Gods and Myths of Northern Europe

Surveys the pre-Christian beliefs of the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. Provides an introduction to this subject, giving basic outlines to the sagas and stories, and helps identify the charachter traits of not only the well known but also the lesser gods of the age. Surveys The Pre-christian Beliefs Of The Scandinavian And Germanic Peoples. The Myth-makers -- The Sources Of Our Knowledge -- New Light On The Myths -- The World Of The Northern Gods: The Prose Edda -- The Gods And Their World -- Thor And The Giants -- The Doom Of The Gods -- The Giants And The Dwarfs -- Myths Outside The Prose Edda -- The Gods Of Battle: Odin, Lord Of Hosts -- The Germanic War Gods -- The Valkyries Of Odin -- The Berserks Of Odin -- The Worship Of The War God -- The Thunder God: Thor In The Myths -- The Temples Of Thor -- The Hammer Of Thor -- The God Of The Sky -- Thor And His Adversaries -- The Gods Of Peace And Plenty: The Deity In The Wagon -- Freyr, God Of Plenty -- Companions Of Freyr -- The Mother Goddess -- The Goddess Freyja -- The Power Of The Vanir -- The Gods Of The Sea: Aegir And Ran -- Njord, God Of Ships -- The Depths Of The Sea -- The Gods Of The Dead: Odin And Mercury -- Odin As A Shaman -- The Realm Of Odin -- The Burial Mound -- Thor And The Dead -- The Dragon And The Dead -- The Enigmatic Gods: Bragi And Idun -- Mimir And Hoenir -- The Twin Gods -- Forseti -- Heimdall -- Loki -- Balder -- The Beginning And The End: The World Tree -- The Creation Of The World -- The End Of The World -- Conclusion : The Passing Of The Old Gods. H.r. Ellis Davidson. Names And Sources: P. 227-240. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 225) And Index. Tiw, Woden, Thunor, Frig. these ancient northern deities gave their names to the very days of our week. Nevertheless, most of us know far more of Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and the classical deities. Recent researches in archaeology and mythology have added to what was already a fairly consistent picture (largely derived from a twelfth-century Icelandic account) of the principal Scandinavian gods and goddesses. This new study - the first popular treatment of the subject to appear in English for many years - is the work of a scholar who has long specialized in Norse and Germanic mythology. She describes the more familiar gods of war, of fertility, of the sky and the sea and the dead, and also discusses those puzzling figures of Norse mythology - Heimdall, Balder, and Loki. All these deities were worshipped in the Viking Age, and the author has endeavoured to relate their cults to daily life and to see why these pagan beliefs gave way in time to the Christian faith. Traces the origins and discusses the significance of the major Scandinavian deities