How do the sources describe what the nine realms look like? If so, what places on earth do they resemble the most?

Could someone with great knowledge suggest me a colour for each realms so I can pick a gemstone with that colour? Thanks

A sample of religious hymns i am making.

It is in Old Norse and in a Kvad {poetry style} form called drápa as shown in Snorre Sturlasons Skalderskaparmal.

Everyone is free to use and share.

My prayer to the High One is to the world.

Hrafnhróðs Drápa.

Refrain (to repeat after every three stanzas):
Hrópum vér á Háva, þann er henginn var á hringa skógi,
Hávamál’s visku drekk, sigrfaðir mikill í miðri sæ.
(We call to the High One, he who hung upon the ringed tree,
drinker of Hávamál’s wisdom, great Father of Victory in the middle sea.)

1. Heill sé þér, Valtýr, vafinn skugga, Kallar hrafna, fylkir ferða, Haukabrjótur, hrímþunginn í skuggsól, Sverð-blessaður gnýr, vér syngjum til þín. (Hail to you, God of Battle, veiled in shadows, Caller of ravens, leader of journeys, Breaker of hawks, frost-weighted under shadow-sun, Sword-blessed thunderer, we sing to thee.)
2. Heill sé þér, Spjótsþreyttur, Gungnis rekki, Brattur á hjólgeisla, sveigður og fjarri, Sjá aldna-riðinn, leiftur-skelfir hár. Allvaldur sigra, vér beygjumst þér. (Hail to you, Spear-Tried One, Gungnir’s wielder, High on the wheelbeam, bent and afar, Watcher of ancient oaths, lightning-bearer proud. All-father of triumph, we bow to thee.)
3. Heill sé þér, Valföður, rúnanna skjaldar, Háls við hyrni, höggstokkinn í skógi, Níu nætur dauðanótt, einn framsvíðandi. Þjóðar leiðari, vér biðjum þér. (Hail to you, Father of the Slain, shield of runes, Neck bound to branches, carved into the tree, Nine nights in death’s night, alone, moving on. Guide of the folk, we pray to thee.)

Refrain

1. Heill sé þér, Vindhár, vági eldsins, Höður Sleipnis, eljan og orka, Veðurblakki stýrir, eyjóts seigari, Sterkur straumöldu, vér lútum þér. (Hail to you, Wind-Lord, fierce in the storm, Rider of Sleipnir, strength and will, Driver of storm-horse, survivor of islands, Strong in wave’s current, we bow to thee.)
2. Heill sé þér, Drekka-dólgur, dulinn í fjalla, Sjúka-sefar, slóga hrædra. Mýts veittur af heimi hulin í rökkrum, Fjarlægur fjandi, vér höldum til þín. (Hail to you, Draught-Enthraller, veiled on mountain, Calmer of sickness, breaker of dread. Hidden by twilight’s misty shroud, Far-reaching warrior, we hail thee.)
3. Heill sé þér, Hjálmberi, hörunds lífgögn, Veigur skírs afl, vafi af lífi, Stalli bera slíkra, glóð-gefandi í víðum Valföðr dána, vér hlýðum þér. (Hail to you, Helm-Bearer, healer of flesh, Strength in the shield, life bound in wave, Who carries such might, glow-giving widely. Fallen Father, we heed thee.)

Refrain

1. Heill sé þér, Hrafna-faðir, fagna blótum, Hrímþorns brjótr, hugfullr kappi, Rökkur-skjaldar megin, myrkviðr farinn, Berserkabrjótur, vér syngjum þér. (Hail to you, Raven-Father, rejoice in the sacrifice, Breaker of frost-thorns, heart-bold champion, Shielded in dusk, faring through dark wood, Berserker-breaker, we sing to thee.)
2. Heill sé þér, Rúnaljós, ræsir vernda, Gæða gefandi, vinur dauðra, Ísbjartur hæsti, eykr vel þiggjandi, Huggar böl vætra, vér biðjum þér. (Hail to you, Rune-Light, rousing protectors, Giver of gifts, friend of the dead, Frost-bright highest, abundance-bringing, Comforter of suffering, we pray to thee.)
3. Heill sé þér, Ógurligr, fámál verndin, Meistari ættbálks, mættur í loga, Andi hins sanna, bjóðandi ljóða, Þar viska geymir, vér kveðjum þér. (Hail to you, Terrifying One, quiet protector, Master of clans, mighty in flame, Spirit of truth, giver of chants, Where wisdom is held, we bid thee farewell.)

Refrain

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I know dumb Question but the thout came to mind abd I cabt get it out of my mind

Hey folks.

So, my 4 year old has quite the same interest in Norse mythology, like his father. Is name is Freyr after all. I read the stories of both eddas and other stories I knew about, for him. Most recently we are playing the God Of War games and in one of them the protagonist enters a hidden realm, like a dream world. So tonight when I tucked him in he asked me if there was a dream world where we could meet each other (and go fishing). I told him perhaps there is but I honestly couldn't remember. Of all the stories and sagas I read I can't remember if I ever read about a dream world. Do you know if there is such a thing?

Probably a silly question that I could have just googled but I usually get better results with sources and stuff about Norse mythology than by searching online

For anyone not in the know, a psychopomp is a common role in mythology, some figure that takes souls of the dead from the mortal plane to the after life. Think Thanatos, Hermes and Charon from greek mythology, or a much more common example, the Grimm Reaper. They can sometimes be an incarnation of death itself (like Thanatos) or just take the souls

In Norse mythology the only thing like this I can think of are the Valkyries, that take brave warriors that die in battle to Valhalla.

