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Dighton Rock

Dighton Rock

Dighton Rock

A Norse boat unearthed at Sandefjord.

Norse

A Norse boat unearthed at Sandefjord.

The Northmen of the seas.

Northmen

The Northmen of the seas.

"Odin then regulatied the periods of day and night and the seasons by placing in the heavens the sun and moon, and appointing them to their respective courses." —Bulfinch, 1897

Odin

"Odin then regulatied the periods of day and night and the seasons by placing in the heavens the sun…

"Thor, the thunderer, Odin's eldest son, is the strongest of gods and men, and possesses three very precious things. The first is a hammer, which both the Frost and Mountain giants know to their cost, when they see it hurled against them in the air, for it has split many a skull of their fathers and kindred. When thrown, it returns to his hand of its own accord. The second rare thing he possesses is called the belt of strength. When he girds it about him his divine might is doubled. The third, also very precious, is his iron gloves, which he puts on whenever he would use his mallet efficiently." —Bulfinch, 1897

Thor

"Thor, the thunderer, Odin's eldest son, is the strongest of gods and men, and possesses three very…

"Once on a time, when the gods were contructing their abodes and had already finished Midgard and Valhalla, a certain artificer came and offered to build them a residence so fortified that they should be perfectly safe from the incursions of the Frost giants and the giants of the mountains. But he demanded for his reward the goddess Freya, together with the sun and the moon." —Bulfinch, 1897

Freya

"Once on a time, when the gods were contructing their abodes and had already finished Midgard and Valhalla,…

A Norse ship copied from one in Nordenskiold's <em>Voyage of the Vega</em>.

Norse

A Norse ship copied from one in Nordenskiold's Voyage of the Vega.

The plan of a Viking ship.

Viking Ship

The plan of a Viking ship.

Rowlock of the Viking ship.

Rowlock

Rowlock of the Viking ship.

Norse boat used as a habitation.

Norsemen

Norse boat used as a habitation.

Norman ship from the Bayeux Tapestry.

Norman Ship

Norman ship from the Bayeux Tapestry.

Norman ship from the Bayeux Tapestry.

Norse Weapons

Norman ship from the Bayeux Tapestry.

A tablet by the Norsemen.

Norsemen Tablet

A tablet by the Norsemen.

Norsemen alphabet.

Norsemen

Norsemen alphabet.

An image of two dwarves from the Norse myth "The Gifts the Dwarfs Made."

Dwarves

An image of two dwarves from the Norse myth "The Gifts the Dwarfs Made."

"In Old Norse mythology, the maiden attendants of Odin, who, at his command, rode over battlefields and bore the souls of the bravest of the slain to Valhalla, Odin's great hall." -Foster, 1921

Valkyrie

"In Old Norse mythology, the maiden attendants of Odin, who, at his command, rode over battlefields…

Odin was the god of gods in Norse mythology.

Odin

Odin was the god of gods in Norse mythology.

A Norse Ship of the tenth century.

Norse Ship

A Norse Ship of the tenth century.

An illustration of a Norse Galley. Norse is an adjective relating things to Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Sweden. A galley is an ancient ship which can be propelled entirely by human oarsmen, used for warfare and trade. Oars are known from at least the time of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. Many galleys had masts and sails for use when the winds were favorable.

Norse Galley

An illustration of a Norse Galley. Norse is an adjective relating things to Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands,…

Hvalsey (Greenlandic Qaqortukukooq) is a location near Qaqortoq, Greenland and the site of a number of Greenland's best-preserved Norse ruins in what was known by the Norse as the Eastern Settlement. It is the site of the largest and best-preserved ruins from the Norse period, Hvalseyjarkirkja. The last written records of the Norse Greenlanders are from a 1408 marriage in the church of Hvalsey — today the most well-preserved of the Norse ruins.

Hvalsey Church, near Qaqortoq, Greenland

Hvalsey (Greenlandic Qaqortukukooq) is a location near Qaqortoq, Greenland and the site of a number…

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Norse Arrowhead

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Norse Arrowhead

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Norse Arrowhead

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Norse Arrowhead

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

Norse Arrowhead

Old stone relic of Norse warfare

One of the most important remains from the Viking age was found at the grave site Gokstadhaugen in Sandefjord. The Gokstad ship was found in 1880, and is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. A replica of Gokstad ship, called Gaia currently has Sandefjord as home port.

