Vikings and Christianity
At the beginning of the Viking Age, almost the entire Scandinavian population was pagan. With their polytheistic view of religion it was not a problem for them to adopt the Christian god along with their existing gods. This serves as evidence that Viking raids on Christian churches and monasteries had nothing to do with religion, but were in fact motivated by their unprotected wealth.
Norse Gods
Odin was the chief god, and fathered many of the other gods and many mortals. He often disguised himself as a human, seducing women.
Thor was the god of thunder, sky, fertility, and the law. He had a simple way of righting wrongs: he more or less killed everything that moved. The other gods -mostly Loki- occasionally took advantage of Thor's simplicity.
Loki is often called the 'wizard of lies' for his cunning and conniving nature.
Frey was a fertility god.
Hel was the goddess who ruled over Niflheim, the land of the dead. Hel and her ghostly army were going to support the other gods at Ragnarok, after which her domain would go out in flames.
In-depth Look at Odin
Despite being the chief of the Norse gods, he often ventures far beyond Asgard (his kingdom) for long, solitary journeys. He seeks and dispense wisdom; even sacrificing an eye for great wisdom. In his quest for the secrets of existence Odin sacrificed himself to himself by hanging on the world-tree for nine days and nights.
Odin is often referred to as the 'Allfather' because he is considered the father of all of the gods. In addition he is listed as the divine ancestor of many families across northern Europe. An old Norse poem identifies him as 'the breath of life'.
Myths and Heroes
The majority of Norse mythological heroes come from the Völsunga Saga.
The beliefs of Scandinavian and northern Germanic people were never encompassed under a single name, it was simply referred to as 'tradition' by people who practiced it. Christians often referred to these people as 'heathens'.
At the beginning of the Viking Age, almost the entire Scandinavian population was pagan. With their polytheistic view of religion it was not a problem for them to adopt the Christian god along with their existing gods. This serves as evidence that Viking raids on Christian churches and monasteries had nothing to do with religion, but were in fact motivated by their unprotected wealth.
Norse Gods
Odin was the chief god, and fathered many of the other gods and many mortals. He often disguised himself as a human, seducing women.
Thor was the god of thunder, sky, fertility, and the law. He had a simple way of righting wrongs: he more or less killed everything that moved. The other gods -mostly Loki- occasionally took advantage of Thor's simplicity.
Loki is often called the 'wizard of lies' for his cunning and conniving nature.
Frey was a fertility god.
Hel was the goddess who ruled over Niflheim, the land of the dead. Hel and her ghostly army were going to support the other gods at Ragnarok, after which her domain would go out in flames.
In-depth Look at Odin
Despite being the chief of the Norse gods, he often ventures far beyond Asgard (his kingdom) for long, solitary journeys. He seeks and dispense wisdom; even sacrificing an eye for great wisdom. In his quest for the secrets of existence Odin sacrificed himself to himself by hanging on the world-tree for nine days and nights.
Odin is often referred to as the 'Allfather' because he is considered the father of all of the gods. In addition he is listed as the divine ancestor of many families across northern Europe. An old Norse poem identifies him as 'the breath of life'.
Myths and Heroes
The majority of Norse mythological heroes come from the Völsunga Saga.
The beliefs of Scandinavian and northern Germanic people were never encompassed under a single name, it was simply referred to as 'tradition' by people who practiced it. Christians often referred to these people as 'heathens'.