Tradition 05 · Scandinavia and the North Atlantic
Norse
Poetry at the edge of memory
Pre-Christian stories preserved through poetry, medieval manuscripts, place-names and archaeology.
Historical context
A tradition across time
Norse religion refers to varied pre-Christian traditions of the North Germanic world. Worship and myth were not necessarily identical across Scandinavia, social groups or centuries.
The fullest narrative sources—the Poetic Edda and Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda—were written down in medieval Iceland after conversion to Christianity. They preserve older material, but they are not transparent transcripts of Viking Age belief.
Belief & practice
The surviving stories describe divine families including the Æsir and Vanir, a cosmos linked by Yggdrasil and an eventual crisis called Ragnarök. Archaeology also records amulets, burials, halls and ritual deposits.
Evidence & limits
Eddic and skaldic poetry must be read beside runic inscriptions, place-names and material evidence. The late date and perspective of written sources make uncertainty an essential part of responsible interpretation.
Editorial references