Viking and Viking symbols have always been a topic for the scholars and Viking enthusiasts. One of the most controversial symbols is the Vegvisir. While many people doubt if the Vegvisir originated in Viking community, some believe it did. This piece of article will give you an instruction to the Viking compass Vegvisir - an ancient symbol of protection and guide. 

Modern version of Vegvisir

Vegvísir, which we commonly write "vegvisir", means "the pointer of the way"or "the Wayfinder". Lately, the Viking culture and Norse mythology have become more and more popular thanks to the success of some blockbusters. The more they attract the public eyes, the more versions will come out. 

In this day and age, the Vegvisir symbol is famous in the pagan community, musicians, and fans of Viking-related shows. The Vegvisir symbol also becomes a source of inspiration for the inked community as well as fashion. 

When we start digging deep down into the roots of this symbol, it turns out that the modern community knows this symbol 

"a Germanic and Viking ancient magical rune symbol, which function was that of a compass and was supposed to protect the Viking warriors during seafaring, providing guidance and protection". 

However, such an interpretation can only be found in popular literature and in romantic fiction that dated back to 30 years ago. 

Origin

The first and also the most important interpretation that I can find about the Vegvisir's origin is from the Huld manuscript. It was composed by Geir Vigfússon who lived in the 19th century. This manuscript of Geir includes 30 magical symbols in total. It states the Vegvisir symbol as:

Carry this sign with you and you will not get lost in storms or bad weather, even though in unfamiliar surrounds.

The second source which is known as the "Book of spells" also states the Vegvisir symbol. This book was written by Olgeir Geirsson who lived in the same century with Geir. The Vegvisir appeared on page 27. 

Carry this sign with you and you will not get lost in storms or die of cold bad weather, and will easily find his way from the unknown

Another source which is also called as the Book of spells depicts the Vegvisir symbol. However, it is widely believed that this book is heavily influenced by the Christians as the book states:

To avoid getting lost: keep this sign under your left arm, its name is Vegvísir and it will serve you if you believe in it – if you believe in God in the name of Jesus – the meaning of this sign is hidden in these words, so you may not perish. May God give me luck and blessing in the name of Jesus

Conclusion

So, until now, there has been no source dating back to the Viking Age that claim Vegvisir as a treasure of the Vikings. What we have are some sources that appeared about 8-9 centuries ago. But we cannot deny the fact that the modern community is now linking the Vegvisir symbol with the Vikings. From my personal viewpoint, this will not do cause any damage. As long as we have faith in the symbol's power, we are empowered. 

Baldur was one of the most beloved gods in Norse mythology. Not just because he was handsome and nice but also because Baldur survived Ragnarok while nearly all gods fell. The question here is, how and why could Baldur survive the destructive Ragnarok in Norse mythology?

Who was Baldur? 

For those who are new to Norse mythology, Baldur was the son of Odin the Allfather who ruled over Asgard. Simply, Baldur was half-brother of Thor. While Thor was never recognized as the Prince of Asgard, Baldur was. Because he was the son of Odin and Frigg the only Queen of Asgard. 

He was born and raised in Asgard, for the rest of his life, he was lived among the love of gods. Everyone in Asgard loved Baldur who would treat people around him with kindness and justice. The only problem with Baldur was that he dreamt of his own death. This scared gods as the death of Baldur was the first sign of Ragnarok. 

What had to come finally came. Baldur's death came out of the blue. But this event saved Baldur's life. 

Baldur in Helheim

The moment Loki shot the arrow through Baldur, the Prince fell dead on the spot. He was brought to Helheim immediately. There, Hel the daughter of Loki welcomed Baldur. Many times Odin attempted to bring his son back to Asgard; yet, Hel never agreed. Odin might be powerful and revered everywhere in Nine Cosmos, but not in Helheim. No one could ever change Hel's decision. 

However, we have to be grateful to Hel's decision because she helped save Baldur away from Ragnarok where Baldur's father and brother fell. 

Because Baldur stayed in Helheim, he never joined the army in Asgard. And because of this, he was protected. After Ragnarok, Baldur came back to life, leaving Helheim.

Odin's Legacy

Odin fell. Loki fell. Thor fell. Fenrir and Jormungandr were all defeated. But life still carried on. Time would wait for none. There must be someone to carry on the legacy. And it was Baldur. 

This was a kind of fate. They were all set for their responsibilities. While Hel was still the leader of the underworld, Baldur came back to his home and rebuild the Pantheon once again. 

Back to the days of Baldur's funeral, Odin once gave Baldur his Draupnir ring. This was possibly a prophecy of Odin as well as a reminder of Odin toward his son. Odin wanted Baldur to uphold his values and come back to Asgard one day. The only Prince of Asgard was Baldur. 

The Vikings lived between 793 to 1066 AD. They were famous for their raids and pillages through Europe. But those are few traits they left, they broughts when a  on more than just raids and pillages. Everywhere the Vikings went, they traded and learned things from native people. 

Thing helped their dreams come true was Viking ship which is known as the Midgard serpent in reality. Maybe the desire to go further and become wealthy motivated them to update their shipbuilding skills. 

Arguably, the Norsemen's biggest breakthrough in seafaring was the design of the longship. Viking ships were made mostly by timber, the Viking elongated their ship designs so that they could handle the roughest water and carry people cross their vast distances. One of the Viking ships remains on Planet Earth included the Oseberg Viking ship which is now listed as the most beautiful Viking ship ever found. 

Karvi 

Karvi is listed as the smallest Viking ship design with about 6 to 16 benches. This kind of ship had many uses, for trade, fishing, transportation, and military purpose. 

The unique structure of karvi helped it to handle shallow waters. This was ideal for transporting both people and cargo across the waters. 

By far, the most famous Viking ship ever discovered was the Gokstad ship. It was excavated around the 1880s and dated sometime around the 9th century. It was about 23 meters (75 feet) in length.

Viking Gokstad ship in museum

Snekkja

A bigger design of the Viking ship was the Snekkja. "Snekkja" meant "snakes" in English. It was a sleek and dynamic vessel. 

The snekkja had a minium of 20 rowing benches. This kind of ship could carry on cox and about 40 oarsmen. 

Snekkja excelled in deeper waters. This made them ideal when travelling in fjords and across Atlantic expeditions. 

Skeid

The skeid longship, translated as slider, is one of the larger Viking vessel designs. It was used as a warship. Skeid often had about  or more rowing benches. 

One of the largest discoveries of a skeid ship came to the public light in the mid when a 37 meter long vessel was unearthed in Roskilde harbour in Denmark. 

Drakkar

Another famous type of Viking longship was the drakker which means "dragon". This kind of ship often contained many carvings from dragons to snakes. 

The excellent qualities on the ship not only helped the Viking to show off their carving and designing skills but also helped to intimidate the victims while raiding and pillaging. 

Yesterday I was talking with my friend about Viking culture and Norse mythology. My friend asked me if Fenrir and Loki were the villains in Norse mythology? The moment I heard this question, some feelings were provoked inside myself. Why that? Why people keep believing mostly in what they could see only. They seldom dig deeper into the roots to figure everything out. 

From my personal viewpoint, there was no villain in Norse mythology!

Loki?

Why Loki could be a villain when what he had done in Norse myth was contribution and attempts to be recognized. It was never an easy task for a black sheep to live in the community. 

He had to change and to adapt to the new environment. He lived with gods, feast with gods, and was still intangible in Asgard. His presence was never recognized until he caused trouble. He just wanted some attention. Sometimes I think if Ragnarok would happen if the gods showed Loki some recognition and respect. 

Any community will have a personality like Loki. That person wants all eyes on him. Just that. 

And Loki wanted to be noticed. He wanted to have something excellent like Odin. But when Loki tried to do something in his life, he messed things up (including Ragnarok). When Odin had great sons like Thor and Baldur, what Loki had were monster children. And his children were not respected by others just because of a prophecy. 

Fenrir?

I must say that the character in Norse mythology that I pity the most must be Fenrir. Fenrir was the son of Loki and Angrboda. His life could be summarized as "a tragedy". 

Since he was born, he had done nothing harm to the cosmos. The only thing that made people hated him came from a prophecy stating that Fenrir would swallow Odin in Ragnarok. At that moment, he was the enemy of the cosmos. 

When Fenrir was only a puppy, he was brought into Asgard and brought up by the gods. The only one who dared to approach Fenrir was Tyr - the god of justice. Maybe Tyr realized how bad his community was to treat the little Fenrir. 

When the gods gradually realized how powerful Fenrir could be, they tried to bind Fenrir with a magical chain and tie him into a rock. He stayed there until the day he grew up powerful enough to join his father's army. 

Actually, there were only two stories in Norse mythology that Fenrir attacked others. The first time was when he swallowed the hand of Tyr because Tyr and his clan tricked Fenrir into the binding. The second time was during the battle with Odin. 

