Skeleton in a burial ground
History

An Outsider’s Account of Viking Death Rituals

September 19, 2022

Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, a traveler in AD 922, noted down the death rituals of the Vikings in detail in his journals. The burial, funeral, sacrifices and beliefs are all portrayed vividly giving us an outsider’s perspective. […]

Vikings standing with their weapons
History

The Return of the Dead in Norse Mythology

September 19, 2022

In Norse mythology, while those dying in battle went to Valhalla, others went to Hel. However, many of the dead could return to the world of the living to interact with their living relations. […]

Blurry face emerging from the darkness
History

The Idea of Death and Hel in Norse Mythos

September 15, 2022

Hel, in Norse mythology, was a cool and damp place which was present in both north and south. And, Hel the being presided over the place, looking after those who went there. […]

Magical viking runes on a white background
History

Runes, Norse Magic, and Magical Content

September 9, 2022

In Old Norse, runic inscriptions were used as magical tools to make one’s incarnation permanent. Yet, runes aren’t considered magical by themselves, as there are simply an alphabet. […]

An image of books and volumes on a table.
History

How English and the Old Norse Language Are Linked

September 1, 2022

Of the one thousand words we use most often each day in English, about one-tenth are borrowings from Old Norse. But, Old Norse language has an archaic grammar, which makes it a little challenging to translate it to contemporary English. […]

An image of the Urnes Stave Church, Norway.
History

Artifacts and Real Locations of Norse Sagas

August 31, 2022

The museums, sites and the very landscape of continental Scandinavia and Iceland offer a chance to explore the Norse myths and sagas first hand. The museums there display a collection of fascinating Viking Age artifacts. […]

Figures of Odin, Thor, and Freyr depicted on a tapestry.
History

Norse Religion: The Rituals and Practices

August 28, 2022

Archaeology is the surest guide to what might remain of pre-Christian religion in Scandinavia. Many place-names with the -lund element contain gods’ names and suggest that prominent groves of trees might have been important worship sites. […]

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