Mortality And Morality In Norse Mythology
There are so many different religions and they are all fascinating in their own way. There are so many that I am ignorant of most of them. A religion that I find very interesting is Norse Mythology. The reason I find Norse Mythology very interesting is because as a child I would read stories about relating to mythical fantasy. Norse Mythology consists of many deities and beings, such as gods, goddesses, dwarves, and giants. In Norse Mythology, there are different realms where people go when they die. Four of those realms are Valhalla, Folkvangr, Helgafjell, and Helheim. Before conducting research on these four realms, I did not know anything about them nor had I heard of them before. However, now that I have conducted some research, I have learned so many new things and I am now intrigued.
According to Weigel, before the world existed, there was a big void. In the north there was an ice and mist region, Niflheim, and in the south there was a fire region, Muspellsheim. The heat from the south was melting the ice from the north and formed Ymir, a frost giant with human form. From Ymir’s sweat came other giants. To feed the giants, a cow was created from melting ice that fed from the salt in the ice. While the cow was licking the ice, Bur was born and had a son, Bari. Bari then had three sons of his own that were named Odin, Vili, and Ve. Odin, Vili, and Ve were not giants, but gods. They killed Ymir and also killed the giants that lived there with Ymir’s blood. The three brothers took Ymir’s skull and created heaven. From Ymir’s body they made the earth, dwarves and maggots. Other gods joined them and formed Asgard. They made men from an ash tree, women out of a vine, and breathed life into them. Valhalla is where warriors go to after death. This realm is the place where Odin lives. Odin is a chief god and he protects noble men who die courageously in war. From the descendants of the first humans, Odin only allowed the bravest and the most courageous to enter Valhalla. The reason Odin did this is because he is preparing for the final battle where Ymir and the giants will rise against the gods. This final battle is known as Ragnarok. The gods already know what to expect from this battle because evil will win against good and everything, including the gods, will be destroyed.
In addition, the remaining three realms are as interesting as Valhalla. Folkvangr is where Freyja lives. Freyja is the goddess of love and beauty. The people that go into Folkvangr are half of the men that have fallen in battle. Freyja takes one half while Odin takes the other half. It is also believed that women can join Freyja in Folkvangr. Helheim is the underworld in Norse Mythology. Helheim is the home to Hel, the goddess of the Netherworld. Hel had a distinctive feature from the other gods. Half of Hel’s face was human while the other have was blank. Hel ruled over the dead. This is where those who die of old age and die on their bed go to. When researching for Helgafjell, I was unable to find a lot of information about it. The only thing I was able to find was that life in Helgafjell was the same as life here on earth. This is where those who lived a good life go to.
In my opinion, the best one out of all of the realms would be the Helgafjell because this seems to be the most peaceful realm. If I was in this time period, the Helgafjell realm would be the most appealing, thus I would be encouraged to be a better person. I would try to be a better person for the sole purpose of having an afterlife that I can genuinely enjoy. The worst one out of all of them would be Helheim because this is the land that’s engulfed by fire, therefore, it being an eternal suffering. I believe the Helheim realm pushes an individual to do something with their life, which would create purpose.
The reason I find Helheim frightening is because an individual would never find peace or be rewarded. I think that all of these entries are related because they are all realms where people go to when they die. Their destination is decided by how they lived during their lifetime. If they were brave warriors they would go to Valhalla. If they were just warriors that died or a woman they would go to Folkvangr. Lastly, if they died without being a warrior or a woman they would go to Helheim. I believe that Helgafjell was the ideal afterlife many were looking for. All of these entries were listed under Mortality and Morality because the way you live your life has an effect on how you live in your afterlife.
Norse Mythology reminds me of a religion we saw during class. If I remember correctly, it is the Mormon religion. Like in Norse Mythology, in the Mormon religion there are different realms where you can go after you die. The one at the very top is the best paradise and the one on the bottom is the worst hell. The way how you live your life will affect your after life and will decide in what realm you will be going to when you die.
In conclusion, all four realms have the ability to influence our life choices as well as the consequences of life choices. Learning about these four realms has satisfied my desire to broaden my knowledge about Norse Mythology. As a result of learning about Norse Mythology, I am reminded to be a better person or at the very least improve myself. Whether I believe Norse Mythology or not, the same principle of being a better person will always be in my mind.
