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Key words£ºNorse
mythology,
Scandinavia,
Asgard,
love
and beauty
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Genre£ºmyth |
Topic£ºNorse
mythology |
Words:280 |
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Norse mythology was developed by peoples
in far Northern Europe (Scandinavia). |
Norse mythology: an
introduction
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|
Author£ºUnknown |
Source£ºwww.worldalmanacforkids.com |
|
Nation£ºGreece |
Date£º2008-8-22 |
(The Norse gods were
mortal, and they had to eat Iðunn's golden apples in order not
to age until Ragnarök when most of them would die. Image by J.
Penrose, 1890.)
You may never had
heard of the gods and goddesses from Norse mythology, but you
use their names all the time, in a way. Tuesday is named after
the Norse god Tyr (later known as Tiw), Wednesday after Wodan
(usually spelled Odin), Thursday after Thor, and Friday after
Frigg and Freya. (Saturday is another story¡ªyou can look up the
Roman god it was named after.)
Norse mythology was
developed by peoples in far Northern Europe (Scandinavia). They
sailed far from their homelands and carried their legends to
Iceland, England, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The Norse myths tell
us that the gods and goddesses live in the heavens in a place
called Asgard, which is reached by a rainbow bridge. Other
beings, such as giants, elves, and humans, have their own homes.
The goddess Hel rules over Niflheim, the underworld or home of
the dead. Humans live in Midgard, or Middle Earth. The end of
the world, the myths say, will come in a great battle called
Ragnaroek (doomsday). In Asgard there is a great hall with a
roof of shields, called Valhalla, where warriors killed in
battle go. There they wait for the time when they will fight
with Odin against the giants at the end of the world.
Major Norse Gods
|
Name |
Description |
|
Odin |
One-eyed king of the gods. God of war, death,
poetry, wisdom, and magic. |
|
Thor |
Son of Odin. God of thunder, lightning, and rain.
|
|
Frigg |
Wife of Odin. Goddess of marriage, motherhood, and
the home. |
|
Freya |
Goddess of birth and of crops. |
|
Tyr |
Sky god and god of war and justice. His hand was
bitten off by the wolf Fenrir. |
|
Baldur |
Son of Odin. God of light, purity, and beauty. Best
loved of the gods. |
|
Loki |
Son of giants and father of Hel. Clever trickster
who sometimes helped Thor and Odin and was sometimes
their enemy. |
|
Hel |
Goddess of death. Daughter of Loki. |
|
Heimdall |
Son of nine giantesses. Watchman of the rainbow
bridge. Known for his keen eyes and ears, he could
hear grass growing. |
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(Creation of the world by Odin, Vili and V¨¦.
Illustration by Lorenz Frølich)
Discussion£º
1. What is the connection
between days in a weeks and Norse mythology?
2. Where was Norse
mythology originated?
3. Where did the Norse
gods and goddesses live?
¡¡
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