Norse meethologie

Norse Meethology is the name gien tae the hatter o meeths, legends an reelegious lair that's connectit tae the Auld Norse cultur. Aspects o it won intae mair modren Nordic fowklair, an haes mair recently been reconstructit (an in some places re-inventit) bi modren pagans. Maist o whit we nou ken anent thir meeths comes frae the leeteratur o 13t century Iceland.

Releegion

Maist o thir meeths haes their ruits in the pre-Christian releegion o the Norse fowk, tho the auldest written soorces for the maist o thaim wis wrate doun bi the Christan scholars Snorri Sturluson o Iceland an Saxo Grammaticus o Denmark. As sic, maist modren scholars jalouses that the meeths haes been influenced tae at least a smaw degree bi Christianity (e.g. ae meeth haes Odin hingin deid on a tree for nine day afore comin back tae life, an obvious parallel o Christian beliefs anent Jesus Christ), but still for the maist pairt represents the pagan tradeetions o the Norse fowk.

Pantheon

The Auld Norse fowk believed in monie gods an goddesses, some o whit is weel kent e'en the day.

Odin

Odin wis the heidmaist o the gods, an due tae his status wis aften cried the Alföðr (or, Awfaither). He wis wyce an strang, an wis believed tae be the faither o musardry an the runic alphabet, forby bein a war god an the bringer o victory.

Thor

The Thunnergod, the wain-rider, Thor wis the maist popular o the Norse pantheon, an wis wirshippit bi maist ordinar fowk. Gey strang, but no gey cliver, he wis believed tae bring rains an storms. He wis weel kent bi his wappen: the haimer Mjolnir.

Tyr

The ae-haundit god o war, Tyr micht hae been the heidmaist god o the pantheon in earlier stents o its oncome. He wis ane o the maist leal an gallus chiels in Norse meethology.

Loki

A trickster, Loki wis cliver an a dab-haund wi speak; but turned ill an murthert Odin's son Baldr. Gaun by the meeths, he is tae lead the airmy agin the gods at Ragnarok.

Kings an Heroes

The tales o the Norse kings an heroes is telt in the sagas, seemilar tae the naitional epics in ither culturs. Scholars haes aye ettelt tae pou wee bits o genuine history frae thir sagas that aften tells o the foondin o kintras an clans, or o the lifes o heroes an kings in the Norse warld; mony o thaim aiblins did exeest, or micht at least be based on real chiels.

Warld an Cosmology

In Norse meethology, the warld wis creatit frae the body o the ice-gyan Ymir bi Odin an his brithers. The warld is spleet intae three planes: the rick o the gods (Asgard); the rick o men (Midgard) an the rick o the deid (Niflheim) - ane atap the ither, an jyned thegither by a muckle esh tree cryed Yggdrasil. Midgaard is surroondit bi Jötunheim, the rick o the gyans - the twa is sindert bi the ocean. The meeths alludes tae a tot o nine hamelands, but thir canna be aw named acause thir is niver aw listit. It micht be nearer tae the sooth tae think o deeferent dimensions that can be owerlowpit bi gods an ither weirdly beins (syne the gods aften gaes tae Midgard, feor exemplar) raither nor kintras as sic.

Endtimes

Like maist culturs, the Auld Norse fowk haed an idea o whit the end o time wad be like. They believed it wad end in a muckle stour atween the gods an their faes; a happenin that they cried Ragnarok. In it, the gods wis weirdit tae be beaten, an the auld (that is tae say, current) order o things wad be dingit doun. The warld an pantheon as they believed it tae be wis tae be nae mair, an the auld gods wad dee. Houmsome'er, a new order o things wad be born efterhaund.