'Viking Armada' by Edward Moran 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, Sweeden, 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 b ..read more

'Ragnarök' by Emil Doepler It began with the Fimbulwinter, the great winter; three harsh winters that followed each other without end. Cruel ice and bitter winds overtook the world. Everything was plunged into chaos. It ushered an age of violence. Brother slew brother, father slew son. The stench of death permeated the air, and rivers of blood ran through the streets. The earth eventually began to quake. Trees were uprooted, and mountains crumbled. The two great wolves, Skoll and Hati, finally swallowed the sun and the moon. Then, the sky was set aflame and ripped in two. From the tear spilt ..read more

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay Odin knocked on Loki’s door. There was no answer. He knocked again. ‘Come on, Loki, I know you’re in there.’ Thor barged Odin out of the way. ‘Let me try.’ He began to pound on the door with his big, meaty fists. ‘Open up, Loki! Killing Balder was the final straw. We’re here to punish you.’ ‘Don’t tell him that. He’ll never open the door,’ Frey said. Thor laughed awkwardly. ‘I was only joking,’ he shouted. ‘We aren’t going to punish you. We just wanted to know if you want to come to the mead hall with us.’ The gods could hear footsteps behind the door. Thor ..read more

'Hermod before Hela' by John Charles Dollman Hermod rode down to the foot of the world tree, Yggdrasil. There, he came to three thick roots. One would lead him to Mimir’s well. The other would take him to the Well of Fate. The third went down a steep slope that bore deep into the earth. He hesitated and followed the third root. The further he went, the darker it became. Eventually, he could no longer see what was around him. All he could do was keep going. Soon, the ground flattened out, and he heard rushing water. A deathly chill was in the air, and Hermod began to shiver. In the distance, h ..read more

Image by Harmony Lawrence from Pixabay ‘Help me!’ Galar screamed. The dwarf lay in a shady grove, clutching his leg. Kvasir, who was passing through the woods, ran to his aid. ‘Help me. Somebody. Please.’ ‘Don’t worry. I’m here.’ When Galar saw Kvasir approach, he grinned. He quickly put his hands over his mouth to hide his smile. ‘Oh, the pain,’ he yelled. ‘What is it?’ ‘My leg.’ Kvasir knelt down and inspected Galar’s leg. ‘Er, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it.’ Galar’s brother, Fjalar, jumped from behind a tree and stabbed Kvasir in the back. Then, Galar sprang up. He stabbe ..read more

Photo by Jake Hinds on Unsplash One evening, there was a knock on Suttung’s door. Suttung was eating his supper. ‘Go away!’ he yelled. There was another knock. Suttung growled. He took a swig of ale and got up. ‘This better be worth it,’ he said, picking up his axe. He fastened it to his belt and went to open his door. ‘What do you want?’ An old man in a long, hooded cloak stood in the doorway. ‘I have come to your farm looking for work.’ Suttung laughed. ‘And what makes you think I would want a one-eyed old man working for me? What would you even do?’ The old man smiled. ‘Perhaps, I could be ..read more

© Zoart Studio/Shutterstock.com ;lkol ..read more

'Ah, what a lovely maid it is!' by Elmer Boyd Smith ..read more

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In Norse mythology, there are nine worlds. These worlds are all connected to Yggdrasil [pronounced: ig-dra-sil]. The Higher Worlds Asgard [as-guard] is the highest world. It is at the top of Yggdrasil. Home to the Aesir [ice-ir], it is a sprawling golden city. Within its walls is Valhalla [val-hal-uh], Odin’s [oh-din's] majestic halls, where half of those who fall in battle dwell. These halls are also the homes of the Valkyries [val-ker-ee's]. Asguard is connected to the mortal world of Midgard [mid-guard] by a rainbow bridge called the Bifrost [bye-frost]. This is the only way into Asgard, an ..read more