Viking Mythology
Norse, Viking, and Scandinavian mythology is much the same thing. The myths of the Scandinavians, which included, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. The main source found for Norse, or Viking mythology, comes from the Icelandic Eddas. The beginning of the Norse mythology began in Germanic Europe, including the myths which were current and also in the millennium before that. Viking mythology is made up of the indigenous pre Christian religion, beliefs, and legends of the Scandinaviam people. This included the people who settled in Iceland. This is where most of the written sources of the Viking mythology comes from.
Viking is the name of the son of Vifil and Eimyrja and Viking is the father of Thorsten and Thorer. The two daughters, of Logi were kidnaped by suitors and they went to nearby islands. Viking was the son of one of these daughters. He grew up in Bornholm and by the time he was 15 years old he was the biggest and strongest man of his era. He had a magic sword called Angurvadel and it was fatal, even to the giants. He had a friend named Halfdan and a ship named Ellida, which was the first ship in the North. The ship was given to him as a gift from Aegir. The ship was large but faster than an eagle. The planks of the ship were not fastened together with nails, the planks were grown together.
A Swedish princess named Hunvor, asked Viking for his help against a giant suitor who was harassing her. The giant escaped to India with Hunvor and Viking followed and slew the giant in a duel. As it happened, Viking could not marry the princess because it was a disgrace to marry before one was 20 years. The giant that Viking killed, had relatives and they brought perils upon the sea to him. Viking finally settled in Sweden and his friend Halfdan married Ingleborg, Hunvor’s attendant. Viking sired nine sons by his second wife.
Viking befriended a foe named Njorfe, the king of Upplands, in Norway. The king also sired 9 sons and the two families competed heavily against each other. In one specific ball game they beat each other so much they broke each others arms. A son of Viking’s which was near death, killed one of Njorfe’s sons. Viking scolded his son, then sent him to an island in Lake Werner. Two other sons went with him and Viking gave Thorsten (the eldest son) his sword, and told him to wait quietly on the island until things had quieted down and the danger was past. It didn’t stop there however. Njorfe’s sons wanted revenge so they magically froze over the lake and went over to kill the three brothers. Two of Viking’s sons and two of Njorfe’s sons survived the battle.
|