Vikings: Valhalla's Norse Myths Explained: Odin, Thor, Ragnarok & More
Warning: SPOILERS for Vikings: Valhalla
Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla makes quite a lot of references to Norse myths involving Odin, Thor, and Ragnarok, just to name a few. In fact, the pull between Christianity and Norse beliefs in Valhalla remains at the front and center throughout the entirety of the first season. While some characters are seen struggling with their Gods, like Leif Eriksson, his sister, Freydis Eriksdotter, doubles down on her Norse beliefs and makes a pilgrimage to Uppsala to take part in a pagan ritual. Whether it’s Christianity or Norse, the Gods they believe in are what drive the characters in their quests.
The Old Norse Religion, which is sometimes referred to as Norse Paganism, is a polytheistic religion that came to fruition when the North Germanic people separated from the Germanic people into their own group. Rituals were common in Norse Paganism, a practice Valhalla’s Freydis Eriksdotter participated in at Uppsala. Old Norse Religion centered around a world tree, Yggdrasil, as well as multiple realms that housed mythological races (giants, dwarves, elves, and land-spirits) that existed alongside the human realm, called Midgard. Sacrifices were not unusual, and there were several afterlife realms. By the twelfth century, Norse Paganism had pretty much disappeared during the Christianization of Scandinavia, a conversion process that had taken some five centuries to complete.
Related: Vikings: Valhalla True Story — Every Major Change To Real Life History
Vikings: Valhalla makes mention of several Norse Gods, including Odin, Thor, and Freyr. Valhalla is a realm of the Gods, ruled by Odin, and is a place where Vikings that died in battle go to prepare for the events of Ragnarok, a series of events
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