A huge god stands atop a jagged peak, his eyes fixed on his target. A giant looms in the mist below.
With one hand, he swings his hammer, which glints like lightning in the darkness. The weapon connects, and the giant falls. The ground quakes and the obsidian valley splinters to forever shape the landscape. Shadows of two ravens soar overhead, collecting news of his victory. A rainbow bridge blazes between the storm clouds, welcoming him home to Asgard, the realm eternal.
Since my love for Norse Mythology is what first brought me to Iceland, I felt it was important to have a page on my new website dedicated to the topic.
I first visited Iceland in 2021 when I was getting ready to publish my first book, Father of Monsters, based on Norse mythology. This trip changed the trajectory of my life forever, and Iceland’s wild landscapes continue to inspire the world-building of my current works in progress.
Although I love photographing Iceland’s rugged landscapes and resilient nature, I also desire to spark interest in the myths while opening the imagination of those who visit Iceland beyond airport trinkets.
The tales of gods, giants, and elves are waiting for you.
What is Norse Mythology?
Norse mythology is the story of the Viking gods, heroes, and the worlds in which they took place. When the Norsemen arrived in Iceland, they brought with them a belief rooted in a pagan theology that included gods like Odin, Thor, Freyr, and Freyja. These stories also include beings such as unpredictable giants like Loki, talented smiths like the dwarves, and the mystical light elves.
The Worlds of the Viking Gods
Unlike the Greeks, whose tales mostly took place here in our world, Norse Mythology had its cosmology, which includes a rainbow bridge that the gods traveled on, and our world, called Midgard.
In Norse mythology, there are Nine Realms, all connected within a gigantic ash tree called Yggdrasil. Between them is a void called Ginnungagap, where the first life, a giant called Ymir, was born. At the top of the tree is a giant in the form of an eagle who creates the wind by beating his wings. At the bottom is a dragon who gnaws on the roots of the tree and consumes the souls of the evil dead.
Where are these stories?
Unfortunately, many of these stories were passed on by oral tradition and have been shaped by the tides of time. However, the core of the myths was preserved in two pieces of literature important in Iceland’s history, The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda, as well as in the Sagas of the Icelanders.
Norse Mythology is not a long-lost group of tales but has inspired many modern-day and older storytellers such as JRR Tolkien, Joanne Harris, Rick Riordan, Genevieve Gornichec, and me.
It continues to take shape in Marvel’s rendition of Norse gods such as Thor and Loki, and other modern-day adaptations.
Beliefs that live on
As the tales live on, so does the theology they were based on.
The religion of the Vikings has spread across the world, taking new shape and relabeled under the umbrella terms Norse Paganism, Heathenry, and Asatru. A new temple to the Norse gods was erected in Reykjavik, and festivals around the country, such as the annual Sorcery Festival in Holmavík and the Viking Festival in Hafnafjörður, recreate the ancient ceremony known as a blót, where the Norse gods are honored.
As your travels take you around the Island, take notice of the namesakes, such as Odin’s Gata, and Thórsmörk, or the story behind places such as Ásbyrgi. Although the tales are from long ago, they continue to breathe life into Iceland’s landscapes. In 2021, my journey to write my first novel took me to Iceland. I was fascinated with the myths and the sagas. Since then, I have returned to the country ten times, even delivering a talk on Nordic Mythology at Midgard Base Camp. As my travels continue, I realize my personal story is developing. Reminiscent of a novel, Iceland gifted me with a plot twist that has enriched my life beyond words. Like the volcanic landscapes, lively winds, and glaciers that shape the landscapes here, the land of fire and ice has done the same for me.
