THE HISTORY, COLLECTION VIKING SAGAS SRO M eine mie Cel Me) Mt Mele agg all e THE CURSE OF THE RING EXPLORE THE EDDAS bea HEROES Leam about ee PIS SONEE: Mle SS BOOKAZINEDene Durer ny shadows of the mead hal stepped forth a skald, one of the renowned poets of the Viking Age, responsible for memorising and interpreting the history and law of the land ~ and for entertaining its populace. He needed no book Bae ee eee ee eee eT storyteller took a breath and slowly, melodiously intoned the first, evocatively worded phrases of one ofthe reat Viking saga, or epic tales. Cee ue ee ee ‘The stories ofthe gods, heroes (and heroines) and the ancient royal houses ofthe Norse lands are replete with myth, mystery. adventure and excitement. Sorceesses narrate arcane prophecies, men and women set forth on quests for magical swords and rings, and are elevated to greatness or consumed by curses that echo down generations of their family; would-be rulers skirmish and clash over old realms and new lands. Destiny rolls its Joaded dice for gods and kings alike. The skald's audience often knew what was going to hhappenas the saga unfolded: it was the teling itself that they took pleasure in "Now you too can enjoy the rich, fascinating world ofthe Viking sagas. This book brings to life some ofthe best oved tales of the medieval north, from the origin stories ofits gods and heroes tothe deeds of its noble kings and the adventures of its bold explorers. They're Se ee et oes ee ee or ae ee eee ee een er ey ‘Step into the rich world ofthe sagas, and begin your very own Viking adventure, SS :4 L FUTURE 4 rCONTENTS SD )eo) (om dat-m nen eet (a+ be SBN Ce om elute 1 HER .p) OKO) AUS R Ayo cop luateeTevaccl eB Te RUBOM I ele eese lect} Se VIKINGS LEGENDS PD recerea cat ER ens ocr} [resent tenennest strT r the medeal word 18 Lost kingdoms ofthe 58 Hervarar saga aifiett = pomrodt as ok Heidreks ee ea Hae TNE coe Pi deom cnet! 28 Whatis a Ne eoaod ie Later Peer fee eet) ay eae a sae rere PER Sete Eetct vs Eerie et a 86 Jodbrokar Wes Ese coma E Reng ones Meme rico peer ari 38 Voluspa a pet pea Pirkei en CUD gels een ele | eee ores eer in Eee acl Bosley nner eat Set cit eee Te terete egContents KINGS SOM Videos ema e Psst comune Seer eae 102 Flateyjarbok 106 Hei st eae aL Bos acer Petri een tet 122 Knytlinga oes see ferrets PL Scure tcc oars see eee net VOYAGES PEP Dore Ruined Pree ee eearieree 136 Groenlendinga saga Perper inert seanVIKINGS Find out about the ancient Norse civilisation and how they recorded their history and legends aCe bee mt ATi let Tey Pree Dee Er oc Peete ete 18 Lost kingdoms of * Pit M Allenna) i peered Dee mS ced i PAU ire oe | Ait teaeey ecg Deter tor stories and recorded fats “For centuries the Viking sagas Rory coe h (evel Serle aaye naa skalds of the day”TTT© Vikings Waren THE Portrayed as bloodthirsty pirates, pillaging innocent villagers, Vikings also ruled the waves with a lucrative trade network Witten by Frances White he great white sil cracked a the vicious Atlante wind lashed against but sll the ship sled on. Long and sleek. the warship, crafted rom mighty rashed thrcugh the waves, sharp spray of water across the deck. The ted as one, her mighty muscles staining as they plunged the oars deep ino the ter and dove the ship frward through ‘he turbulent waves. Ther strength alone brought the ship to land and ‘hey poured out onto the beac, Dressed in thick woollen tunics, the wations were stmed sth an array of weapons, ‘fom log sharpened spears cohefty attleawes, With booming voice one man yelled tothe ethers, thrusting his sword into the air and the fest bellowed in response. Then Conrad he ran, a the une force ‘hundred uphill against the billowing wind Tei estination? ‘Acoust monastery bursting full of ol, gems and a hefty amount of food supplies ripe for the ‘aking and only aeolleion of qui. unassuming moms to protect it "his age f mca invades laying ge timnocert monasteries an pillaging them of her precios ters i the fst ne that leaps to ‘mind when many ae confronted with the word 0 Vikings had ex Naeem era tit El@loctime eck) BN ‘Viking! The part rapists and pllgers isso prevaling tat its often forgotton thatthe werd Viking itself mean to goon an expedition Its easy to fall it the assumption hat these people were noting more than pres akan fer those too weak And itis undeniable that ‘ing invaders salle fom Sc oss ofthe Bish Is an far beyond invading villages and monasteries killing the inhabitants and stealing their riches. Ws spoken about i stand acon stl being evidenced today in aia from the mercies invaders However, ths only tell al the story, Two things powered the Viking civsation: the vices raids they e famous for and something ee trade. Not oly i Vikings setup new cronies inthe Lands they invaded, but they als created owerfl trade routes tht helped them to become ‘ne of the most prosperous societies in the worl For the majority ofthe year the same Vikings who had pillage the ts worked the land ieessly toiling in the fk, or cafted intricate and valuable cenamerts and evellery to fund their blossoming cilsaton.Discover the Vikings See tc aT pty Pine co cy a oe CVikings VIKING VOYAGES As expert ship builders, the Vikings were able to voyage further and wider than any civilisation before... entures before Christopher Columbus ‘would stumble upon the land now known as America, the Vikings had claimed the Atlantic Ooean a their own backyard. They bad mastered Rusoas ver system and reached the Mile East their impressive voyages helped them tw become leaders of apy developing weed a this new ‘viking evsation thrived on the power of singe creation theship, “The entre Viking society \wasbult around their ships, whieh wer bigger lighter and faster than any before These vessels had een perfected ever many years, with he power to brave the vicious storms ofthe Adanic (ewan, but aso the seek censtruction to skim tough shallow rivers. These powerful and Allantic Ocean. When Erik the Red travelled to Greenland only 4 of his orignal 25 ships managed toarrive sale However. was the determination and hardiness ofthe voyages wing to take those risks ‘hated the Vikings to valuable and ‘vote treasures and trade ying alg the costes ofthe ‘worl Toward the end of the 1th century, Viking woyagers began an invasion of Bland ‘hat would forever determine the fate ofthe island maton By 860 this proeering spit Ie them to the assault of Constantinople, ten some 20 yeas ltr n 885 Viking ships tacked the mighty city of Paris