Odin?

Probably not. Odin was the Viking supreme god who was respected by the Vikings. Nearly all of the warrior's code of conduct was based Odin's lifestyle and lessons. 

There is no need to talk much about Odin the Allfather and his stories because for the Viking enthusiasts, Odin is too popular. 

What he did during Norse mythology was only to protect his clan and the upcoming generation. Odin never wanted to destroy the environment of all tribes in the Nine Cosmos. He wanted to live harmoniously with all tribes. Yet, the prophecy urged him to do whatever he could to prevent Ragnarok. 

If you are new to the Viking culture, the Vikings had two ways to differentiate people by their names. First, they would call by father's names such as Eriksson, Haraldsson, etc. Second, they would call by nicknames which were coined based on that person's physical appearance or a story related to them. 

This blog post is to give you a brief summary of meanings and origins of some hilarious Viking Names back in the time. 

1. Ragnar Lothbrok

This name must not be a strange one to the Viking enthusiasts. In case you are new, Ragnar was the great Viking leader in his time. He gained much popularity when his character was pushed into the Vikings TV Series. 

But his nickname belonged to the Viking legendary story. Lothbrok is "Loðbrókar". Legend had it that Ragnar once wore a hairy breech to fight against a dragon. He killed the dragon and got his nickname coined from that moment. 

Ragnar later became the King of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. He was like Odin, fathering many great sons such as Ivar the Boneless or Bjorn Ironside. 

2. Óttarr vendilkráka

Ottar "Vendelkraka" Egilsson was the King of Uppsala around the 6th century. I personally thought that Ottar's nickname was quite awesome and a little bit intimidating. It also sounded a little bit mysterious because Kraka means "Crow" and back in the times, God Odin was associated with crows. 

But when I dig deep down into the origins of his nickname, it was not that scary. Actually, this nickname was coined by his enemies. When Ottar fell in battle in Vendel, his corpse was picked by the ravens in Vendel. Because of this, his enemies called him Vendilkraka. 

3. Gaange Hrólfr

This name might sound a little bit strange but actually he was Rollo - the infamous character in Vikings TV Series. He was the first king of Normandy. One of his famous descendants was William the Conqueror. 

Forget about what you might see on the TV series, not really six packs and good shape. His nickname means "Walking Rolf". This nickname was because he was too fat to get on horse. 

4. Hallgerðr langbrók 

Hallgedr was the wife of Gunnar Hamundarson who was a Viking chieftain back in the 10th century. Hallgerd was among the most famous Viking women because her life was completely contrast to others. She got married twice before she got married to Gunnar. 

She was also rumored to have killed her two former husbands. But actually, she only killed the first one. 

Her nickname meant "Long breeches". This referred to her tall appearance. And probably because she was too tall and she needed long breeches. 

5. Magnús Berfœttr

King Magnus Olafsson was nicknamed as "Barefoot" or "Berfœttr". He ruled parts of South-Eastern Norway in the end of 11th century. According to the legends, Magnus was more brutal than any Viking kings. 

He and some of his men spent time in British Isles. There, they adopted some British culture. They came back to the Viking territory with kilts. Because of this, people started called him bare foot or bare legs. 

Another theory was that Magnus once had to flee from an ambush without wearing shoes. This made people call him barefoot. If Magnus could find out who coined this nickname for him, He would prefer his grandchild's nickname which was Harald Hardrada ("Harald the Ruthless")

6. Hafr-Bjǫrn 

Hafr-Bjǫrn (Billy-goat Bjorn) was a Viking who dreamed that a cliff-giant offered him partnership. Soon after this a strange billy-goat joined his herd, and they began to multiply rapidly which made him extremely wealthy. Perhaps this was a silly nickname given to him by friends who were a little jealous of his new-found wealth and were looking for a way to tease him.

7. Thorbjorg Knarrarbringa

Thorbjorg "knarrarbringa" Gilsdóttir was born in Iceland around 875AD. She was most famously the mother-in-law of well-known Viking Eric the Red. Thorbjorg’s nickname Knarrarbringa, which means “ship breast”, alludes to her large breasts. 

When the archaeologists started digging up some parts of the Viking areas, they found tons of artifacts. Among those artifacts were jewelry pieces dating back from the Viking age. This opens a question as to why the Vikings wore jewelry at their time. Below are possible answers to this question. 

Viking Payment Way

Well you might know that some places in the world now are having a tendency to use QR codes to make payment. No need to bring wallet or cash along with you when you are out. All you need is to bring along with you a smartphone full of battery. 

Back to the Viking Age, the Vikings once brought some pieces of jewelry with them as payment. Not for scanning, instead they would break jewelry into pieces and exchange those jewelry pieces for goods. 

According to the scholars, what the Vikings often used to make payment is Viking bracelet. 

Viking Faith

It seems like people in the Medieval Age would firmly believe in gods or some kinds of spiritual power. The Vikings were the same. They believed in the Norse gods who were Odin, Thor, Freyr, etc. 

Often, the Vikings would wear jewelry that would remind them of those gods, especially Thor the God of Thunder and Storm. The scholars explained that the reason for Thor's popularity was that in Norse mythology Thor was the one that often gave humanity blessing. 

Viking Trade

Actually, there were some of the Vikings did not resist the power of money. Either money or power was dangerous. It would attract the worse and corrupt the best. Because of the Christian domination, some Vikings decided to wear jewelry resembling Cross. They often wore Mjolnir hammer necklace. While trading with the Christians, they would claim themselves as Christian but when they came back home, the necklace would stand for the Thor worshipping. 

Of course, we could not blame the Vikings for this. They had to change. Without change, they could not survive in the world where Christianity was so dominant. 

The Vikings were not only amongst the most powerful warriors in the Middle Ages but they were also amongst the most mysterious tribes of their time. Not many things were known about them. Yet, with some modern depictions of the Vikings, we tend to think that the Vikings were brutal and only knew looting and killing. Historically truth is, they were only humans who had to fight for their tribes and fight for food. Just like other of the Medieval times. This blog post shall focus on the four things about the Vikings that you probably don't know. 

In case you know all of the things we are about to mention, you deserve a gold medallion for your good knowledge.

The Vikings forts were the definition of perfection 

The Vikings forts were known as the trelleborg. Unlike those stoned forts or castle you might see on the TV shows, Viking forts were the circle-shaped ones that were built with grass turf, timber, and earth. 

That is said the Vikings learnt this building skills from somewhere else while on voyage. Of course, this kind of circle shaped forts were not invented by the Vikings. They probably learnt it. But once the Vikings had learnt the building techniques, they mastered it. 

The circle of the fort were almost geometrically perfect. Although these forts cannot stand the test of time (and some farmers once leveled the forts for agricultural reasons. 

Four Viking Kings ruled England

These four kings were actually a family generation. Sweyn Forkbeard, Cnut, Harald Harefoot, and Hardicanute. Sweyn Forkbeard at his time was famous as he was the son of Harald Bluetooth who inspired the modern name of Bluetooth - wireless connection technology.

 Sweyn Forkbeard was a true pagan. His mindset vividly reflected it because Sweyn would welcome any new religion as long as they welcomed his. But if any religion wanted to rid of the Viking gods, Sweyn Forkbeard would declare eternal war on them. Just like the way he did to his father. 

Sweyn Forkbeard's eyes did not focus on the Viking territory but also others like Anglo-Saxon. And he did take the throne of king Æthelred. His son Cnut the Great and grandchildren also took the throne.

Not all of the Vikings could be buried with boat

We might think all of the Vikings were buried inside a boat and the living would push it into the ocean (?). Yes, this might be historically true. But it would not take too many in the Viking population.

Only those who are extremely wealthy could deserve such a funeral for themselves. The normal Vikings would only be buried in the graveyard. Some of the burial would imitate the shape of a boat. 

Swords could cost a lifetime fortune

An ideal Viking sword was a double-edged weapon which was light enough to handle and flexible use but still strong enough to shred the enemies down to their knees. The Viking warriors might use one or both of their hands to control their swords Thereby, if the swords were not light enough, the warriors might soon get tired and lose the battles.

Most Viking swords were light, weighing around two pounds (nearly one kilogram); however, there were swords which were as heavy as four pounds (approximately two kilos).

The most important thing is, not all of the Viking warriors could afford a sword in their life. Because they were very expensive. Only those who were wealthy or held a high social status could. 

If you have become a Viking enthusiast, you may find out that Ragnar Lothbrok was a great leader. This is not to mention he also fathered many great sons who later became kings. Among them is Ivar the Boneless who later invaded Northumbria with his brothers. 

Some of the nicknames in the Viking are quite easy to comprehend. They might be related to some personal physical traits or personal achievement in battles. For example, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye refers to the physical traits in his eye. Or Erik the Red had his nickname coined because he had firing red beard and hair. 

