Norse Myth: Evidence before the Eddas 

This is the only RU-vidr that I've felt the absolute need to become a Patron. I've just received SO much great information that I actually started feeling guilty getting it for free. Thank you Dr. Crawford for spreading your vast knowledge to the common man!

Fun fact for those who want to know about the wolf cross/hammer that got found in Hrunamannahreppur in Iceland. I grew up there and heard the story how it got found by a 10 year old boy called Elísberg Pétursson. He was herding cows back to his farm in muddy wet conditions. He saw something glittery fly under the cow hooves and picked it up and found this artifact. Quite interesting.

Not only interesting content but also a beautiful background.

Regarding place names (in Sweden): Odin (Oden in Swedish) in place names is often shorten to "Ons-" in Sweden (same as Wednesday that is Onsdag in Swedish) and there are about 130 place names with "Ons-" and about 270 place names with "Oden" where quite a few are ends with "-sala" (hall) or "-källa" (spring) or "-hög" (mound) and even "-grav" (grave) etc, all places of worship. In total about 400 place names. We compare that to "Ull"who has around 470 place names that start with the name. But yes it is fewer than Frö (Frey) that has around 940 place names, not to mention Tor (Thor) that has more then 5800 place names. To be honest though far from all are places of worship or the like and some are base on the female name "Tora" or is derived from a person named Tor after the god and not the god himself etc. But it is still more then Frös (Freya) that has 270 place names, including a couple of Frösvi and Fröslunda. However there are them who also believe that the name "Härn" comes from a bi-name of Freya and that has 88 place names, among which some with the ending -vi (cult place similar to old Norse vé). So just above 350 place names that is connected to Freya. Compare that to Frigg that has 77 place names that involves her name. Tyr has about 150 place names and then there is some Agantyr or Boanstyr wich count for about 10. Then there is about 250 names starting with Tis that is also Tyr. On top of that there is quite a few that ends with tis but it is hard to know which of them that is derived from Tyr and not, so I skip them. In total Tyr has just above 400 place names. Then we have the start "Ti-" that might be derived from Tyr, like in "Tiveden" that might mean "Tyrs wood", that has above 2700 place names but it would take way to long time to sort them out for the sake of a comment. But it is fair to assume that we can add a couple of hundred more names to Tyr from thoose. The place names of Tyr actually goes pretty far north, all the way up to the regions of Västernorrland that was kind of the northern end of the Norse settlements in Sweden during the Viking age (it is not all the way up to the border but not far off). So no, it is not only the southern most part of Sweden. There are a few (less then a hand-full) place names like "Lokebo" (Home of Loke) and the -bo names are often thought to be originated in late viking age as earliest but most of the time medieval times. I think however these might be referring to the name of a person rather then the god. There are also many small lakes, tarns or mires that is named Loke or Loken ("-en" = "the" in english) and can in this case be a dialect word (lok, lók, lǿk, lag, laka, lakk’) that is perhaps related to old Norse "laug", "lǫgr" or "lœkr", all related to water - but that is just pure speculation. One should know thought that not all names counted here are actually from the viking age as quite a few blocks from 1900s also can names after the old gods. But the older versions of the names (Ons-, Ull-, Frö-, Frös- and Tis-) are most likely from the Iron Age and Viking Age. Thanks for a good video, as always. Keep up the good work :-)

Great video once again @Jackson Crawford. I'm university student and my specialization is Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy at University Pardubice, Czech Republic and we have a subject in our syllabus called Paganism. Your videos and your insights makes me so passionated and also committed and dedicated to know more about Old Norse Mythology etc, that I'm studying Paganism and Old Norse Mythology (besides regular lecture at uni) by myself as a hobby and a free time activity. That's why I'm trying to not miss not a single video of yours! Keep up the great you are doing! Take care Doctor Crawford ! Sincirely, Jakub Čech

AAAAnd.. I present Dr Jackson Crawford. Thank you sir, the Client Eastwood of Norse Mythology. No, seriously that was great!

There is actually another place, this one is Norway, named after Odin. It is the Norwegian equivalent of Odense and it is called Onsøy. Onsøy used to be a small county in Østfold. Everyone who lives in the area know, or have heard about the origins of the name Onsøy.

Your vids are always educational. I and I am sure that all others who watch your vids appreciate your knowledge. Much, MUCH thanks for sharing.

7:50 Just got this tattoo as Im ABSOLUTELY obsessed with Norse mythology. Currently going through your videos and trying to keep up! Thanks for bringin the scrolls from the ivory tower :D

Thor's fishing trip is also depicted on a stone in Hørdum Kirke in Denmark (a detail in the raw stone have inspired the artist to make the picture). I think that we have a few metal figurines depicting someone sitting on a "throne" with a bird on each shoulder. And there is a stone used for blowing air into a hearth depicting Loke with his mouth sewn shut.

