Norse Creation StoriesAesirAsgardAsk and EmblaBaldrBestlaBorBragiBuricontestsFriggFrost ogresGanglieriGefjonGenesisGinnungagapGylfi

HelIcelandMidgardMuspellNiflhel/NiflheimOdinoral mythparataxisRagnarokRationalization of mythSifSnorri SturlusonThorTroywritten mythYmir/Aurgelmir

The Norse Pantheon(also Viking / Scandinavian / Germanic)

Balder (Balker) FreyaFreyrFrigLokiNjordOdin (Woden)ThorTyrFor quick ID's see:

http://fullmoon_deities.tripod.com/norse.html

1- Woden- Death, poetry, victory2- Thor- Thunder and war3- Tyr- War4- Loki- Evil and fire5- Balker- Light and beauty6- Frey- Sun of fertility7- Idum- Eternal youth

Norse Genealogy

•Hurstwic. Norse Literature http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/literature/text/literature.htm

Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241)

and the Prose Edda

A 20th century sculpture of Snorri by Vigeland

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/

PARATAXIS

RATIONALIZATION

Study Questions on Norse Creation Stories • 1. What would it feel like to live as a believer in the stories Snorri tells? If

you worshipped the gods he describes, what would your view of the world be? Would it be better or worse than living under the divine system described by Hesiod and Ovid?

• 2. Compare what Snorri says in his Prologue about the non-Norse deities with what you have learned from ancient Greek and Roman sources in Chapters 3 and 4.

• 3. We read that Snorri Sturluson’s recounting of Norse myth (especially in his Prologue) is rationalized. What would cause him to create such an elaborate rationalization?

• 4. Why are the Aesir so named, and why is this area important to Snorri?• 5. Draw a “map” of the world described by Snorri in the Prologue. How

does this reflect the events he describes?• 6. Compare the world of the Norse to that of the Israelites in Genesis.• 7. Compare the description of creation here with those in Genesis and

Hesiod. Make a chart that highlights important ideas.• 8. What is the parallel to Ginnungagap in Greek mythology?• 9. Describe briefly the steps in Icelandic myth leading up to the creation

of humans.• 10. Explain what it means to say that Snorri rationalized myth in the

Prologue of the Prose Edda.• 11. Describe Odin's "personality" as a god as evidenced by this section of

the Prose Edda. Give at least one example of how he treats humans.

Snorri’s Ptolemaic Universe

The illustration to the right is from the section Gylfaginning (the tricking of Gylfi), showing Gylfi in a contest of wisdom with three Æsir: High-One, Just-As-High, and Third.

Geysir Strokkur

For animation see http://fam-tille.de/island/iceland/geysir/1998_extrastrokkur_ani.gif

Ymir

Óðin, Vili, and Vé take Ymir's body to the center of Ginnungagap. From his body, they make the world.

Yggdrasil Norse World Tree

Yggdrasil Norse World Tree

The Norse World Tree or Yggdrasil is depicted with Odin sacrificing himself as an initiation into the Mysteries as referenced in the Havamal. Above him Ratatosk, the squirrel ferries insults between Niddhog the dragon, the force of destruction in the tree's roots and the Eagle who represents the highest spiritual light. The three Norns are seen as Past, Present and Future as they constantly pour healing waters on the tree's roots to heal the damage of Niddhogg. Below them sits Hel in the Underworld flanked by Asgard with its Rainbow Bridge and Jotunheim with Mimir's head.

Norse Creation StoriesAesir AsgardBaldrBragiContestsFriggFrost OgresGanglieriGenesisGinnungagapGylfiIcelandMidgardOdinParataxisRationalization of MythSnorri SturlusonThorTroyYmir/Aurgelmir             

Add: GylfaginningYggdrasil