Q1. Where were most of the surviving written accounts of Norse mythology recorded?
Many key accounts were written down in Iceland during the thirteenth century, after the society had adopted Christianity.
Mythology
Quiz: Stories of the Norse Gods
Sample questions from this book. Open the app for the full chapter quizzes and final exam.
Q2. What is one important purpose of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda?
Snorri used mythic narratives in a handbook that helped explain the metaphors and allusions used by skaldic poets.
Q3. Which poem is known for presenting a prophecy about the world's creation and destruction?
Völuspá, “The Prophecy of the Seeress,” looks across the world's beginning, fate, and renewal.
Q4. Which description best fits the surviving Poetic Edda?
The Poetic Edda gathers poems of different kinds; their authors are generally unknown, and the collection is not a complete mythological system.
Q5. Why should a reader be cautious when interpreting an image of a hammer found on an object?
Archaeological images can provide valuable clues, but an object alone rarely establishes a full narrative or a single certain interpretation.
Q6. What is one important role of the Prose Edda?
Snorri Sturluson composed the Prose Edda around 1220, retelling myths and explaining the poetic language of skaldic verse.
Q7. According to the creation account summarized in this chapter, what is made from Ymir’s body?
In Snorri’s account, the gods use Ymir’s flesh, blood, bones, and skull to form parts of the world.
Q8. Which statement about the “nine worlds” is most accurate?
The familiar idea of nine worlds is assembled from passages with varying details; no single surviving guide lays out a fully consistent map.