Are there any other figures like this? Or do the common folk that go to Hel after death simply appear there?

The Varangians famously made their way to Miklegard, and some of them would have been pagans following the Norse traditions. What did the Romans end up thinking of their mercenaries' religion? How did the Norse and the Romans interact in relation to religion? And what do we know of the Norsemen's views of the Christians in the Roman Empire?

https://youtu.be/KL8IfWdSVSA?si=YY3wDy72WM2e0mIn

I didn't play GoW, but i like to see specialists talking about it. However, at 11:05, the specialist ays that he is tired of seeing norns weaving because that is a greek thing and not nordic, but I don't understand..

I just think back to that reading the Darradarljod where the Valkyries are weaving, but i'm quite sure i've red poems where norns are weaving too, especially Urd.

Am I right ? Also, am I the only one not understanding why norns and valkyries arent assumed being from the same group, because the role of nörn is basically the same as Disir, and the valkyries are called "the disir that serve Odin".

And valkyrie and nörn really have a complementary rôle. I don't know, maybe I din't read enough on the disir topic.

Well it's a pretty chaotic double question here haha

at the end of GOW ragnarok Freyr stays back and uses Ingrid to seems like hold back surtr but my question is if they needed surtr to be “ragnarok” what was surtr trying to do at the end was he trying to kill kratos and everyone or was there something I missed that caused him to stab his giant sword into the ground

I know that the Prose Edda is filled with things Sturluson had to add and change to avoid being called a heretic. How can I tell these apart from the real myths (I already completely skipped the prologue)?

I thought about back to 2011 Thor movie. Where Thor said that he and his friends teleported to Midgard and used their fancy abilities and weapons. Beliving they started the worshipping of their pepole as gods and they are the reason why Norse mythology existed.

But how wrong they truly where. If MCU Thor (I call him that now) and his friends has listened to the Midgardians they visited back then, and not indulged themselves in food and women.

They would have heard them cheering that MCU Thor and his friends had been blessed by the gods. That MCU Thor had become the avatar of the great thundering berserker. And these whispers reached the ears of the true Norse gods and godesses.

And all I have to say is that they were not impressed by these Asgardians invaders. They were actually very offended by them. And so was it for every pantheon around earth. There were several powerfull gods that wanted to destroy these alien races for daring taking their names. Acting as they were true gods and goddesses . But in reality they just made a mockery out of that god or goddesses name.

But as time went on. These false proclaimed deities left earth or just dissapeard. No longer disturbing the balance and leaving the mortals alone.

So it was agreed on that. A deegre that If these false deities, these aliens ever enters Midgard again. They will be hunted down and taken to that realm to be punished by that deity.

And this agreed became true when Loki attacked New York with the Chitauri. And Thor enters the battle and helping the mortal heroes known as Avengers to save the city. After the battle when Thor was about to leave with Loki. He was hit by powerfull lighting bolt. Stronger then his own Mjolnir could ever make. It teleported him and a very terrified Loki to a giant dark halls. That was lit up by flames that showed several powerfull pepole looking down on the two princes.

The pepole who sat at each thrones look at the two asgardians in digust and hatred. While letting out powerfull auras that forced Thor as well Loki bow down because of the magical pressure. What the young princes didn't know that these not superhuman or aliens that had kidnapped them. No! These pepole where true old gods and goddesses of the Norse pantheon and the halls they where in where the meeting halls of Valhalla. Where the two princes would be interegated and judged.

More will come and would love to hear your'e ideas. And if you have any questions about this story idea. Just ask and I will answer them. And I will also explain more about this story idea. It was rushed when I wrote it😅😅. So you all have to excuse me for that.

I have been trying to find sea monsters most recently but have only been able to hear of Jormungandr and the Kraken, if it exists i was wondering if you guys could direct me to a mythological bestiary if one exists. any attempt to find one myself only leads me to TTRPGs or God of War.

Feel free right hype em up or make them while still being accurate

I’m playing GOW ragnarok and I was wondering if there’s an edge to each realm like if you physically reach the end of let’s say Midgard for example or will you eventually end up back where you started like if you were to go the whole way around earth?

There is two things I don't understand in norse myth :

In Gylfaginning, Freyr kills Beli with a stag antler, and I don't understand how it is always translated like this but never assuming it's a metaphoric name for a woodstick. Like, is it impossible that the stag is a kenning ? Don't know.

Also, what about THE sword ? Like it's a really important artifact in norse myth, and it means a lot in Freyr's role, how come there is no name for such an artifact ? Do you have interesting theory around this and the fact that he "loose" it to Skirnir for Gerdr ?

Well that is vague questions and I hope I am understandable. (I'm french btw, excuse my english :D)

So, anyone familiar with Norse mythology knows that the Norse gods last names were based on their fathers first name. Thor Odinson, Freya Njördsdottir, Odin Borrson, etc. But Loki's full name is Loki Laufeyjarson after his mother Laufey instead of Loki Fárbautison after his father Fárbauti. I want ask why YOU think this is the case. My personal theory is the Loki simply liked his mother more than his father but what do you think?

I meant be thinking of a another goddesses or god but I just got magnus and the gods of asgard and forgot if freya was stuck in Midgard

I hate that Loki and Thor are sometimes made brothers or half brothers or adopted brothers.

The end result of Ragnarok is the death of nearly all the gods, humans and the general end of the world. However, from the ashes of old world, the remaining gods and Lif and Liftrasir will build a new one. But is there any evidence that such an event has happened before and gave rise to our current world?

So essentially, is their evidence that Ragnarok is a cyclical event or is it a one time event?

I'm fairly new to this, so it might seem stupid, but who was Loki?