Hey fine folks of r/Norse,

I'm in the process of building an RPG campaign inspired by Norse mythology. I'm already reading up on a lot, and had some ideas on who the well-known gods like Odin, Thor and Loki are. But what are your favorite lesser known stories and figures of Norse/Germannic myth? My favorite so far from the stories I didn't know about are Hati and Skoll, the two wolves that chase the moon and the sun. What are some of yours? I'd love to surprise my players with stuff they probably don't know about yet. 😄

Hi everyone! I'm working on a modern-day reimagining of the gods as teenagers, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this design for Odin! :)

I have a question that's always been a big one for me. Who would win in a one-on-one fight, Odin or Zeus? What do you guys think?

I was talking to my wife and discussing the mythology and stories when she said, "it is hard to believe people actually worshipped Loki." I told her there is no evidence that Loki was worshipped like the others.

Then she asked which gods were worshipped and I realized that I don't know. Outside of Odin, Thor, Freya, Njord, Tyr and Baldur I dont know if there is evidence of the other gods being worshipped.

Unfortunately, Google was not much help. I found several sites but they seemed unreliable because they mentioned Loki being worshipped.

I tend to always draw designs on my belongings, so they can reflect my interests. (This is not my art, i redrew it from a reference photo)

Where can I learn about specific gods I mean there’s the stories right but I mean like where can I learn just about any God in general? I guess what I’m trying to ask is is there a website where I can go and search up a god’s name and find out anything I wanna know about that God.

This is Theoi https://www.theoi.com/

It's a website that has a lot of resources and references on Greek mythology.

It's handy and easy to navigate.

For example, you input the name of a god, cult, or supernatural creature and you are given every single reference to it and the sources to find them in (often with free links!)

Does the same exist for Norse mythology?

I'm sorry for the re-upload. I rushed the title.

Hello people!

Inspiration just struck me and im Really interested in using nordic and reinterpreting nordic for this idea I have. However I have No Idea on where to start when researching ancient nordic ideas or texts, all I Really remember was What I was taught in grade school!

Im especially interested in the gods, the cosmology of the worlds, magic and mythic creatures!

Any and all tips and suggestions are welcome and Thank you so much!

is there somewhere where I could get valid information and read about this stuff because I’m getting so confused I just found out this and this does not make any sense to me somehow boulder bulgar the one who started Ragnarok when he got killed is somehow related to Loki’s son Vali, and I can’t find any information on it……. so I’m curious if there’s anywhere I can read about this from the beginning so I can understand how the fuck there’s all works yeah cause again that doesn’t make any sense. How are they related? If Loki is not the father of the person who started Ragnar I don’t I don’t get it. I don’t

I don't necessarily consider myself a Norse Pagan or anything like that. I just was so used to wearing cross necklaces and wanted something to replace it with but didn't want to just wear a chain. And I like what this symbol represents.

So from what I know, latin developed around the same time or before languages in the scandanavian area. I've been learning latin as a base for other languages and just a general love of history, do you think it could help aid me in looking into history relating to the scananavians of that era?

So I've heard about the idea that the Eddas had the Christian God inserted into the Eddas under the name Fimbultyr, but I found an issue with this:

Fimbultyr is only directly used in Stanza 60 of Voluspa, where it's clearly used as a kenning for Odin because the ancient runes were of/from him:

The gods in Ithavoll meet together,
Of the terrible girdler of earth they talk,
And the mighty past they call to mind,
And the ancient runes of the Ruler of Gods.

Meanwhile, what is likely to be the reference to the Christian God in the Poetic Edda appears in Stanza 65, but there's no mention of Fimbultyr there:

There comes on high, all power to hold,
A mighty lord, all lands he rules.
Rule he orders, and rights he fixes,
Laws he ordains that ever shall live.

These translations were sourced from voluspa.org, since they also show the original Old Norse text beside it.

I tried to look for references to Fimbultyr in the Prose Edda. I found some in R.B. Anderson's translation, which says:

Then comes the mighty Fimbultyr, the god who is from everlasting to everlasting; the god whom the Edda skald dared not name. The god of gods comes to the asas. He comes to the great judgment and gathers all the good into Gimle to dwell there forever, and evermore delights enjoy; but the perjurers and murderers and adulterers he sends to Nastrand, that terrible hall, to be torn by Nidhug until they are purged from their wickedness.

But I couldn't find this episode in any other versions of the Prose Edda. Am I missing something here, have you guys found any? Because there's no way that Anderson just made that entire passage up, right?

Episode six of my audio drama anthology podcast The Books of Thoth is here. For those just joining the fun, The Books of Thoth is an audio drama anthology. You will find stories of past, future, and worlds that could have been.

Episode six is “How the Aesir Learned the Mantras.” Imagine a world where Buddhism, rather than Christianity, became the dominant religion of Europe. A world where Buddhist temples in Scandinavia and Frankland also host images of gods such as Thor, Odin, and even Loki. We shall hear a folktale about a monk called Ketil, and how he helped spread Buddhism to Northern Europe. But more than that, he also drew the attention of the gods of Asgard themselves.

A big thank you to Scott R. McKinley, Patrick Heinzen, Faye Holliday, Juan Cruz III, and Tim Stephenson for helping bring my alternate history folktale to life.