Norse Boat Unearthed at Sandefjord

One of the most important remains from the Viking age was found at the grave site Gokstadhaugen in Sandefjord.…

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River 10 km east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. The exterior is a close imitation of the Parthenon (a temple of the Greek goddess Athena), and is constructed of gray marble. It was the idea of 20-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1807, at a time when the German states were defeated and occupied by Napoleon. It was meant as a place for the commemoration of great figures and events in ethnic German history, at the time covering 1,800 years, beginning with the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (AD 9). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those gloriously slain in battle, Ludwig's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics and specifically also for women.

Exterior of Walhalla

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River…

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River 10 km east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It was the idea of 20-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1807, at a time when the German states were defeated and occupied by Napoleon. It was meant as a place for the commemoration of great figures and events in ethnic German history, at the time covering 1,800 years, beginning with the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those gloriously slain in battle, Ludwig's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics and specifically also for women. The walls are lined with marble, and the ceiling is very richly gilded and decorated. The busts that are placed in rows along the walls are, as far as possible, likenesses of celebrated Germans deemed worthy of a place in the Temple of Fame.

Interior of Walhalla

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River…

Christopher Columbus (between August 25 and October 31, 1451 – May 20, 1506) was a Genoese navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean—funded by Queen Isabella of Spain—led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. Although not the first to reach the Americas from Europe—he was preceded by the Norse, led by Leif Ericsson, who built a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux Meadows— Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans.

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus (between August 25 and October 31, 1451 – May 20, 1506) was a Genoese navigator,…

In the Norse myth of the Mead of Poetry, a giant, Suttung, stole the mead, which is magical and makes one who drinks it wise and scholarly. Odin takes it back by turning into a handsome man and taking it from Suttung's daughter, Gunlad.

Odin and Gunlad

In the Norse myth of the Mead of Poetry, a giant, Suttung, stole the mead, which is magical and makes…

Loki goes into Asgard with his daughter, Hela, and his pets, Jormundgand the serpent, and Fenris the wolf. The people of Asgard are afraid of Hela because one side of her body was black and one side was white. They were also afraid of the wolf and the serpent and had various plans to get rid of Hela, Jormundgand, and Fenris.

Loki and his Pets

Loki goes into Asgard with his daughter, Hela, and his pets, Jormundgand the serpent, and Fenris the…

The Norse god of thunder, Thor rides his brass chariot drawn by his goats, Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher. He flies as he carries his red hot iron hammer.

Thor the Thunder God

The Norse god of thunder, Thor rides his brass chariot drawn by his goats, Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher.…

Loki, the god of mischief, cut off all of Thor's wife, Sif's beautiful hair. In order to get something better to replace her hair, he has Dvalin the dwarf make a wig of pure gold.

Loki and Dvalin

Loki, the god of mischief, cut off all of Thor's wife, Sif's beautiful hair. In order to get something…

Skidbladnir, a ship build by Dvalin the dwarf. "The first present was a magic ship, It was so small that it could be folded up and carried in the pocket when it was not needed. When the gods wished to use the ship, it would spread out large enough to carry them all. The most wonderful thing about the ship was that it made its own breezes." -Klugh, 1909

Skidbladner the Magic Ship

Skidbladnir, a ship build by Dvalin the dwarf. "The first present was a magic ship, It was so small…

Thor, Loki, and two children, Thialfi and Roska travel to Giant Land where they find what they think is a house. They sleep in the largest room. When they wake up, the sun's light shows that they were sleeping in the thumb of a giant's glove.

Sleeping in the Giant's Glove

Thor, Loki, and two children, Thialfi and Roska travel to Giant Land where they find what they think…

The king of the Frost Giants tests Thor's strength by challenging him to lift his cat. Thor tries with all his might but can only lift her paw.

