Viking mythology and legends refer to the brave deeds of this people. There are not many traces of Norse mythology, considering that they are still narratives object of oral transmission. The only existing written forms refer to two Icelandic works, the prose Edda and the poetic Edda, which represent the major historical documents of Norse mythology.
In addition to the scriptures, other elements have survived thanks to the numerous folkloric traditions that are still relived today in the regions of Northern Europe. Among the best known myths are included that of Valhalla, the paradise of warriors, that of the Valkyries, minor female deities who serve Odin, and that of the Tree of Life, symbol of the close connection between Mother Earth and the universe, in addition to main figures of gods and heroes such as Odin, the lord of the gods, and Thor. One of the main myths is represented by the Nordic cosmic tree. With the help of his two brothers, Víli and Vé, Odin created a world made up of nine worlds and made up of five discs, separated from each other by an intermediate space.
Asgard constitutes the divine city, the land where the warrior deities called Asi reigned. The palace in which these deities reside takes the name of Válaskjálf and inside is positioned the throne on which Odin sits, accompanied by Frigg, his celestial wife. The palace has a majestic hall on the walls of which shields and parts of armor are placed. Another of the palaces present in Asgarðr (Asgard is actually the Anglicized name of the first world) is Valhalla which, according to the Nordic tradition, houses the souls of warriors who died valiantly in battle; the warriors who are killed during the clashes wake up and return to the "warrior's paradise" to feast during the night. A second world that is part of the cosmic tree is that of Iötunheimr; it is the world of giants which includes a wild region, the Iron Forest, where the Troll women find refuge, monstrous giantesses capable of generating ferocious creatures in the form of wolves. Helheimr is the abode of Hel, a girl with a monstrous body
which has the insignia of life and death. The dwelling is characterized by the mighty walls, the stone gates and the presence of a ferocious dog that defends it. It is said that its cold room was a place of refuge for those who were about to die of old age and disease; those of them who had been guilty of guilt in the course of their lives were fed to the dragon Nidhogg. Alfheimr is the realm of the light elves. This kingdom comprises about 12 territories. Óðinn, who was its ruler, presided over a college of twelve priests who submit to judgment and sacrifice. After his death the people were convinced that he had returned to Ásgarðr, to welcome the warriors who died in battle. Vànaheimr constitutes the abode of the Vani, that is, of the Gods of fertility and peace; their name derives from the root "ven" or "vinr" which mean "to desire" or, according to other translations, "love". Located underground, Svartalfheimr is the home of the dark elves (or dark elves). Midhgardhr, according to the mythology of Germanic origin, represents the central world (the so-called middle ground), whose task is to welcome men. This land corresponds, in fact, to the part inhabited by men. Niflheimr, according to Scandinavian legends, is the world of fog and frost from which all fearsome things come. Finally, Múspellsheimr is the world of fire and is located to the south. It is the seat of the "sons of Múspell", that is, the destroyers of the world. From the sparks coming from this world it is said that the gods created the stars and the sun.
The gods had fixed their residence in Asgard (the upper worlds, the heavens) which was united with Midgard (the physical world) through an arc-iris of fire. Inside Asgard there were several mansions and two lineages of gods, between which conflicts were also created, although in the end they all lived in harmony: The "Aesir" of a warrior nature who lived in Valhalla, and whose leader was Odin, and "Vanir", of an inferior nature, who lived in Vanaheim.
This distinction between the gods is unique and is a feature not found in most other theogonies. Among the figures most revered by the Norse people we find some that deserve more attention than the others.
Odin, who is the Father of the gods, is also known as the "warlord". His residence is Valhalla and from his throne the nine worlds are contemplated. Two ravens, Huggin and Munnin, spirit and memory, accompany him and inform him of everything that happens in the nine worlds. He is the wisest of the gods, but gaining wisdom was not easy for him. In many engravings he is represented with only one eye; it is said, in fact, that from his birth he strongly desired to reach Wisdom and that, after having found it in a well located in the roots of the sacred tree (the Yggdrasil), the head of Mimir, a goddess who had been beheaded there, he made the sacrifice of one of his eyes as a condition to draw upon that wisdom. Odin did not doubt, he sacrificed one of his eyes to be able to drink from the fountain of Wisdom. Father of poetry, creator of the universe and time, god of magic and runes: it is said that he hung upside down in the Yggdrasill ash tree for nine days and nights, with his chest pierced by a spear, so he saw the runes and he decided to give them to men to communicate with the gods. He has the characteristic of always speaking in verse and always changing his appearance, and to this we owe the multiplicity of his names. When he is not traveling with Sleipnir, his eight-legged horse, he appears to men as an austere traveler, wrapped in a blue cloak and with a hat pulled down over his forehead.
Heimdallr is the god who embodies the power to hear what words don't say. This god also sacrificed a part of himself, precisely an ear, in order to obtain Wisdom; "His senses are so acute that he can feel the grass growing and he can see the end of the world." Just as Odin got clairvoyance, Heimdallr got clairaudience as a gift. Heimdallr is the mediating power between Asgard and Midgard, between heaven and Earth, or place in between, and he too transmits the secret knowledge.
Tyr personifies justice and the common good, knows the structure of things well and is therefore able to maintain order in all planes of existence. He supports Odin's creative activity by carrying out the function of a shaper of forms, he is the power of the rational mind, logic and judgment.
Thor is, however, the god of war; his power is to keep the forces of chaos at bay, he presides over lightning and thunder, natural forces that sweep away the old, cleaning up the atmosphere. The hammer with which he is represented, which even if thrown far away always returned to his hands, is not so much a weapon of war as a symbol of the male generative force and the force of work; T.hor is therefore the symbol of physical strength, firmness, loyalty and protection from hostile and destructive forces.
Frey was invoked as the god of fertility and abundance. He personifies peace, abundance, pleasure and sexual love; he is a god of this world, a benevolent protector of the natural strengths of vegetation. Similarly Freyja embodies female beauty, and her power is that of beauty and sexual pleasure.
Baldur is the god of light and illumination and is associated with eloquence and joy.
The Norns, to conclude, personified the principle of cause and effect and of evolutionary change, they had a feminine aspect and were considered the spinners of fate, meaning by what the individual is responsible for his own destiny and that, even in front of an element "Random", it is only the action that determines the results.
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