Norse Culture

When people think of Norse Culture they mainly think of Scandinavian Countries, though the impact of the Vikings spread across Europe and its influence is still seen today. If you live in places like Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin or Winnipeg these influences are a little more apparent.

When you reference one of the days of the week, you owe its name to one of the Norse Gods (most of them that is).

Here's a list of English words that have Old Norse Origins.

Poetry was (is) an important element in Norse culture. Poets, referred to as Skalds, were highly regarded as national heroes and were responsible for spreading not only the myths but the great deeds for the rulers who commissioned them.

Reading some related non-fiction will help gain a deeper understanding of the stories and the culture which produced them. One such text is The Norse "Discovery" of America. I put discovery in quotes because you can't really discover something that has over 20 million inhabitants. It does appear to be the first documentation of Europeans visiting North America.

While you are certainly encouraged to look through the entire text, we will focus on the Saga of Erik the Red and the voyage of his son Leif Erikson (Perhaps you've heard of him?)

What's the Difference Between an Edda & a Saga?

While there are several theories on where the term Edda comes from, it refers to the Poetic (Elder) and the Prose (Younger) Eddas. These are the collections of viking stories that are the basis for Norse Myth.

Sagas refer to the historical events of Scandinavian exploration, major events and influential families and heroes.

Norse Literary Techniques

Norse stories use multiple literary techniques to paint a picture in the listener/reader's mind that helps put them in the mood to experience the events.

• Litotes- Instead of saying something directly these usually take a backward approach. Usually these statements are said with irony and are often negative: “Shakespeare is not a bad poet.”

These kinds of statements are still not uncommon in everyday speech in the upper Midwest dialect of the United States (Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin). Example: Speaking of the unbearable cold temperatures someone might say, "Last week's temps were not the warmest we'd ever had." Some of these expressions have even found their way into everyday use: Not the sharpest tool in the shed. This isn't the best thing I've ever eaten; etc.

• Kenning- a compound metaphor. Metaphors are common when trying to convey an idea because it provides a similar frame of reference between the speaker and the listener. In the case of a kenning, they are purely for artistic purposes.

Here are some examples from the epic poem Beowulf: bone-house, whale-road, swan-road, battle-sweat, sleep of the sword. If you can figure out what those are metaphors for then you get the point.

• Lay- a narrative poem that is centered around one person or event.

Having an understanding of these terms will help your understanding and enjoyment when you start reading...

When you've finished reading move on to Assignment: Norse “Discovery” of America.