When going to war, Odin rode on Sleipnir’s back. And while the other Norse gods were known for having chariots that were drawn by magical flying beasts (like Thor’s goats or Freya’s cats), the Eddic poem, Sigdrifumal, mentions Sleipnir having runes cut into his teeth and onto the straps of his sleigh, which proves that Sleipnir (at least at times) pulled a sleigh ...versus a chariot.

It is a grim tale of doom, where those of us who have listened to the many wonderful tales of gods and heroes must now watch them die.

With mocking laughter they banged their shields loud with open hands; their throats swelled and strained with odious cries … 

Ragnar and his Danes were consummate fighters, but up to this time the Viking way of war was not usually one of siege craft.

In the early ninth century, the Vikings tore through Europe, wreaking havoc and consuming territory at a level that filled their victims with awe and dread.

NOTE: Full tables of the Elder Futhark and Younger Futhark are available at the bottom of this article.  Runes In Norse lore, the god, Odin, impaled his heart with his own spear and hung on the world tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nights all to perceive the meaning of the runes. The runes were symbols that sprang from the Well of Urd – the source of fate. Odin made his sacrifice at great anguish and risk to himself because he knew that the runes conveyed deep meaning, and if he could understand their meaning he would gain profound wisdom and power. So, we see from this story how the Vikings thought of runes not merely as letters but as having potent virtues within themselves of a metaphysical...

The detail on this ancient Viking artifact is amazing. This "Thor's Hammer (Mjolnir) amulet / pendant was found in Ödeshög / Östergötland in Sweden. It is just further proof of how the original Vikings (both men and women) loved to express their heritage with various types of jewelry: Necklaces, Arm Bands, Bracelets, Torcs (neck bracelets) and more. Below is our highly detailed replica of this relic: View our replicas of this famous artifact here:https://sonsofvikings.com/products/odeshog-mjolnir   Modern Day Mjolnir Pendants for sale: Click here to view more Viking jewelry.  

The original Vikings were Nordic (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, The Faroe Islands and The Aland Islands). However ...