Norse Cosmology: Did you mean...?

Odin (Old Norse: Óðinn) is the main god in Norse mythology. Described as an immensely wise, one-eyed old man, Odin has by far the most varied characteristics of any of the gods and is not only the deity to call upon when war was being prepared...

Edda is a term used to describe two Icelandic manuscripts that were copied down and compiled in the 13th century CE. Together they are the main sources of Norse mythology and skaldic poetry that relate the religion, cosmogony, and history...

Freyr (Old Norse for 'Lord', sometimes anglicised as Frey) is the main fertility god in Norse mythology, his connection with harvests, sun and rain, virility, weddings, and his rule over wealth securing him an important position within the...

An illustration portraying Sif, a golden-haired goddess in the Norse pantheon. She was associated with earth but was married to Thor, the god of the sky and thunder. Sif is a relatively little-known figure who appears mainly in the Poetic...

The Norse Goddess Sif as imagined by English artist John Charles Dollman in the illustration of page 64 of Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas by Guerber, H. A., Harrap, London, 1909. The figure in the background is usually given...

Statue of the Norse Goddess Idunn (Ydun) by Danish sculptor Herman Wilhelm Bissen, c. 1858. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo by Bloodofox. Idunn was a goddess of fertility who held the fruit of eternal youth (usually...

Artist's impression of a Norse raiding party landing at the coast. Created by Amplitude Studios for the video game Humankind.

An illustration portraying Sif, a goddess in the Norse pantheon. She was associated with earth but was married to Thor, the god of the sky and thunder. Sif is a relatively little known figure who appears mainly in the Poetic Edda from the...

The medieval sources on the discovery and settlement of Iceland frequently refer to the explorers as “Vikings” but, technically, they were not. The term “Viking” applies only to Scandinavian raiders, not to Scandinavians generally. Some of...

Baldr is a god in Norse mythology associated with light, wisdom, and courage, although he is never specifically defined as the god of any of these. He is best known for his dramatic death, which heralds the coming of Ragnarök, the end of...