There Were Nine Underworlds

Article Lyra Radford 

Viking religious beliefs were highly complex due to the intricate mythology involved. Instead of one central god in the Viking religion, there were many gods and each had their own history and a unique way to pay tribute to them. Prior to Christianity sweeping the land and converting the Vikings and other Germanic peoples, they had their own indigenous religion in place, but it didn’t have a formal name. Christians called this religion "Paganism" and referred to its practitioners as heathens, but to the Vikings, it was merely a tradition based on myths revolving around various deities. Characters such as Odin, Thor, Freya, and Loki fill old Norse mythology texts. 

Norse mythology was treated much like the Christian Bible is, in that it was viewed as a collection of history, parables, and cautionary tales. What Vikings believed was that everything had its place and purpose, there was a deity for practically everything. Their religion was polytheistic, animistic, and pantheistic; in their belief system, even inanimate objects had souls. They held old-world magic in high regard, and there were elements of shamanism in their religion. This list explores the key elements of what Vikings believed. 

• The Vikings believed death was a transition into one of the nine realms that existed alongside them. The two main places the dead would spend eternity were Valhalla, a place for fallen warriors where banquets were held and Odin reigned, or Helheim, which was filled with those who had “dishonorable deaths.”

  A dishonorable way to pass for Vikings was illness or old age; only those who fell in combat were considered honorable warriors deserving of Valhalla.

   

  Funeral Rites Were Very Important

   

  

  The Vikings practiced both burial and cremation for their deceased. The strong belief in various realms brought with it the desire to take personal objects and companions with them. Vikings would spend a great deal of time gathering possessions and ensuring the funeral rites for their fallen brothers were the perfect transition into the afterlife.

   

  In the case of chiefs, they’d use an enslaved girl as a human sacrifice to follow him into his afterlife. These cremation rituals involved performing sex rites with the woman that was to be sacrificed prior to killing her and cremating her body with the chief. 

   

  Ritual Sacrifice Was A Part Of Their Belief System 

   

  

  Sacrifice was a way to appease the gods and the offerings could comprise of humans, animals, or inanimate objects. Human sacrifices were performed at funerals to accompany the fallen into the next world and at regularly occurring religious festivals, like Yule.

   

  The Norse god Odin was associated with hanging, and it's believed that Vikings would use those methods in human sacrifices directed to him. 

   

  Since Nature Played A Big Part In Viking Religion, Vikings Worshiped Outside 

   

  

  Much like the other pagan religions, Vikings worshiped their gods out in the elements. Wooded areas with unusual trees, natural landmarks, waterfalls, oversized rocks, or anything in nature with an otherworldly feel would be a worthy place of worship.

   

  There were many gods, but the gods of most importance were Odin, the god of knowledge, Freya, the goddess of ruled fertility, and Thor, the god of thunder and a symbol of strength and metalwork. All of these deities were representations of the aspects of life most important to the Viking people.

   

  They Believed In Giants 

   

  

  The giants in Norse religion were called Jötunn. The Jötunn lived in one of the nine realms known as Jotunheim.

   

  A menace to both gods and humans, these massive forces of nature were too big in size and numbers to wipe out, so they were banished to Jotunheim by the Norse gods. 

   

   

  There Were No Full-Time Priests 

   

  

  From what is known of the Norse religion, there didn’t seem to be anyone designated as a religious leader within their communities. Instead, there were various leaders, often chieftains, who took on religious roles and performed sacrifices in addition to their “main role” within society.

   

  The king or chief was responsible for overseeing public faith, while private faith was up to each individual head of household. 

   

   

  Vikings Believed In Ghosts And Zombies

   

  

  Ghost lore was big amongst the Norse people and was directly connected to their burial practices. Some of their old sagas detail accounts of ghosts violently haunting the living after not receiving burial rites.

   

  Another beast of superstition is the Draugr, which is basically the Vikings version of a zombie. To prevent these undead warriors from rising, they would hide twigs in their clothing and drive needles through the bottoms of their feet prior to interment.

   

   

  They Had Birthing And Naming Rituals

   

  

  Photo: John Charles Dollman / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

   

  Giving birth to a child was far more dangerous a task back in the Viking age than it is today. Vikings prayed and sang to the fertility goddesses Freya and Frigg in hopes of protecting the mother and child.

  Naming the child also involved a ritual; they would wait nine days after the birth, at which time the father would place the child on his knee and sprinkle them with water. This sort of baptism was a way of blessing and accepting the child into the family. The pool of names chosen from was usually a combination of deities and the names of the family’s ancestors.

   

   

  Marriage Rituals Involved Feasting For Days

   

   

  

  The bruðkaup, or wedding, often lasted many days. It was the first gathering of the two merging families in a public setting and they would feast. In addition to the guests, the goddess Freya was said to witness the wedding vows. 

   

  A representation of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, would be placed in the bride’s lap as she asked for Thor’s blessing. On the night of the wedding, the couple was led to their bed by torch light so they could consummate their marriage. 

   

   

  The Vikings Converted To Christianity

   

  

  Although the economic and political pressure to convert to Christianity was high (Christians weren’t allowed to trade with pagans), many Vikings maintained their beliefs well into the Middle Ages. Even those who converted often kept their traditions and melded Christianity with their own beliefs.

   

  Since they already believed in multiple gods, it wasn’t that difficult to add in another one, but this addition didn’t erase the “old ways.” The act of human sacrifice was shed from their practice, of course, but they learned to relate to the Christians peacefully, and slowly, they made a full conversion.

   
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