Norse mythology
Norse mythology is the legends and pagan religious belief of the Vikings. They believed that the World (Midgard = 'Middle Earth') was supported on the World Tree (Yggdrasil) and lay between Asgard (Over-Heaven, the abode of their gods) and Hel (the underworld). They believed in dragons, who hoarded gold and treasure, and the greatest of these the Midgard Serpent, encircled the world. They believed in other supernatural beings such as trolls, dwarves and elves.
The gods (Odin, Thor etc.), and their human allies would be defeated and destroyed at Ragnarok, the last battle when the Ice Giants, the Midgard Serpent and the Wolf Fenrir would destroy Asgard and Midgard. But the Vikings still thought it better to fight on the side of the gods, even with knowledge of their ultimate defeat.
Baldr
Baldr is according to Norse mythology, the second son of Odin, and the son of Frigg and died because of spear made of mistletoe made by Loki being thrown at Baldr by his blind brother upon the suggestion of Loki.
Freya
In Norse mythology, Freya (also spelled Freyja) is the love goddess. She is very beautiful and highly desirable. When the evil giants in these myths get the gods in some kind of a bind, they usually demand possession of Freya as the price of ransom. Of course, this price is always unacceptable, and some other solution to the problem must be found.
One of Freya's noteworthy attributes is her necklace, Brisingamen. She bought the necklace from four "dark elves", masters of the making of things, and she paid a very high price for it: among other things, it cost her her beloved husband.
Freya's brother is Frey, who is closely associated with the mythic history of the kings of Sweden. He is a male "love god" counterpart to his sister, and also a god of agricultural fertility.
There is an ongoing debate among people who study this mythology about whether the modern English word "Friday" was originally "Freya's Day", or if it is "Frigga's Day", named after Odin's wife.
Loki
Loki is the god of mischief or evil from Norse mythology. He is sometimes viewed as the enemy of Thor.
Odin
In Norse mythology, Odin is usually said to be the ruler of the gods. Odin has many alternate names, and many areas of interest, including war and death, poetry and art, and wisdom in general. Also, Odin is credited with the creation of humans, along with two other gods, either his brothers Vili and Ve, or his friends Hoenir and Lodur, depending on which mythological source you happen to read.
In the myths, Odin is easy to recognize, even when he is disguised as Wegtam the Wanderer. He traded one eye for a drink from the Well of Wisdom, so he wears a large floppy hat pulled low over his face, or drapes his long gray hair over the missing eye. He is said to wear a blue or gray cloak. Of course, as things tend to go in myths, the humans he encounters don't usually know who he is when he arrives on their doorsteps dressed this way. Some people treat their visitor poorly, while others treat him well, with predictable results.
Odin is said to have children by several different giantesses, including his most famous son, Thor. His wife, however, is Frigga, the goddess of marriage, motherhood, and the home. Odin and Frigga have a son named Balder.
When Odin goes to war, his special weapon is a spear named Gungnir. He sometimes travels on his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. He knows what's happening in the world of men because his two ravens Hugin and Munin (Thought and Memory) fly over the world each day, then come home to tell him what they've seen and heard.
"Odin" is this god's Scandinavian name. In Old Anglo-Saxon, his name is "Woden", from which we get our modern English word "Wednesday". In German, his name is "Wotan", and you will see him in Wagner's famous Ring Cycle operas. Although these are all names for the same god, his personality changes a little in these different Northern European subcultures: Wotan is more of a stern war general, while Odin is more of a politician.