But what about the Ivar the Boneless? What does this Boneless actually refer to? There have been a lot of heated debates around the meaning of "Boneless". Below are some of the possible explanations for this. 

Cripple?

The most common meaning of the Boneless is that Ivar was a cripple. He was said to have a disease inside which is called osteogenesis imperfecta. This kind of disease refers to the imperfect bone formation. Some of the legends said that Ivar was carried by his people when he joined the battle. 

However, the point is, this kind of disease would never let a human survive without modern medicine and medical care. Hardly could anyone make it through their infancy if they were subject to OI disease, not to say that he could come and fight like warriors. 

The other thing is that the Vikings never allowed anyone that was born cripple in their family. Back in their time, if an infant was born with physical disabilities, the parents would abandon them. Because they thought having a disabled child in the family was a bad luck. 

Although this meaning of "Boneless" is quite common, it is not really historically appropriate. 

Impotent?

Back in the Viking Age, the Vikings also used something crude and ridiculous to call others. So the meaning of being impotent is also a possible meaning. One thing is that there were no children's names in the family tree of Ivar the Boneless. He might have never fathered any child in his time. 

Cunning?

Boneless can be interpreted as having a flexible battle mindset. Ivar's legends had it that Ivar once invaded many parts of Anglo-Saxon, especially Northumbria whose king put an end to the life of Ragnar Lothbrok. 

To be able to lead an army to invade many parts of Anglo-Saxon, the leader had to be a very excellent. 

For the Viking enthusiast community, Thor hammer is nothing new. But the original Thor hammer will not look like the modern ones (you can see new Mjolnir hammer on the screen these days). This piece of article will revolves around the original Thor hammer which the archaeologists have been excavating across Europe, especially Scandinavia. Lately, Thor hammer has become a piece of trendy jewelry. 

Who is Thor in Norse Mythology?

The original version of Thunder god will be a little different from the modern version. Not actually two poles apart. Yet, there will be differences. The original version of Thor was among the most important gods in Asgard. But he never fell in love with a human. Thor's wife was Sif a goddess in Asgard and she had the most beautiful golden hair in the cosmos. 

Thor was never a brother of Loki in Norse mythology. Loki was never a foster child of Odin. In the version of Norse mythology, Loki and Thor were sworn enemies as they came from different tribes that hated each other. Everything was finally doomed in Ragnarok and both Thor and Loki were finally killed in the battle. 

Thor's weapon in Norse mythology

In Norse mythology, Thor had a Mjolnir Hammer which was crafted by the dwarves the most brilliant craftsmen in the cosmos. With the Mjolnir hammer, Thor could call up the power of Thunder and Storm. And with the help of this magical weapon, Thor could smash the skulls of anyone with ease. Also with this Mjolnir hammer, Thor could bless those who believed in him. 

After the death of Thor in Ragnarok, the Mjolnir was inherited by his son. Thor's son carried the Mjolnir hammer into the new generation. 

Why Thor Mjolnir Hammer has become trendy?

Without a doubt, Thor hammer is gaining more and more popularity. Not only because the beautiful and sleek design in the appearance but also the meaningful message behind it. 

Sleek design

With a little bit investment into the stainless steel material, here we have a Mjolnir hammer necklace that can shine and stand the test of time. Sometimes I feel like the Thor Mjolnir hammer looks a little bit like an inverted cross. This kind of design is appropriate for both men and women. 

There are many more additional patterns on the Mjolnir hammer once it has become an iconic symbols. Yet, to me, the most beautiful one is still the Mammen Thor hammer necklace. Not only because of the sleek design but also the Mammen style belongs to a period of Viking history. 

Hidden message: Don't worry, we had Thor on our side.

Back to the Viking days, the Vikings did wear Mjolnir hammer necklace as a piece of protection amulet. Some sources mentioned that when Christians wanted to dominate the Vikings, the Viking warriors and farmers started to wear Thor hammer necklace as a counter attack to the Christians. They wanted to state their loyalty to the Norse Pantheon and they also wanted to evoke the presence of Thor in their life. 

The Gerdrup Grave dating back to 1,000 years ago belonged to the Viking age. It revealed to the public eye 39 years ago. The archaeologists found the grave in the North of Roskilde in the small hamlet of Gerdrup. 

What made this grave become mysterious is because there was a man killed and buried next to a woman. This woman, interestingly, was buried with weapons. 

Come from a family?

Recently, the archaeologists have made some discoveries. The DNA testing claimed that the man and the woman inside were son and mother. This, of course, debunked the previous claim stating that the man was a sacrificial slave. 

The archaeologists are very excited and they wanted to investigate further about this bonding. Because of this, the history of this mysterious grave will be re-written. There will be more and more interesting things for us to discover in the future. One spade into soil will give us more about Viking history.

From what appeared in the site, the archaeologists agreed that these two people were executed. The man was hung and bound before being laid to his final resting place meanwhile the woman was weighed by something heavy such as a stone. Inside the grave they found out something like a sorceress's staff. 

In an old Viking saga, the scholars found out there was a story quite similar to this grave. The saga told a story about Katla and Odd, mother and son. Katla was a seeress and she was executed, being weighed by a big stone. Her son, Odd, was hung. 

By far, there have been no further claim about this grave. Many more messages might be awaiting ahead. Stay tuned. 

For long, the Vikings have been known for their prowess in battle. What we commonly catch sight of on the shows are filthy men wielding axes and killing people. The truth is, the Vikings were much greater than modern shows tell them. In this blog post, we are to look through some Viking quotes about strength which might inspire you.

Be strong when you are weak. Be brave when you are scared. Be humble when you are victorious.

The road might be long, the journey might be challenging and full of dangers. Take a rest if you must, but never turn back

It is better to stand and fight. If you run you'll only die tired. 

Being a Viking enthusiast, you might feel yourself living a warrior life. But that's just how you feel. Make it real. A Viking warrior life is never about hiding and running away from difficulties. To get to Valhalla, a warrior has to sharpen their axe and fight until their last breath in battle. 

Bravery is half the victory

What is the definition of bravery? It is hard to say. Being brave is not merely being bold and reckless. A brave one also need care about their own security and others'. To be brave is to get “Ready to face and endure danger or pain, showing courage.” . Bravery is something that stems and develops throughout life. When you’re brave you begin to have faith in yourself and also more comfort in participating in new ways of living. It keeps you in the game. It's already half way to glory.

According to the scholars, a Viking helmet discovered at Teesside has become the first to be found in Britain. Around 950s, a corroded helmet was unearthed by workmen digging trenches for new sewage pipes. 

This new project led by Dr. Chris Caple, has revealed that the helmet was the first to ever be found in Britain. Also, this has also been the second nearly complete Viking helmet found on Earth. 

This was actually a very challenging project according to the Dr. Caple. Because the thin iron sheet is very susceptible to corrosion. What they must do is to keep the helmet in dry conditions, as dry as possible. 

The archaeologist team claimed that analysis showed the helmet was initially preserved in waterlogged conditions. This later backfired as the helmet started to corrode. Fortunately, the helmet was discovered just before it could have corroded away completely. 

The archaeologists found half a dozen early medieval helmets from Britain. But this one was the first belonging to the Vikings in Britain. 

Studying the helmet, archaeologists could conclude that the helmet was simply manufactured. It was well designed also to protect the wearer. However, the Vikings seemed to spend no time decorating the helmet. 

The helmet is made of iron bands and plates, riveted together, with a simple knop at the top. Below the brow band there is a spectacle (eye) mask and the lower edge of the brow band is pierced with circular holes, where a mail curtain may have been attached. The damage to the helmet is consistent with an object being hit by a plough or spade whilst buried.

Do many of us truly understand how life was in the Viking Age? Are some books and TV show historically correct? Or they are merely "written by the victors"? Indeed, history is forever written by the victors and framed according to the prejudices and bias existing on their side. The Vikings, as far as I'm concerned, are greater than what depicted on TV shows. They were farmers, traders, and even some were great builders. 

Farmers

Believe it or not, the majority of the Vikings were farmers. While the Viking men worked on farms, their wives would stay at homes and run family. They grew crops such as barley, oats and rye and kept cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and horse. They lived in timber house. Many generations lived together and some families even allowed slaves and cattle to live with them. 

Seemingly, life was pretty much peaceful. Being the farmers, winters were the most awful thing that the Vikings had to encounter. Because their main source of food came from their crops. And no sun, no crops, and no life. Coincidentally, Ragnarok - the most unwanted event in Norse mythology, happened when the three consecutive winters befell Norse Worlds. 

But when the Vikings became overpopulated, they started finding new lands. That's reason why the Vikings started voyaging. 