Driven bythe quest for rade, etitoy, plunder anda thitst for adventure, he smpact ‘ofthese stan voyages can sil be fet around the Some Vikings were Dortecennmeries surrounded b weapons, valuabl Passage sla cfcent ships enabled their mighty passengers to wold today. ‘reat clones all over the weld and the bulding and maintaining ofthese vesols became the bass of Viking society Vikings were using thei ‘Wooden hu ‘mighty sea power to trade around the coast of Ang bs were mace ne se wy. rg Pints of anki orupped an rad ete Ine shone ef mae neti econ pnt "Europe whule te Enis Empte was merely a cllection of scattered kingdoms unable to defend ‘thelr sores. The Viking salts were aware that i was often easier to take the same journey by Cora parents a, a tices AR eT he nlpad Serer desing begs ue ang ee eee cope cata ansteh oes “he mapeta Vr ot cashing gh deat niece pn Frightening figurehead { Tent of thes was ten Sho ea yam beter 3 Gagpnand a sae These Fetes were enarate ard Shp was aprechng ne ey ‘led ay aamags eat figurehead and is long, seek curves i certainly an inspiring one, but for those onboard, fe was ‘ot quite 50 glamorous. With no shel. 2 niht {he sllors used the sil asa makes tent that ‘hey would seep unde, shivering beneath blankets cor animal skin Seeing bags The only sustenance ‘would be dried salted meat wth water beer or sour milk to dik The sinking of vessels was no reat tragedy but ater expected on lng journeys ‘There would be no rescue sent as usually nobody knew about sunken ships for weeks. months or even yeas It as not unusual for any number of ships too missing on voyages across the brutal g Woollen sail Longs etre er soe mese ‘rere mon ay madein ‘ars for speed Osada ‘erg on whe Stentor a er en tran serge ere rh tthe sno bth es, Te test Sr of ore thr tt Discover the Vikings Siienteponn resi Poncowul Renee tence Steering oar Tero so ‘hemp entero "lig aroun hse ‘Shite eigate tom, Keel for These he spa ba tnd Semairesedic so scingweten rand os bah IN ‘Small hold ‘Trelngp ns despa erwr 0a vl orto be ast. case fs they Noda sal lig capt. wh om ‘Sire ents ny Th rg de B@ Vikings aren Tl han oD) ND) BINS WEAPONS Pod ee eee Ey ney ad ac af ig the . ec mos cate shiek that the monk - feing Th coir ne shoe its lite they al ke Sed if sacks onthe ae sips An al cols fe Abeer had un it waking as quickly as they had aed they sip in tremens om the beds wth lcs of"The fom the Shore and etme the date Pree pone ae hee Th Theyre coming Ving crew sling nae nrteast eo ie ofthe ote 2 ed Cin mena 3 te Knives cere tpovoked tak mated the Cocoa any man the unble Begining of the surge of eee th he CR rads, These spac core onda ad ih a popular hair sent assaults contin pertintas Coenen m ist he coat of a UB veltl Me) elat as the Great Heather their hair and tad arved nat hae tie cis the cu. cap spear re ett a he and The Pochette npute unbriied vkene™ dna vars ao launched beget, ‘nly death, desricton ard lod as they ns aos the coats eand andl rere nt gtr ave ad jibe ther sc oer main Europe. These ras even sec a watched wn fram the cane tnt oor his ached as men stills . pereeteoret recat cf the high cif ino the ses ani e het lane ot pthaps they were the ations of men aos tched asthe heathens set the holy w amply drawn by the thi of venture. Whate prferes flame The hot wind lashed he ean and robes in the fickering darkness He grasped a those wh[ Fr & Fs A i E keens hough raiding an pillaging provided intake of weal was nota stable ay tolive oto build a cvistion, Instead, he ilkings dedicated fr mote of thet ime to building up a prosperous and powerful trading etwk Because of thei superior shipbuilding lls they were abet travel to trade in faraway lands, obtaining neds, Tei spe Sble to carry up Slver and even livestock “Trading markets began to emerge along the west Bate Sea in the nth ce ‘ame fron far and wide to tad an aray of goods. As these markets flourished, raders ecided to sete permanently along the routes and they ransformed ito trading tons. Bika in Sede Kupang in Nerway and Hedeby in Denmak all grew to be prosperous and busting tad settlements, ith the inhabitants all wotkingas craftsmen and merchants Prosperous trading routes also emerged along the sh [sles with York and Dublin developing ino ‘major trading centres. As the trade boom increased he vikings traveled further afield across the Hal Sea and along the R rs They founded note trading toons in Kiev and Novgorod. The Wiking traders even wer as fa a5 Istanbul, the cata ofthe mighty Byzantine Bmpine across the Back Sea. Ths perlus journey was one any the Vikings dared attempt through vicious rapid and toting hostile natives Te Vikings continued ther celebrations Pitieeterecrtsong and could last for over a week Vikings were not powered by brutality, but instead a complex and prosperous trade network trading journey inland, bringing thei goods to Jerusalem and Baghdad. The lure ofthe Sk Road andthe exotic riches ofthe t0 goed ess and Wings met with traders from the Fa East in thei ang centres in Russa. ding fur and alves fr sil and spices silver coins were th form of payment, bt hs sency where diferent cons are woth a articular value The coins were weighed in sales to determine ther vaue this is because alt of cains were rele down and crafted ina inert and besunful jewellery to trade on ‘The great extent ofthe Viking fade network can be seen today in the hoa of ser coins, created in England, ‘which have been found in ‘Shreden not to mention the 140000 Arable cons and G vered there. Nord bowls Mediterranean silk an cave heads have even been over buried under English sol This vast and lustious tae network attracted a neath of eager anc talented artists and craftsmen, Viking bead makers would import las from Western Buope to create an array of ssmple and decorative beads forthe wealthy to ‘dom themselves with, bile the ample supply ‘of amber fom the Baltic lands was fashioned imo pendants and playing pieces Skilled Viking trafsmen transformed thet smponted bronze ne omaments and mass-produced brooches and f eer antlers could even be used to make delicate and beatiful combsiders pillaged and plundered the known world in search of treasure and territory eed eric psy eer eed oer ees eee Poe treaeeetanteetry ey ee erent ahs Sey Cee ers Cee Seen perenne oe eet) eer eee) end ee teen eet ‘Wetten by Jack Git Ee ee Cer Ce Eanes Ee Cen eee Cee ene net] cere oar ferieteger recs ard eee acs eee corer eee rts eee eet peeecr ear eres Ce ee sy et eras ee td Pato eer tests