Norse myths are among the most dramatic and exciting in world mythology. Viking mythology is peppered with an amazing array of gods and goddesses, giants and dwarfs, heroes and Valkyries who carried out bloodthirsty and heroic deeds.

Viking mythology reflects the brutal lifestyle of the people, although their literary culture influenced many early medieval western  European countries, and was reflected in their woodcarving and metalwork, the cornerstones of their artistic legacy. Their civilisation was aggressive, based on looting, raping and pillaging, and they lived in inhospitable lands where the freezing winters must have seemed interminable. Their attempts to explain the violent natural phenomena around them – crashing thunder, cracking glaciers, even rainbows – are the origins of many legends and myths.

Illustrated with a selection of beautiful artifacts and relics form the Viking age. Myths and Legends of the Vikings recounts a number of the most compelling Norse legends and provides a fascinating introduction to Viking Mythology.