Traders

The Vikings travelled to many places, more than what are written in history. Because we can see the Viking influence in languages and many places. Several artifacts found in Viking graves. For example, archaeologists once found the buddha statue inside the Helgo treasure. The statue seemed to be preserved very carefully when the archaeologists found it beneath the land. This Buddha Statue even appeared on a Swedish stamp to commemorate the Vikings. 

Another artifact was a Allah-patterned cloth found inside the Viking grave. The archaeologists claimed that it was a part of the funeral clothing of the deceased inside. At that time, when hitting the headlines, this news excited a lot of Viking enthusiasts.

Builders

No stone forts like the Christians, the Vikings built forts in their own way. The Viking forts can be known as the Viking ring forts or the trelleborg. Although by far, there have been only seven or eight forts found on Earth, they could prove how talented the Vikings were. 

According to the historians, the Vikings learnt this building techniques from another tribe. But it turned out to be that they mastered it. They built their own forts which were considered to be the most geometrically perfect. That's why we can call it "ring". As round as a ring. 

Not only the forts, the Vikings mastered at building their own ships. Viking ships must have been the reasons that made their name famous. Not only did the Vikings build their ship to travel, but they also showed off their carving skills on the ships. These patterns once became a Viking historic style. For example, the Oseberg ship - the most beautifully carved Viking ship ever found on Earth - carries on herself the Oseberg pattern. Although she was not famous for travelling across the sea, the patterns made herself famous. A look at the ship can explain why I call the Vikings great builders. 

Some might not agree with the viewpoint that history is written by the victors. But I bet we cannot disagree that books and TV shows always exaggerate things. Without making a mountain out of a molehill, they cannot become "best selling" ones. I have been spending my time listening to many people saying that the Vikings were the most brutal in the medieval times. Were they really brutal? Or they were just the fighters when some other non-Vikings came to their ancestral lands to claim what had belonged to the Vikings for centuries? Or they were just the offspring who truly wanted to protect their own belief and mental pathways?

If we put all of the historic stuffs asides, we will see how great the Vikings lived their life. They learnt like Odin once learnt They fought like Thor once did. They loved their ancestors and offspring like Frigg once loved her son. They were cunning as Loki. And after all, they sacrificed as heroes like Tyr. 

Although the Vikings has always been famous for their strength, they were not that invincible as some shows depict. The Vikings wore armor and used swords. They used weapons just as other people did. In this blog post, we are to observe some Viking armor of their times.

All free Vikings had the right to possess weapons. Their main offensive weapons included axes, spear, sword, and they sometimes used arrows, bows, and missiles. Weapons were not only used in battle, farming, or fishing, they were worn as the symbols of their owner’s status and wealth.

Axes must have been the most famous weapon of the Vikings. The Viking axes were single-edged and made of iron. Viking axe designs might be different from each other due to the intended use. The axe for battle would be much lighter, thinner, and maneuverable for they were used to crash any body parts of the enemies. The axe for argicultural tasks might be a little bit heavier and were used to build home, chopping wood, or hunting. The poor farmers and warriors used normal axes while the rich might found their pleasure in having their axes decorated with inlays of silver or even gold.

During the Viking age, mail usually was worn in the form of a mail shirt, like the reproduction shown to the right. Typically, the garment was T-shaped, with short sleeves (half to three-quarters length) and thigh length. (Anything longer would make it difficult to ride a horse, although in later periods, slits in the mail placed front and rear between the legs allowed riders to wear longer mail shirts.) The reproduction mail shirt shown in the photo weighs about 12kg (26lbs).

The weight is not particularly burdensome, since a lot of the weight is taken up on the hips by the belt. Regardless, the stories say that sometimes raiders left their mail shirts on board ship when they went raiding, so they wouldn't be weighted down. 

Fenrir was a famous name in Norse mythology. What many might not know is that, there were two more wolves in Norse myth who were nearly that powerful. In this blog post, we discuss their origin and their power in the myth. 

Fenrir the Wolf

Fenrir was the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboda who brought only grief and sorrow to those she wanted to suffer. He had some other powerful siblings as well: Jormungandr and Hel - both of whom had special roles in Norse myth. 

Fenrir was born by Angrboda but he was raised by Norse gods. As Odin learnt of what Fenrir would be capable to do in the future, he decided to bring Fenrir to Asgard. But what the gods didn't think of was Fenrir grew up at an incredible speed. 

He grew up to the size that gods could no longer keep him running around Asgard. They decided to bind them to a rock with a magical chain with a hope of keeping him there forever. But of course, Fenrir broke himself free. One part of his power was revealed here. 

The magical chain was undoubtedly the best chain in the cosmos because it was made by the dwarves (in case you miss it, dwarves made Mjolnir hammer and Gungnir spear of Odin). But Fenrir could break it to join Ragnarok with his father. 

What he did in Ragnarok was more than terrible. Maybe the jotun side of Fenrir was finally revealed here too. He would kill anything that dared to appear in his path. He stretched his jaws from sky to earth swallowing whatever in his sight. No excuse, no mercy. 

And the final point was when he swallowed Odin. That's what the prophecy said for the fate of Odin the Allfather. Wolf swallowed the High One followed by the collapse of Norse Pantheon. We didn't know exactly how Fenrir did it. But things happened Norse myth. 

Hati and Skoll

From what we have from surviving sources, Norse mythology had it that Fenrir had two sons - Skoll and Hati (treachery and mock)

The identity of the wolves' mother remained a mystery. Some said it was Angrboda who gave birth to Hati and Skoll (yes, with Fenrir - her own son). Some claimed that it was a giantess who had the appearance of a wolf. But whatever sources we have, we are sure who could be the mother of these powerful wolves. 

In Norse mythology, Hati and Skoll spent everyday chasing after the sun and the moon. But it was not until Ragnarok that they managed to chase down the two beautiful stars. 

Then they devoured the Sun and the Moon sending the whole cosmos into blackness. Norse cosmos lost both shining stars, nothing could be seen, and Surtr the fire giant even set the whole cosmos on fire. 

Garm

Grímnismál, one of the famous poems from Poetic Edda, Garm was believed to be the superior canine just like Odin the Allfather to the gods or Yggdrasil to the trees:

The best of trees
Must Yggdrasil be,
Skíðblaðnir best of boats;
Of all the gods
Is Óðinn the greatest,
And Sleipnir the best of steeds;
Bifröst of bridges, 
Bragi of skalds,
Hábrók of hawks, 
And Garm of hounds

In Völuspá, another famous Eddic poem, Garm was also mentioned, but not as a hound, a wolf instead. 

Now Garm howls wildly
Before Gnipa Cave.
Chains will snap
And the wolf shall run.

In the Grímnismál, Garm was called as the hound while the Voluspa called him "freki" meaning "wolf". The sight of a wolf breaking himself free from the chains surely reminds us of the day Fenrir broke himself free to trigger off Ragnarok Doom of the Gods. Fenrir was tied up by the gods to prevent him from devouring the cosmos. But what was written in the fate would come. The two images of two wolves under the fetter finally smashed the chain definitely make us link Fenrir and Garm as one figure. 

Freki and Geri 

In Norse mythology, Odin had for himself a pair of wolves whose names were Geri and Freki. They were often described to lie next to the throne of Odin the Allfather. Odin shared all of his food to the wolves and he only kept wine for himself. 

AnotThere 

Yggdrasil Tree of Life must be the most long-lived thing in Norse mythology. No one knew when Yggdrasil existed. All we know is, ever since the Nine Cosmos appeared, Yggdrasil stood tall long before. Many think that Yggdrasil was just a lifeless tree that had no important role in the Norse cosmos. However, Yggdrasil did have a soul. She played a vital role in Norse mythology that no one could ever replace her.

So before kicking off, take a look at what it means to have a soul. It's hard to clearly give a definition and it also depends on personal viewpoints. Mine is, to have a soul is to be able to feel happiness, to feel pain, to sacrifice, to love, and to live for others (not a selfish self). Coincidentally, Yggdrasil had all of these qualities. 

Yggdrasil held Nine Worlds on branches

If you have read Norse mythology, you might find out that Yggdrasil Tree of Life held Nine Worlds within her branches. Nine Worlds - nine cosmos in mythology. They were the nine realms for all creatures in the story. Asgard the stronghold of gods was on the top branches and Helheim the death land was under the root of Yggdrasil. 

Yggdrasil was just like a Big Mother for all creatures in Norse cosmos. That is one of the reasons I call Yggdrasil she. Yggdrasil gave the whole world with protection. During Ragnarok, she provided two humans with protection against the chaos outside. And these two humans later carried on repopulating the world after Ragnarok. 

Yggdrasil Tree held Nine Worlds within her branches

Yggdrasil suffered

Although she gave all creatures with protection, some creatures brought pain to Yggdrasil. Nidhogg the serpent-like dragon residing beneath the roots of Yggdrasil spent most of his time gnawing at the roots to make Yggdrasil collapse. From the first day until the final moment of Ragnarok, Yggdrasil suffered this pain. 