Viking expansion iS a)Vikings iRELANO For more than 200 years the Vikings exerted influence over vast swathes of the Emerald Isle oregian Norsemen fist appeared in Ireland atthe end ofthe th century wit a hitand un attack ona monastery on ‘ether Rathlin or Lambay Island. These sporadic ‘coastal attacks continued for 20 years, ane despite later spreading ually had no| rat effect onthe Insh settlements tat would rebuld uring the hls infighting. chs sag ‘maraixders were content with staging assaults that asted no knger than a few days before returning t Scandinavia to sll her spl At the start ofthe next century, however, the Vikings grew in confidence and the pillaging ntensifi enclosures (known a lngphort) were established in Dublin, ane these fixed postions allowed the alder to ravage the countryside at wil. R wast fong until ish kings had had enough. The king ‘of Tara, Mel Seachnall tok the fightback to the \skings, and near Skreenin County Meath, kl na less than 700 Nec aiders. The inrease nassau had a profound eet on Ie Clictrsh society for mere than two centuries Norse-rsh alliances became common, bt bythe 5 the 10th century, Vikings from Denmark re added tothe mx. To differentiate, Vikings om Norway were known asthe Locsin an he Danish Norsemen as the Dana. The Viking, sh ses only increased the rnumber of tacks, ain the years lading up 1000, they tactically use their ongships to rave yp rvers and attack further inland. The Narweglans minate intial financed by all the menasteries ey plundered, but the disorganised nature of thei attacks meant the Danes power base grew steally ‘nthe Ish side, one man rose above the ober, he king of Munster Bran Boru With his suppor base inthe southern kingdom, Brian assembled 2 unified confederate army, which imposed isl he afer force in the ron. The amy destroyed Dublin fortes ated with many ofthe Viking caer and was even powerul enough to expel ‘several Nose clans fem ela ently. ean ‘aimed kingship in gue with the Dulin Norse and no one dared challenge im. His supe sted unt 102, when a seis of int criial Bate int014 Taking place on 23 April, ota was abate between the major ofthe sh kingdoms led by Brian against Vikings supported by Mael Mora, the king of Leinster, who had switched allegiances after a dispute. Bran hed apreximately 7000 troops at is disposal, and they marched to Dublin to engage 4000 Leinster men and 3000 Norsemen who hod landed on the shoreline at suntse As the armies braved, Moréals men scored an eal advantage ashis vicious Viking centre proved devastatingly ‘fective, The pendulum swingin the other ‘ection, however, when the Viking champlens Bedi and Sigurd were defeated. As afternoon came Brians men managed to cutoff the Viking acces to thelr longships This was to Mora’ Frcs, ical ben ne ridge over the nearby River Life to sary. AS hey eid ing Mae Seachralll and his mene cess othe bridge. The Vikings ana the Leis rapped and subsequently uted The bate was the bloodiest single contin ancent rsh history. Elan dad in the mu 100 of his vn men ven and Vikings lay aughtred alongside em, The battle rested in the en ofa period of great usm in teland and inated atime of reéative peace in which the Ish nd the remaining ‘Vikings lived together. The Norsemen wo stayed in Ieland wee aborbed nt Ih cure an Stared to intermarry. The Danish kingdom of Dubin ha stod for mare than 200 yeas poor to Clontar, bt just 5 years late, Harald Harada swould ese a Stanford Bridge ae the great Wiking age ofthe British [sles woud be over eed A chitece rena British Isles meee The areas of Viking The theories behind the Viking expansion eer 7 20 Poy Crd Peay edea Beit Flall ‘Buror rary ro % ee ened orca a aay co Cr) roy ey re ca ror rary Rotinn Renna ord Modern Deamon Tay Sale omy oo Ransack Pm Py Flea Poy ory cy cn Husband rm 7 coy Ey Bored Loose Cas roy Porn 1]Vikings With parts of Northern Europe ransacked, the Vikings turned their attention to the other side of the Atlantic Th AMERIC: _ he true extent ofthe Viking presence on | North America shot debted, but wall always be one ofthe greatest achievements cf marie exploration. After the Norse Vikings populated leland in about 870, Greenland was ext to follow with ts conquest instigated inthe ‘980s by the notorious Ek che Red. The rough seas ofthe Alantic were much tougher than the Vikings bad previously experienced onthe Noth Sea To ‘combat the eifficul conditions the Norse mariners used a type of ship known as a kar Larger than he standard longshi. could cary mach more ‘arp and would stand upto whatever the Alantic ad throw tt This allowed for longer and mee ‘fut jurmeys. By 1S0, 72000 Nersemen were ving in clan while 5000 resided in Geena. “The adventuring continued and the fist ‘king sightings of North America came in about 985, when celanderBjarni Heyelfsson spotted ancharted land afte being blown aff curse on his way to Greenland. The stores of new land encouraged ater to seek out In about 1000, {ei Eriksson, the son of Erik the Red, was the fist {o set foot on this unexplored terior. iksson and his man crew may have been set by Nocwegian king Olaf Ito spread Chnstianity (Of 35 one ofthe fist Vikings to preach the eas of {he religion) and discovered thre paces around he Gulf of Sant Lawrence, Enkscn named them Helland (and of flat cls) Markland Cand of forest and time and Vinland dan of warmth and vine) We know them today as Baffin sland, he Labxador coast and Newfoundland After this nia excursion, the westward journeys ony continued. The most extensive voyage was undertaken by Thofinn Karlsen, who ited ost in this new foun land for good fakang more than 100 men and women aswell as tal, Weapons and farm animals on his expedition, His wife gave ith to the first cid from the okt ‘vod tobe born in the neve A moe Vikings made he oumey it was inevitable they would make contact withthe native population Norsemen and ‘women called the natives Skealingr and became rading partners benefiting from the fur given to ‘them by the locals. The Skrlingjar were a preon ‘Age eivlsatin and mest likely the ancestors of ‘the modern Inuit They were ven their fst taste of iron weaponry ad tols by these vse from ‘cass the sea ‘The settlements uit by the Vikings in North America canst of sod walls with peaked ime oof, The most prominent settlement and what is een as roo of Viking occupation. is. nse ax Meadows Located (on the northem tp of Viland, he are is belived to have been hame to about 75 people and would have probably acted asa base ‘amp for repairing ships After approximately 140 cor tree years of attempted ‘caotisation, he Skraingjr began to see the Vikings a 2 threat and unrest broke out As result ofthe violence, trade vist were no longer a verte venture. king ‘ctiy in North Ameria was cramatcally ced, ae the settlements in Greenland could no lange supp further ace missions that ost both men and valuable rescues. Greenlae! wasnt a fully functioning Nerse colony, ae these ess th favourable econemic conditions made journeys to North America more and mote dificult, ‘The Viking fare to colonise the Americas on Jong term basis was due to both natural hazards and native resistance. but also confirmed the tations of nautical congue inthe eat ade ‘Ages. The distance ftom Greenland to Viana is about 3500 lllometes which was a tough journey for any Medieval vesel and the small population tdi have the manpower to overpower the ‘atves They may ave discovered North America 500 years before Columbus, but the Vikings were anabl to sustain a sable colony in the New WotLost Kingdoms of the Vikings Melati role Lite kg eed SSnmarcis reader in renee eons Sete N ee Pen en MS its ca Boer eet Se Eee id pecans Sel erent eee ont pera steer erence ate ror reece ay ee ae ee eee eee Seen eed errr eros ee Pee ee hey ted ee eee eee tres faked the evidence by Pees oy Peed Perera’ Peteraneny eter ieee eee Ses ee eee eon ree te ioe oad eee een! ene or py epee teres aan eed to Lanse aux Meadows In the Americas? psec ener Pee iter ee ee te eae ee ee een eee sind established trading networks were in place eC Eo aCin ei aay Peeerene teeter: ee ee ees finds of metal, strikeaights and woollen ey eee Cece “The settlement at LAnse aux Meadows MLE DOb= lO NAN Co intended to be permanent, but Peli ae Coe Og belle CO ea Piece itor ta Peace enerenrt sree ket a rcher resources and better climate? een ener emeins ane ee eee Tem ce er ee) retnezen net ieee tras See ear pee ee eres ae ee eer ee See cy veer ements es eeneeeetet Te ett eet eee ety ena cs tae oe ot ean eee een pen eet ry freee et ety et ery reer ater rac. Cee swith the Native Posen peemerennncny ee ete ener Seti pee ee es Py ey reat penne See the image provided by the sagas. The sagas are ee erates eee cr te In view of recent archaeological fins, fm sure peter ente eee eas Ce eg all the way across the Atlantic? may seem strange ous that peopl st out Ree Ua er sy See tener eee ater ena eee ets st ee eta terete ns a ern eres ee ee egy Poe eet eae ene eres 23. = we a a, ye endothe 5h cent vgs to Bestia crn sah on Westen urea ve proceed pops ge aes cteay nomad yan Agaae Ther afer Regn Rae ht {ae tobe the kena ge Raat Lodi Gers Od Ree poet a te cnoce Satie auaety ean Tagua ay Dip a S000 very nen ha iat ech hecathallove Fux Ate pang Roe ese fas bg 28 Mach ugh es tad were Supe nthe tacks yo ae htop tough he can hy longed tot te cy and ween sped 24 Across the Channel, Vikings threatened the Franks in Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine bbuming ito the ground bya last-ditch Frankish :ansor £7000 pounds cf silver Despite being primary Danish terry a Norwegian leader emerged by the name of Hrs, fof ase is mote commonly known Roo Alea a ‘veteran of conflicts on the Bish ses, his miltary forces besieged te cy of Charts, focing the king ofthe Franks, Chates I to sign the Treaty of Saint (CirsupEpte in I, ranting Rollo feudal rights in ‘the area around Rouen ‘king land ow stretched from Normandy in ‘the north to Aquitaine nthe south, and remained ‘under Viking contol for about two centuries Even hough they had frelgn invades in thes lands, his was actualy of benefit to the Franks a it meant the Norsemen would effectively provide ‘ther with abufer zane against coastal invasions fiom other enemies ofthe realm. eas not long nti Christan an Prankish customs started to take over from Nord eulture Rollo himself was bapsed and the Normans that invaded England in 1066 were descendants othe Normandy Vikings. The Medieval French word for ‘Scandinavian fs Normand’ a tem that was then ‘ven tothe area (Normandy) and the pecple that inhabited it Normans), Harald Hardrada may have been defeated at Stamford Brie, but Wiliam the Conqueror’ forces that were victorious at Hastings ‘were more Nore than many tink.Lost Kingdoms of the Vikings Russia ano Seven other €asTt ERD EUROPE travelling civilisations Using the river systems of the Baltic to their advantage, the Vikings travelled east for further trade and conquest ne ofthe greatest Viking ac © fs pethaps their ory deep into Eas ‘ urope Inthe Sth centr "Nowgor, Beloozerg and Ibor (leg of Novporod, travelled 600 mies south to take control of Kiev in 882 and went on to plage lands even further southwards, knocking on tl er commere. Capa hebroken door ofthe Byzantine Empite in te proces alliances, the Viking ships arved fram the Gulfof Like many ofthe areas thatthe Find in hge numbers Using lage vers such | inabled tha nfuene steal declined and vas replaced by local customs This happened nn in Basten Europea the R idertty began to become dstint from Norse. One othe kings of Kiev Vadim tok the decison to make Greek Ort an plain provided the Vikings decreasing the impact and revance forest and grassland that was ideal fr hunting, paganism even further. The culture fishing helped trade routes ex 3 the Volga, Neva and nen frm the not farming The plentiful food supply Norse people to mare Slavic customs resulted and further northwards in the gc dynasty tht rivalled towards Lake Ladoga and southwards down the tern Europe The River Dnieper The Rus people traded with local n tsar were descendants tes and travelled into mer day Russ, Viking dynasty that ping sve the nation its name nthe Pr. 25Vikings CONSTANTINOPLE The Vikings venture to the gates of the Byzantine Empire N= ve Thing lands were groming ever southwards, and by the ently 10th century, an encounter withthe Byzantine Empite was imminent ‘The movement came to ahead in 80 cing the ssege of Constantinople as lila of 200 Wing ‘warships emerged fom the darkness and headed forthe cy they knew as Maga (he Great (Cy). After this, acounts become gute hazy, bt ‘he most key outcome isthe Vikings could only ‘congue the suburbs a ne the fried inner city without siege equipment Determined to plunder the wealth of what was the biggest cy he Vikings had ever seen assaults continued, eventually resulting in the 2 September it commercial trading treaty. This rough friendly relations between the two states and frequent trade ‘crocs the