Knowra Norse mythology Norse mythology Norse mythology is the body of myths and legends of pre-Christian Scandinavia, preserved chiefly in medieval Icelandic texts. It recounts the gods, the world’s creation, and its prophesied destruction.
Norse cosmology : The mythic structure of the Norse universe, organized around worlds connected by Yggdrasil. Its world-tree and nine worlds provide the setting shared by the myths.
Norse creation myth : The account of how the Norse cosmos and its first beings emerged from primordial emptiness. It establishes the universe and generations of beings behind later stories.
Poetic Edda : A collection of Old Norse mythological and heroic poems preserved in a medieval Icelandic manuscript. Its poems preserve many of the oldest surviving accounts of the gods.
Odin : A principal Norse god associated with wisdom, poetry, war, and the dead. His pursuit of knowledge and preparation for Ragnarök shape many narratives.
Wyrd : An Old English term for fate or the course of events, related to the Norse idea of destiny. The myths repeatedly place divine choices within a fate that cannot be escaped.
Æsir : The principal group of Norse gods associated especially with power, sovereignty, and war. Odin, Thor, and other central gods belong to this divine family.
Ragnarök : The prophesied battle and catastrophe in which many gods die and the world is renewed. The destruction and renewal of the cosmos form mythology’s defining conclusion.
Prose Edda : A medieval Icelandic handbook of Norse mythology and poetics written by Snorri Sturluson. It retells myths systematically while explaining the poetic language that invokes them.
Thor : A Norse god who protects gods and humans and wields the hammer Mjölnir. His encounters with giants and monsters supply many of the best-known myths.
Völuspá : An Eddic poem in which a seeress recounts the world’s creation, history, and destruction. Its prophetic vision gives the clearest poetic arc from creation through Ragnarök.
Show all 27