When the Vikings arrived in Scotland they introduced their own religion and beliefs. The Vikings worshipped powerful gods and believed that bravery when alive promised them a better life after they died.
For Vikings, the best possible outcome was to die bravely in battle. They believed that, if they were lucky, winged female spirits called Valkyries would swoop down to collect the souls of the dying warriors and take them to live with Odin at Valhalla.
Valhalla was the Viking version of Heaven. The warriors who made it there would live in Odin’s great hall and spend eternity drinking beer, eating roast meat, and having a great time.
There were other places dead Vikings could go, too. The goddess Freya got her share of the dead. They went with her to a beautiful field called Fólkvangr and, like in Valhalla, they could look forward to feasts and fine times.
There was also another place the dead could end up – Hell. This wasn’t an awful place full of demons and flames like our modern version, however. It was an underground kingdom that actually sounded quite nice.
How did Vikings treat their dead?
Because death was not seen as the complete end of a person’s life, the Vikings went to great lengths to prepare their dead for the afterlife – wherever they ended up.
Vikings were buried with all the things that were important to Vikings: their swords and axes; fine clothes; gold and jewellery. It was believed that they would need these in the afterlife.
This is why today, Viking burial sites are so important to archaeologists and historians – the graves are packed full of treasures and belongings that tell us so much about how the Vikings lived.
The Vikings were very superstitious people. They believed that they shared their world with a whole range of gods and mystical creatures. The best known of the Viking gods are Odin, Thor, and Freya
Freya
In Norse mythology, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future).
The Vikings believed that they might wonder the world as ghosts if they weren't given the right type of funeral. And important Vikings, such as chiefs, wanted to be just as powerful in the afterlife, so they were often cremated on a burning ship along with their favourite treasures, weapons, pets and even servants.
At the start of the Viking age most Scandinavians were pagan. They had many gods and goddesses from simple nature spirits to heroic figures. Odin, Thor and Frey were the major deities, who dwelled in Asgard – the inner world of an elaborate universe. Vikings believed they travelled to other worlds in the afterlife.
At the beginning of the Viking period, people in the Nordic Countries believed in the Nordic gods. But gradually the Viking became Christians. The Vikings became acquainted with Christianity abroad, or by way of the monks who travelled to the Nordic Countries as missionaries.
For Vikings, bravery in battle was very important and raiding was a way of showing just have brave you were. Later on, in stead of raiding and returning home, the Vikings set up home in the lands they raided. Many of Scotland's islands and coastal regions became home to Vikings from across the sea.
The Vikings were very superstitious people. They believed that they shared their world with a whole range of gods and mystical creatures. The best known of the Viking gods are Odin, Thor, and Freya. We remember them because, in English, the days of the week are named after them.
The Vikings are mostly known for their relentless pillaging, and rightly so. At the same time, many of them lived peacefully as traders and farmers, and many expeditions were based on barter deals. Those who stayed home supported their families through simple farming activities.
Hinduism has been called the "oldest religion" in the world, but scholars regard Hinduism as a relatively recent synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no single founder. This Hindu synthesis emerged after the Vedic period, between c. 500-200 BCE and c.
Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic peoples. It was replaced by Christianity and forgotten during the Christianisation of Scandinavia.
It's widely believed (and portrayed in different media) that pagan Vikings hated Christians, but historians believe that the attacks on Christian churches were unrelated to their different religious views.
Finally, in 870 the Danes attacked the only remaining independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Wessex, whose forces were commanded by King Aethelred and his younger brother Alfred. At the battle of Ashdown in 871, Alfred routed the Viking army in a fiercely fought uphill assault.
The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse'.It means 'a pirate raid'. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. But not all the Vikings were bloodthirsty warriors.
The faces of men and women in the Viking Age were more alike than they are today. The women's faces were more masculine than women's today, with prominent brow ridges. On the other hand, the Viking man's appearance was more feminine than that of men today, with a less prominent jaw and brow ridges.
The Viking Age saw the last stand of paganism in Scandinavia, where raiding and trading brought followers of a pantheistic religion into contact – and often conflict – with Christian and Muslim worshippers of a monotheistic God.
“Asatro” is the worship of the Norse gods. The religion does not only involve the gods, but also the worship of giants and ancestors. Asatro is a relatively modern term, which became popular in the 19th century. The Vikings did not have a name for their religion when they encountered Christianity.
Old Norse religion was polytheistic, entailing a belief in various gods and goddesses. These deities in Norse mythology were divided into two groups, the Æsir and the Vanir, who in some sources were said to have engaged in an ancient war until realizing that they were equally powerful.
The tension between pagans and Christians was shown in Vikings, with Athelstan (George Blagden) being Ragnar and company's first approach to Christianity, and different characters going through a crisis of belief after that.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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