Myths of Pagan Scandinavia

What did the northern people believe in, what did they fear, and what cruel rituals did they practice in the Middle Ages?

How did the Scandinavians preserve their pagan myths? Why is Norse mythology so popular in the world? The book by the well-known expert on mythology and the Middle Ages V.Ya. Petrukhin introduces the reader to the worldview of the pagan Scandinavian. Using the Edda and sagas, monuments of ancient visual art and religious cult, and archaeological discoveries, the author reconstructs the beliefs of the Scandinavians. The culture of the Germans during the Great Migration period and the Scandinavians was closely related to the culture of the Slavs and Rus, which is why the book compares the myths and legends of the Scandinavians and Ancient Rus.
The author talks about how the Scandinavians saw Heavenly Asgard and earthly Midgard, Utgard — the world "beyond the fence", describes the Scandinavian pantheon and the construction of Asgard, sacrifices and veneration of the gods, burial rituals, witchcraft, and prophecy.
The book also examines Scandinavian tales about the first Russian princes: the death of the Prophet Oleg and the "Saga of Oddi the Arrow", the wolf-prince Igor, and legends about Hakon the Good and Olav Tryggvason, as well as the place of ancient myth in modern civilization.