Hlack Sen a the Vikings took contel| ofthe Volga Trade Rout ffom the Baltic Sea to ‘the north and the Caspian Sea to the south By ‘944, the reatons soured, and Oleg’ success, Igor of Kiev el an unsuccessful campaign against ‘the Byzantine in 94. Anew trent introduced restrctions on Rus attacks on Byzantine lands in Crimea anda complete han on fortes construction atthe mouth of tbe Dnieper River. As time went on, he overstretched Vikings reasoned they could not ‘conquer Castantinople so many decde instead to go int the service ofthe empetr. The Vikings that had venture further south ‘were called Varangians, which was the name {ven to them bythe Greoks After the Hal fale siege of Constantinople the Byzantines were o impressed ‘with the Varangian fling mentality that the ernpert, Basil hited them partot his ard in 988 ‘The Byzantine miliary was very ‘multicultural in nate soViking men were warmly welcomed ‘This new breed of skier traveled far and wide tothe hikes of Syria Armenia and banner as the attack from son Byzantine \Varangsans ended in 1043 after the Rus Byzantine War The ss signaled the end of the Varangan ‘advance towards Asia as the area became ether ‘Shave or Byzantine not Norse. Te Varangian (Guard soldered on unt the bth cermuy,thaugh, ensuring that there were sil sme Vikings sanding in Constantinople Anatomy ofa Varangian guard ‘The fearsome warriors who became the ‘most brutal bodyguards of the age o1axe 05 Boots Wdngstoctlongsed Tougher boots were even theVarngan covey reces et [Bindranhe theByanine Ses topret lower fSnperrapreece nthe legato die Satine OF (02 Weaponry Pesan ate fpomwaatsteised Sergent gp tat ifenoevositaabble. petecedthewissend cece 07 Armour o3Shield ‘tigress ‘lant amosr neo Secarnmriers ‘onisdocoon"" Q§ Mounted Oates See oe temee | Eieene eesimetat RlpemantemsopnRae tal Rann) Pherae nny iatoa tiedWhat is a Viking saga? WHAT IS A VIKING SAGA? From voyages to battles, gods to monsters, heroics to cowardice, the Viking sagas have explored all themes in magnificent detail ‘wtenby Joanna mipick nspoting the word sag in tie, the reader can be given for having cain expectations about what so fellow Sicha story shoud be o epic ropertons, span many lands, deal ‘withthe gamut of human emotions and postively ‘oan under the weight of heroes and villains held ‘within its pages. The Viking sagas fr us noting Jess and often so much mor. The word Saga ceginates fom OF Nowe, ‘meaning what ssa and ths cleaty ree the ‘tain ofthe ely sal orally tansmting har sores © an enrap axenee during the cold ‘winter months The Viking people who dominated ‘ortem Europe from te te th century were mast iterate Sharing aes was therefore an cra ‘communal pastime, Professional slats were pai ‘oentertan at re gargs often acerapanying musta imetde and a grand feast. Naveing ‘Storytellers would be vlcomed into a commit to ‘xing the atest news an ges frm further ai. [nevi skal wold offen align themsehes 0 particular king enor chien, spreading deals of their masters lites rave exploits: Meare, numa stores of family histoss were tol and ‘etd around the relight at home since a sense of ancestral neage vas bighly regarded among the ‘iking people Sooty was made up of sve, paid abourers, ‘reed farmers nobles and heres While CGieenland and Ieand vere democratic republics the many of Viking nations were water kingsoms, and abtugh the eit, pert landscape ‘was highly misogynist, women did maintain a cartain level of inence cing property and ever Polting land righ Sach detaled knowledge of thet estes and social nomi eriely down tothe sons that have lingered in their minds and were eventually captured on vellum over the centuries ‘The Vikings were a collective group onthe move. finally fom Denmatk Sweden are Norway the ‘migrant people plunderers, warringarmies and canny merchants cared their own cure across ‘the war eavng thar ditncive mark, but also scaked up the customs rlous bei and ways cof those they came actos This eh, multeutural ‘apes is everprcent inthe word of the sagas and fluences fom thet uavels are abundant. This articular tre of early Scandinavian erature. An Lmpressivenowdgeof the natural ography of rotthem and western Europe sla the result of {hetineran Norsemen, The stories tellus that thy ‘discovered leland when ther own ships were blown ‘ofcourse a around S60 CE. The olin yet. they were charging across relane Britain, Spin France ands faras North Aca and Arabia. They were the fist seafarers to make from the Old Wo tothe American continent Cohumbus merely walked in ‘het considerable fotpins ‘And sn for oncures the Viking sagas were spread ‘ward ef mouth from man to man, adult ocd via the ski ofthe dy, nocrpoating the test betes ne ideas and information rom farang locations Men and women were kept abreast of he lest stations whe chlden were subtly aught {he importance of bravery and loyalty othe king and lino: Homeve as ime progessed, the ‘xiginal tales were overshadowed by newer sors, People yar tobe upto date wth the test ews and to hea of strange foreign Inds that ha ben discovered Older skakis passed aay avin ‘younger storytellers to take ther plage and, a8 8 2330 Vikings The Viking Raya result for de fst tne there was a genuine chance hat these wondrous sagas might be lst frees, Ironically was yet another nae rm overseas hat Would sve them frm exit 1p 1000 CE, leland gradually shifted away fon ‘paganism, reeting may'of ts bells and customs in favour of Christianity Missionaries coming ron ssestem Europe aught the leaders to wre: Une his pot. runes were used fo shor nots nly. ewer acoss Burop, the educated were laning, towne n ancient Latin. as wasthe custom in diva mes, eprdcing Christian als and the laws ofthe day but ere. inthe heart ofthe Viking people the Norsemen chose to wren the language fend, No longer would the kas ave to held ‘Oe entire Ving culture in thes beads Throuhot he lth century the ected rela men began recording the mythologies, histones poems and series, ae centinued to do so up unl the end ofthe 15th century and beyond Ieland was unique among oer Bropean counties at tht time since its population consisted of mary feholdng farmers These people. who were nancial secure ad the means to commis books and manuscripts in ther own anguage The Viking scan be loosely compared othe epictale and. oa esr degre the moder herary fexmof the novel Eis by definition, deal wi sand heroic themes as do many sagas but nt all Some sagas spend cansderable me roenising the minor fests of ss