Gone Medieval How to Reach Valhalla
Oct 14, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Carolyne Larrington, a scholar of Old Norse literature, dives into the enchanting world of Norse mythology. She unpacks the role of Valkyries as fierce choosers of the slain and explores Valhalla as Odin's hall for warriors. Larrington contrasts heroic and unheroic deaths, revealing how these beliefs inspired Viking ideals of valor and raiding. She also sheds light on the societal reflections in these myths, including the portrayal of women and the lasting influence of Norse tales in modern culture.
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Sources Are Filtered Through Christianity
- Surviving sources are Christian-written and reshape older Norse beliefs.
- Carolyne Larrington warns our picture of practices is filtered and incomplete.
Thor Dominated Everyday Worship
- Thor appears to have been the dominant cult figure in early Icelandic practice.
- Settlers consecrated farms with boundary fires and sacrificed animals in cult buildings.
Archaeology Gives Clues, Not Certainty
- Archaeology shows cult activity but images are ambiguous without labels.
- Picture stones and bone layers suggest ritual but resist neat identification.
