of history's best sailors, as their ships transformed the culture, economics, and politics of the age. Little wonder that their mythology has a rich maritime theme that runs through it, as epitomized by the magical ship Skíðblaðnir.7 months ago — Culture and religion -
The sea in Norse myth: Jörmungandr, Rán, and Ægir's hall
People in Viking societies held a deep reverence for the sea, as it was a source of sustenance as well as facilitating much commerce and conquest. This deep respect was also reflected in the sagas and stories they regaled one another with.8 months ago — Culture and religion -
Ullr: The Norse skiing god who faded from memory
Overshadowed in modern minds by his more illustrative family members, and even by a fellow deity associated with skiing, Ullr survives as a shadowy figure on the edges of our knowledge of Norse mythology.8 months ago — Culture and religion -
Why did giants and the Norse gods keep intermarrying?
They say that opposites attract. Never is this more the case than in the rich tapestry of Norse mythology, where the forces of chaos and order mix, where jötnar and the Norse gods intermarry.9 months ago — Culture and religion -
Gjallarbrú and Móðgudr: Crossing the Norse bridge to the dead
People from Viking societies had a rich mythology surrounding death and the afterlife. Whilst Valhalla may get all the attention, we look at a river dividing the worlds of the living and the dead, how to cross it, and who you would meet upon it.10 months ago — Culture and religion -
Frigg vs. Freyja: Why two Norse goddesses get confused
Do you have a serious case of deity dyslexia? The Norse goddesses Frigg and Freyja may have alliteration and gender in common, but each holds a distinctive and unique place in Norse mythology. We look at why these two deities have a serious case of mistaken identity.10 months ago — Culture and religion -
Bound in pain: How the gods punished Loki
The themes of divine retribution and fate are no strangers to mythologies the world over. In the rich tapestry of Norse mythology, how the gods punished Loki occupies a central place in the cataclysmic events leading to Ragnarök.11 months ago — Culture and religion -
Gefjon: The plow goddess who shaped Denmark
Nowadays, only a football or handball match stirs tension between the modern Scandinavian nations of Denmark and Sweden. United by a shared culture dating back to the Viking Age, we look at the Norse goddess said to have separated them with a plow.1 year ago — Culture and religion -
The horse, the builder, and the trickster: How Asgard got its walls
Blue-collared construction work meets mythological fantasy in this ripping and raunchy tale from the Norse sagas.1 year ago — Culture and religion