Up in Asgard, there was a group of stags who consumed Yggdrasil's leaves. Thanks to these leaves, these stags produced the best mead-milk for Odin's warriors. Yggdrasil never said about the pain she suffered.

Yggdrasil shivered when seeing massacre

The most famous massacre in Norse mythology was the Ragnarok battle between gods and giants. The ones who triggered off Ragnarok were the giants but actually gods had their own faults to be blamed. 

It was said that when Ragnarok began, Yggdrasil started to shiver. However, this detail has never been discussed much by scholars. It seems like we have been neglecting the pain Yggdrasil once had to endure. The pain of witnessing everything she built started to fall apart just in front of her. 

Yggdrasil has always symbolized as interconnectedness and balance in Norse mythology. Because she held nine worlds on her branches. Although each realm had a different position, all of them lived on the same tree. It is a balance. But the balance she had been building just got destroyed by the giants and gods. She shivered because she just witnessed all of her efforts go in vain. She shivered because she knew it was an important hinge in history when the old things had to die for the new things to be born and flourish. She shivered because the prophecy became real. But no matter how hurt she had to suffer, she could finally handle it and live on. Standing in the middle of the cosmos was still the Yggdrasil who just came out of Ragnarok. 

Does Yggdrasil have a soul?

In Norse mythology, Thor was one of the most powerful gods whom the giants did not dare to approach. Thor was the symbol of strength, will, protection, and generosity. However, there were also times which we see the Embarrassed Thor in Norse mythology. 

Wearing Wedding Dress 

This occasion happened when Thor lost his Mjolnir hammer the most powerful weapon in Norse mythology. In the morning, Thor woke up and found out that his Mjolnir hammer was nowhere to be found. By some magic ways, the gods found out that the hammer theft was Thrym "Noisy". On arrival at Thrym's house, Thrym without any sign of fear confirmed that he stole the Mjolnir. The only way for the gods to take back Mjolnir hammer was to allow Thrym to marry Freya. For those who are yet to know, Freya was the goddess of war in Norse mythology. Everyone, especially the giants and the dwarves, fell in love with Freya. 

The gods turned back to Asgard and told what happened in Thrym's house. Of course, no one agreed to let a giant marry Freya. Heimdall the guardsman in Asgard finally came across an idea: Thor would become the bride of Thrym. At first, Thor felt this was an insult for a god like him but he was quickly persuaded to become the bride in order to take back his hammer. No detail about the dress can be found now in the texts. Loki the trickster then asked to go with Thor to Thymheim. 

The pair finally arrived at the gate of Thrym's house and the dinner party began. Thor seemingly showed no respect to the guests at the party when he finished an ox, eight salmon, and all the dainties. Thrym was quick astonished and exclaimed that he had not seen any woman with such appetite. Loki quickly answered that "Freya" was so lovesick for Thyrm that she did not eat for days. Thrym was happy and accepted the answer, he turned back to his bride and was about to kiss her when he realized his wife's eyes were completely red. Loki one more time quickly said the "Freya" was unable to sleep because "she" was so excited about the wedding. 

Thor smashed everything at his own wedding when he finally took back his Mjolnir hammer

And the gift for the bride was the Mjolnir hammer. When Thrym placed the Mjolnir at Thor's laps, he could not help shivering for one more time he could finally feel his Mjolnir hammer. Thor as quick as a flash grabbed the Mjolnir hammer and smashed Thrym.

Lost to Elli

On one trip to Utgard Loki's land the land of the giant, Thor met many giants whose king was Utgard Loki. The giants laughed at the arriving guests because of their small size. This insulted Thor and he decided to take any challenge from the giants to show his strength. And there we go, the gods joined the competition with the giants. Thor stepped in the middle of the giants' hall asking anyone to wrestle with him. The only one volunteered was Elli. 

The thing was, Elli was an old woman. She could not even stand with her back straight. But Thor had to accept the challenge. Much to everyone's surprise, Thor lost the game. He was defeated by an old woman with some simple steps.

Thor and Elli at the wrestling battle

The story behind Elli was, she was the embodiment of old age. Who in the cosmos could beat old age? The universal truth was everyone would be defeated by old age. 

Unsuccessfully fishing Jormungand

This was also the first time Thor encountered Jormungandr his destined enemy. On this occasion, Thor came to the house of his giant friend. And the two decided to set sail to find some fish. The bail was ox head and off they went on a small boat. 

The pair was adrift on the ocean until Thor felt his fishing rod shake. He quickly grabbed the rod and was about to bring up whatever touched his rod. Thor and his giant friend quickly realized what was under the waterline. It was Jormungand. Thor was so excited that he shivered for the first time seeing Jormungand. Meanwhile, his friend was so afraid because the prophecy stated that when Jormungand lifted himself from the ocean, Ragnarok happened. To prevent his disaster, Thor's friend cut the fishing line. This released Jormungandr back to the ocean. Thor was so angry with his friend that he pushed the giant off the boat. 

If at that time, Thor managed to fight with Jormungand, things would have been changed. 

Thor went fishing Jormungand 

For the Viking enthusiasts, this must be the most exciting news coming to us in the middle of this tough year. The Viking ship which was discovered in 2018 is now being excavated.

Norwegian archaeologists confirmed last month about the excavation. This project was also funded by the government. The ship belonged to a part of the Viking burial mound. It is promising that the excavation will help us to understand more about the Viking culture and more importantly, we are going to have a golden opportunity to observe one more Viking ship in flesh.

2018 Discovery 

The site where the ship is currently resting is Gjellestad. This site is said to have been very complicated in Viking Age. The ship must have been built when Scandinavian seafarers were raiding around Europe. But the ship was also a part of a tomb. Back in the Viking Age, not everyone could enjoy such a luxurious type of burial goods like a ship. Only those who were either wealthy or powerful; or both, could have a ship inside their tomb. The owner of the tomb was possibly a king or a queen at their time. 

The Viking ship site Gjellestad 

The story began when some construction was about to be carried out on the site. Realizing that the site was quite complicated during the Viking Age, a team of archaeologists decided to scan through the site with land penetrating radar. Surprisingly, they found out a perfectly round "thing" beneath the land. For a nation full of Viking traces like Norway, the archaeologists are not strange to this kind of round "thing". They realized they found out another Viking tomb and this tomb even consisted of a Viking ship inside. 

The Gjellestad ship

From the radar images, the archaeologists learned that Gjellestad ship's keel and lower timbers are currently intact. However, the upper parts of the hull are no longer there. A possible reason is now attributed to the plow by the farmers after centuries. 

Possible status of the ship inside burial mound

Since the discovery of the ship, there have been tons of conflicting opinions as to whether we should dig up the land or just let the deceased inside rest in peace. Many people believe that disturbing the burial by digging it up means we are showing disrespect to the deceased. But the point is if we don't bring the ship up and preserve it, we will forever lose it. 

Last month, the archaeologists confirmed of the excavation when realizing that the ship was under a bad condition with fungus attacks. And at the end of June, the very first spade touched the land. 

We can never finish all topics about death in mythology. Because each detail will give us many thoughts to toss and turn every night. In Norse mythology, the death concept revolved around many places, stories, and meanings. Death in Norse myth never meant a full stop to something. It was rather a comma and something new was about to be written down. 

In Norse mythology, death is only a part of the life circle. The death of one figure would give birth to another. It opened a new door bringing all beings in the Nine Worlds into a new period of time. But, the new generation never forgot their ancestors. They carried on living with the stories and legacy of the deceased fathers. 

The Death of Ymir 

Ymir was the first giant to appear in the cosmos. He was born when the lava of Muspelheim touched the ice of Niflheim. Gradually, there were more and more figures. One of the first gods was Bor the father of Odin. Bor married a giantess named Bestla and they had three sons: Odin, Vili, and Ve. 

At that time, there were no nine worlds. Everything was in the beginning time. Odin and his brothers started to think of creating the world. But the price of creation was a sacrifice. To create the world they wanted, the brothers killed Ymir the primeval giant. 

The body of Ymir the giant was used to fashion the world. Ymir's skull became the sky, flesh into the earth, blood into the ocean, hair into the forest, teeth for mountains, etc. There came the Norse world which was probably Midgard the Earth now. 

Ymir's body made the world

Although Ymir died, a new world was forming and it became home for many beings in mythology. Ymir's blood still ran in the ocean and his flesh carried on to hold the world. 

The Death of Baldur 

Baldur was the most beloved god in Norse mythology. But as the prophecy read, Baldur was destined to die when he grew up. Baldur and Frigg shared the same dream. In their dream, they saw the death of Baldur, vividly and unavoidably. 

