Norse mythology is a collection of stories about the adventures of gods, giants, elves, and other groups as Ragnarok, the end of the universe, slowly approaches. Norse mythology originates from the people of northern Europe, but the world of Norse mythology consists of nine realms. They are all connected by Yggdrasil, the world tree. For more information on the nine realms, and Yggdrasil, go to the Yggdrasil page.
Major themes present in Norse mythology are honor and bravery. This stems from the brutal and violent world these myths originated from. Vikings heavily influenced the warriors of Norse mythology (more information on this can be found on the Berserkers page), as well as the gods. Myths were also created to explain how the universe was formed, as well as phenomena we now have scientific explanations for. Norse mythology is often described as dark, which makes sense considering it originated during the Dark Ages. The harshness and bleakness of medieval times is reflected in these stories. The brave warrior gods of Asgard reflect a desire for hope in this sort of world, as the people wanted to believe something was protecting them. Nonetheless, even some gods are killed throughout the course of Norse mythology. To read more about this, go to the page on Baldur. |