Sandra Yeaman

I thoroughly enjoyed putting together my 26 posts on Norse Mythology during this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge. So much, in fact, that I feel I need to take additional steps in my research.

For example, one resource I didn’t run across that I would like to find is a timeline for the tales. I know, for example, that any tale involving Hoenir traveling with Odin around the cosmos must have taken place before the Aesir-Vanir war since Hoenir was one of the two Aesir turned over to the Vanir as a hostage when the two god clans declared they no longer wanted war. I’d like to find–or create myself–a timeline for the stories.

I found many sources, some scholarly and some more accessible to the mainstream audience, with far more detailed and credible information than the superficial thoughts I collected for my blog posts. If you are interested in learning more about Norse mythology, I recommend the following books and other resources. I’ve read two of the books below and plan to read the third as well as dip often into the website listed at the end of the list.

• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Once you have read this book by Gaiman, take a look at his others, especially American Gods and Anansi Boys to see how he injects myths of many cultures into his fictional works.
• The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion by Daniel McCoy
• The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes by Carolyne Larrington
• Lady of the Labyrinth’s Old Norse Mythology Website, The website of Freiyia Völundarhúsins

Then go out and see a few Marvel movies to see how Norse mythology has been woven into popular culture, movies such as Thor; Thor: Ragnarok; Thor: Tales of Asgard; and Thor: The Dark World.

If you are in an area where a Viking or Scandinavian festival is held, check it out. There are many held each year in Norway and at least one big one in York, England. Here are a few I could find around the country.

• Nisswa Stammen Scandinavian Festival, Nisswa Pioneer Village, MN, June 8, 2018
• Portland Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, June 9
• Viking Fest Ohio, June 22, 2018
• Scandinavian Hjemkomst & Midwest Viking Festival, Clay County, MN, June 22-23, 2018. At this one you can also see the full-size replica of a Viking ship built by my eighth-grade science teacher as well as a replica of the Hopperstad Stave Church.
• Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, Estes Park, CO, June 22-24, 2018
• Vancouver Scandinavian Festival, Vancouver, Canada, June 22-24, 2018
• Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, Burnaby, British Columbia, June 23-24, 2018
• Viking Festival in Vista, CA, September 22-23, 2018
• Hostfest, Minot, ND, September 26-29, 2018
• Scandinavian Fest, Milwaukee, WI, October 6, 2018

I hope you enjoyed learning about Norse mythology as much as I enjoyed digging deeper to uncover the basis for the many folktales and folk characters I recalled hearing about in my childhood. I feel well prepared to begin conversations, or at least small talk, during my upcoming trip to Norway about the origins of place names, for instance. As a native introvert, I need all the conversation-opening gambits I can find to engage with strangers.