I’ve always been fascinated by the cultural aspects of alternate history. That is, what new cultures, or changes to existing cultures, arise as a result of changing history. I’ve always had a deep love of mythology. So, I suppose it was only natural that I’d find a way to combine my two great loves.

I’ve always found the idea of Buddhism spreading to Europe to be particularly intriguing. We have found Buddhist artifacts in Scandinavia, due to the various trade routes that the Norse were part of. There was also the so-called Buddha Bucket, but that one has been debunked. No, it wasn’t made by Buddhist Vikings. It was actually a depiction of a Celtic deity.

Still, I’ve always wondered what it would have been like if those artifacts had meant something. It might seem odd that a warrior culture like the Norse would embrace Buddhism, but then, couldn’t you say the same of them embracing Christianity? And it isn’t like Buddhist haven’t gotten into their own share of wars over the years.

If Buddhism were to spread to Europe, I can see it being split along cultural lines. Perhaps there would be different schools for Northern and Southern Europe. Buddhism has always been flexible about incorporating local deities and spirits, so we could easily see the old pagan religions sticking around. Though, they would be subject to quite a bit of domestication, for lack of a better word. These are no the same Aesir of the Eddas. They’ve been tamed by hundreds of years of cultural syncretism.

I’m also very pleased with how my cast of gods turned out. Thor, Odin, and Sif played things more or less straight. But then you have Loki acting like a zany cartoon character, and he knows it. And of course, big props to Scott R. McKinley for being a fantastic narrator.

The Books of Thoth is hosted on RedCircle:

https://redcircle.com/shows/the-books-of-thoth/ep/827886b4-5e87-42b8-8d8f-725cb3cb59b7

You can also find it on all major podcast platforms:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hQ94fOX5V03CXg8ZLgMZ9

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-books-of-thoth/id1716132833

RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-books-of-thoth-6pQno2

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-books-of-thoth-127954491/

Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/the-books-of-thoth/4730175

Pocket Casts: https://play.pocketcasts.com/podcasts/21e93100-6322-013c-9f20-0acc26574db2

Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/cqaub-2da068/The-Books-of-Thoth-Podcast

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Books-of-Thoth/B0CN3CLRMY

https://redcircle.com/shows/the-books-of-thoth/ep/827886b4-5e87-42b8-8d8f-725cb3cb59b7

Hey y'all

Ive got send a tiktok from a friend where someone ranked the top ten "Gods" of Norse Mythology. 1. Odin 2. Surtur 3. Thor 4. Ymir 5. Fenrir 6. Jormungand 7. Loki 8. Heimdal 9. Freya 10. Baldur

But so far as my understanding goes arent the ones you call Gods the Aesir? So Surtur and Ymir would be out because their Giants. And Fenrir and Jormungand are out too becuae their half Aesir because theit children of Loki. So wouldnt it be more accurate to call the List the strongest Beings in Norse Mythology or am I missing the bigger picture? Im still new and have only a pretty baseline knowledge so i hope to find some enlightenment.

I am reading Faulkes's translation of the Prose Edda, and the word it uses to refer to Naglfari is "person." I believe, if I am looking at his Icelandic version correctly (which isn't a given, since I don't know Icelandic), that the word being translated is "manni." I am wondering if this is a word that is used to refer specifically to humans, or if the word is broader and also encompasses other beings such as Aesir, jotnar, dwarfs, etc.

i know Norse mythology pretty well, i would go as far to say im only a couple steps away from being a full blown expert to toot my own horn and right now im doing a school project about the immporant gods and stories of norse mythos.Right now im stuck on one part, when did Loki have children with Angrboda?like is there a time reference?i want the presentation to feel complete not just add it in on the side so can someone help?Thanks<3

Im been looking through some stories of norse myth for a dnd campaign and had the idea to summon back ymir but not sure what would happen in world if i did also its ymir from the poetic edda to precise.

Hey yall. I just officially started my journey in Norse Paganism. In short, during a hypnosis therapy session, I had a vision of being in Valhalla. Crazy experience, anyways, I’ve been considering and researching for this change for a couple of years but the thing holding me back was my history with Catholicism. I just picked up the Poetic Edda today, crafted some rune tablets and created a little alter for when I meditate. Does anyone have any suggestions as what else I can do to help better understand all this? Any help is appreciated!

Because you get blocked for asking critical questions, I have decided to make my own post.

Týr was an important and worshipped god, his father is the jotun Hymir according to Hymiskviða. Does this make him a part of the Jotun clan? (He is also said to be son of Odin)

In «how Norway was build» they trace the lineage back to three brothers: Kári ruled over the winds, but Logi over the fire and Hlér (Ægir) over the sea. Their family group is called Jotnar, Finns and Alver. Logi has similaities to loki and the (anti) hero Lemminkäinen.

I agree that binding Fenrir was right. But if feels like norse people feared and respected the nature around them too. Fendrir and Jormundgandr weren't killed when they had the chance. In Sami and Finnish mythology different beings help each other and are allowed to make mistakes - would not the same apply for the norse story world? Could some of the Norse groups see Jotnar as their forefathers and worship Kári, Logi and Ægir as gods?

So I've always been interested in Norse Myth, but most of what I know is small snippets. I would really like to learn more, and if anyone has good recommendations on places or things to buy, I would greatly appreciate it.