Each nation has its own culture, religion, worldview. Until Christianity in the West became the dominant religion, the countries worshiped the forces of nature and various beings. Of particular interest are the gods of the ancient Vikings, a people who instilled horror in the population of all coastal cities. After all, they professed paganism longer than the inhabitants of other European states.
The special system of the universe
The Viking gods, whose list is very impressive, are descended from the god Heimdal. He had three sons, who gave birth to three social groups: slaves (descendants of Trel), warriors (descendants of Jarl) and farmers (descendants of Karl). The brave Normans, or Varangians, as they were called in Russia, considered Jarl, his son Kon (Konung) to be his ancestor. Therefore, the military business was considered noble, the one that they were destined to do. The Scandinavians believed that the gods lived in a fabulous place - Mithgard, which was surrounded by Utgard. Various monsters, dwarfs and giants lived in this part of the Universe. With these forces of evil, the gods fought constantly. At a certain time, the greatest battle must begin, in which all will perish. But then the world will revive again and become a cleaner, real paradise.
Gods of the conquerors of the seas
As befits paganism, each god had his own functions and the sphere for which he was responsible. They looked like ordinary people, only had superpowers. A little lower than the gods in the Viking hierarchy were the Valkyries - warlike virgins who awarded the warrior either victory at the behest of the gods or a valiant death on the battlefield. They also worshiped the Norns, who spun the thread of man’s fate and determined what his life would be like.
According to the Younger Edda, the gods themselves were divided into two families: the Vanes, the patrons of agriculture and fertility, and the Ases, the dominant group, like the Olympians in ancient Hellas. They used to be at enmity, but then made peace. Here are the names of the Vikings (main) gods:
- One is a supreme deity with a sharp temper, unbridled and unpredictable, but very wise, his name was practically never mentioned, he was not written in runes;
- Thor is the god of thunder and lightning;
- Freyr is the god of fertility;
- Balder;
- Loki
- Hod;
- Vali
- Heimdall;
- Ull;
- Bragi;
- Nyord;
- Tür;
- Vidar;
- Frigg - Odin's wife;
- Idunn - the goddess of youth, the keeper of youthful apples made of pure gold;
- Freya is the goddess of love;
- Siv is Thor's wife.
One is the Viking god
This is the main god who was considered the most powerful and powerful. He had only one eye. According to legend, the supreme Viking god sacrificed another eye to drink from the source of wisdom. A spring located near the world tree Yggdrasil was guarded by the giant Mimir, who demanded a fee from Odin. The giant himself was later killed, but his head continued to help with good advice.
God sat on the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and held a spear in his hand. Odin served two ravens who brought him news from around the world. His home was Valhalla, where the Valkyries brought the souls of dead soldiers (this was a great honor and the ultimate dream of the Viking). In this place, the souls of the warriors trained and had fun, waiting for a great battle with evil.
Thunder Thunder
One was very revered. Viking god Thor - second in importance. He was the son of Odin and commanded the weather and the harvest, rains and storms, thunder and lightning. If the elements raged heavily, then the priests ordered to make a sacrifice to Thor. His character was ideal: he treated everything with understanding, was calm and reliable. But at the same time, he possessed great physical strength, with the help of which he fought evil (that is, with the giants, the Mandgard Serpent). Thor carried a huge hammer and rode a cart drawn by goats. It was a pendant in the form of weapons of this god that was worn around the neck as a talisman (like a pectoral cross). The name of God is mentioned on runestones, in many sagas, many geographical objects are named after him.
Frey giving joy
One ruled the world. The Viking god Freyr was also very revered, as it was believed that he gives people joy and peace. At his statue with a huge penis, sacrifices were made during weddings. He was also considered the ancestor of the Ingling, a royal family. Unfortunately, the famous statue was destroyed by Bishop Aegino during the Christianization of Northern Europe. But a small figurine of God made of bronze reached us. The sister of God was Freya.
Insidious Loki
This is a controversial god, cunning and treacherous. His children were the wolf Fenrir and the snake Midgard. Loki was an instigator, set gods and people against each other, plotted, deceived, therefore he was a kind of personification of evil. However, he was appreciated for his sharp mind, incredible beauty and the ability to change his appearance. And the gods often turned to him if it was necessary to find a way out in a difficult situation.
