Aug 5, 2023
He would do numbers on tumblr wth
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He would do numbers on tumblr wth
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In light of certain recent topics, I’ve been reminded of the 2017 book ‘Norse Mythology’ by Neil Gaiman. It was a nice telling of the more well-known Norse Myths, but there are LOTS of other options out there for people wanting to learn more about Norse Mythology—you don’t have to support that predator to learn about the gods.
Below is a list of some of the other resources that I’ve used. It’s not exhaustive by any measure—just what I’m familiar with and what comes to mind as I sit here at my desk at work. If anyone else has any additional recommendations, please add them to the list!
Norse Mythology for Smart People - norse-mythology.org
This was where I first started when I wanted to learn about Norse Mythology years ago—I literally just typed “Norse Mythology” into google and clicked the first result like a noob. But this site does a really good job of giving information on a wide range of topics within norse mythology as well as vikings in a general sense—everything from different gods, goddesses, creatures, places, and major stories. It’s a solid encyclopedic source that I would recommend to anyone wanting to get general information on the mythology.
“Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide” - https://open.spotify.com/show/7F0tD7bStFIDSVEbsnrxuI?si=8ce8f5ccf3a3417d
If podcasts are your jam, the best by far in my opinion is ‘Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide’. At the time of me writing this, there haven’t been any new episodes for 6 months, but there are 37 episodes that are about an hour each & range on a variety of topics from cosmology to specific deities to stories like Ragnarok or specific topics like runes. It does a fantastic job of explaining each topic in a way that is both thorough and accessible & honestly I can’t recommend it enough.
The ‘Northern Myths’ Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/7KtSJb5DTLSwmfj1BPYY5v?si=fcd6c297cdc1463d
If you want to go deeper into Old Norse texts like the Eddas or the Havamál, the ‘Northern Myths’ podcast is the place to go for a very deep dive/discussion on these texts. The episodes are long and sometimes get a little dry, but they do read these texts directly and then discuss each passage, so it’s a decent place to go for some deep discussion on some of the pillars of Old Norse texts.
Dr. Jackson Crawford - https://jacksonwcrawford.com/
Most people who get into Norse Mythology/History become familiar with Jackson Crawford pretty quick. He’s an expert specifically in linguistics and the Old Norse language—which includes runes—but he also has extensive knowledge on Old Norse & “Viking” history & culture. He’s previously taught at UCLA, UC Berkeley, and University of Colorado, and now has an extensive Youtube channel. He’s also been a consultant for projects like AC:Valhalla. If you have a question about Old Norse & would like to have a soft-spoken, no-nonsense cowboy in the wilds of Colorado explain it to you, this is your new home.
Again, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start. Please please feel free to reblog with any additional sources you’ve used so we can help new friends learn more!
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!
Ósviðr maðr vakir um allar nætr ok hyggr at hvívetna. Þá er móðr er at morni kömr, allt er víl sem var.
'A foolish man lies awake all night and worries over everything. He is tired when the morning comes, yet all his problems remain.'
Hávamál 23 Norse text by Crawford.
i love Dr. Jackson Crawford because he looks like he's about to greet you by saying "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" while chewing on a toothpick, but then he starts talking and you try to understand how on earth he can pronounce all those unpronounceable words
Just watched a video from a scholarly expert on Viking-era Norse languages:
Yule / Jól: a word's strange story
(~30 minutes, eye contact, auto-generated captions [dodgy, 'cause he says a lot of words with medieval Icelandic pronunciation])
Anyway, the tl;dw is that after teasing out clues from proto-Indo-European, and related sister languages, as well as passages from the old Icelandic sagas, he concludes that Jól has its roots in words meaning to speak (same as "joke" and "yak"). And that it could be basically a coin flip as to whether the holiday took its name from "talking happily together" (being jolly), or "swearing solemn oaths." And, based on the surviving written records from ~1,000+ years ago, he comes down in favor of the latter (i.e. the roots of making New Year's Resolutions).
Well, I think, given humanity's universal impulse toward sarcasm and puns, that it's both, simultaneously (Yeah, yeah. I know we're here to formally re-establish our obligations, set goals, and make promises. But we all know what we're really doing right now).
Listening to the am archives expecting a nice little slice of life sequel to the bright sessions and being hit with the feels
Jackson Crawford, old norse specialist who shares his knowledge about the old norse language, myths, poems, literature and much more for free on youtube, has recently made a post, explaining that soon he will have to stop and look for a different job.
if you like his stuff and can afford it in this economy, now would be a great time to consider supporting someone who wants to share his knowledge and make it accessible for people outside of academia!