morals, unseen ine ooms. Thay aright distinctive in tha they tell of mighty deeds, net necessary about heroes, but about the common, plain eelander Both he novel and the saga nara a chronelogal alba, uke the typical novel, the saga wil fen interne many nanatves gether fa nove does take on rp storylines the author wil usualy attempt toring them together by the Gave of the book. This isnot the case within the saga where a steryine may wel simply peter ou if no lnger needed Such a confusing isapearance ofa characters Samim dealt wah by the ceatar by explaining thar parbelar characters not ofthe sag A Norse author explained the tle by comparing 0 ramning water wich lows fr many sources, yet al comes tre to hw into a singe lac the sea "The novel spends time building characters an, allowing the reader to glimpse his cher inner though and matvations The stlds sve tleime to sich techniques Rather than tus the readers sce inside dhe head fa ven chatter, we are shown through the charac actions what his ‘motives might be A change of thes fom light to ar hes for example shou war the reader that er is ary and intends o cary out vient retuuton Other waning of what to came may present themselves the guise ofa dram o some ‘er superaturl event. The nantes vie is ‘arly. ever, bead within a sag {As the sais proozede to wre dow the signs itferent types began emerge are ave been preserved In these distin group this dy. One Such sub-oun known asthe Sagas ofthe Old Time, cx armada concetrate cathe preChuistian agein Scandinavia, These ar the legendary sas ‘hat joyflly mix ancene mythology wih remot history Here, the emphass son entertainment wth ite tome at hstoral accuracy. The Chistian sald wont have writen such tales wath their ‘tongues ily in ther cheeks, br vial essons were salto be gleaned fom ther ling Chien woud Fane picked up onthe nto of ing right and ‘ey won have stilinspired youngsters tobe bave and heroic Tales of pagan gods would have been ‘warmly reeled ine the felanders were proud of ther heathen past bus unlike during the eal ‘vansmisson of such sagas during olden days when eis of Oi ane Thr were rested th ret respect and reverence, the Cristian reader would tune taken tas lively narativ and nothing mexe ‘The Chrstan shld hed shied the emphasis away from pagan factual events to entertaining parables. ‘The bestknown example of he Sagas Antiquity, he Vedsunga saga consists stones taken fom heer ayo poems, and concer Sigur the Burgundians ane Jomunrekt the Ostogeth King This rich mulltic ever-prese The Sgt of te Kings or etre cnn their papi the Kings Ney fom preston ines uote cena The waren sgs we wien byte Navan. Date was telesales vio eoken te et gunn hens te geste coupled pases poet we cen ‘bade note pe known a le poor, wich wee asd own by wordt out ung Crtvorentsons nyt oe 8 Stese woe mite se eae as ho hadalgne heels witha parr neo any ys re The saga we mot ey Teo bese vasa ence toca be retina and cong the thal pre ole Tee wee es donuts then heme stow that be ghey tse lar inapratingthe sps ef bt Tyg, who insted te pte of Cisne aman the Telos and 3 wes ceed ora pe tt yung Kg Oui ne nas ch Over ppl ss hin ths re ced he baled esta meaning fe in and Nortstnas eng ete sin none and etry kee ect n suse Bouman ee eng pout feees twee heehee Sa Wh tet bps sa ee inthe ay efthene Chetan hes Te es {tthe sponse sas wee enn pea Sua with one evened ees tat aed othe dtu psa pats of ultural tapestry in the words of the sz stry is ret Bakr and Tho. elanders now looked to even ater than Valls ‘The Saga of Pots del with the tormented lovelies othe famous alas The tempestnas ‘haracers and ollercoaster careers made fo entrtaning reading sine to the crtinary ctzon at deat, they appeared to be exotc creatures with awe inspiring capablities an sls hast a we might ead ‘of aoe sar’ fe today the Vikings wished 0 know mot oftheir famous sak Romantic sagas, also known asthe Saas of the Knights, wer ransated fom continental ove tries and insgated bythe Norwesian King Haakon Haskonsson.neest in such ales stared in Norway but quick spread to celand whore they became ‘gute popular, ahough there remained angering ‘ists of such texts de to ancient lade tradition Inthe past poems prasng.a woman ad teen banned This was beats of potential lass ‘of eptation and unvarted pubic but also the fear thatthe words mihi fact be 3 spell and {hetefore cantina posse banding effect. The Vikings belived that poems were advine git fern (din, the highest ofthe gods, and therfore held specal power although Christin intervention had eneraly washed away such beaten thought. pagan Principe stil ingered inthe form of supesiion fn flee, The eats romani sya Was mest key the Tristram saga in 1226 CE which was base con the legend of Tristan and el: Further gs followed Including the Karmagnds ga Laila ssgsand Gres saga Eventually the elders moved beyond tanshating French romances and 31s socalled because th rents they desebed, erent the others rere rot based on the oral transmis sialds but were instead rent concerned Iceland turbulent period independence to Norvay. Most be found in the Sa 3a, teaser exten od the events and thet cory pictur, particulny sone many Key moments have stan sn, bu the fami il a magnificent recollection of Viking sce and Nowe cure ‘ve orgnated from te ety oa wansmissos a hare by the oa kad ofeach vilage. This of the faites wou ‘ softs people: When xivcated kas embracing Csi andthe ing tis thoushe that took upon themseies to crit alo these vellum ad therefore preserve them, Aken most ofthe heroes within te fami 363s axes farmers, some vere fam The previously mentioned ago the the mantic sagas ae also censdeed © be family sagas since they concerned eal pepe sa touching ragedy that is extremely unusual since uncharaterstally appreciate the beauty sureunding the skal. T waten beer subject mate, the poe Gi St ‘As ime progressed, the Sagas of elders came mete romantic innate at ad ragga element not seen since the Legendary Foleo vas eaefuly woven into the aes ming th the fantasti. The sag of Gre the atthe ime grad G hen the heart of the Viking p Norsen ion to Chistian, Nall isa hero ois tine: ise thought and prodent also uched withthe it of prop gsr added the supernatural ament missing ftom some ofthe ey Chan tales. The autho of this spectacular saga pirted his her wih ll ‘he tadtonal Nese eas of bravery, strength and ‘umvavering yay, but headed modem. Cissan tudes to please readers ofthe dy When faced wih death by burning Nl eins iso fate as any Chstan