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
Back to the World Map
Arctic Cultures
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 human beings live. Midgard, the Earth, was created from the flesh ...Read more

The Sea: Aegir

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

The Winds: Njord

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

The Thunder: Thor

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

The Sky: Tyr

In the early centuries after the birth of Christ, Tyr was not only the sky god but also the ...Read more

The Sky: Odin

Odin was the prominent deity of the Norsemen. He was called the All-Father. Odin was depicted ...Read more

The Aurora: Freya

The Norse mythology associates the aurora with the goddess Freya. Freya was the goddess of ...Read more

The Northern Lights: The Valkiries

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

Scandinavian story-tellers spoke little about goddesses, who were rarely the chief characters ...Read more

More about Norse Mythology

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Do you know the difference between weather and climate?

Did you know that different cultures imagined different constellations, based on their own cultural context?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Epicenter
xEpicenter : The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface vertically above the hypocenter (or focus), point in the crust where a seismic rupture begins.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Oldest Earth Mantle Reservoir Discovered

Researchers have found a primitive Earth mantle reservoir on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. Geologist Matthew Jackson and his colleagues from a multi-institution collaboration report the finding--the...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA