Religion and Power

This chapter dives deeper into the Norse religion, which it describes as an ethnic religion, not a universal one like Christianity. The Norse religion encompassed a great number of male and female gods and powers. It was tolerant in the sense that there were no rules or laws about what and how the people were to believe. The chapter introduces the two groups of Norse gods: Vanir and Aesir. The best known of the Aesir, the larger group of gods, are Odin, Thor, and Balder. Some royal families claim descent from the gods of the Viking Age. The chapter also discusses the strong ties between the chieftains and Thor, who was believed to rule over the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. There were also many mythological categories, including völvur (prophetesses), jötnar (giants), Nornir (Norns, similar to the Fates), fylgjur (“fetches” who accompany people to their fates), dísir (ghosts, spirits, or deities, perhaps of fertility), and Valkyrjur (Valkyries). Furthermore, the chapter tackles the worship of the norse Pantheon, as well as ancestral worship. Then it looks at the Christianization of Scandinavia.