Introduction
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WHAT IS A MYTH?
Myths are as ancient as humankind and have their origin in the efforts of primitive
people to explain the mysteries of the world around them: thunder and lightning;
floods and fire; rain and drought; earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; night and
day; the Sun, Moon, and stars; the seasons; the existence of plants and animals, man
and woman; and birth and death. Myths fulfill a need in people to believe in some
higher being or beings who have power over the daily lives and fate of humankind.
Many of the world’s myth systems include a sky god or father of all and an Earth
Mother. In many cases, including that of the Norse, people believed in a set of
attendant gods and goddesses, as well as villains such as demons, dragons, and
other monsters; giants and dwarfs; and supernatural forces.
Myths help people structure their lives. Myths reflect their codes of behavior,
their cultural customs and rites, and their ways of worship. Myths are basically
stories of the struggle between good and evil, between order and chaos. They
predict the eventual breakdown of order, but also regeneration.
Ancient myths about the creation of the universe and the living creatures on
Earth were passed orally from one generation to another, from family to family,
and from one community to another. As people moved from one part of a conti-
nent to another, they adapted their stories to the changing landscape or climate.
Stories that may have originated in India, the Middle East, or the south of Europe
changed dramatically when people told them in the harsh, icy lands of the north,
where summers were short and winters long and harsh.
Finally, myths are part of a moral and ethical, often spiritual, belief system.
Many historians of myths and scholars of human social development see myths as
part of a religious belief system and an attempt to explain human existence.
WHO WERE THE NORSE?
The Norse (people of the north) are known today as the Scandinavians—
the people of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
Mistakenly, Norsemen are often thought of only as the fierce warriors of the
Viking Age (a.d. 750–1070); however, Norse culture originated long before the
dramatic explorations of the Vikings. It probably started to take root during
the Bronze Age (1600–450 b.c.). No written sources describe early Norse culture,
but surviving works in metal and stone depict gods and goddesses and provide
glimpses of ancient myths and rituals. The Norse were superb shipbuilders and
navigators, intrepid explorers, and people with a strong sense of family and clan
loyalty. They also loved a good story, a quick wit, and fine craftsmanship, which we
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