With the love of a mother, Frigg wandered around Nine Worlds to ask all creatures to swear not to harm Baldur. But somehow, Frigg forgot the small mistletoe. Thinking Baldur would never by harmed, everyone merrily threw things at Baldur only to see them bounce off. Loki who knew the secrets of Frigg made an arrow out of mistletoe and guided Hodr the blind god to throw the arrow directly to the chest of Baldur. 

The death of Baldur in Norse mythology

Whoosh! Baldur collapsed on the spot while everyone around was still happily laughing. When everyone realized what happened, it was too late. Baldur was gone. The death of Baldur not only left Odin and Frigg in great pain but it also brought on a nightmare to the whole cosmos. Ragnarok was about to come. 

Baldur came and lived in Helheim the land of the deceased. No one could bring him out of Helheim, even Odin asked Hel to release his son and Frigg wandered to ask everyone to mourn for Baldur. But no effort paid off. Baldur had to stay in Helheim. 

But thanks to staying Helheim, Baldur was under protection, away from Ragnarok where nearly all of his brothers fell and even his great father sacrificed himself in the battle. 

When Ragnarok came to an end, his brother fell down, his father was no longer, his house was no more. The Pantheon collapsed. Baldur who was the only one who could inherit the throne of Odin carried on the legacy of his fathers and his brothers. 

Conclusion

The truth is, death is not the end of life. Life carries on, only some lie down and pay the way for the new generation. Usually, it is the natural selective process. Old things perish and the new things will come. But the new things grow up on the foundation of the old. 

Ymir died. But his corpse became parts of the cosmos. Parts of Ymir were still there with the universe. He never left universe actually. Baldur's reborn and Odin's death were the same. Baldur was the son of Odin. Baldur was also a part of Odin (and Frigg). Although Odin fell down, a part of his within Baldur still lived on in the new generation. The song of heroes must end, but the melody forever lingers. 

The Norwegian archaeologists recently declared that they found another Viking ship burial mound on the Edøy island. 

After the discovery of the Edøya ship last year, a team of Norwegian archaeologists carried out a full-scale investigation on the site. Their great efforts finally paid off when they found out remains of the similar Viking boat burial. The archaeologists believed that the discovery could improve our understanding toward the Viking Age. 

Viking ship burial mound 

Edøya was a small island, about 7.5km² (2.9 square miles) in size. However, according to the scholars, this island was an important site back to the Viking Age. After centuries, this island finally came into the spotlight. 

On studying the land-penetrating radar image, the archaeologists came across something circle-shaped and similar to the Viking burial mound remains. The excitement came along when they realized that the second burial mound was revealing itself from the radar. 

From the data they had, they interpreted the thing beneath the land as a Viking ship burial mound. It was circular-shaped. Something lied in the middle of the round circle. It was about 7.3 meters in length and 1 meter in width. This alleged ship was aa boat tomb under the stone cairn. The current length of the ship is about 7.3 meter long but the actual size of the ship in the past must have been bigger. Being buried deep down the land, this ship must have experienced serious destruction. 

In addition to the ship, the archaeologists also found out some settlements near the site. However, it was quite hard to declare the age of the site. Further investigation still remains ahead. 

Norse mythology had many powerful female figures who could break a neck if they wanted to. In this blog post, we are to discover three evil women in Norse mythology. 

The definition of "evil" in this article extends to the readiness to harm anyone around. Under any circumstances should we make them angry. 

Hel the Queen of Death

Hel was one of the most powerful women in Norse mythology. Her power in the Nine cosmos could even rival that of the Norns who created the fate for every being in Norse cosmos. Hel had her own realm and had her own army, she did not have to listen to anyone to live on. 

Hel refused to help anyone whom she didn't like. Few sources mentioned she directly tortured the dead but anyone who came to her world had to experience the most uncomfortable nightmare. Therefore, Helheim (the land of Hel) was the least wanted afterlife in Viking belief. Actually, no one wanted to join Hel. All Viking warriors wanted to live their afterlife in Valhalla. 

Hel the Queen in Helheim was among the most powerful women in Norse mythology

When Baldur was killed with a mistletoe arrow by Loki, Baldur had to come to live in Helheim. Odin the Allfather and Frigg Queen of Asgard came and asked Hel to release Baldur but Hel refused to do so. The gods could do nothing but to accept the refusal of Hel. No one could ever change Hel's decision. 

Ran the Giantess of the Ocean

Ran was the wife of Aegir the giant of the ocean. Together, this couple ruled over the ocean. But they had completely different personal characteristics. While Aegir was friendly and was often mentioned with a kind giant, Ran always appeared to be a hot-tempered woman. 

In Norse mythology, Ran could kill anyone who dared to make her angry. Ran's name meant "to rob". And yes, she robbed the life of others. In some literal texts, Ran appeared to be with a net, and every time a human ship moving above the waves, she would use her net to drown and destroy the ship. 

The anger of Ran caused the death of many innocent sailors

Because Viking life was deeply associated with the ocean, they were afraid of Ran and her net. Accordingly, the Vikings often made sacrifices into the ocean and lakes. They believed that by making offerings to Ran, she would not get mad whenever their ship traveled above her head. 

Angrboda She Who Brings Anguish

Angrboda was one of Loki's women. While Sigyn was the only one who stayed with Loki during his hard time, Angrboda was the one who gave birth to the most powerful children for Loki. 

The name of "Angrboda" means "The Woman who Brings Anguish". Angrboda did not appear in any important events in Norse mythology. She only appeared in the texts presenting Loki's wife and his children. 

One of many Viking things that fascinate me is the Viking respect towards their women. Unlike other medieval regions, the Vikings gave women basic rights, to own land, to protect themselves, or even to divorce. The reason behind their respect is associated with the female appearance in Norse mythology. In the myth, not only did each female figure have overwhelming dominance but they also united to make the most powerful team that even Odin the Allfather could not persuade them. 

The Norns 

The most powerful female figures in Norse mythology must be the Norns, the trio of female women who lived under the Yggdrasil. Every day, the Norns watered the roots of the Yggdrasil which helped the tree to flourish to hold the cosmos.

Runic letters that were believed to hold the mysteries of the cosmos were initially known by the Norns. These women created the threads of fate for all beings in the cosmos. Accordingly, they must be the ones who kept the secrets and mysteries of the universe. Later, they carved runes on the Yggdrasil but no one could ever see and decipher runes without making a sacrifice. Odin the Allfather was the only one who dared to make the sacrifice. He hung himself on the Yggdrasil with his Gungnir spear stabbed in the chest. For nine days and nine nights, he finally got the hang of the runes. 

The Norns weaved the thread of fate for all beings in cosmos

The Norns were on the neutral side in Norse mythology. They neither helped gods nor giants. They only knew their mission which was to create the fate of everyone. For example, holding the fate of all beings, the Norns must have known of the death of Baldur the son of Odin the Allfather. But they never gave a warning towards the gods. They just let everything happen as the way fate wanted it to. No one could change their way of thinking and no one could ever disturb them away from their weaving threads of fate. 

The Valkyries 

The Valkyries were Odin's female helping spirits. According to many sources, Odin was not the one who directly chose whom to join him in Valhalla. It was the Valkyries who did this mission. In every battle, the Valkyries would come and observe who had the dignity and courage to come to Valhalla. 

Only those who died a warrior death could come to Valhalla. That's why the Vikings were always willing to sacrifice themselves in battle. 

The Valkyries were the ones who helped Odin pick the brave warriors to Valhalla

The most wanted afterlife that every Viking desired was Valhalla. And they had to do their best in battle in order to gain the Valkyries' recognition. Valkyries were the ones who would pick them to Valhalla. Therefore, they had to prove themselves in front of these female spirits. That's why the Vikings always held the Valkyries in high esteem. 

The Nine Maidens 

The Nine Sea Maidens were among the lovers of Odin the Allfather. Although these women only appeared once or twice in Norse mythology, they played an important in the flow of the myth. 

One day, when Odin was walking along the seashore, he accidentally saw nine beautiful women. Odin immediately fell in love with these women and decided to marry all of them on the spot. Somehow, they had a son together. But Odin could not live with the maidens and he had to return to Asgard. Meanwhile, these maidens could not come to Asgard because they were the giantesses and they had to help their parents. It turned out to be that these nine maidens were the daughters of Aegir and Ran the couple that ruled over the ocean. 

Heimdall and Nine Maidens

The power of these nine maidens was to love Odin regardless of their tribal conflicts and to bring up their only son. They used the moisture of the ocean, the warmth of the sun, and the strength of the land to raise their son. 

The nine maidens' son was Heimdall the Guardsman of Asgard. When Heimdall became a man, he joined the army of his father in Asgard. Farewell to his mothers, Heimdall became the guardsman in Asgard keeping all of his brothers safe. 

Sweyn Forkbeard was one of the most famous Viking kings who made his name as the first Viking king of England. His decision to declare war on King Aethelred of Wessex made his name, his life, and his generation's life came to a higher level. But why Sweyn finally decided to wage war against the king of Wessex?

