Tyr (pronounced like the English word “tier”; Old Norse Týr, Old English Tiw, Old High German *Ziu, Gothic Tyz, Proto-Germanic *Tiwaz, “god”[1][2]) is a Norse war god, but also the god who, more than any other, presides over matters of law and justice. His role in the surviving Viking Age myths is relatively slight, and … Continue reading Tyr →

Georges Dumézil was a twentieth-century comparative mythologist like Joseph Campbell or Carl Jung, but unlike either of them, he thought that myths could only be properly understood in their original historical context – and not as part of a universalistic theory that ignores that context. For that reason, Dumézil chose to focus on analyzing the … Continue reading An Introduction to Georges Dumézil →

Gungnir (Old Norse Gungnir, “Swaying;”[1] pronounced “GUNG-neer”) is the name of the mighty spear that belongs to the god Odin. In the recorded Norse myths, Gungnir is the weapon most consistently and powerfully associated with Odin.[2] Both poetry and visual art demonstrate that this connection is deep and long-standing. It goes back at least as … Continue reading Gungnir →

There’s a bewildering array of books out there on Greek mythology, especially at the beginner level. Which ones are most deserving of your hard-earned money? This list (last updated in April of 2019) was written with the intention of helping you make that decision. Different people find Greek mythology to be meaningful for different reasons. … Continue reading The 10 Best Greek Mythology Books →

April 3, 2021: I’ve recently felt inspired to resume work on my other site, Gnosticism Explained. It’s a much smaller site than this one so far, as I’ve only been working on it here and there over the course of the past couple of years. But I intend to keep it going indefinitely at this … Continue reading News/Updates →

Ullr (pronounced “ULL-er,” often Anglicized as “Ull,” and also occasionally referred to as “Ullinn”) is an obscure and enigmatic Norse god. References to him in Old Norse literature are sparse and tell us little to nothing about his personality or role in pre-Christian religion and mythology. Nevertheless, these passing references indicate that he was once … Continue reading Ullr →

Garm (Old Norse Garmr, whose meaning/etymology is unknown) is a dog or wolf associated with the underworld and the forces of destruction. Little is known about him, since the references to him are sparse and vague. There’s just barely enough material in the surviving Old Norse sources to get a general idea about the kind … Continue reading Garm →

Since I reference the Indo-Europeans and Proto-Indo-Europeans in several articles on this site, I figured it would be helpful to provide a brief overview of who these people were and why they matter, both in general and in the specific context of understanding the pre-Christian mythology and religion of the Norse and other Germanic peoples. … Continue reading Who Were the Indo-Europeans and Why Do They Matter? →

The swastika is one of the oldest and most widespread of humanity’s symbols. It can be found on artifacts thousands of years old from several continents. While it was used by the Norse and other Germanic peoples from the beginnings of those societies, the swastika is far from just a Germanic symbol. It was one … Continue reading The Swastika – Its Ancient Origins and Modern (Mis)use →

This page is the fourth part of a five-part article on the runes. The other four parts are: Part I: Introduction Part II: The Origins of the Runes Part III: Runic Philosophy and Magic Part V: The 10 Best Books on the Runes This section provides the sign, name, phoneme (sound), and short description of … Continue reading The Meanings of the Runes →