Líf og
dauði (Life or death)
Northern Europe in 700
A.D was a cruel, harsh environment. Death loomed over each shoulder and made
its inevitability known. For the people who lived in such times, the struggle
for life and acceptance of death reflected directly into their mythology. Their
gods were relatable, for as they struggled for life so too did their gods. Despite
the constant struggle for life, the Norse sought pleasure where they could and
that too is reflected in the tales of their gods. Life was harsh in the Viking
Age, death was inevitable, but rather than allowing that to dampen their
spirits—they sought laughter where they could, even at the expense of their
gods. The Norse mythology is a direct reflection of the implicit struggle
between life and death.
In
“Gylfaginning”, Yggdrasil is introduced as the holy site of the gods. It is a
tree that spans the nine worlds in Norse mythology. It is the site at which the
gods hold their council, yet it too is subjected to the threat of death as its
roots are attacked by serpents such as Nidhogg (Snorri 17). Later, in the Poetic Edda Yggdrasil’s plight is
expanded in more detail within “Grimnir’s Sayings”. Yggdrasill is not only
attacked by Nidhogg, but a stag eats away at the tree, it is rotting away at
its side, and there more serpents constantly destroy the branches (Larrington
53). It is important that within the Norse Mythology that even the most holy
place struggles to survive the onslaught of death because it is a clear
representation of the careful balance of life that those who believed these
tales struggled with. Nothing is stable in this culture and there is no
guarantee of safety.
There
is much destruction found in Norse mythology, but it is clear that the Norse
believed in balances. In the “Glyfaginning” the world is created out of the
death of Ymir, who was in turn created out of poisonous ice (Snorri 11). Death
creates life, life creates death. There does not appear to be a doctrine of
good versus evil within Norse mythology, but more of a nature versus culture.
Nature is represented by the giants in the mythology, constantly fighting
against the gods who represented culture and civilization. Yet without the
giants, civilization would not have been able to exist. Without Loki, there
would be no serpent to hold together the world. Without giants, such as
Utgarda-Loki, there would be no tides (Snorri 45). The Norse’s civilization was
created from nature and continued to struggle against nature for survival.
The
inevitability of death within Norse culture is epitomized with the death of the
beloved god Baldr. It was said that all things of the world had sworn to not
harm Odin’s son and he was considered the most beautiful of all the gods
(Snorri 48). Yet, Loki found the single item that had yet to swear the oath,
gave it to Baldr’s blind brother, and Bladr was slain. Not even Hermod’s quest
to beg Baldr’s release from Hel could bring the slain god back. The death of
Baldr is when the Aesir first experience true loss within the mythology. The
one thought immune from all was killed, affirming the Norse belief that death
is certain—even to the ones favored by the gods.
Not
all the stories within Norse mythology are about the assurance of death.
“Harbard’s Song” is a hilarious poem of Odin in disguise trading insults with
his son, Thor (Larrington 65). Odin easily outwits Thor, who is not known for
his wit, and leaves him to travel through the thawing terrain. Another humorous
poem is “Thrym’s Poem”, where Loki and Thor must dress as women to retrieve
Miollnir from Thrym (Larrington 93). This poem is humorous because it forces
Thor, a god who is extremely masculine, to be feminized. To be feminized is
very shameful in the Norse culture, so to see Thor’s obvious discomfort at
impersonating Freyia could be very comical. Especially since, once Thor
retrieves his hammer, he proceeds to kill the giant and the giant’s
sister—restoring his masculinity. Loki also presents a comical figure in this poem
as he volunteers to be Thor’s maid and appears to enjoy the play act, answering
all of Thrym’s questions about his bride. Loki is frequently disguising himself
in feminine forms, flaunting his disregard for shame. Flaunting it prevents
being feminized from being shameful and becomes more comedic in nature.
In
the Saga of the Volsungs, the balance
between life and death in the Norse society is evident. The saga begins with
the death of a thrall, sending the murderous brother on a banishment where he
finds a new place to settle and begin a new clan (Byock 35-36). Again the motif
of life emerging from death is in Norse mythology is seen. The inevitability of
death is accepted, even by King Volsung, who refuses to flee from his fate and
says “for each man must at one time die” (Byock 40). The acceptance that each
man must die is important in the Norse culture because it gives them the sense
of power. The Norse people did not give into death willingly; because they knew
death was inevitable, they fought for everything. The only afterlife the Norse
believed in was Valhalla or Hel; neither one promising an afterlife filled with
riches. If someone wanted wealth and glory, it was only possible within their
lifetime. The Norse may have known they were going to die, but they were going
to make every effort to die fighting.
Bryhild
councils her lover Sigurd in the Saga of
the Volsungs, and the wisdom she bestows upon his can be seen as council to
the listeners of the saga. The advice she gives ranges from treatment of
kinsmen, controlling tempers, traveling through the night, avoiding the
temptation of women at feasts, and oath breaking, among other advice (Byock
71). These can be seen as the implicit rules within the clans and have a
similarity of the sayings found within the “Sayings of the High One”
(Larrington 13). These sagas and poems, like other cultures, were used to teach
a way of life. They may not have a necessarily moral aspect that is found in
Christianity, but the Norse did not trouble themselves with the goal of a
heaven.
The
Old Norse people struggled to live day to day. This is not to say that they
lived in a constant state of dying, but to say that their environment was harsh
and they must constantly have been working to survive. Not only did they have
to fear potential raids from other clans, but it seemed as if nature itself
rose up against their societies. These were a people whose gods constantly
warred against the giants, just as man constantly warred against nature. These
were a people who accepted death and did not run from it; who knew that even
their gods were fated to die in Ragnarok. Their mythology reflected their way
of living; showing that because one accepts death, it does not mean you cannot
find joy and humor in life. Norse mythology may appear to be inherently
pessimistic, but in fact, it is the epitome of the balance between life and
death. “Generous and brave men live the best” (Larrington 19).
Works
Cited
Byock, Jesse L. The Saga of the Volsungs the Norse
Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. Berkeley: U of California, 1990. Print.
Larrington, Carolyne. The Poetic Edda. Oxford: Oxford
UP, 1996. Print.
Sturluson, Snorri, and Anthony Faulkes. Edda. London: Dent, 1995.
Print.
