Norse Mythology

Norse mythology has seen an explosion of interest in recent years. From Marvel movies to children's literature to video games, it seems the Norse gods truly are everywhere. But what do we actually know for certain about the Norse myths, from their origins?

Modern knowledge of Norse mythology rests primarily on two written sources: the Poetic Edda, and the Prose Edda. The Poetic Edda is a 13th-century compilation of poems and tales from earlier sources, and the Prose Edda is a book by 13th-century Icelandic writer and statesman, Snorri Sturluson. It is crucial to note that in both cases, the writing-down of these stories long post-dates the arrival of Christianity in the Norse world, such that it is impossible to gain a truly accurate sense of what pre-Christian religious beliefs and practices in the North would have looked like.

There are, however, a number of things that can be gleaned with relative certainty, among which are the following:

✧ the god Thor was particularly popular with the "common people", as evidenced by the huge number of Thor's hammer amulets that have been found during archaeological excavations, and the multiplicity of place and personal names containing the element "ÞÞThor"

✧ the myths are the expression of a society that valued such virtues as strength, self-discipline, justice, resourcefulness, endurance, and community-mindedness

✧ animals were enormously significant in Norse cosmology, and play manifold roles in the Norse myths

And that's where my book comes in.... Runewood was written from my personal desire to see the animals of Norse mythology get a bit of "time in the sun" (or, considering the setting, perhaps some time in the snow!). I found myself utterly fascinated by the plethora of animal figures, and wanted to create a story that would allow each of them a distinct voice and character. I hope that I have succeeded in doing so.

~ Sölvör