First off, Sweyn Forkbeard was one of the most brutal and Viking-spirit-deeply-implanted warriors. He was the son of Harald Bluetooth Gormson who united the Danes under one single banner. But the father and the son had nothing in common, especially their belief in the Norse pantheon. While Harald Bluetooth very soon decided to submit himself to the cross, Sweyn Forkbeard's belief remained in his Norse Pantheon. Because Harald was a king, he had little time to spare with his son. Sweyn accordingly was brought up by Palnatoke whose belief was deeply rooted in the Odin and Aesir gods. 

Sweyn's nickname "Forkbeard" came from his fork-shaped appearance

Harald Bluetooth baptized himself and abandoned his ancient belief. This event gradually harbored the hatred within Sweyn Forkbeard. Hatred piled up and it climaxed when Sweyn dethroned his father and made him go exile. 

In 986 AD, Sweyn Forkbeard made himself the King of Denmark. But his attention was not only within his father's land, he started to care about England. 

As soon as 990 AD, he led his army to knock knock on the door of England. The Vikings at the moment were a nightmare to anyone around Europe. For once, the Vikings on the Midgard serpents spilled blood on the Holy Land Lindisfarne. Kind Aethelred at that time decided to give Sweyn and his army a sum of money in order for them to leave his land in peace. But the Vikings kept turning back and threatening this Wessex king. Some of the Danes even settled down in England which made the ruler of Wessex at that moment toss and turn every night. 

The biggest mistake that King Aethelred made during his reign was listening to his noblemen. One small mistake can ruin everything in one moment. 

On St. Brices Day, November 13th,1002, King Aethelred decided to kill all of the Danes who stayed in Wessex. 

Those Danes who dwelt in the afore-mentioned town, striving to escape death, entered this sanctuary of Christ, having broken by force the doors and bolts, and resolved to make refuge and defence for themselves therein against the people of the town and the suburbs; but when all the people in pursuit strove, forced by necessity, to drive them out, and could not, they set fire to the planks and burnt, as it seems, this church with its ornaments and its books. Afterwards, with God's aid, it was renewed by me.

One of the people settling down in Wessex at that moment was Gunhild, sister of Sweyn Forkbeard and her husband. All of them could not escape their fate on St Brice's Day. 

Although no source mentioned whether Sweyn Forkbeard and his sister got along well with each other or not, scholars claimed that the death of his sister in Wessex pushed him to declare eternal war on King Aethelred. Whether this reason was right or not, the war was real. Also, some scholars mentioned that the death of Gunhild was just a good reason allowing Sweyn to invade Wessex with the agreement of his people. 

Sweyn later won the battle making Aethelred flee to Normandy in 1013. Sweyn declared himself as the king of Wessex although his reign was short followed by his death. However, his sons and grandchild carried on his legacy. 

Aegir and Ran were a giant couple in Norse mythology. They were one of the most powerful figures in the belief of the Vikings for the couple ruled over the ocean. 

Aegir ("EYE-gir") and Ran ("Ran") were mentioned many many times in Norse mythology. However, not many sources of the couple survived the test of time. Therefore, things about the couple that we can find in modern times were quite a few. Some scholars put forward theories that whether the sources we have now are the original sources because they believe some Christian traits have been added. 

Aegir and Ran were, respectively, husband and wife. Their house was a great hall beneath the ocean. They had nine beautiful daughters whom we know as the Nine Sea Maidens. 

Although Aegir and Ran always appeared together, their personal characteristics had nothing in common. Aegir "Ocean" was nice and kind and he often threw many parties for gods and his friends. Aegir was accordingly famous for his friendliness. He had a magic cauldron from which he could brew the best mead to serve his guests. 

Aegir and Nine Maidens brew meads

Meanwhile, his wife appeared to be a very hot-tempered woman. Ran "Robber" was often mentioned as the power source that derived the seafarers of their lives. This made the Vikings feared Aegir and Ran for the Viking life was deeply associated with ocean. If the seafarers happened to make the couple, especially Ran, angry, they had better not set sail. 

Ran tried to drown a seafarer

The archaeologists once excavated many offerings in the lake Tissø. This made the archaeologists and scholars conclude that the Vikings once wish for protection and blessings from someone dwelling under the ocean. And possibly who? Aegir and Ran.

One more interesting thing about Aegir and Ran was that they had a famous son-in-law. He was Odin the Allfather who loved the Nine Maidens at first sight. Odin and the Nine Maidens had a son who was Heimdall. This Heimdall God stayed with his mothers in the ocean until the day he grew up and joined Asgard. Heimdall became the guardsman of Asgard. 

Fire - one of two elements that formed the Nine Worlds. For those who are yet to know, the Norse Cosmos was caused when the fire from Muspelheim met the ice from Niflheim. Through the whole Norse myth, the fire appeared many times, whether directly or not. Here is some fire symbolism that I found out in Norse myth. Please note that this blog post is based on the writer's personal viewpoint.

Before kicking off, I have to make it clear that the fire symbolism from my perspective only revolves around Surtr the giant of fire, Freya goddess of war, and Loki the trickster. 

Surtr the fire that consumed the whole world

Surtr was a primeval giant of fire in Norse mythology. He was the king of Muspelheim the land of fire and lava. This fire appeared directly. No metaphor or hidden meaning here. 

The fire that belonged to Surtr was a real fire. It was hot and it could consume everything in its path. It was literally fire. The fire of Surtr first created the cosmos when touching the ice of Niflheim. After the combat of Ragnarok, the first of Surtr finally set the whole world on fire. Both destruction and resurrection in one action. 

Surtr the giant of fire and Freyr in battle of Ragnarok

Freya the fire that proved them wrong 

Well, this fire of Freya was also a literal fire. It appeared when Freya took his journey around the cosmos to practice her power. Of course, Freya changed her appearance so that people did not recognize her as the princess of Vanaheim. 

Aesir gods finally heard about the magic of this mysterious woman. Then they invited Freya to come and ask her about her power. The more they asked, the more shortcomings they revealed. Until the point that Aesir gods assumed that Freya was a witch trying to play with them, they decided to burn her. 

But three times they burnt Freya, three times we walked out of the fire intact. 

Each time they attempted to burn Freya, she arose, reborn from the ashes

Loki the fire that triggered Ragnarok

The invisible fire of Loki must be the most powerful one. Unlike that of Surtr and Freya, the fire of Loki appeared in his thought. Loki was never recognized as the god/giant of fire in Norse mythology. Loki had the qualities of fire. This invisible fire inside Loki's thought was the desire to outshine others, to make himself recognized, and to protect his family. All of these small flames inside Loki piled up into a big fire that finally triggered off his thought to declaring war against the Aesir gods who made his life miserable. 

Moreover, Loki was creative but most of the time, he used his creativity to put other people's lives in danger. He created a trap, kicking his prey into that trap and waiting for the prey to beg for help. Then he would walk out and help the prey out to make himself a hero. This fire symbolized creation and destruction also. 

On renovating their house, a Norway couple was astonished to find out they had been living above a Viking grave. 

In late May, a couple near Bodø, to the north of Norway, started to renew their house. They started removing their flashboards to install insulation, they found out some rocks. The couple carried on digging deeper and deeper until they discovered something glittering in the light. 

The site where the couple found out the Viking burial grave

When they first saw it, they assumed that that thing was a broken wheel of a toy car. But their house floor had been there since 1914, it must be something else. And the thing turned out to be the glass bead. 

Some other things also appeared when they started their excavation. They found out an axehead and several iron objects. The couple quickly connected to the Nordland county authority which is responsible for cultural heritage. Then the authority sent some experts to their house immediately. 

The Viking bead artifact

By Norwegian law, any cultural monuments that show traces of human activity prior to 1537 are automatically preserved.

The day after, after the experts had examined the site, they started a full excavation. Although this type of burial grave was not unusual in Norway, this has been the first time they found a grave under a house. 

The archaeologists assumed that all of these dated back to the 9th century. 

In many previous blog posts, I mentioned some Viking kings but I always call them "one of the greatest Viking kings". But in this blog post, I can proudly state the name of the Greatest Viking King of all time for all he had achieved in his reign. 

His name was Canute. He was the son of Sweyn Forkbeard. Sweyn Forkbeard King of Denmark. This made him become the grandchild of Harald Bluetooth who united Denmark under one single banner. And the parents of Harald Bluetooth (great-grand-parents of Canute) were King Gorm the Old and Thyra the Queen who built the Danevirke fort to protect their kingdom from external forces. 

However, like many other royal families, this royal family had "civil wars". King Harald Bluetooth decided to baptize and converted himself to Christianity. Meanwhile, his son, Sweyn Forkbeard Haraldsson, was true pagan in blood. Sweyn never accepted Christianity and this hatred gradually piled up into a civil war. And what had to come finally came. Sweyn overthrew his father and became the king of Denmark.

