#Viking myths

[er-cryptid]

Typhus in Saga-Era Iceland

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[atrumvox]

The Son of Thor Who Saved His Father at Just Three Days Old!

Did you know that Thor has three legendary children? Discover who they are and what makes them extraordinary!

Did you know that Thor, the god of thunder, has three unique children? Magni, with his superhuman strength, saved his father as a newborn. Móði, the embodiment of courage, is destined to lead the new world after Ragnarök. Þrúðr, his valkyrie daughter, is a warrior as powerful as she is captivating. Each of them represents a divine quality that makes them essential to Asgard's fate. Get ready to uncover their deeds and their roles in the most epic Norse legends!

[writteninmagic]

I remember sitting down and talking to my ancestors in a channeled meditation...and I remember hearing my ancestors even say most of them were not even Vikings...they were farmers and weavers.

The more you know!

[madcat-world]

Sea Serpent - Detkef

[chrissabug]

Freyja's Quest

Frreyja, goddess of war, beauty, fertility and magic is the very first artwork as the page for January 2025 in the Mythic Calendar.🗓️ chrissabug.com

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💖check out my Patreon for in-depth TUTORIALS, my favorite BRUSHES, process shots, lineart, sketches, advice articles, process VIDEOS, Podcasts, monthly prints, stickers and more!💌

[nocturnalhag]

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒚𝒋𝒂 ; 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚, 𝒘𝒂𝒓, 𝒔𝒆𝒊ð𝒓⚔️💛

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[synindoodles]

— The Tale of Ragnar Lothbrok — An illustrated, handwritten book project I did for university - it tells the story of Ragnar as a legendary viking figure but also of those that were later associated and mixed with the original myth, such as Reginherus, Ragnall Ua Ímairr and Ragnar's famous sons according to legend aka Ivarr The Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, Halfdan "Hvítserk" Ragnarsson and Sigurd Snake-In-The-Eye. I did, however, mix history and myth with History Vikings' depiction of some of these characters, though what is written in each page is based on several articles I found about these people and not in the show's version of them. I'll be posting the rest of these sections separately in the coming weeks so you can also see each drawing in HQ 🤭

[loki-was-framed]

I love the implications of this throwaway line in Loki Season 2.

[annachum]

Literally giving myth! Loki x Sigyn vibes

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Men, Maiden and Myths - art by Nestor Redondo (1979)

[er-cryptid]

Viking Age

-- lasted from 793 to 1066 CE

-- starts with the raid on Lindisfarne

-- ends with the Norman invasion of England

.

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[thatdeathwitchh]

The Beauty of Death

Death, an unfortunate kiss of fate, a topic many people fear. Though a morbid subject, it's a part of life everyone must face.

As a witch, I never really thought I would be one to work with the dead and all things relevant to death..but it always resonated with me. I find such a strange comfort from the topic knowing that once we die, our bodies will return back to Mother Earth's arms and fertilize the soil, while our souls go on.

I've had many people ask me how I handle death, or how I'm not afraid of it. I mean, it's such an unknown concept, right? I think some people think I'm heartless when I say this topic interests me, or how I react with death. Alot of people may assume that death doesn't bother me, which is far from the truth. Of course when I experience a loss, it hurts, were all human and when we lose someone we love, it will hurt. but I find comfort in that hurt, in their passing. Its odd, yes, I'll admit.

I know that once we pass, out bodies will rot and decay, our bodies become cold and we will wither away into the soil of the earth beneath us, eventually giving life to the plants around us, but we live on. We live on physically through the Earth, the plants and the trees that our bodies helped fertilize and through the memories of others. And our souls, no matter what one may belive, our souls will move on. Whether it be led by Thanatos into the arms of King Haidês in his luscious relm of riches and shades, or into the arms of Oðinn before sending us off to Hel or Valhalla, we live on.

