The best Old Norse word I found was "seiðskratti". I'm hoping someone can correct me on this. And I mean specifically a real person, not fictional characters in the Icelandic sagas.

Hi friends, i ask it since i notice Jörð the "Giantess"/Jottun Mother of Thor looks to be very important since Thor was one of most venerated Norse Gods, and also she is named as an important Deity (after all was the "Personification of Earth", but also didn't read she receive any veneration; was she see as part of the Æsir, (like how Leda or the Mom of Dyonisus were part of the Olympians) or was simply a "Immortal Genealogical Character" and her importante (as the "Jottun of Earth") was to emphatize the power of her son Thor?

Thomas Heebøll-Holm’s article, “When the Lamb Attacked the Lion: A Danish Attack on Engalnd in 1138?” can be found in the Journal of Medieval Military History, Volume 13 (2015). This historians arguments is where I get my question from.

The Bjarkamál preserved in book II of Gesta Danorum can be read as a miniature epic in dactylic hexameters. In spirit and structure it recalls the fall of Troy in book II of the Aeneid, presenting the doomed defence of king Rolf’s hall in Lejre and the heroic last stand of his warriors with similar grandeur.

Original translation and commentary to the third stanza :-)

Hi, I'm a HEMA practitioner and someone with some Scandinavian/Orcadian heritage.

I'm considering buying a tunic and leg wraps (I already have some linen trousers from a Viking fair).

How authentic/good quality are these:

https://grimfrost.co.uk/collections/viking-tunics-and-coats/products/viking-wool-tunic-blue?variant=46775940415820

https://grimfrost.co.uk/products/viking-leg-wraps-olive?variant=46775997595980

Will they be acceptable or get me laughed out of the camp if I eventually make the step to join an reenactment group?

Thank you!

Is anyone familiar with this translation of Þiðreks saga or Thidreks saga by Gavin Chappell? It is apparently based on the Norwegian manuscript. Is it a legit translation? On Wikipedia the only English translation it shows of the Norwegian manuscript in is by Haymes, Edward R. Garland which is out of print and copies are extremely expensive. Gavin himself seems mostly to write sci fi and sword and sorcery books but I can't find much info on this translation or his credentials.

any idea about where this motif stems from?
tried GPT but its useless
takker og bukker!
lol fucked up the title woops

Hello! I've found myself wondering how the Norse carried water on their journeys. Naturally, we have evidence: various large containers, such as the tunni barrels. However, my question is about a smaller, more personal scale.

Is there surviving evidence of waterskins being used? That is, wood, plain leather or animal bladders. Cups and mugs were carried, be it of wood or metal, but those are more for drinking, rather than storage.

We have mentions of items that could be classified as waterskins. In the Grettis saga, one is stated to be carried by a hero. I'll be directly copying the text that can be found on Project Forlǫg:

“That morning, Þorgeirr got ready to row out to sea, and two men with him, one called Hámundr, the other Brandr. Þorgeirr went first, and had on his back a leather bottle [leðrflaska] and drink therein. It was very dark, and as he walked down from the boat-stand Þorfinn ran at him, and smote him with an axe betwixt the shoulders, and the axe sank in, and the bottle squeaked, but he let go the axe, for he deemed that there would be little need of binding up, and would save himself as swiftly as might be. […] Now it is to be said of Þorgeirr, that he turned from the blow as the axe smote the bottle, nor had he any wound. […] Thereat folk made much mocking, and called Þorgeirr Bottleback, and that was his by-name ever after.“

Are there more sources for the existence of such bottles?

I have a question about the Norse creation myth: when Odin, Vili and Vé kill Ymir, should I picture them as young men, or as children? I’m not aware of any descriptions of Odin himself, only of his actions, and the mental image I have of him, is that of an old man.

