An Introduction to the Norse Mythology
Bard Mythologies is delighted to make available tellings of one of the great mythologies of Western Europe. This is special in part because it represents, like Irish Myth, an indigenous compendium of stories that were not erased by the spread of the Greco-Roman-Christian world. In modernity, the mythology has been core to hugely popular phenomena such as The Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Series, and indeed Game of Thrones.
Norse Mythology can be seen as a mythology that speaks to the matter of “world making.” From the very beginning, we hear about the journey of creating worlds and, importantly, how those worlds can be — and are — destroyed. These stories speak of a rich collection of nine worlds, all assembled around an essential organising structure: the immense ash tree, Yggdrasil. This sacred tree connects all the worlds, including the underworld realms of Niflheim and Muspelheim.
This is a mythology that acknowledges the fragility of existence. There is always the sense that things might fall apart. And yet, at the heart of the mythology is a group of gods and goddesses — not flawless beings like those in the Greek or Hebrew traditions, but flawed and mortal, reminding us that archetypal forces can exist without heavy moral judgement.
We are presented with a world of ambiguity and paradox, where opposites coexist. Archetypal figures embody both the positive and the destructive. The myths ask us not to eliminate this tension, but to navigate it. And even amid the ever-present threat of destruction and darkness, Norse mythology offers a worldview that suggests balance is possible — even sustainability, against all odds.
