Norse Mythology Research Paper

A Crash Course in Norse Mythology
Mythology was used by the ancient worlds to tell their civilizations past and explain the unexplainable. The highly known and studied mythologies include Greek, Roman and Egyptian. However, there is another mythology that is lesser known in terms of popularity, Norse mythology, it is known to date back just as far and even farther in some cases than the more popular mythologies. Even though it is not widely known about, it still contains a vast and detailed history.
The beginning of the ninth century AD to the eleventh was known as the “Viking age”; during this time Iceland was settled by Scandinavians and CeltsCeltics. Some of the settlers were Christian while most were Pagan; together they created a culture

Asgard is home to the gods and goddess; the gods are called Aesir and the goddess, Asynjur. It is ruled by Odin and his wife Frigg. Within Asgard’s gates is the dining hall for fallen warriors, Valhalla. The realm Vanaheim is home to the Vanir gods. These gods are the older branch of gods; they are masters of magic and are seen as prophets. It is unknown where Vanaheim is located or what it looks like. Next, Alfheim lies next to Asgard in heaven. It is home to the beautiful light elves. They are seen as guardian angles to the humans of Midgard. Midgard is referred to as Earth, it is connected to Asgard by Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. Jotunheim is the home of the giants, who are the sworn enemies of the Aseir. It is separated from Asgard by the never freezing river, Iving. Svartalfheim is home to the dark elves. The dark elves hate the sun so Svartalfheim is located underground. Dark elves are believed to be the cause of nightmares in Norse mythology. Nidavellir is home to the dwarfs. They live under rocks, in caves or underground. The Dwarfs are masters of craftsmanship and have constructed great weapons such as Thor’s hammer and Odin’s spear. Nilfheim is the north of the grinning gap, it was the first of the 9 realms. It is protected by ancient dragon, Nidhug. Underneath Nilfheim is Helheim, home to the goddess Hel. Finally, Muspelheim is the land of fire to the far south, and home to the fire giants and demons. It is ruled by the giant Surt and he too is the sworn enemy of the Aesir.