Great video as always. Interestingly is that Woden (the Anglo-Saxon name for Odin) seems to be the most popular god found in place names across England, examples being Wednesbury (Woden's Borough) in West Midlands, Wednesfield (Woden's Field) in West Midlands and Woodnesborough (Woden's Hill/Mound). Thunor (Thor) and Tiw (Tyr) are not as much, with the place names with Thunor's name are found in the south of England, the 'Saxon' areas if you will and none in the Anglian ones although there are around one or two that did exist in Jutish Kent that don't seem to exist anymore. Frige (Frigg) has a few named after her, but there aren't many. Eostre *may* have had a few named after her, with the one to come to my head is Eastry in Kent (Eostre is associated with the word East since the dawn (one of the elements connected to Eostre) starts in the east), which interestingly seems to be all concentrated in eastern England. There are place names however based on lesser supernatural beings like spirits and goblins and more deriving from sacred sites (weoh) and even temples (ealh) though those are rare. Not really Norse related but I thought I'd share with you since you brought up the subject of the pagan gods found in place names in the Nordic countries.

Your channel is a real gold mine! WIll you ever make a video about early and migration period Germanic peoples? Another interesting subject would be the memory of their former pagan beliefs that christianized germans (like franks, saxons) retained at the moment of contact with the Norse. Was there any? All the best to you, Dr. Crawford!

i haven’t watched one of your videos in a while, and this was a nice one to get back into the channel with! i was in rome for a week with my school’s classics dept & have had a ton of schoolwork haha. i thought you’d like to know that i’ve been accepted to uw madison for undergrad!!! i don’t know if i’ll go there but it’s one of my top choices. all the best 👋🏻

For a virtually unknown god, Ullr is getting pretty popular. Ullr Fest, Breckenridge, Colorado (The original? Next year, it's 55years) UllrGrass Music & Beer Festival Golden, Colorado. UllrFest Diamond Peak Ski Resort at Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, Nevada ULLR Fest held at Brian Head Resort, Cedar City, UT Ullfest Brewersfest, Pajarito Mountain ski area, Los Alamos, New Mexico. There is even an "ULLR Nordic Libation:" a peppermint/cinnamon schnapps from Hood River Distillers (I think I'll stick with akavit)

Thanks for the great video and all of your quality content which you generously share with us. I wanted to ask you about what exactly happened around 1800-1900s, and why did some people put faith in later speculations as compared to the raw source? [Me being an outsider to these things I'm not aware of what is being discussed here.]

One of the boroughs of Trondheim in Norway is called Heimdal.

I am so glad all that snow skipped just past us. Do you know of any good examples if this style stanza being constructed in english? Id be interested in how they sound

Did I catch this right and it was one take? What are you, some kind of talk-god? oO

I keep re-watching your videos because they are excellent for information. What I'd give to be able to pick your brain for an hour

great stuff once again

Another excellent and informative video. Thank you Dr. Crawford.

In Trondheim, Norway, one of the areas around the city centre is called Heimdal.

Woe love this direct clear answers to questions that I have always had

Your voice is spectacular dear sir

I looked up Ullr and found it saying he is "glory" personified, he is a God dealing with snow and archery, and something about being the handsome stepson of Thor. Would this be the same god you were talking about or another, and if so, how much of this is correct? Thank you for making these videos too. I appreciate you taking the time to do them.

Great video, info dense!

What are those Valkyrie statues holding besides the shield? Are they spears? Axes? Hammers?

In terms of place names for Loki; what about Lokkafelli?

My grandmother lived in an area in Oslo called Ullern, never thought it was named after a god, quite interesting

There is a place caled Heimdal in Trondheim, but I dont know if that is new name. It is a part of the town.

I also ordered your book: The Saga of the Volsungs. Thanks. Very helpful. What was the original source material for all of these Eddas and Sagas? The Sigurd Stones are not that much older. Was this all oral? Or written as pictures (stones). Or a combination? After all, the Kings of Burgundy began with Gjúki (Gebicca) c. 407. Was Gebicca an historical man that the Saga was written about. He's also mentioned in the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. You've answered some of these questions to some extent but I get the feeling that a lot of this was oral. So it seems Maria Kvilhaug might be right with both her thoughts that Loki was not worshipped but rather was a poetic or story device to move the action along. Baldr was also apparently not worshiped either, according to her, but was again another poetic device. At 10:50 you mention Heimdallar. 'mǫgu Heimdallar' she translates as 'children of Great World.' Rather than as 'sons of Heimdall' or 'Heimdall's sons.' So, was Heimdall worshipped?

