Author: Victor Rouă

Masterpieces Of Old Norse Literature: Sagas, Eddas, And Skaldic Poems

The Old Norse literature comprises a variety of masterpieces, some of which have been well preserved to these days. These manuscripts have influenced many writers in the passing of time, most notably perhaps the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (specifically the well known ‘Lord of the Rings’ high fantasy trilogy and its predecessor, ‘The Hobbit’). Moreover,…


The Imposing ‘Rocky Dragon’ Hvítserkur From Northwestern Iceland

On the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula슠in the northwest of Iceland슠there lies an amazing rock formation dubbed as ‘Hv쎭tserkur’ (literally meaning ‘white shirt’ in Icelandic). The 15 metre (or approximately 50 feet) tall sea stack resembles a dragon (or a troll, depending on the angle of perspective) drinking from the North Atlantic Ocean. Hv쎭tserkur…


10 Interesting Facts You Should Know About Leif Erikson

Leif Erikson (alternatively spelled Eriksson and known in Icelandic as Leifur heppni Eir쎭ksson, i.e. Leif the Lucky Erikson) is one of the most reputed Vikings (Norsemen) of all times. He is credited for having spotted the North American continent roughly 500 years before Columbus and as such regarded as the first European to have set…


The Viksø Helmets – Denmark’s Sacred Artefacts From The Bronze Age

The Viks쎸 helmets are some of the most reputed and prominent artefacts dating from the Bronze Age in Denmark. These ancient relics were discovered in 1942 on the site of a bog called Br쎸ns Mose located westward of the small town of Veks쎸 on the island of Zealand.슠 These two helmets were dated from the…


J. R. R. Tolkien’s Dwarves Were Inspired From Norse Mythology

The extraordinary and fantastic world of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy have fascinated millions of readers since the publication of these critically acclaimed fantasy novels. The author, J.R.R. Tolkien, himself a scholar of Germanic history and mythology, drew many parallels and made significant references with respect to the Norse mythology and…