Terminology and Sources:
– Old Norse religion is known by various terms like pre-Christian Norse religion, Norse paganism, etc.
– Practitioners had terms like ‘forn sið’ and ‘heiðinn sið’ for their customs.
– Knowledge is primarily derived from Old Norse manuscripts like the Poetic Edda and Skaldic poetry.
– Runic inscriptions with religious content are scarce in Scandinavia.
– Extensive literary and historical sources exist post-Christianization.
Beliefs, Practices, and Cultural Variation:
– Old Norse religion was polytheistic, focusing on gods like Odin and Thor.
– Norse cosmology revolved around Yggdrasil and various realms.
– Ritual practices, including sacrifices led by kings and chiefs, were crucial.
– Burials involved inhumation, cremation, and grave goods.
– Beliefs and practices varied over time, regions, and social classes.
Christianization and Revival:
– Old Norse religion was replaced by Christianity by the 12th century.
– Elements of the religion persisted in Scandinavian folklore.
– A revival of interest occurred in the 19th century, inspiring artworks.
– Academic research on Old Norse religion began in the early 19th century.
– Elements of the religion were condemned by Scandinavian ecclesiastics post-Christianization.
Historical Development and Conversion to Christianity:
– Old Norse religion likely evolved from earlier Germanic Iron Age beliefs.
– The Viking Age saw the spread of Old Norse religion to Northwestern Europe.
– Conversion to Christianity was influenced by trade contacts and social ties.
– Kings like Hákon the Good and Olaf Tryggvason played significant roles in conversion efforts.
– Survival of pre-Christian beliefs was noted in isolated areas and folklore.
Deities, Cosmology, and Afterlife:
– Norse mythology included Æsir and Vanir deities like Thor, Odin, and Freyja.
– Norse cosmology featured Yggdrasil, creation myths, and various realms.
– Afterlife beliefs included Valhalla for fallen warriors and multiple realms for the dead.
– Norse rituals centered around sacrifice, with mentions of human sacrifices.
– Mythological accounts associated deities like Odin with death and afterlife destinations like Valhalla.
Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic peoples. It was replaced by Christianity and forgotten during the Christianisation of Scandinavia. Scholars reconstruct aspects of North Germanic Religion by historical linguistics, archaeology, toponymy, and records left by North Germanic peoples, such as runic inscriptions in the Younger Futhark, a distinctly North Germanic extension of the runic alphabet. Numerous Old Norse works dated to the 13th-century record Norse mythology, a component of North Germanic religion.
Old Norse religion was polytheistic, entailing a belief in various gods and goddesses. These deities in Norse mythology were divided into two groups, the Æsir and the Vanir, who in some sources were said to have engaged in an ancient war until realizing that they were equally powerful. Among the most widespread deities were the gods Odin and Thor. This world was inhabited also by various other mythological races, including jötnar, dwarfs, elves, and land-wights. Norse cosmology revolved around a world tree known as Yggdrasil, with various realms existing alongside that of humans, named Midgard. These include multiple afterlife realms, several of which are controlled by a particular deity.
Transmitted through oral culture rather than through codified texts, Old Norse religion focused heavily on ritual practice, with kings and chiefs playing a central role in carrying out public acts of sacrifice. Various cultic spaces were used; initially, outdoor spaces such as groves and lakes were typically selected, but after the third century CE cult houses seem to also have been purposely built for ritual activity, although they were never widespread. Norse society also contained practitioners of Seiðr, a form of sorcery that some scholars describe as shamanistic. Various forms of burial were conducted, including both inhumation and cremation, typically accompanied by a variety of grave goods.
Throughout its history, varying levels of trans-cultural diffusion occurred among neighbouring peoples, such as the Sami and Finns. By the 12th century, Old Norse religion had been replaced by Christianity, with elements continuing into Scandinavian folklore. A revival of interest in Old Norse religion occurred amid the romanticist movement of the 19th century, during which it inspired a range of artworks. Academic research into the subject began in the early 19th century, initially influenced by the pervasive romanticist sentiment.