Did you say that you are publishing a new book soon? I thought I heard that in one of the other videos.

Is Tacitus's Germania considered a valid source, at least in part, on Germanic practices? Or any other works by Roman or perhaps Greek writers?

As far as place names are concerned, the more common ones are (or were) also used as forenames (Thor, Ullr, Tyr) and the less common ones are not (Odin, Loki etc). I wonder if it was somehow inappropriate to name a child Odin, so it didn’t make it into many place names either. The idea being most of the place names were names of actual people and not a direct reference to the gods. Thorestorp for example was probably land originally owned by a patriarch named Thor which grew into a village still bearing that man’s name. Tyr and Ullr are not so common anymore but I came across several in 16th century baptism records while tracing my ancestors in northern Halland, Sweden and several farm names as well in various forms: Tyrslycka, Ullirstorp, Tirsbacka, etc and in the baptism record forename and patrynimics: Tir, Tirsson, Thyr, Thyrsson, Ulir, Ulirsson, Olir, Olirsson, Olie, Olisson, etc.

Two hundred years is not a vast space of time. Look at how America is still reeling from the Civil War almost 160 years ago. I also knew four of my great grandparents who would very well have walked among and knew former slaves. Thus, I was able to talk to someone who would have remembered talking to a person of that era. Therefore, it is not surprising these tales are quite accurate in memory.

There is a place called Heimdal just south of Trondheim!

Latin used 'v' to represent the sounds of u, v and w . Is it possible that the 'r'of reiðr was pronounced somewhere between 'v'and 'w' in the same way that 'w' is pronounced in Modern Dutch? An imperfect alliteration but possibly close enough? I believe you mentioned in a previous video about some writing from the first grammarian? stating that the Roman alphabet was imperfect for writing 'Norse' . Thank you for this video, Dr Crawford, I appreciate your work .

Excellent video

Love your channle soo much

A bit off topic about rune stones here in Sweden: the real surge in surviving rune stones seem to be from the breaking period between old faiths and Christianity. Some historians think that it was a way for some people to announce where they stod. With that said, I do not suggest all rune stones are from that period, or that all stones are for stating the makers faith. But it was clearly not a practice that can only be connected to the belief of the old gods. Moreover, rune stones and the picture stones from Gotland is - timewise - fairly short lived as a practice. It lasted 200-300 years in general.

The usual high standard of information. Thank you very much Dr Crawford. What is your British heritage? I believe that the name Crawford has Old English roots.

How old are those stones?

Could the -allr from Heimdallr be etyomologically related to Ullr?

Good pronounciation of Skåne. You should visit Uppåkra and Lund i Scania.

My guess as to why not many places are named after Odin is that he seems to be less associated with common everyday boons. Thor is, among other things, a god of the weather, meaning that he is associated with agriculture. It makes sense for a village to ask for his favour as he may wield power over if the crops are getting enough rain, if they are going to be destroyed by hail or frost and the likes. Odin on the other hand... He mostly is depicted as a god of poetry, magic, wisdom and warfare. It makes sense for a warrior to sacrifice to Odin before a battle, asking for protection and aid, but a village or town would usually prefer to avoid having battles take place locally altogether. Odin may be the highest ranking god, but if other gods simply make more sense to worship, then they are going to be more heavily represented.

Thank you. Hugs & sunshine 🌞 N

Thank you for the Wisdom.

How different do you think Norse and Anglo-Saxon paganism were?

Interestingly there is a place in Germany called "Thorr" (pronounced 'Tor' in German) even though I would expect it to be called something more like Donar.

Could the 8 legged horse be symbolic for a horse that's twice the girth, speed, or power than the average horse?

Were the Valkyries ever depicted with wings?

In modern danish "Tissø" means Lake of pea... :/

Seems to me that Sweden was perhaps the Cultural Heart of Norse Scandinavia. All the major heroes pre-Viking age were either from there or went there for some purpose. Religiously it was the last Nordic country to convert. It was also likely the spiritual center for Scandinavia. Gamla Uppsala, Etc. Even in England you hear mention of Sweden or see connections to Sweden. Beowulf for one example. Sutton Hoo for another. Everyone always harps on the Viking age and Norway. And that's crazy because Norway didn't make nearly as much noise as the Danes did and Sweden was the place to be prior to even that. We need more content on the Vendel period.

Odensala, for example, tons of streets named ODEN...…. There is an old family name Lohe in Sweden

What's your opinion of Survive The Jive?

