12.5 Flashcards
What will you be able to describe by the end of this topic?
Viking mythology and Viking beliefs of the afterlife
Which gods’ roles will you be able to explain in Viking religion?
Odin, Thor, and Frigga
What are Viking sagas?
Long stories about heroes who achieved great things and fought noble battles
What is known about Viking religious practices compared to other civilizations?
We know very little about their traditional beliefs and practices.
What is Viking mythology?
Traditional stories about gods, giants, and monsters
What is the ‘world tree’ in Viking mythology?
Yggdrasil
What is Asgard?
Home to Odin and the Aesir, the Norse warrior gods
What is Valhalla?
The hall of slain battle heroes in Asgard
Who are Valkyries?
Beautiful women on horseback who take slain warriors to Valhalla
What is Alfheim?
Home of the Light Elves, where the god Freyr lived
What does Bifrost represent?
The rainbow bridge that connects Asgard with Midgard
What is Vanaheim?
Home of the Vanir, the Norse nature and fertility gods
What is Midgard?
The Middle Earth, the world of humans
What is Svartalfheim?
Home of the Dark Elves, who live underground
What is Muspelheim?
Home of the Fire Giants
What is Helheim?
Home of Hel, the cold, misty underworld
What is Niflheim?
Home of the Frost Giants
What is Jotunheimr?
Home of the Rock Giants
What was the Viking burial practice for warriors?
Buried in graves with items, often ship burials
What is believed to happen to Vikings killed in battle?
They travel to Asgard after death
Who is Odin?
King of the gods in Viking mythology
What is Freya known for?
Goddess of beauty and love
Who is Loki?
A shape-changing trickster god
What does Freyr represent?
God of fertility, peace, and harvests
What is Frigga’s role?
Goddess of women and the home
What is Thor known for?
God of storms and thunder
What is the significance of Odin’s eight-legged horse?
Odin traveled the universe on Sleipnir
What days of the week are named after Viking gods?
- Tuesday - Tiwes
- Wednesday - Odin
- Thursday - Thor
- Friday - Frigga
What does the name ‘Wednesday’ originate from?
Named after Odin (Wodin)
What is the modern origin of the word ‘hell’?
From Hel, the goddess of Helheim
Fill in the blank: The sound of thunder was believed to be the sound of _______.
Thor’s chariot rumbling across the sky
True or False: Vikings had a positive view of the afterlife.
False