Thor in Giant Land

The king of the Frost Giants tests Thor's strength by challenging him to lift his cat. Thor tries with…

Thor defeats a frost giant, Hrungnir. But as he falls, his club hits Thor, causing him to fall too. He is stuck under Hrungnir's foot.

Thor Stuck Under Hrungnir's Foot

Thor defeats a frost giant, Hrungnir. But as he falls, his club hits Thor, causing him to fall too.…

The prince of the Frost Giants steals Thor's hammer. The Frost Prince agrees to return it if he can marry Freya, the goddess of beauty. In order to get it back, Thor dresses up as Freya and attends the giants' great feast. Upon return of the hammer, Thor shows himself and defeats all of the Frost Giants.

Tricking the Frost Prince

The prince of the Frost Giants steals Thor's hammer. The Frost Prince agrees to return it if he can…

The gods agree to hire a builder to build a wall around the Golden City. The builder asks for the sun, the moon, and Freya the goddess of beauty as payment. They agree if he could do it in one winter because they believed he would not be able to, therefore they could keep the sun, the moon, and Freya. With help from his horse, the builder was almost finished before the winter. So Loki turned into a pony to distract the horse. The builder was not able to finish.

Loki Turns into a Pony

The gods agree to hire a builder to build a wall around the Golden City. The builder asks for the sun,…

Thor and Tyr travel to the Hymir the giant's house to get his large kettle named Mile-Deep. Hymir's wife, Hrod shows it to them.

Hrod and the Kettle Mile-Deep

Thor and Tyr travel to the Hymir the giant's house to get his large kettle named Mile-Deep. Hymir's…

Idun, the Norse goddess of youth carries a box of golden apples. Whoever eats the apples never grow old. Loki tells her that a crabapple tree's fruit is better than her golden apples when trying to obtain some for the giant Thiassi.

Loki Shows Idun a Crabapple Tree

Idun, the Norse goddess of youth carries a box of golden apples. Whoever eats the apples never grow…

Skadi is a giantess and daughter of Thiassi who was killed while chasing Loki because of a trick. Skadi asks the gods for something in return for the loss of her father. They let her choose a husband by looking at only the gods' feet. She chooses a pair of white, slim feet which belong to Niord, the wind god.

Skadi Chooses a Husband

Skadi is a giantess and daughter of Thiassi who was killed while chasing Loki because of a trick. Skadi…

Loki, the mischief maker, turns into a fly to steal Freya's golden necklace. As Freya, the goddess of beauty sleeps, Loki as a fly, bites her on the cheek to get a hold of her necklace.

Loki as a Fly on Freya's Cheek

Loki, the mischief maker, turns into a fly to steal Freya's golden necklace. As Freya, the goddess of…

Freya searches for her husband Odur in her chariot drawn by two white cats. As she rode, she cried golden tears that spread all across the world.

Freya Searching for Odur

Freya searches for her husband Odur in her chariot drawn by two white cats. As she rode, she cried golden…

Geirrod the giant spies a bird on the chimney of his castle. It is really Loki wearing Freya's eagle feather coat. Geirrod keeps him and gives him no food or water since he will not talk.

Geirrod and Loki

Geirrod the giant spies a bird on the chimney of his castle. It is really Loki wearing Freya's eagle…

Geirrod the giant's daughter pours a pitcher of water into a stream. Thor and Loki are wading through it until it starts becoming deeper. Thor throws a stone near her to scare her away.

Geirrod's Daughter Pouring Water

Geirrod the giant's daughter pours a pitcher of water into a stream. Thor and Loki are wading through…

According to Norse mythology, in Elfland, elves and fairies would dance in a circle in the moonlight. "Whenever the fairies danced at night, the grass grew greener. Any one going through the forest the next day could tell where the elves had been by the rings of green grass." -Klugh, 1909

Elves and Fairies Dancing

According to Norse mythology, in Elfland, elves and fairies would dance in a circle in the moonlight.…

Odin lets Frey, the god of sunshine, sit in his throne. While he looks across the land, he sees Gerda, a giantess, and falls in love with her.

Frey Sitting in Odin's Throne

Odin lets Frey, the god of sunshine, sit in his throne. While he looks across the land, he sees Gerda,…

Vali, the sunshine god, is found as a baby in a ship that arrives sailing by itself. The people of that city crown him king.

