For those of you who have read some of my pieces or know me personally, you may already know where this is going. A strange word, something to do with the ancient Norse, and on and on. While trying not to sound like every other writer who covers Norse Mythology I tend to run into the issue of a knowledge gap. While I'm on one topic I may mention a name or being and have to explain what or who they are. That can take time and attention away from my original task, but it's necessary since most people (including myself) aren't experts on Norse Mythology.
So, with that in mind, I am going to explain in as much and as clear detail the main aspects of Nordic Mythology. I plan to do this over a course of weeks, not all in one article. This way I will eventually amass an archive of sorts for myself and my readers to look back on when a refresher or more detail is needed. I intend to include in these articles the information that I believe is most important to understanding the mythology; in that sense they are in no way intended to be 100% accurate or inclusive, but comprehensive. If you have ideas for parts of the mythology you would like me to go more in depth on then tell me, you're who this is for.
Here I am going to give you a brief breakdown, a sketch that is in no way meant to fully represent my plans, of what I will cover.
1. Yggdrasil, the world tree, its divisions, and its place in the mythos.
2. The nine worlds and their inhabitants (either in one article or split between several).
3. The creation myth.
4. The Aesir/Vanir war and the descriptions of both clans.
5. Major gods and their influences.
6. Minor gods and their influences.
7. Other figures such as Fenrir, Sleipnir, Surtur, etc.
8. Magical objects and their creation such as Mjolnir, Draupnir, etc.
9. The Norns and the fatalist values of the Nordic peoples.
10. Odin and the Runes.
11. Other tales from the Eddas, mainly funny or entertaining ones
12. Ragnarok, the end times.
Some of the topics above may work in a single article and some may not. But overall, expect an extreme amount of expounding upon the myths of the Nordic peoples for the next few months. I must say as well that this is not a strict, scheduled idea. If I have something more interesting or more pressing to write about I will. Also, after the mythology has been thoroughly explained, I will move on to more cultural aspects or sprinkle them in with the mythology. However, I do want a strong basis to pull from before I go into more in-depth practices. If you read my article about a Viking Halloween, you can see where a previous amount of knowledge or at least some supporting knowledge about some of the concepts or beings I was talking about would be useful.
Once again, suggestions for topics are always listened to, so if you have an idea or want or need for something, please tell me!
Plan on, my friends.