Old Norse religion

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Old Norse religion, also known as Norse polytheism or Norse paganism, is a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into distinct branches. It was replaced by Christianity during the Christianisation of Scandinavia. Scholars reconstruct aspects of North Germanic Religion by historical linguistics, archaeology, toponymy, and records left by North Germanic peoples, such as runic inscriptions in the Younger Futhark, a distinctly North Germanic extension of the runic alphabet. Numerous Old Norse works dated to the 13th-century record Norse mythology, a component of North Germanic religion. Old Norse religion was polytheistic, entailing a belief in various gods and goddesses. These deities in Norse mythology were divided into two groups, the Æsir and the Vanir, who in some sources were said to have engaged in war until realizing that they were equally powerful. Among the most widespread deities were the gods Odin and...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Thor's_hammer,_Skåne.jpg: Chemityped by Prof. Magnus Petersen from an Electrotype in the possession of Herr Steffensen, Conservator to the Danish Museum. derivative work: Arnaud Ramey (talk), Public domain