Norse Mythology

The Norse people lived from about A.D. 200 to 500 in northern Europe and Scandinavia. After A.D. 700, some of the Norse began migration in search of new lands, settling in parts of the British Isles, Iceland, Greenland and East into Russia. From this period on, the Norse are known as Vikings.

The Norse Family Tree
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The Norse pantheon is a colorful mix of gods and goddesses. Our knowledge of Norse mythology is based mainly on documents written between the 11th and 18th centuries, after the Norse officially became Christian. These documents record earlier stories and sagas. As in other cultures, many of the gods and goddesses in Norse mythology were thought to be related to one another, so they can be represented in a family tree.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>

Explore Norse Mythology

The Earth: Midgard

Midgard is the realm where humans live, the Earth. It was created when the god Odin and his ...Read more

The Sea: Aegir

Aegir was a fierce god of the sea. He had fingers like claws. His wife was named Ran, and they ...Read more

The Winds: Njord

Njord was the god of the sea and winds in Norse mythology. He is the father of Freyr and Freya ...Read more

The Thunder: Thor

In Norse mythology, Thor was the god of thunder. He produces thunder with his hammer, called ...Read more

The Sky: Tyr

Tyr was the sky god in Norse mythology. He sacrificed one of his hands for the good of the ...Read more

The Sky: Odin

Odin was the mighty god to the Norsemen. He was called All-Father. He is pictured as a middle-aged ...Read more

The Aurora: Freya

Norse mythology associates the aurora with the beautiful goddess, Freya, daughter of Njord ...Read more

The Northern Lights: The Valkiries

It has been suggested that the northern lights, the aurora, represented the reflections of ...Read more

The Sun: Freyr

According to Norse mythology, Freyr was closely linked with the Sun. He was the god of peace ...Read more

The Planet Venus: Sif

In Norse mythology, Sif was the wife of Thor, the mighty god of thunder. Sif was a very loyal ...Read more

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