Norse Tales: The Norse Myths Retold

By Liam G. Martin

A brief (and sometimes silly) introduction to Norse mythology...

 

Read the fascinating and captivating tales of the Norse. You'll be taken from the golden spires of Asgard to the ice cliffs of Jotunheim. You'll meet mighty beings like Thor, the protector of Midgard; Sindri, the master crafter; Vidar, the avenger; and even Audumbla, the super cow! Learn about Odin's relentless quest for knowledge or the many deceptions of Loki. Hear about the fearsome monsters that stalked the nine worlds and witness the end of the gods.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Liam G. Martin
• Release date: Mar 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781916878068

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 Liam G. Martin

All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Front & back cover images:

Elder Futhark Runes: © vonzur/Shutterstock.com

Raven 1: © Timur Hussainov/Shutterstock.com

Raven 2: © Bourbon-88/Shutterstock.com

Mjolnir: © Bourbon-88/Shutterstock.com

Interior Images:

Valknut & Mjolnir: © Bourbon-88/Shutterstock.com

Horn Triskelion: © Zoart Studio/Shutterstock.com

Dragon Knot: © Bourbon-88/Shutterstock.com

Aegishajmur: © Andrej Kalsin/Shutt6erstock.com

Fonts used:

Optimus Princeps, made by Manfed Klein.

ISBN: 978-1-9168780-6-8

Always be yourself

unless you can be a Viking

then always be a Viking

My friend Phil’s T-shirt

Introduction

The Norse (or Vikings) were a society of settlers, raiders, conquers, and traders. During the Viking Age (793-1066 AD), they sailed from their homelands in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland to explore new lands and seek out vast riches. The Norse had their own gods and told their own set of myths (stories). On chilly Scandinavian nights, they would sit around crackling fires and tell these stories to their friends or to their neighbours, to their children or even to their pet goats (this one is probably a long shot, but you never know). These stories have been preserved through the ages and passed down to us. In this book, I will retell some of these stories. I have also included a section which provides vital information about Norse mythology.

Contents

Things Worth Knowing

The Symbols

How it all Began

The Nine Worlds

The Gods

Giants

Dwarves

Fylgja

Land Spirits

Valhalla and Folkvangr

Valkyries

The Monsters

Fate and the Norns

The War Between the Aesir and Vanir

The Stories

Mimir’s Well

The Treasures of the Gods

Thor’s Duel with Hrungnir

The Apples of Immortality

Kvasir’s Death

How the Mead of Poetry was Stolen

The Binding of the Wolf

Thor and Alviss

The Tale of Otr

Thor Goes Fishing

Freya’s Stolen Necklace

Thor’s Wedding

The Bargain with the Mistress

Loki’s Punishment

Ragnarok

Things Worth Knowing

The Symbols

There were many different symbols associated with Norse mythology. Below are some of them and what they meant:

Valknut

The Valknut was the symbol of Odin. It was the symbol of death, of fallen warrior’s spirits passing into the halls of Valhalla.

Horn Triskelion

The Horn Triskelion symbolised the three drinking vessels that contained the mead of poetry. According to the Poetic Edda, whoever drank the mead would become a poet. This was why the symbol of the three horns represented wisdom and inspiration (especially poetic inspiration).

Mjolnir, The Hammer of Thor

Mjolnir was a symbol of strength and protection. However, the hammer itself was more than just a weapon. Whilst it was responsible for crushing the skulls of many giants, it was also a symbol of purity, of leading lost spirits out of chaos and into the sacred realm.

Aegishjalmur, The Helm of Awe

In battle, the Aegishjalmur would strike fear into the hearts of enemies. This is why some Viking warriors used to paint this symbol on their foreheads.

How it all Began

In the beginning, there was a great chasm named Ginnungagap. On one side of Ginnungagap was Muspelheim, a region of flame. Wildfires burned, rivers of lava carved through the land, and molten fissures pocked the earth. On the other side of Ginnungagap was Niflheim, a harsh tundra of ice cliffs and frozen wastes.

Over time, the ice from Niflheim spilt so far into Ginnungagap that the raging fires of Muspelheim slowly began to melt it into water.

It dripped to the ground.

First, the waters formed a puddle. Then, as time went by, the puddle evaporated into a thick blanket of fog. Finally, two beings emerged out of the fog. The first was a frost giant named Ymir. The second was a great cow named Audumbla.

One night, when Ymir slept, the heat from Muspelheim caused him to sweat. From the droplets that trickled to the floor, three more giants arose.

Audumbla, meanwhile, licked the ice in Niflheim to draw water from the ground. One day it came across a big block of ice. As it licked the ice block, it melted to reveal a man. It was Buri, the first of the Aesir. Later, he had a son called Borr. Borr, with his wife, Bestla, had three sons. Odin, Vili, and Ve.

As time passed, Odin and his brothers began to worry about the giants. They outnumbered the Aesir, and each day more of them arose from Ymir’s sweat. Soon, the Ginnungagap would be overrun, plunged into chaos, with giants and Aesir waging bloody battles over territory.

They decided that the only way to stop this from coming to pass would be to slay Ymir.

So, Odin and his brothers crept over to Ymir whilst he slept and slain the giant. They tore apart his corpse and began creating the nine worlds around the great tree, Yggdrasil. The blood that gushed from Ymir became the seas and oceans. They used his flesh to make the land. His teeth became boulders, and his bones became mountains. Of the six worlds they created, one was set aside for humans, which they called Midgard. Then, they used Ymir’s eyelashes to build a fence around Midgard so that the frost giants of Jotunheim would not be able to invade it. The three gods fashioned Ymir’s skull into a dome for the sky. Four maggots which had writhed in Ymir’s flesh were made into dwarves and tasked with holding up the sky. Finally, Ymir’s brain was chopped up and tossed into the sky to become clouds.

The Nine Worlds

In Norse mythology, there were nine worlds. These worlds were all connected to Yggdrasil:

The Lower Worlds

Niflheim was an ice realm. Harsh winds tore around this frozen wasteland.

Muspelheim was a world of pure flame. Wildfires raged, rivers of lava carved through the land, and molten fissures pocked the earth.

Hel was a cold, dark land located deep beneath the ground like a grave site. It was home to the dead and ruled over by the giantess, Hel.

The Middle Worlds

Midgard was the realm of mortals. There was great natural beauty to