The worlds and beings of Norse mythology

Old Norse mythology and the Viking worldview are rich in realms and mythological beings. Evocative names such as Midgard, Asgard, Utgard and Nifelhel. Giants, gods and monstrous creatures.

  • Iron Age

    500 BC – AD 1100

  • Viking Age

    AD 800 – AD 1100

  • Middle Ages

    AD 1050 – AD 1520

The legends and tales are many. If you would like to learn more about the Viking view of the cosmos and some of the main characters of the myths, you can explore the articles below.

Illustrations by Staffan Alsparr.

An illlustration of eight people in Viking inspired garments.
Illustration: Staffan Alsparr/The Swedish History Museum/SHM.

Meet all the Norse gods

Odin – leader of the gods

Illustration Odin with staff and crows

Frigg – mistress of Asgard

Illustration Frigg

Freyja – goddess of fertility and war

Illustration Freyja with cats

Thor – god of thunder

Illustration Thor with hammar and goats

Skadi – goddess of the wilderness

Illustration Skadi on a ski

Iðunn – goddess of youth and vitality

Illustration Idun with apples and cats

Balder – the beautiful and beloved

Illustration Balder

Heimdall – forefather of humankind

Illustration Heimdall with rune stone and horn

Sources for Norse mythology

How do we know that we know about people's beliefs during the Viking Age?

Hands with white gloves hold a Thor's hammer
Exhibition

The Viking World

Join us on a journey to the Viking Age. See 2,500 original artifacts, learn about trade, travel, and beliefs – and discover how the Vikings really lived.

Exhibition room with many objects, info screens, and blue carpet

How we work with knowledge at the Swedish History Museum

The Swedish History Museum is part of the government agency National Historical Museums. The agency employs experts in various fields, such as history, archaeology, conservation, and more. The texts on the website are produced in collaboration between different experts, educators, and other staff. The texts have been fact-checked and are based on established research. In some cases, written sources are lacking and the physical remains are limited and ambiguous, especially far back in time. In such cases, the material is interpreted by the experts. However, the interpretations are always based on research.

Text summaries and translations have been created with the help of AI and have been fact-checked.

If you have questions about the factual background of our texts, please contact webb@historiska.se.

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