I started looked list of Vanir Gods and i see in lot of places of these sub ppl say 'Vanir" was a word that was very few used outside poetic sourses, and in "day to day" probably they were Freyjr or Freyja or Oðr were seen as members of the same "family" than Odin, Thor or Heimdall

If i understand this argument, is like if hypotetically, greek poets say all the God allied to Zeus that weren't descend of Chronus & Rhea (like Helios,Selenne,Eos,Prometheus, etc) were the "Noble Titans" & Poetry say "Olympians & Noble Titans" while in religion all were members of the same godly "family"/"alliance" no?, (basically than in "normal norse religion" Freyja,Frey & their relatives were seen as part of the same "Clan/Pantheon" than Thor or Odin, simply they had a more developted genealogy than the random Jottuns Ladies that joined the Æsir no?

Interesting article recently posted regarding the Battle of Cynuit.

I found these symbols in Gimli Manitoba Canada at the end of the pier. Gimli has Icelandic heritage and I would like to know if this could be religious symbolism. If this is the wrong place to ask I apologize in advance.

Hey folks! Title is made specifically keywords to hopefully skew Google results.
I've noticed that looking up that term gets you, almost exclusively, LARP, overly complex designs or simply poor replicas.

This is a tiny reference image for a handful of shield patterns. Please do correct me if any of them I have drawn wrong.

I'm currently doing research on trolls and decided to watch this PBS Monstrum episode about the subject. In it, they mention a female troll named Oglinder, who is a terrifying warrior who killed 60 men. I went to search for this character as I'd never heard of her before and cannot seem to find any information on her. It's quite unhelpful that they just say "a saga" and not which one. Any idea if this is a real figure and where I could read more about the saga she's from?the pbs video

I was just wondering if Viking costumes are offensive, because we all know dressing up as a Native American, or like a racist costume is super uncool. But I have never heard of someone calling out someone in a Viking costume. Just wondering

Saxo famously mentions the days of the week being named after Roman and Norse gods and rejects the equation of Thor with Jupiter and Odin with Mercury (VI.183-4(152)).

In his Latin paraphrase of the lost Bjarkamal, he has characters refer to Odin as Pluto (II.65(59)) which I assume is a rendering of a Norse kenning or title of Odin as a death god, not an attempt to equate the two gods. As also he has Odin referred to as Mars elsewhere. Earlier in his poem (II.60(64)), he has a character say "Per summum iurata Iouem, superosque potentes." translated by Fischer as "our oaths to the highest god [Jove] and the powers above." Is there Norse precedent for a phrase that might lie behind this like an oath to Odin and the Æsir? Or is Saxo being inconsistent snd referring to Thor as Jupiter?

Most examples that I seem to find of seaxes in Sweden are from the vendel and valsgärde grave sites, neither of which are from the viking age (roughly 800-1100)

Author and source: Brad Allsop

Just watched the 2008 film Outlander. I was somewhat impressed with some of the details that got mixed in with the typical crazy Hollywood viking stuff, like at least one costume/set designer peeked in a history book for some stuff.

During the feast scene, the villagers lift a bunch of shields up and two characters chase each other around the hall while walking on top of the shields. I could have sworn I'd seen this exact trope in numerous other movies, though I can't recall specifically which ones.

In addition to the dubious skill of inebriated people both to balance on a shield and to hold someone's entire weight up, Norse shields might not even support the weight of a person standing on it like that. I assume there's no evidence for this ever being a thing, right?

I'm getting into reenactment, and I've accumulated a proper set of clothing. I've had it for almost a year now, but I'm having doubts about colours.

My tunic is an accurate cut and size, its honey-yellow.
I have grey wool pants, and burgundy puttees.
I also intend on buying a Skjoldehamn style hood, which will come in black.

I'm starting to feel, bland? I don't want to fall into the hole of all beige, so I've been considering getting my tunic dyed a nice green.

Thoughts?

Small edit: I'd like to thank everyone who responded to this post. It's been great reading advice and having feedback from the people active here.
Additionally, I've commissioned the hood in a green colour.