What Is Norse Vikings Ice Giants

Norse Vikings lived in many parts of the world including places like Greenland, Europe, and Iceland. Norse Vikings are known for raiding and their unique clothing, but many were farmers, merchants, and explorers. The culture believed in Norse Mythology, until christianity spread to their parts of the world. In the mythology there are many elements that represent Norse Viking culture such as ice giants. In one myth, Ymir, an ice giant, melted from ice with his scared cow which he fed off of. When he slept he created more giants and the first male and female, which were gods. Odin, one of the gods, killed the ice giants and used his body parts to create the world and humans. It is apparent that ice giants such as Ymir play a significant role

Ice giants represent the Norse Vikings' experiences and the tough struggles they faced throughout time. For example, “Frost is used to symbolize barrenness and hostility, just like the hostile winters the Norse people faced” (“UXL”). Winter in the Viking Age was much different than today; many people died from the colds and diseases. This was true for the Norse Vikings as they were often in Northern parts of the world, which is noted for more intense winters. These disastrous winters explain why the Norse would include an ice giant as evil, since frost and snow were one of the most dangerous things for their societies. Also, many were farmers, which would make them dread winter since it is harder to grow crops in that time of year. The creation myth withYmir is also “a Nordic example of the centrality of sacrifice— often violent—in many creation myths throughout the world”(“UXL”). One of the most significant sacrifices these Vikings made was risking their lives when they raided. A metaphor is enkindled in the myth when the Gods kill the giant and use his body to create the world. The Gods had to kill the most powerful evil being. It is evident that the use of Ymir was to represent

The Gods in the story thought with reason they needed to kill the ice giant to create the world, which could explain their violent society . The Norse Vikings“valorized killing as such; clearly, they distinguished between lawful and appropriate killing and unlawful and inappropriate killing. But they embraced what they saw as the necessity of having a warlike approach to life, for the sake of accomplishing great deeds that brought honor and renown to one’s name”(McCoy). The vikings believed killing and raiding would help their people by providing them more wealth and resources, which justified their actions. Vikings are willing to kill one another and violently kill criminals. When Ymir sweats water and most of his remains were used to make water it reveals the importance of water to the Norse Vikings. The Vikings had many settlements around the world, including Greenland, Iceland, and Denmark. These settlements were all located near the shores.. The vikings valued the ocean since many were explorers, colonizers, and used boats to raid. The dependence of the viking for water gives the creation of humans a metaphorical relationship because it explains water gives humans lives by giving them purpose. This signifies the idea that frost sweating means melting and the fact the melting created life might explain to the people why they must live next to the water. The giant sweating causing life to come into