Norse mythology and the Viking Age

Which one of these is not a Norse goddess (i.e. does not belong to the families in Åsgard)?

• Idunn

• Sif

• Gjalp

• Skadi

Answer explanation

Gjalp is the daughter of the giant Geirrod, famous for being the source of the river of menstrual blood that Thor and Loki have to cross in their journey to Geirrod's Court.

What is the name of the hall where the slain warriors go?

• Midgard

• Valhalla

• Hel

• Yggdrasil

What are the names of the two families who live in Åsgard?

• Valkyrjar

• Vanir

• Aesir

• Einherjar

Answer explanation

Valkyrjar - valkyries - are the battle maidens, female angelic beings who choose the Einherjar ("honorably fallen") who died on the battlefield to lead them to Valhalla.

Which place is the first well documented site in the British Isles that was attacked by Vikings, and when?

• Canterbury, 729

• York, 810

• Lindisfarne, 793

• Scarborough, 799

To whom is Loki not the father?

• Fenrir

• Jormungandr

• Sleipnir

• Hel

Answer explanation

Loki is the mother, not the father, to Sleipnir (Odin's eight-legged horse).

Who was not a king of the North Sea Empire (England, Denmark and most of Norway)?

• Cnut the Great

• Sweyn Forkbeard

• Harald Hardrada

Which is not a Germanic language?

• Old Norse

• Old English

• Gothic

• Scots

• Welsh

Where is the so far only documented site of Norse settlement in continental America (Vinland)?

• Kensington, Minnesota

• L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland

• Point Rosee, Newfoundland

• Gardar, Greenland

Answer explanation

Greenland is not part of continental America. The Kensington stone in Minnesota was probably a hoax. Point Rosee was thought to be a site of Norse settlement, detected by satellite images, but the excavation did not find any evidence. L'anse aux Meadows is an actual archaeological site that was excavated in the 1960s.

Who led the first documented European expedition to land in continental America?

• Christopher Columbus

• Leif "the lucky" Erikson

• Bjarni Herjolfsson

• Erik "the red" Thorvaldsson

Who was Leif Erikson's sister, who also organised an expedition to continental America?

• Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir

• Sigrid the Proud

• Freydis Eiriksdottir

• Unn the deep-minded