That is what gives me comfort. What helps me greive and why I'm unafraid of such a morbid concept; it's knowing that the dead are in good hands and warm arms. They're at peace.

Though this being my first blog may not come out well, and people may not understand, welcome death with open arms for when our time comes we will be in good hands.

[gifts-of-heimdall-runes]

An infographic of the Nine Realms for those that love Norse mythology. It is an abstract representation that is designed to show the realms in a way that closely resembles the descriptions of the Eddas. Each shows some features and inhabitants that make the realm distinct, and it shows how the realms connect to each other and Yggdrasill. In reality, all realms would be nested within each each other and fit somewhere on our planet (either in a physical location or in an invisible spiritual location).

Heavenly Realms (upper level):

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* Ásgarð - Home of the Æsir. Each God rules over a kingdom and has his own palace within Ásgarð. Óðinn rules the realm from his high throne. The Einherjar make the palace of Valhall their home. 1/2 of the greatest slain warriors are chosen by the Valkyries to join Óðinn's army and await their final battle against the invading armies of Giants at Ragnarok.

(In this image you can see Óðinn standing at the entrance of Valhall, monitoring the training of his warriors)

* Vanaheim - Home of the Vanir. Once enemies of the Æsir, but now their tribes have been unified. Freyja rules over this realm and other half of the Einherjar join Freyja in Fólkvangr where they train until Ragnarok.

(In this image you can see Freyha and one of her cats leading her warriors in drills)

* Álfheim - Home of the Álfar (Elves). Noble nature spirits that are allies of the Æsir Gods. Elves have dominion over nature and inhabit sacred hills, streams, or groves where they keep the land healthy and prosperous with their magic.

* Gimlé - In Ásgarð nearbye Álfheim exist other minor heavenly kingdoms, like Viðbláinn. Here a palace sits high in the mountains called Gimlé, where the souls of the righteous go after death. It is also where the last surviving Gods will seek shelter from the fires of Surtr in the final days of Ragnarok.

* Bifröst - The Rainbow Bridge. This brightly colored bridge provides a path for the Gods to quickly travel from Ásgarð to Miðgarð. It burns with magical flames that will incinerate any Frost-Giant or Hill-Giant that attempts to invade the home of the Gods. But the Sons of Múspell are immue to the flames, since they are Fire-Giants, and will collapse the bridge as they charge over it to destroy Ásgarð during Ragnarok.

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Yggdrasill:

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* Yggdrasill - The World Tree. This mighty Ash has roots that run far and wide, connecting all the realms. Yggdrasill also houses a pair of humans that will emerge and repopulate the world after Ragnarok. Long ago, Óðinn hanged himself from this tree to learn the secrets of the magical runes

* Urðarbrunnr, Mimisbrunnr, & Hvergelmir-

Yggdrasill stands next to the Urðarbrunnr (well of Urð. Urð is the eldest sister of the 3 Norns, Giantesses that weave the strands fate into an intricate tapestry, which reveals the destiny of all living things. The waters of this well have healing properties and the 3 sisters anoint the roots of Yggdrasill daily to stave off decay.

(In this image the 3 Norns can be found standing beside the Urðarbrunnr)

One of Yggdrasill's primary roots travels into Jotunheim, where it drinks from the Minisbrunnr (Mimir's Well). This is the well where Óðinn sacrificed his eye in order to gain his great wisdom by drinking from the well.

The final primary root of Yggdrasill runs into Niflheim, to the Hvergelmir. This well of boiling water is home to numerous serpents and the terrible wyrm, Niðhoggr. These beasts gnaw upon the root, slowly killing it with their venom.

* Hraesvelgr, Ratatoskr, Niðhöggr, Veðrfölnir, & Eikthyrnir - These creatures live in or near Yggdrasill and interact with each other and the world's -

Hraesvelgr sits high in the top-most branches, flapping his broad wings to create the winds. Veðrfölnir is a hawk that sits between the eagle's eyes and he may act as an informant for the eagle, like Huginn & Muninn.