I notice you tend to speak more quickly in the winter. I imagine the mountain breeze is a little chilly on the ears when you're just wearing a cowboy hat

You might find it fruitful to expand your research outside Scandinavia.....for example to the Isle of Man, which is awash with runestones and Viking place-names and which may have a clearer dating framework for the Viking material that might support this research. But failing that: remember that half of England was subjected to Norse...mainly Danish invasion AND settlement from the 7th century....the East of England has as many norse place names as you might wish for and some archaeology which may more reliably date this earlier evidence for the antiquity of some of this later norse literature((Snorri and co)

Thanks!

great channel txs 4 sharing ur knowledge and the landscape. if they dig up a stargate the vikings buried.., well I guess you're it mate

Great video! Always knew Nordic myths were ancient, the stories themselves suppose much higher level of sophistication and technology than we even have today, let alone in medieval times. But nice to see some stone hard evidence as well. Also the bird headed Valkyries - never saw that, great stuff, seems to be a clear connection to pictures oldest of cultures used to make (Horus comes to mind instantly). About the Odin and Ullr discrepancy of places and mentions. It seems to indicate Odin lived in later times than the others, perhaps bringing these myths/religion to the people, or maybe writing/composing some early version of it. Ullr, on the other hand, as an example of an obviously important, yet lost character, suggests a whole wealth of hidden stories to be uncovered. Ullr, as I recall reading, was a Vanir king of Asgard, for a short time after the Aesir lost the war.

Thank to bring our heritage back 🇩🇪

Where I live we have both schools, streets and hospital name after norse gods. Live in Sweden.

Fascinating. I have a slight off-track question: Do we know, or even CAN we know, how the Norse people of those times related to the stories? In other words, did they differentiate between the belief in gods, and the tales told about the gods. I have this completely unproved theory that human beings are storytellers before they are believers. In fact, I think that storytelling defines the human race and shows better than anything the commonality between us all. I think belief systems are predominately top-down; they are the creation of leaders who wish to use belief to help regulate or control their society. "You should do this because our god says so," kind of thing. Whereas stories are bottom up. They come from the humour and the joshing of the ordinary folk as they go about their business. I sometimes wonder if the epic stories about gods are the result of these two traditions meeting. Belief and Story. As usual, I back this up with nothing at all. I am a storyteller and musician, and that is all I am.

the swirls may very well be ANY swirls of nature, HOWEVER in the spring these kinds of swirls form in sea ice.. great vid.

There are quite a few Woden derived place names in the UK

i wonder if there are any evidence of norse mythology way before the birth of christ. it would be interesting to know the beliefs of odin and the gods predate even the birth of christianity.

It takes dedication to do this in the snow.........

Thor was popular among the general population as he was the god of fertility, Odin was reserved for priests and wise hermits as Odin was the god of royalty, wisdom, knowledge and sorcery. Popular is a subjective word, as royalty, priests and sages wield a lot of power either inherited or deserved.

Its pretty cool when your home village is called "Thors land".

While Sleipner can be connected to transendentalism a shammi hinted in a vid what the eight represented ; this has escaped my attention. Would like to be refreshed Like your forthright presentation . 🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

see how Odin wears a "wide-brimmed hat" in both picture stones also

This was very good. But the second g in Galgebakken is pronounced as a soft j. I believe it is the same in norwegian..

You are wrong about Heimdal and placenames. We have several places called Heimdal in Norway, some of them are in Trondheim and some in Hedmark. Also, it is a bit hard to know because, as I am sure you know, heim means home or mountain area. Dal means the place underneath the mountain that is protected by the wind, from dale, wich mean to gracefully descend from a tall height, like a snowflake. So, you have a lot of places with the name dal and heim as their root, but you can't say for certain that it is related to hardcore worship of the diety.

yes the truth at last....... thank you and greetings from tasmania

Im a swede living in norway. ALOT of places named heimdal in norway.

Perhaps a comparative study of the day-names in Germanic and Latin cultures, and how they compute? I have also "always" wondered why the day-names have been changed in Germany and Iceland (particularly "middle-of-the-week-day" as opposed to Odin's day). Saturday in Norwegian, of course being "washing day" ... as in get your ass washed before the Saturnalia (it's understated that Saturday is party-day) ... which proves that the norsemen were a cleanly people. They would wash once a week whether this was needed or not. A practice I believe carries on to this very day in the more rural areas of Norway.

Now that's a nice background

The CC said “I’m manure specialist”

I wonder how to write "[name] carved these runes" and "[name] carved me, [name] owns me" in old norse. I'm making a rune staff as a gift.

One good side of brain damage is rewatching your older videos again for the first time! Your informative and entertaining so it not so bad.

Hello from Poland I have recently found a channel but I am full of admiration translate google translate: P

What is your opinion on what if norse gods are real

Don't you get cold out there while recording??

HOW CAN YOU RECORD NO OTHER SOUND THAN your voice?¡!?¡!

that one dislike though

You just stand in the snow and casually talk about ancient texts...

Thanks!