THINGS ABOUT NORSE GODS

THERE ARE NINE WORLDS IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY.

EACH WORLD IS DIVIDED INTO THREE LEVELS.

THE FIRST LEVEL CONTAINS ASGARD, THE HOME

OF THE GODS, AND THE MIDDLE CONTAINS MIDGARD,

THE HOME OF HUMAN BEINGS. MIDGARD IS

CONNECTED TO ASGARD VIA BIFROST,

“THE RAINBOW BRIDGE.

NIFLHEIM, "MIST HOME," IS THE DARKEST AND COLDEST

REGION IN THE WORLD AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE

FIRST OF THE NINE WORLDS. IT IS LOCATED IN THE NORTH

AND IT WAS BELIEVED THAT UNDER NIFLHEIM WAS

HELHEIM, HOME OF THE DEAD. ON THE OTHER HAND,

MUSPELHEIM WAS CREATED FAR TO THE SOUTH OF THE

WORLD AND IS A BURNING-HOT PLACE, FILLED WITH LAVA,

FLAMES, AND SOOT. MUSPELHEIM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE

THE HOME OF FIRE GIANTS AND DEMONS AND RULED BY

THE GIANT SURT, A SWORN ENEMY OF THE AESIR.

VALHALLA WAS THE HALL WHERE ODIN HOUSED THE

DEAD WHOM HE CONSIDERED WORTHY OF DWELLING

WITH HIM. THIS WAS NOT A REWARD FOR MORAL

BEHAVIOUR RATHER IT WAS A REWARD FOR BEING A

DISTINGUISHED WARRIOR. ODIN COLLECTED THESE

WARRIORS WITH THE PURPOSE OF HAVING THEM COME

TO HIS AID IN HIS FORETOLD STRUGGLE AGAINST THE

WOLF FENRIR DURING RAGNAROK.

OLD NORSE POEMS DEPICT VALHALLA AS BEING

THATCHED WITH SHIELDS AND SPEARS AND GUARDED

BY WOLVES AND EAGLES. IT’S A PLACE OF PERPETUAL

FIGHTING, PRESUMABLY WITH THE INTENTION OF

SHARPENING THE WARRIORS’ SKILLS FOR THEIR

BATTLE AGAINST FENRIR.

HAVING SACRIFICED AN EYE TO RECEIVE WISDOM,

ODIN HAD NO NEED TO EAT, AS WINE WAS BOTH

FOOD AND DRINK TO HIM.

ODIN’S THRONE, FROM WHICH HE SUPPOSEDLY COULD

SEE INTO ALL THE WORLDS, WAS CALLED HLIDSKIALF.

DESPITE BEING KNOWN AS ODIN, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT

GOD IN NORSE MYTH HAS MANY NAMES (OVER TWENTY).

EVEN THE NAME SWEDEN COMES FROM “SVIDUR,”

ONE OF ODIN’S NAMES.

THOR IS ONE OF THE THREE MAIN NORSE GODS AND

ARGUABLY THE MOST POPULAR AMONG THE YOUNGER

GENERATION THANKS TO MARVEL COMICS. THE OTHER

TWO ARE ODIN AND FREY.