Viking Myth And Religion Analysis

Over the course of the semester, we have delved through the origins of Viking myth and religion in order to understand its roots and how they relate to the modern Heathenism that we see today. However, much of what we know of the original Viking religion has been lost over time and what we have today has been created through false assumptions, the wishful thinking of those who adapted the religion for their own purposes, the passage of time, and the influence of Christianity on ancient Scandinavian society. As we look into Viking myth and religion today, we can see many false assumptions and ideas that have sprouted up. These can be seen in the lifestyle and the imagery of the Gods that we associate with Viking culture today. In regards to
For this reason, the age of these texts and the lack of other sources throughout the course of history makes it difficult for to discern what is fact and what is fiction as there were groups and individuals who wished to push people away from these traditions, one such group was Christians. Of all the filters that affected what we know about Viking myth and religion today, Christianity is perhaps the most powerful. As the religion spread up through the Europe and into Scandinavia, it began to take hold of the region as individuals realized that uniting their country under this one religion could help them consolidate their power. However, the people were not so ready to adopt this new religion so some strategies that Christians utilized were taking Viking symbols and blaspheming them so they were seen in a negative context or taking the rituals and beliefs and adapting them for Christianity such as changing the hammer of Thor into the Cross or the feast day of Yule into Christmas. Overall, false assumptions, wishful thinking, time, and Christianity filtered through the original Viking myth and religion and have left us with what we have available today.
Question
As we can see in the aftermath of the bet between Gods and the giant builder, Thor is called in by the Gods to get rid of the threat of the giant who had become enraged after discovering Loki’s treachery during their wager. Thor immediately arrived and, “put an end to the giant’s life in Jotunheim. He struck the first blow in such a way that the giant’s skull broke into small pieces” (Sturlson, 52). This tale displays Thor’s role to the gods in one of the clearest ways, his task is to protect the realm of Asgard from the threat of the giants in Jotunheim so that the gods can delay Ragnarok and their own destruction. This role is not lost on humanity either, through his strength, determination, and even his recklessness he serves as a relatable model for humans as he displays that no one is the perfect warrior and that even with terrifying power, one can still be outmatched in other ways such as Loki’s pranks on the God of