mary would thereby unying the ad thinking othe traditional sagas with that fof te new The burnings was a cmon fr revenge in the Viking a2 and vi the blood feds tn this lease the okler generation who woul appreciate hep rere the sf saxty who et more a ease recognised in vay, Nils aga ater ptsConversion to Christianity fr paganism payed an imptant prin many Viking sagas. The most vious is ofcourse. that without the inseiuction of ‘wong the ales dawn, mest kal would never rane survived Asi i there are no cig stories ‘old in orl tansmisen lefto enjoy Rates, the ‘mover reader must be content withthe doctored ‘versions rly rege by Csan ska ll he surviving markscripts dat frm well after ime the tries were xiginaly writen down There area numberof ary ad late manus supposedly teling the same tale but the ciffeences a enormous. us as fay ales have bee rascal altered in thee eteling over the years, s too have the sagas. Understandably the Chistian slant became mare prominent as time went on. The legendry gods once koked upon fr guidance, {came noting more than a good arta share wt ends ane famly. avery and honour were sSlonly replaced with piety and virtue bt the desire itl to congue ands aed overcome family feds was never lo. Although sometimes tempered ‘the passin of te Wing people remains fray ale throughout the stores. ‘rsa saga an ancaymousleandc text, assumed to have been writen t some point éurng he Mth century deserbes elands conversion (Cisinity: Interestingly tdscusses the process 35 a palical one rather thn a spiral change of heart, ‘which support the many skal attempts to balance betvmen the to rls facions, Pagan val, such sscted oaths wor ove arng and sacrifices to Te, Freyr or Noel almost certainly continued i private. behind closed doors Such insane, atsonse belies could nt be completly wed ‘ut so ety, particuny ifthe resoing bend the change was to align themsehes wth other natons Early hstorans accepted the sagas as accurate accounts -mytelogcal ceaurs nowsthstanding ‘was generally presumed that the unfoking cisorc tates the founding of nations the tumbling down cf dynasties, ere true more ct less Howe, ter ‘aces rested the notion that the sas were historically acurat, and instead abel them as nothing mee than works fiction that had been ‘peed to etetan the people “ody historians take a more balanced viewpoint (on the one band the sagas are highly remand, Heroes and heroines are ahs psa ‘outstanding, ineligent and sled, regards of whether theyre nobles o pasar The ikehood of his truly being the case seme to say the least Supernatural events regully occur but can be explained or undertone though divine o ‘magia intervention pagan or Cran. Many ofthe Kings sagas in particular concer highly impressive Individuals or imersly wicked character tha, inal, cannot be led upon since they have ben writen in the style of brazen propaganda, A Christin gloss has equaly mudd the waters. AS vat any historia text te works mere often than rot wien fom the wanning sides viewpoint and, Inthe case of many ofthe sagas, wien sometime after the event But before we sear these Werks PUelee tee come ely What is a Viking saga? entice e ned to ackrevel ther importance in Understanding Viking ie rah the sagas historians have come 0 Uundessand the eomplexty of Nore soc ts ules on divorce, a ane te influence ofthe Abin (ocal pantamend, paganism, cudawry and ther custo of fostering. The importance they get ‘inship,communty ad family honour nave all been printed in colour fer us to compeehend. This was rota warring teal natin of tbarians, bu tater a thoughtful passionate set of peoples 0 easly steeotype by Holywood, ‘Archaeology is proving that many ofthese stories axe seeped infact and they ave even been use to Tecate gemuine Viking setiements such as the LAnse sux Meadows tein Newfoundland The journey undertaken by the Gret Heathen Army and ltr ‘roups can al be tana onto a modern rap. These Pople were el the ves were el are ther st havelived on, hanks tothe VikingsMYTHS Introducing the tenets and beliefs of the old Norse religion ECA ertesenyiey 44 The Poetic Edda “Snorri’s delight A red Teal ia aaa ea c re ean} Reais i. Pecienner enam TOS The} LCE Norse lands Reena) trickery, wordplay 38 Véluspa 50 The Prose Edda andsymbolism Rete cer meen pepe eer. Hiaasen SOL 8 le Se ee) century, Christan audience Pat Of his work’ oyBefore they became Christian, the Vikings had a rich polytheisti folk faith that featured a collection of gods yths and religions sis tel tel peoples sy be fama et the the wort hetitlarViking myths bsaty ware in ae middle age ulin over his all in Asgard ce asa seemingly innocent, seemingly simple beggar with a wide imines hat pulled ow ‘ver is bow wile he wandered through Matar, presumably to dsguse the fact that he had jus cme (ye having plucked out the other in exchange far wisdom. This was by no means the moet dramatic thing Oain had ever done in his ens quest or know he also hanged himself rea Yaga for nine days and nights in oer unlock the secrets of the runes, wring Tous the most ames of Os sonsis Thor, a protective warrior god astodated wih cak tees and ‘Shunde Yet while be was (and remain) the mest popular god of the Nase pantheon, his haf brother ale vos revere asthe best. Baldr was kled by ‘he trickery of Lal, wh isnot an 3s a ged at all bur ernn or elemental giant. Are es fr from the only merit ofthe pancheon whoa member ofthe aes rae - the goddess Slat isof ja parentage tn as facts Ok, whe Laks Saughier Hel. queen ofthe underwexd was bom tothejetunn Angsboda. The twins Freyr and Freya and thar ater Noe are van, another ace of gods entirely. The Aes-Vanr War isa myth that tls of eee ‘he fist ever war and its eventual escutio, which eet poe | Mae so the to races became lies. ie ah ee A 1 Most ofthe gods haw several parness and see ae pias) 8 chulden some acs, some van, same tna with : ‘younger generations often displaying a combination PV CE CRIB cu ea ‘of the powers possessed y their parents races Other less wel noon members ofthe paket inhae ‘Tyr the one-handed ap of wat ounn, goes of youth and her husband Brag gn of peety. Lokls Forde of len re monstous some net an ‘Egan Ran the rls ofthe sea Thee nie States! ) ‘aughers the waves are colectvey the mothers of Petitions Mi emda. dhe foresight god who watches fr the cet hiate beginning of Ragnarck Ragnar cr theturlight ofthe gat isthe A ‘roped end ofthe world in Nose commolgy is sper ernonte tee so | gest atl which the denizens of Muspeleim, mop