Experts in Scandinavian studies argue that many common ideas about Vikings and Norse paganism stem from later medieval sources rather than original records. These notions have been reshaped over centuries by writers, politicians, and artists to fit various agendas. Modern pop culture and neo-pagan groups continue to perpetuate selective interpretations.
Roland Scheel from the University of Münster's Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" explains that beliefs about Vikings and Old Norse paganism cannot be confirmed through modern scientific methods. "They are based essentially on reports written by Christian scholars in the High Middle Ages well over a century later, since, besides brief runic inscriptions, no written texts from the original period have been preserved," Scheel states. The Viking Age spans the 8th to 11th century, yet popular depictions as fearless adventurers, powerful fighters, and skilled seafarers arise from films, series, video games, and museum exhibits rather than direct evidence.
Surviving texts offer only "memorialized history," Scheel notes, crediting pre-Christian Scandinavian society with a special warrior culture, strong women's roles compared to the Middle Ages, and freedom from religious constraints. This positive view influences neo-pagan groups who practice what they see as authentic Scandinavian paganism, often opposing monotheistic religions like Christianity. However, these interpretations downplay the violence of Viking raids, unlike perceptions of the Crusades as coercive and brutal.
Ideas about Vikings appear in pop culture, advertising, and projects like the Council of Europe's Viking Cultural Route, which highlights Viking heritage as part of European identity. Scheel and Simon Hauke are researching how medieval concepts of the 'pagan North' evolved, from the 13th-century "Edda" by Snorri Sturluson to Jacob Grimm's works and Otto von Bismarck's 19th-century speeches. "What is true for all periods is that studying how people imagined Scandinavian paganism in their particular time and how they sought to convey this image to others -- this speaks volumes about their goals and mindsets," Scheel says.
Historically, Norse mythology was misused by the Volk movement and National Socialists for racial ideology, though today's receptions vary widely. Wagner's opera "The Ring of the Nibelung" shaped modern Valkyrie images as feminine warriors, seen on metal album covers and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, diverging from Old Norse sources where Valkyries served as battle selectors, lovers, barmaids, and battle interveners. Their project, "Paganisations: Memorialised paganism as an element of Scandinavian and European identities," ties into the conference "Imagining Nordic Paganism: Cultural Memories and Scholarly Thought Since the Middle Ages," featuring experts like Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir from Oslo and Jonas Wellendorf from Berkeley.