Online Class: Norse Mythology 101

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
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8Lessons
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17Exams &
Assignments -
702Students
have taken this course -
4Hours
average time -
0.4CEUs
Course Description
Thor, Odin, Valhalla--all names you've probably heard of before, but names you might not know represent one of the most unique religions ever conceived. The Norse, the Vikings, the Scandinavians--whatever you prefer to call them, they were one of the most dominant and different civilizations to ever grace our planet. The combination of their civilization and belief systems is something that has puzzled outsiders for ages. The religious tenants lasted over a thousand years, despite never being written down. The gods are still well known today, even though they haven't been worshipped in a thousand more--that is, by most.
Dive into the world of the Norse, where adventure and honor take the place of morality and proper behavior--where fire-breathing wolves bluster about only to be slain by just a common person and life is death, war is peace, and gods are mortal in this ancient, gripping belief-system. You will learn about the roots of the Norse and Viking beliefs, and read about everything from dangerous sea explorations to human sacrifice. Walk the streets of the holy city of Uppsala and feel the wrath of Thor's hammer. Learn what the inside of Valhalla looks like, and what Vikings believed they had to do to get there!
Have you ever wondered how the greatest explorers saw the world through their own eyes? Find out today!
Course Motivation
You approach the temple, and within it you see three grand statues. In the middle, an imposing male figure stands holding what appears to be an upside-down cross and on either side of him, two other deities. You have come upon the Temple of Uppsala, one of the most spiritual sites of the Norse empire, and are standing before the image of Thor, flanked by the gods Odin and Freyr. Turning around to look out the door, you see people gathering, pulling livestock into the grove and building pyres. This evening the community will celebrate by slaying the animals and even hanging their fellow men from the trees outside by their necks. It has been nine years since the last Walpurgis festival, which paid homage to Odin's nine days of torment hanging from the Yggdrasil, the World Tree (or the tree of life).
Names within this ancient story, Odin, Thor, Freyr, even the Yggdrasil, are in popular use today. The Yggdrasil tree is, for example, a central plot point many of the games that compose the Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest video game series that has sold nearly 60 million games with 26 total games in the series, making it the third best-selling role-playing game (RPG) series of all time. A film based on the comic book character, Thor, who himself is based on the Norse god, raked in nearly $450 million worldwide in 2011. Odin is also a comic book character today, and a common character in the Final Fantasy RPG video game series, the best-selling series of all time. Odin is said to be the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings character, Gandalf.
While we still pay homage to the Norse deities and places of worship in popular culture, we also still follow many of the traditions that originated with the Norse people. Christmas, for example, is celebrated during the same time as the Norse festival of Jul (Yul), the Norse New Year; the exchanging of gifts on Christmas morning, a Jul tradition; the lighting of the Yule log, a Jul tradition; the hanging of mistletoe, a Jul tradition. Jul was celebrated between December 20 and December 31 -- 12 days, just like the 12 days of Christmas (though we now finish on the 25th). The holiday season is called Christmas today, because the god Freyr was replaced by Jesus Christ during the conversion of the Norse people to Christianity.
The festival started with the children of Norse towns leaving their shoes outside of their doors filled with oats and other feed for Odin's great horse, Sleipnir (which had eight (8) legs, to feed from as he rode throughout the land on the evening of December 20th, an event called the Wild Ride. In exchange, the children would each receive a treat, a celebration that continues today with the leaving of cookies for our modern Santa Claus, in order to receive stocking stuffers; or, in a more direct homage, carrots for Santa's reindeer in the slippers of children in Northern Europe.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1. Norse Worship
Lesson 1 Video A
Lesson 1 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Lesson discussions: Norse Mythology; Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Assessment: Lesson 1 Exam
Lesson 2. The Gods
Lesson 2 Video A
Lesson 2 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Complete Assignment: Norse gods and goddesses
Assessment: Lesson 2 Exam
Lesson 3. The Eddas
Lesson 3 Video A
Lesson 3 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Complete Assignment: The Eddas
Assessment: Lesson 3 Exam
Lesson 4. Other Texts
Lesson 4 Video A
Lesson 4 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Lesson discussions: Norse Texts
Complete Assignment: Other Texts
Assessment: Lesson 4 Exam
Lesson 5. Pre-Norse Mythology
Lesson 5 Video A
Lesson 5 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Complete Assignment: Pre-Norse Mythology
Assessment: Lesson 5 Exam
Lesson 6. The Sagas
Lesson 6 Video A
Lesson 6 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Complete Assignment: The Sagas
Assessment: Lesson 6 Exam
Lesson 7. Iconography and Art
Lesson 7 Video A
Lesson 7 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Complete Assignment: Art and Iconography
Assessment: Lesson 7 Exam
Lesson 8. Norse Mythology and the World
Lesson 8 Video A
Lesson 8 Video B : Lesson Discussion
Lesson discussions: What is your opinion of this course?; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
Complete: The Final Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 8 Exam
Assessment: The Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Describe Norse worship and the gods.
- Describe The Eddas.
- Describe Pre-Norse Mythology.
- Summarize The Sagas.
- Summarize Iconography and Art of Norse Mythology.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

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Time to complete | 6 months |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "This was fascinating and covered areas that I did not expect but was delighted to explore. Thank you for creating such an interesting course." -- Janessa U.
- "I really enjoyed this class and am glad I took it. I certainly want to take the other mythology classes you mentioned throughout Norse Mythology since certain aspects are related. It was definitely a class that helped me learn about a subject I was interested in." -- Sunni C.
- "Very interesting and informative!" -- Elizabeth M.
- "The course was very well put together. Thanks!" -- Jenni V.
- "I liked having information on the Norse people themselves, including details on the temples and rituals, and enjoyed the historical portion." -- Jay L.
- "Good stuff!" -- Kyle B.
- "I love how easy the class was to use!" -- Donnie G.
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