priona epeere Jed by thar king Surtr and by Lot, war agaist ree the esto the gods Few ofthe maior male names é n Norse mythology are foretold to survive the confct-only some ofthe ciren of Odin ae ‘of Thor, together th most ofthe podaeses ‘otable exceptions So the sun spdess, who Dears daughter tallow in et footstep shorty before her death ae predicted to escape the ans fie and destruction and bring anew wend intobeing together with fo humans. ifand ifr ho wil repopulate Midgard. Whether the cyl then begins anew the stores donot tell usSathe wold that has ever exited inthis part sebe.The Cua ee ees cere tera siyfeof such verse Ths frm s composed of around Cee een eee ate oe oe ees perros eres! Cee et oe Peet eae eee een Ce etry Pog ete eaten tee es ery ety ee aa Ce ad ee cornet enon ene ee ee Cee ete’ for understanding theta ins eniety, Cott Taek es i eee eee an eee oS a eee et ue on Re ee eee Pena aeons eo oe ee Se Penne ees eee errr ea ee ee ee ne eee ee hae eee ee ee eee ttreSa THE CHILDREN OF LOKI AND RBOD. Maus eet err eet reat inte wot He alg wi sing eee tere reer Reser ar Ha rep ee eeteer perenne entre erry eee ert Seca eee erate eee er Feet parr reread Pree ern eat neers ree rais ee erence rey Repetneneetirrieny THE GIANTESS ANG \ 7a ‘ a oot he Wel een and Nos poeereanenris Eero aninen ee es peri etter enna Pee mean ae ee ee ec eee Pan tae ee Prien rege seein oe ese Siege eer per eerie rerrememnn Spore ene epee ee 79 aps arene prey eee ater tern rece eerie Oecco pretretienenarenenr aS eS a fant wid ceria peers ere ir foenee pen arses Pacceee nar errant cence ren Serres ay Peweererc rete en pee mere Smetana reer Perreatiertenet eens Sheers ora since called Ginna Inthe ‘beginning there was no land nor sea. Tete was m0 fever, and no earth, soceainly no grass upon adall hat existed was chaos in ths ehaes Ine the ancient being Yi who some say was gant. In this rod the sons f Bur- named Odin Vil and Ve the fst ofthe sr gods raised up the skies crested the earth and rocks, and when ths was dove the su sn and made the land seen wth grass a tation fo the st ume Rt this time the hes and astral Does too had ‘cided a plae to pur the Sun. the Moon and the ars This shaw the crested the morning. mil, ring and waning ofAtime of perry ensued and the As bul up reat temples and altars aero the plane of Ihave, ‘the meeting pace ofthe ends Here oo they se up forges smiting ere. hammering cu tongs ae too. Times were joy they spent thet hours plying games at abies, gold was abundant, and they ‘wanted fr noting, ‘Yet this gaety was not ois Soon three janes came rom Joeanhsmt, the land othe ants. Once more the gods called an assembly ‘eetng to decide what mast be done It was rclaimed tha the race of ars mast be asd, {hom the biod and bones ofthe sea gan, Bamir~ ‘who some sy i the very same Yi, whose body ‘was used by Odi, Vand Vé to fasion the earth sn the Prose Ea So from the earth dwarfs vere ‘created in man’ tenes, heist ae greatest of ‘hese being Métsognis witha ist of many more follwing him in whats known as the Catalogue cf Dwarfs: Many ofthe dwarf names fund here were used by JRR Tolle in his books about the Blight ofthe hobs, and other creatures of idle Bart, wth the name Gandalf being the most we ‘own ofthese, said to mean magic ef. Other name ‘meanings ince might thi, wind elf and ‘ak shiek: The wich els that the wars came from the rocks and mourtains, through the welands upto ‘he plains where they made ther home inthe sands. ‘The poem seems to sift hur, wben tree othe sis core the word fam the assembly and we ‘eld of the cet of the fst man and woman Ask ane Embla, meaning ‘shan en who are without a destiny. and wathut all sense and pir. (Ganges while Snam doesnt give us the names (of the fit human in the Prose Ba, he does say thar they ae made out of tees, confirming the ‘connection herein Voluspa) Weare also toll that ‘hey do noe yet nave blood, cannot move and are ‘without col Th wae devo fife unt the {ee gos come to them and bestow ts upon ‘hem spit from Odin. sense from Hoenn heat and godly colour fom Lothur, ich some bebe ‘san oer name for Lok the trickster fire of Norse nyt who is ftenasocated with fie and lame. Here the vlva describes the mythical Yaga. a ‘ganic evergreen ash tee that stands atthe centre of thenine wos es covered in shining white Jam and all the rans and dew tat cover te valleys ‘of earth ow om i. as stands above the Wel of Fat, etarbrann This wells guarded by the three [Noms themselves - Lid, Vea and Skald-the rulers of destiny who se down the laws af men, choose th ives and tate dhe fate ima fo the ‘hee Fates in other mythologies. Nest the with speaks direct tothe god Odin, telng him that se knows al including thelngths ‘es wlng wo go ton order to ea of his own esiny indeed even the Icanon of his eve. This reference conjures the ale of ben he sacrifice his eye in eur fra dink fom the waters of Mimirs ‘vel While this passages shrouded in mystery here In Valu the Pose Bada explains thatthe wes ‘ater contain both wis and inteligence. and ‘Mima himself drinks from them each maming, the Se - H c 47> Jar ae “In this chaos lived the ancient being Ymir, who some say was a giant” scuce of his own knnniedge and wisdom. Because she to knows all she remembers the is wa nll ‘the workls wen the being Gulveig was speared by the gods aed then burned hee times in the ball cf Harr-or Odin -only tobe reborn thre ties also After ths burning she was named HelOe-or Heid -and wasa great wth all sein and wise in the waysof mage. betcing the mands ofa ‘who sw ber magia feats and abl tame even ‘waves yet itis aed that she was oy toa ei people who beheld her. The witch was said have erlrmed side magi, which archarcogsts belive ‘oe ofa shamanic nature. sing tances and oer sercery to cast spells Same have suggested that {his wich sin fact the godess Freya. who was the fist of the Vanir gods to come among the sit and ‘whose miteatment ed tothe eat si-Vani war, recounted next in Valus Indeed, Yrsling 63 as that twas Pea heslf who intoduced see ‘magic - purely Vani practice - othe Asi ges ‘The war began when Odin hurd his spe, and the wal that protected the Asi gods was ‘woken though bythe wartke Van Once more, an assembly was ek to decide whether the sit ‘gods should pay afin or bot partons could ‘be worshipped ste by se The later was decide ‘pn, ad both the Jian Vir were tobe ‘worshipped in equal measure Another ty is alluded there: giant was tasked wih ebuiing the demolbed walls of Asgard, te home othe oa 41