Vali Arrives

Vali, the sunshine god, is found as a baby in a ship that arrives sailing by itself. The people of that…

Hulda, the Norse goddess of spring sits on the throne in her cave. A shepherd finds this cave and as a reward, Hulda gives him anything in the cave. He chooses the blue flowers she holds in her hand.

Hulda and the Shepherd

Hulda, the Norse goddess of spring sits on the throne in her cave. A shepherd finds this cave and as…

Loreley, a water fairy, rides her chariot drawn by two goldfish. She was a siren, singing and distracting fishermen, until she fell in love with one of them.

Loreley in her Chariot

Loreley, a water fairy, rides her chariot drawn by two goldfish. She was a siren, singing and distracting…

Sigmund, the son of Volsung, lived in a castle with a giant oak tree growing out of it. A disguised Odin thrusts a powerful sword in the oak and says that whoever can pull it out will be able to keep the mighty sword. No grown men could pull it out, but young Sigmund pulls it out with ease.

Sigmund and the Oak Tree

Sigmund, the son of Volsung, lived in a castle with a giant oak tree growing out of it. A disguised…

Sigmund and his wife Sieglinde are traveling with their son, Siegfried. They are attacked by robbers. The dwarf Regin helps Sieglinde and eventually raises Siegfried as his own.

Regin Helping Sieglinde and Siegfried

Sigmund and his wife Sieglinde are traveling with their son, Siegfried. They are attacked by robbers.…

In Norse mythology, Siegfried is a brave young man who is raised by the dwarf, Regin. He decides that he wants to do something important and goes into the cave where the dragon lives. He battles and slays the dragon.

Siegfried Slays the Dragon

In Norse mythology, Siegfried is a brave young man who is raised by the dwarf, Regin. He decides that…

In Norse mythology, Siegfried is a brave young man who comes upon a hill filled with fire. He runs straight through the flames to find Brunhild, a shieldmaiden, sleeping until someone was brave enough to find her.

Siegfried Finds Brunhild

In Norse mythology, Siegfried is a brave young man who comes upon a hill filled with fire. He runs straight…

In Norse mythology, Aslog, daughter of Siegfried and Brunhild, becomes an orphan and is adopted by an old harp player, Heimir. Concerned about her safety, Heimir hides Aslog in his harp.

Aslog and Heimir

In Norse mythology, Aslog, daughter of Siegfried and Brunhild, becomes an orphan and is adopted by an…

In Norse mythology, there is a war between the Winilers and the Vandals. Odin takes the side of the Vandals and his wife Frigga takes the side of the Winilers. Odin says he will help whoever he sees first the next morning. Frigga makes a plan that the women tie their long hair under their chins like a beard to disguise themselves as men and she moves the bed so Odin faces the window the women are standing near. He names them Long-Beards (Lombards) and helps them to victory.

Lombard Woman

In Norse mythology, there is a war between the Winilers and the Vandals. Odin takes the side of the…

In Norse mythology, Nornagesta was fated by the three Norns: Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. Urd and Verdandi gave him a rich, heroic life. Skuld said he would live no longer than a burning candle. Nornagesta kept the candle safe and hidden and lived to be 300 years old. King Olaf found the candle, burned it, and Nornagesta died.

Olaf and Nornagesta

In Norse mythology, Nornagesta was fated by the three Norns: Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. Urd and Verdandi…

In Norse mythology, Frey's son Frodi is given a magic grindstone from the fairies and elves. One who grinds the stone and sings shall get whatever they wish. Unable to move the large stone, Frodi takes two Giantesses as prisoners: Menia and Fenia. They grind gold for Frodi until he falls asleep. Then they grind soldiers to fight him.

Frodi's Grindstone

In Norse mythology, Frey's son Frodi is given a magic grindstone from the fairies and elves. One who…

In Norse mythology, Mani drives the moon chariot at night. He finds a boy and a girl carrying a pail of water. He takes them for a ride in his chariot.

Children in the Moon

In Norse mythology, Mani drives the moon chariot at night. He finds a boy and a girl carrying a pail…