Ressources for new Norse mythology fans/pagans
Hello :)
So, as I promised to the lovely @briikwall, here's an updated version of my Norse mythology ressources :)
Enjoy and happy reading!
First of all, I must recommend Rudolf Simek’s Dictionnary of Norse mythology. He’s an expert in the domain. A lot of his works are in German, but at least, we’ve got his dictionnary. It’s a must have if you’re interested in Norse myths :)
(He has also written very interesting things about the world of LotR, if you’re into it :p )
@poeticnorth recommended me Andy Orchard’s Dictionnary of North myth and Legend, and it was fantastic and full of interesting information.
John Lindow is another great expert, and his book on Old Norse mythology is a fantastic reference too! :)
Then of course, there are the books by Neil Price.
I'll recommend two of them:
Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings
It will give you a good idea of who the Vikings truly were, as a society, and deconstructs the false ideas you might have.
The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia
If you want to learn more about the different sorts of magic that existed in the Viking world: THAT IS THE BOOK for you! There's Seidr, yes, but so much more too. I learnt A LOT :D
Viking friendship, by Jon Vidar Siggurdsson
Then, there is this book on the concept of friendship in Viking society, and along with Neil Price's books, it really allows you to understand more what kind of people they were, what was important for them, and how things changed and evolved with time.
Myths and symbols in Pagan Europe, Early Scandinavian and Celtic religions, by H.R. Ellis Davidson
My lastest read, and truly interesting too, about holy places, feasting and sacrifices, the rites of battles, etc.
There are also A LOT of interesting academic papers on the subject of Norse mythology on the https://www.academia.edu/ website.
One of my favourites is the one about Loki as a Vatte and in Scandinavian fairytales. Some will tell you Loki is evvvviiilll and is a villain. Such people have not made their research and it shows. With this paper, you can see clearly that's not the case :3
Eldar Heide, Loki, the "Vätte", and the Ash Lad: A Study Combining Old Scandinavian and Late Material, Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, Vol.
The one about the Ardre images was really interesting too!!!
(THEY SHOW LOKI IN A DRESS!!!)
https://www.academia.edu/39542289/Re_Interpretations_of_Gotlandic_Picture_Stones_Based_on_the_Reflectance_Transformation_Imaging_Method_RTI_Some_Examples
And of course, you’ve got Professor Jackson Crawford’s work. He’s amazing and so very knowledgeable on the subject and is an expert in Old Norse. His translations of the Eddas, along with the Volsung saga are on amazon and on Audible, if you prefer.
He also did a lot of videos on youtube on Norse myths and the Old Norse language, etc.
There is also Professor of archeology Howard Williams on Tik Tok who is SUPER interesting and made a series on early Medieval Loki depictions in art and archeology.
If you want to know more about the Norse goddesses/Asynjur, may I recommend you @loptrcoptr 's brilliant master thesis on the subject. A must-read to get to know better all the goddesses from the Norse pantheon!
The Ásynjur, goddesses of old Icelandic myth, do not draw much scholarly attention. When they do it is fairly dismissive, labeling many deit
And of course, if you're into paganism and want to worship Loki & Sigyn, there's Lea Svendsen's book "Loki and Sigyn: Lessons on Chaos, Laughter & Loyalty from the Norse Gods". Really interesting!!
If I find other interesting books/sources, I'll post about them on my blog :)
Happy reading!