Niðhöggr periodically travels to the opposite shore of the Hvergelmir, near Helheim. This shore is known as Náströnd (the Corpse Shore) and while there the wyrm drinks the blood of the newly arrived damned souls (oath-breaketlrs, adulterers, and murderers).

Ratatoskr is a squirrel that runs up and down the roots of Yggdrasill, so he can relay hateful messages between Hraesvelgr and Niðhöggr.

Eikthyrnir is a stag that feeds upon the leaves of Yggdrasill above Valhall. Dew gathers on his antlers and drips down to the Hvergelmir where it becomes the source of many rivers. In some accounts there are 4 stags, but this may be a later alteration to the story.

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Mortal Realms (middle level):

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* Miðgarð - The realm of men. The Gods frequently travel to Miðgarð to entertain themselves, influence humanity, or slay invading Giants. Thór, the Bane of Giants, is the protector of Miðgarð.

(In this image you can find Thór, the protector of Miðgarð, has just made his way across the Bifröst)

* Niðavellir - Home of the Dvergar (Dwarfs). These magical beings are nature spirits, related to the Elves, but not divine like their cousins. They shelter under the earth where they are safe from the deadly sunlight and craft marvelous magical weapons and tools for Kings and Gods. Sindri, the most famous of Dwarfs lives in this land.

* Svartálfheim - Home of the Svartálfar (Dark Elves). These Elves are craftsmen like the Dwarfs and are frequently identified as Dwarfs due to their similar appearance and lifestyle. The most well-attested Dark Elves in the Eddas are the smith brothers, onown as the Sons of Ivaldi.

* Miðgarð Sea - This vast body of water surrounds Miðgarð to protect the world from the vicious Giants on the other side. Jörmungandr, the World Serpent, makes this his home after being tossed into the water by Óðinn. Over the centuries he has grown so large that he now encircles the entire world. Beneath the waves lay Rán's Hall, the Goddess of the sea makes ready her home for the poor souls that drown at sea.

* Jötunheim - Home of the Hill-Giants. The Kingdoms of Útgarð (King Útgarða-Loki) and Thrymheim (Skaði) are found here. In the Eddas we hear how Thór and Loki have travelled to Jotunheim many times seeking adventure or revenge.

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Primordial Realms (lower level):

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* Ginnungagap - In the beginning there was a vast yawning void, a featureless plain standing in the darkness, and absent of life. From this land emerged 2 realms: Múspellheim to the south and Niflheim to the north.

* Múspellheim - This volcanic realm is home to the primordial Fire-Giant, Surtr. His army, the Sons of Múspell, is the most powerful and destructive army in the world. Surtr patiently waits for the day he is destined to lead the invasion of Ásgarð. After the world was created, the Gods and Dwarfs gathered sparks and embers from Múspellheim and used them to craft the Sun, Moon, and stars, so that the sky would be illuminated and men could track the seasons.

* Niflheim - This frozen realm is the home of the dead. All humans that are not granted access to one of the other realms to live out their afterlife are destined to reside here. Hel was banished to Niflheim, where she rules over these damned souls. But she was not the first ruler of this realm. In the beginning, the enormous Frost-Giant called Ymir became the first living being to inhabit the world. He would father the tribes known as the Frost-Giants and Hill-Giants, but he was slain by Óðinn, Vili, and Vé. These 3 brothers re-purposed his massive corpse, fashioning it into Miðgarð.

Source: Aaron Chapman (2023)

From: Everthing Norse & Vikings Culture [Facebook]

[nocturnalhag]

𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 ; 𝒈𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 ⚔️🛡️

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[synindoodles]

What kind of King abandons his people? What kind of father abandons his sons? So... who wants to be King? Don't you know how this works? If you want to be King, you must kill me.

[loki-was-framed]

Rescued from Pinterest.