Gallery · belief: pre-1000 CE · texts: c. 1220–1270

Norse Mythology

Nordisk mytologi

40 entities80 relationships7 myths27 artworks

historical mythology

The beliefs are pre-Christian (attested archaeologically from the Viking Age); the written sources are Christian-era (1220–1300) and post-hoc. The gap between belief and text is part of what this section presents.

01 — Cosmology

The shape of the world

The Nine Worlds are arranged around the world-tree Yggdrasil, which connects them. Asgard is at the top (the realm of the gods), Midgard (the human world) in the middle, and the realms of ice, fire, and the dead at the bottom and sides. The world-serpent Jörmungandr encircles Midgard in the sea [S2]. Yggdrasil is the axis that holds all the worlds together.

02 — The relationship graph

How the divine world is wired

Two ways to read the same data: the genealogy view layers generations top → bottom (partners side by side, children fanning from the union), while the relationships view shows the full web of typed relationships — filter by category, or click any node to open its profile. Line style encodes confidence: solid = attested, dashed = disputed, dotted = scholarly reconstruction.

View

hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side

Overlays

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parentage
marriage ♥

far = primordials · medium = all · close = detail — scroll/pan, click a deity to focus

03 — Major myths

The stories

The Creation of the World from Ymir

Between the ice of Niflheim and the fire of Muspelheim, in the void of Ginnungagap, the rime formed the giant Ymir and the cow Auðhumbla. From the salt Auðhumbla licked came the first god, Búri. His descendants — Odin, Vili, and Vé — killed Ymir and made the world from his body: his blood the seas, his flesh the earth, his bones the mountains, his skull the sky [S2].

6 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

Odin and the Runes

To win the runes, Odin hung himself on the world-tree Yggdrasil for nine nights, pierced by his own spear, until the runes revealed themselves to him [S1]. The runes are the source of wisdom and of the poetic art, and Odin is their patron [S1][S3].

1 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Death of Baldr

Baldr, the brightest of the gods, had dreams of his death. His mother Frigg extracted oaths from all things not to harm him — except the mistletoe. Loki, disguised as an old woman, learned of this and guided Baldr's blind brother Höðr to throw a mistletoe dart at Baldr, killing him [S2]. Baldr's death is the beginning of the end, setting the chain of events that leads to Ragnarök [S1][S2].

4 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Binding of Fenrir

The gods, fearing the growing wolf Fenrir, tried to bind him. The first two bindings he broke, but the third — a magic ribbon made of six impossible things (Gleipnir) — held. Only Týr placed his hand in the wolf's mouth as a pledge; when the binding held, Fenrir bit off his hand [S2].

3 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

Loki's Children

Loki, in the form of a mare, mated with the stallion Svaðilfari and bore Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of Odin. With the giantess Angerboa, Loki fathered the great monsters: the wolf Fenrir, the world-serpent Jörmungandr, and Hel, the ruler of the dead [S2].

6 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

Ragnarök (The Fate of the Gods)

At the end of the world, a great winter (the Fimbulwinter) precedes Ragnarök. The bonds break: Fenrir breaks free, Jörmungandr rises from the sea, and the ship Naglfar (built from the nails of the dead) sails with the hosts of the dead. Heimdall sounds the horn Gjallarhorn; the gods ride to the field of Vígríðr. In the great battle, Odin is swallowed by Fenrir (avenged by Víðarr), Thor slays Jörmungandr but dies of his venom, Freyr is slain by Surt (having given away his sword), and Heimdall and Loki kill each other. Surt's fire destroys the world; from the ashes, a new world rises [S1][S2].

8 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

Thor and the Giantess (Geirðröðr)

Thor, disguised as a servant, went to the home of the giantess Geirðröðr to win her as a wife. He lifted the cat (which was actually the world-serpent Jörmungandr in disguise) and drank from a horn that was bottomless (the ocean). He was matched by the giant Utgarda-Pöki, who turned out to be the giant who had been deceiving him with illusions [S2].

2 PARTICIPANTS · READ STORY →

The Creation of the World from Ymir

The Primordial Void

Niflheim (ice), Muspelheim (fire), and the gap between [S2].

Ymir and Auðhumbla

The rime formed Ymir; the cow licked him free [S2].

Búri

The first god, from the salt [S2].

The Three Brothers

Odin, Vili, and Vé, sons of Borr and Bestla [S2].

The World from Ymir

The body of Ymir became the world [S2].

Sources: [S1] [S2]

Odin and the Runes

The Self-Sacrifice

Odin hung on Yggdrasil for nine nights [S1].

The Reveal

The runes revealed themselves to him [S1].

Sources: [S1] [S3]

The Death of Baldr

The Dreams

Baldr dreamed of his death [S2].

The Oaths

Frigg bound all things — except the mistletoe [S2].

Loki's Trick

Loki, as an old woman, led Höðr to throw the mistletoe [S2].

The Death

Baldr was killed; his funeral was a great event [S2].

Sources: [S2]

The Binding of Fenrir

The Fear

The gods feared Fenrir's strength [S2].

The First Two Bonds

Leadbond and Dromi — Fenrir broke both [S2].

Gleipnir

A ribbon of six impossible things [S2].

Týr's Hand

Only Týr placed his hand in the wolf's mouth; it was bitten off [S2].

Sources: [S2]

Loki's Children

Sleipnir

Loki as a mare; the eight-legged horse [S2].

The Monsters

Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel, with Angerboa [S2].

Sources: [S2]

Ragnarök (The Fate of the Gods)

Sources: [S1] [S2]

Thor and the Giantess (Geirðröðr)

The Disguise

Thor as a servant [S2].

The Cat

Lifting the cat (Jörmungandr in disguise) [S2].

The Horn

Drinking from the bottomless horn (the ocean) [S2].

The Reveal

Utgarda-Pöki's illusions revealed [S2].

Sources: [S2]

04 — Sources & archaeology

When it was written, not when it began

⚠ The date of a source is not the date of the myth it preserves.

c. 500–800 CE

period

Proto-Norse

The Norse gods are worshipped in Scandinavia; the earliest evidence is archaeological (runestones, offerings, place-names). The gods Odin, Thor, and others are named.

c. 793–1066 CE

period

Viking Age

The Viking Age. Skaldic poetry names the gods. The great ship burials (Oseberg, c. 834; Gokstad) and the Gosforth Cross (c. 950–1000) show the gods in art.

c. 1000–1100 CE

period

Conversion

Scandinavia converts to Christianity; the old gods are suppressed but survive in poetry and place-names.

c. 1220–1235 CE

period

Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson writes the Prose Edda, preserving the myths in a Christian context. This is the main source for most Norse myth.

c. 1270 CE (preserves 9th–11th c. poetry)

period

Poetic Edda

The Poetic Edda (Codex Regius) is copied, preserving older oral poetry (the Hávamál, the Völuspá, and others).