Norse Gods & Myths Illustrated

Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with 100 illustrations and artworks of Norse gods, heroes and myths, this book will fascinate anyone interested in the realms of Asgard.

The mythology of the Vikings is still alive today in popular culture: everyone knows of Thor, the Norse god of war (made popular through the Marvel Cinematic Universe); Ragnarök, the great battle at the end of the world, where many gods and heroes perish and the earth is submerged in water; the tragic love story of Siegfried and Brunhild, central to the music and operas of German composer Richard Wagner; the characters of Loki the Trickster, the great god Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and elves, dwarfs and trolls, all popular motifs in 20th century fantasy literature. In Norse Gods & Myths see how Odin exchanged his eye in order to drink from the wisdom-giving Mímisbrunnr magical well; learn how Loki cut off the hair of the beautiful goddess Sif as a practical joke, and had to repay Thor by obtaining the all- powerful hammer Mjöllnir from artisan dwarves; explore how Asgard, the mythical dwelling place of the gods, was fortified by the giant jötunn in exchange for the fertility goddess Freya’s hand in marriage; and marvel at Yggdrasil, the sacred tree around which the Norse cosmos developed. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding with 100 illustrations and photographs, this book will fascinate anyone interested in the mythology that brought us the terrifying giant wolf Fenrir and the goddess Hel, ruler of the underworld.

Contents Introduction: Sources Much of what we know about Norse creation myths come from the Prose edda and Poetic Edda – two Old Norse textbooks written in Iceland during the early 13th century by scholar Snorri Sturlson. Nineteenth century scholars brought the mythology of Scandinavia back to the popular notice of many people in Germany and England; Norse mythology was recognized as the latest surviving form of Germanic paganism. Creation Myths and Cosmology The universe began with a realm of ice and a realm of fire floating side by side in a void. As these realms crept slowly toward each other, the ice began to melt, and the droplets gathered into the shape of a jötunn, or giant. His name was Ymir, and, when he slept, more jötnar were born from the sweat of his armpits. The first humans were created from fallen trees. After manufacturing the cosmos from Ymir’s corpse, Odin and his brothers began to explore the new realms, and in one place they found a beach, with two tree trunks lying side by side. The trunks resembled a man and a woman, but they were completely lifeless and inert. Midgard, the Middle Earth, the abode of mankind, made from the body of the first created being, the giant Ymir. Yggdrasill, in Norse mythology, the world tree, a giant ash supporting the universe. Gods: A–Z Norse mythology is unusual in that it has two sets of deities who became a single pantheon. The clash between the Aesir (gods of war) and Vanir (gods of nature or fertility) could have a different mythic significance, however. It might indicate a change in society to a more martial outlook, since although the two sets of gods are supposedly equal, the Aesir seem to be the senior partners. • Baldur - God of beauty, innocence, peace, and rebirth. Consort: Nanna. Dead, Killed by his blind brother, Höðr, who was tricked by Loki into killing him with a spear of mistletoe. • Borr - Father of Óðinn, Vili and Ve. Consort: Bestla • Bragi - God of poetry, music and the harp. Consort: Iðunn. • Búri - Ruler of Prehistory, the first god and father of Borr. • Dagur - God of the daytime, son of Delling and Nótt. • Delling - God of the dawn. • Eir - Goddess of healing. • Ēostre - Goddess of spring. • Elli - Goddess of old age. • Forseti - God of justice, peace and truth. Son