Norse mythology was a collection of beliefs and stories shared by Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and Danish cultures. The stories of the gods, goddesses and other creatures were originally in written the form of lengthy poetry. The Poetic Edda was believed to be written in the 10th and 11th centuries. Later, in the 1200, the Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturlusun and told the adventurous myths in story form. It is from these two Icelandic books that we understand how the ancient Norsemen imagined how the fanciful world of their ancestors was created, how it flourished, and how it came to an end.
The Vikings, also known as Norsemen, were raiders from these frozen, northern countries. The Viking Era is thought to have begun about 750 AD and ended around 1050. During the fall, winter, and spring these "Northmen" were farmers and fishermen. But during the summer, they traveled by sea or in their longboats to attack and seize treasures from villages, churches, and monasteries.
You might be surprised to know we still make reference to Norse Mythology even today? Our days of the week are named after Norse gods:

Did you know that J. R. R. Tolkien, in his fantasy works The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, drew on settings and characters from Norse mythology? Other authors, such as Robert E. Howard, author of Conan the Barbarian use Norse Myths as a basis for their characters. The role-play computer games, Dungeons and Dragons and Dragonlance, are influenced by including Norse mythology. You might be surprised to find more references to the Norse myths in other pieces of literature, music, and computer games.
 Additional Infromation:

Encyclopedia Mythica - Norse Mythology
Norse Mythology
Norse Mythology
Greek vs Norse Mythology
The Influences of Norse Mythology in Popular Cultural
Modern Influences of Norse Mythology
The Vikings - North Atlantic Saga

We hope you enjoy these original myths written by Mrs. Sunda's 3rd and 4th grade gifted students. If you have any questions or comments, please write us.