Scandinavian Mythology I INTRODUCTION Scandinavian Mythology, pre-Christian religious beliefs of the Scandinavian people.
Publié le 12/05/2013
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Many ancient mythological heroes, some of whom may have been derived from real persons, were believed to be descendants of the gods; among them were Sigurdthe Dragon-slayer; Helgi Thrice-Born, Harald Wartooth, Hadding, Starkad, and the Valkyries.
The Valkyries, a band of warrior-maidens that included Svava andBrunhild, served Odin as choosers of slain warriors, who were taken to reside in Valhalla.
There the warriors would spend their days fighting and nights feasting untilRagnarok, the day of the final world battle, in which the old gods would perish and a new reign of peace and love would be instituted.
Ordinary individuals were receivedafter death by the goddess Hel in a cheerless underground world.
Scandinavian mythology included dwarves; elves; and the Norns, who distributed fates to mortals.
The ancient Scandinavians also believed in personal spirits, such asthe fylgja and the hamingja , which in some respects resembled the Christian idea of the soul.
The gods were originally conceived as a confederation of two formerly warring divine tribes, the Aesir and the Vanir.
Odin was originally the leader of the Aesir, which consisted of at least 12 gods.
Together all the gods lived in Asgard.
III CREATION MYTH
The Eddic poem Völuspá (Prophecy of the Seeress) portrays a period of primeval chaos, followed by the creation of giants and gods and, finally, of humankind. Ginnungagap was the yawning void, Jotunheim the home of the giants, Niflheim the region of cold, and Muspellsheim the realm of heat.
The great world-tree, Yggdrasil,reached through all time and space, but it was perpetually under attack from Nidhogg, the evil serpent.
The fountain of Mimir, source of hidden wisdom, lay under oneof the roots of the tree.
IV RELIGIOUS RITUAL
The Scandinavian gods were served by a class of priest-chieftains called godar .
Worship was originally conducted outdoors, under guardian trees, near sacred wells, or within sacred arrangements of stones.
Later, wooden temples were used, with altars and with carved representations of the gods.
The most important temple was atOld Uppsala, Sweden, where animals and even human beings were sacrificed.
See separate entries on most of the deities mentioned.
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