The Violence of Norse Mythology

If all you know about Norse mythology is Thor, Loki, and Odin from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you have a lot more to learn. The many gods of old Norse paganism weren't perfect, just powerful. In addition to the powerful gods, there were also giants, dwarves, elves, and other supernatural beings. They did as they pleased, with no regard for mere humans nor for each other. Their stories weren't written, but passed down through generations by storytelling, until the Scandinavian countries were converted to Christianity by the 12th century. These stories varied among communities until the rise of the Vikings, which led to some consolidation of beliefs. But they weren't written down until after the rise of Christianity, so our understanding of what they actually believed is still fairly superficial.

Of the many stories of old Norse gods, Weird History picks out the most violent tales, having to do with power struggles, wars, and betrayal. An amusing bonus is hearing Tom Blank pronouncing all those ancient Norse names.