The baptism of Harald Bluetooth

The vision of Sweyn Forkbeard extended beyond the land of Denmark. After overthrowing King Æthelred the Unready, Sweyn became the king of England. 

But within a year, death suddenly came and found Sweyn. 

After the death of the father. Harald became the king of Denmark while Canute took over the throne in England. Within a short period of time, Harald died leaving the throne for Canute. This made Canute become the King of both Denmark and England. 

The reigning period of Canute in England was the longest period, compared with other Viking kings in England. He ruled over England for two decades. After the death of this great king, his son Harthacnut, sometimes referred as Canute III, took over Canute's legacy. But according to the historians, no other king could ever overshadow the power and what Canute had brought to his kingdom. 

Portrait of Canute 

Attempting to study each line in Norse mythology, we will find out nearly all of them are stuffed with meaningful symbols and hidden ideas. In this blog post, we are to discover the circle symbols in Norse mythology. Some of them come from writer's personal opinions, so some of them might be hard to imagine for the readers.

Jormungand the Ouroboros symbol 

Ouroboros was the symbol of a snake or a dragon biting his tail. It presented the circle symbol. A perfect symbol with neither beginning nor ending. In Norse mythology, Jormungand happened to be the same as the Ouroboros symbol. 

Jormungand was the son of Loki and Angrboda. He was the brother of Fenrir and Hel the Queen of Helheim. In Norse mythology, there was a prophecy stating that Ragnarok would be fueled by the children of Loki. Because of this, the gods tried to get rid of Loki's children. But it was not by slaying them. They separated them and disabled them to attack anyone. Jormungandr was cast into the ocean by Odin the Allfather to prevent this dragon-like snake from biting anyone. 

Jormungand encircled Midgard

That ocean encircled Midgard the land of humanity. There, Jormungand grew up to the point that he could encircle the whole Midgard. There came the symbol of Ouroboros. Jormungand bit his tail and perfectly encircle Midgard. 

Circle of Life

In Norse mythology, life had the shape of a circle. When this generation fell down, another generation would rise. Life never stopped in Norse mythology. Even the great battle of Ragnarok could never put a full stop to life. Rather, it was the ending to the Norse Pantheon at that time only. After Ragnarok, there came another generation of gods and giants. They carried on the stories of their ancestors and joined a new period of age, rebuilding the world with their own hands. 

Just like Odin and his brothers once shaped and built the world after their father and grandfather fell down. Life diagram was not a straight line. Rather, it was a circle. What changed in the circle was the names of those who lived. It went with: Creation, Development, Destruction, and Reborn. 

Balance 

The symbol of circle would always evoke a sense of perfection, balance, and just-enough feeling. Similar things happened in Norse mythology. Everything was on the balance scale. 

There were two parties: peace and chaos, good and bad, virtuous and evil, gods and giants, etc. The huge Yggdrasil tree standing in the middle of the cosmos granted everything to be in the balanced mode by holding all worlds on his branches. 

Nine Worlds on the branches of Yggdrasil Tree of Life

Conclusion

The circle makes us feel like the universe is non stop. Time is non stop. There is neither beginning nor end in the circle. And so is life. We don't know the starting point of life and we don't know when it will end. Perhaps it will never end. The only thing that ends is the lifespan of each individual. But our children and legacy carries on. Life starts again. With or without us, everything has to move on. That's the rule. 

One cool thing is, Midgard is always the center of the circle. Imagine when you try to draw a circle, you have to choose the center point and then you can draw the round line around. That center point is Midgard the land of humanity. 

When the ocean encircles, it encircles Midgard. When Jormugand encircled, he encircled Midgard. And when we look at the map of Yggdrasil, the center part never belongs to Asgard land of gods. It belonged to Midgard. Why things happen to be like this remains a mystery. Humble should we be when talking about this. Maybe through this point, the ancestors are trying to tell us something about our missions. 

Like many other people in the medieval times, the Viking always made offerings to their gods and to the deceased. Although we are currently unearthing many Viking artifacts from the grave, the Vikings once made many offerings to the ocean and lakes. But why did they have to make sacrifices in the water though?

The Vikings' life was so entangled with water

If the Vikings had never sailed, they would not have had such a reputation. Their life, wealth, and fortune were so heavily tied with the ocean. That's why they wanted to make some sacrifice to the water. 

To illustrate how their life was so entangled with water, they even buried the deceased with a ship. With those who could not afford a ship, they would be buried in a normal way and the living would put the stones around the grave to imitate the shape of the ship. It was known as the Viking Stone Ship. The Vikings even made house for their ship. That's say their life was so associated with ship and ocean that they wanted to make offerings to the lakes. 

A graveyard of Viking stone ships

Some Viking gods were gods of water

One of the most powerful Norse figures associated with water was Ran the giantess. She was not a god actually. She came from the tribe of giant but she and her husband got along very well with gods. 

While his husband, Aegir, was quite nice to the seafarers, Ran would kill whoever dared to make her angry. Might the belief of the Vikings in these high powers ocean be so deeply ingrained, they made offerings to wish for protection when travelling across the ocean.

The Vikings wanted to prevent grave robbers

The Vikings had a custom of burying the deceased with weapons so that when they entered their afterlife, they could defend themselves. But when they buried these weapons with the deceased, they had to accept that some bad and greedy folks could rob the grave goods. This was an insult to the deceased and to prevent this, the Vikings made sacrifices to the ocean. 

There are two Viking excavations from the ocean that got me fascinated. The first one was when the Tisso lake excavation. This lake, according to the scholars, was a tribute to Tyr God of Justice. The second excavation was the excavation of the Skuldelev ships in Denmark. This excavation revealed five Viking ships in the waterline. 

Viking weapons recovered from the Tisso lake

Ragnar Lothbrok is one of the most powerful and famous Viking kings in Viking legends. Not only was he a king but almost all of his sons became kings in most parts of Scandinavia. But there was no elixir of life and everyone had to go when their time came. Ragnar was no exception, no matter how high his position was in his community. In other words, king like Ragnar never beat his fate. Ragnar did not die in battle. Rather, he met a more tragic ending. 

The Young Ragnar 

In order to become one of the greatest Viking kings in his time, Ragnar had to go through many tough times. He started his childhood just like many other Viking boys. He joined training time with his mates and showed his excellent military mindset. 

In many literal sources, Ragnar was the son of a Viking king. This might be one of the reasons why Ragnar was so desired for more power and wealth. 

Like many other men, Ragnar wanted beautiful women. One of the most important women in this Viking king's life was Aslaug the Queen. It was said that during a raid, Viking king met his future wife. To test Aslaug, Ragnar told her to come neither dressed nor undressed, neither fasting nor eating, and neither alone nor in company. This woman finally won the heart of Rangar by coming in a dress made by net, her handing holding an onion, and accompanying her was a dog. 

Aslaug and Ragnar had many sons and all of them later became either kings or military leaders. 

Ragnar Lothbrok the man who sailed west

Ragnar and Northumbria 

This tale was recorded in The Tales of Ragnar's Sons. 

As a rule, the more powerful a king became, the more enemies he made. At that point, Anglo-Saxon people hated the Vikings. Might this be all about the religious belief when the Christians in Anglo Saxon only believed in one god and they could not accept any other religion, especially the Viking belief in Norse Pantheon. 

One time, to show disagreement toward the Christian conspiracy to Christianize the Vikings, a group of Viking warriors came and raided the Lindisfarne church. This was the land of holiness (as the Christians believed). They never thought anyone powerful enough to violate the protection of their god. Until one day, the Viking travelled on their Midgard serpent and attacked this land of holiness. The attack was led by Ragnar Lothbrok and many people claimed this made King Aella of Northumbria hated our Viking king. 

But at that time, King Aella could do nothing to protect his land for he was so passive and careless in defending his holy land. 

On one occasion, Ragnar was on a raiding voyage across the ocean, his ship was blown off course. His fate fell into the hand of King Aella of Northumbria who quickly decided to torture Ragnar in a pit full of snakes. 

Odin never escaped his fate of death in Ragnarok. Ragnar never escaped his fate of death in the pit of snakes. This son of Odin finally bid a farewell to his Midgard life. He was ascended into the Hall of Valhalla and joined his fallen brothers in the Hall of Greatness, greeting and drinking with Odin the Allfather. 

But the pain left for the living was so much great. Sons of Ragnar loved him. They did love their father so much and they wanted to revenge for his death. Ivar Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, etc. legendarily formed the Viking Heathen Army and declared eternal war on King Aella of Northumbria. 

King Aella had to pay the ultimate price when the Heathen Army found him. The Blood Eagle was the final gift that the Heathen brothers gave to King Aella.