Danish Stamp Celebrates Norse Mythology

Born of fire and ice, Norse mythology depicts a harsh world ruled by strong forces. It was a world of heroic deeds and fierce battles in which order struggled against chaos. Norse gods represented order in a world constantly being pushed toward chaos by giants and monsters. This beautiful souvenir sheet from Denmark illustrates the strong forces that shaped Norse mythology (click the post title to see this intricately designed stamp in closer detail).

Living in a world often at the mercy of nature, Norse storytellers gave life to those forces in the form of gods, elves, giants, and monsters. The earth was represented as a flat disc situated in the branches of the world tree, according to an article posted on wikipedia.org. The gods lived in Asgard at the center of the disc and could only be reached by walking across the rainbow. To the north lay cold, dark Niflheim, the dwelling place of the dead, ruled by Loki's daughter Hel. To the south, the fiery realm of Muspell, home of the fire giants. In between was the world of men, or Midgard (middle-earth).

Our knowledge of Norse mythology comes largely from the Eddas and other medieval texts in which Christian scribes translated the oral epic poems through which Norse mythology was handed down. Its influence is evident in today's modern fantasy novel, often populated by elves, dwarves, frost giants, and other Norse creatures. In writing The Lord of the Rings, author J.R.R. Tolkien was heavily influenced by Norse mythology, setting his heroic tale in a Middle Earth populated by Hobbits, ogres, elves, and monsters.