Scandinavian Culture of Death. The Myth of Ragnarök, Warriors of Valhalla, and Hel's Shoes

Scandinavian mythology has long been associated with three words: Vikings, Valhalla, Ragnarök. And each of them is somehow related to death. Why has it come to be at the center of the perceptions of the world?

The Scandinavian myth of the very creation of the universe smoothly flows into the myth of its end, when the Naglfar will arrive from the world of the dead — a monstrous ship built of the nails of the dead. And Ragnarök will begin — a battle, the finale of which will be the death of the gods.

Perhaps in these myths lies the key to the resilience and courage of the northerners: remembering the finitude of all existence, they never retreat before the fearsome visage of fate.

Evgenia Gulbis is a graduate of the IFI RGGU, the author and host of the podcast "Ratatosk Speaks!", the author of lecture courses on Scandinavian mythology and British theater, and the creator of a Telegram channel about literature and culture. She tells about those whom the Valkyries will carry to the honey hall of Valhalla to feast with Odin, and about those who will head to the gloomy halls of Hel.

Who is this book for
For those who are fascinated by Scandinavian mythology.
For lovers of history, folklore, and ethnography.
For collectors of the "Culture of Death" series and everyone looking for non-trivial stories about myths, rituals, and perceptions of life and death.