natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Hedninge blev brugt i flæng om alle med en afvigende tro.
This term was used indiscriminately for those with differing beliefs.
Vikingerne var dog godt tilfredse med deres egne guder.
However, the Vikings were very satisfied with their own gods.
Vores viden om vikingernes tidlige tro – den før-kristne tro – er et kludetæppe af oplysninger fra mange steder, tider og ofte fra mennesker med en helt anden baggrund.
Our knowledge about the Vikings’ early beliefs – the pre-Christian religion – is a patchwork quilt of information from many places, periods and people, who were often from a completely different background.
De vigtigste kilder kommer fra Den Ældre Eddas gudedigte og den Yngre Edda – en bog med genfortællinger af de nordiske myter skrevet af Snorre Sturlasson.
The most important sources about the old Nordic religion are the poems of the Elder Edda (Poetic Edda) and the Younger Edda (Prose Edda) – a book containing retellings of the Nordic myths written by Snorri Sturluson.
Begge er skrevet af kristne historiefortællere i begyndelsen af middelalderen.
Both were written by Christian historical writers at the start of the medieval period.
Fortællerne må altså have hørt historierne om vikingerne fra andre.
These writers must have learnt the stories about the Vikings from others.
Det betyder, at kilderne ikke altid fortæller, hvordan vikingerne så på guderne, men derimod, hvordan de kristne opfattede de nordiske guder.
Therefore the sources do not always inform us about how the Vikings saw the Nordic gods, but more how Christians perceived them.
Vi har kun nogle få kilder fra vikingetiden.
There are only a few sources of information from the Viking period itself.
Det er arabiske rejsebeskrivelser, kristne vesteuropæeres beretninger, skjaldes fyrstedigte og runesten.
These consist of descriptions written by Arabic travellers, Christian accounts from Western Europe, skaldic poetry and rune stones.
I tidlige lovteksters bestemmelser kan man også hente viden om den før-kristne tro og dens skikke.
Early legal texts also contain information about the pre-Christian religion and its practices.
Udover kilderne findes der nogle få arkæologiske genstande, der fortæller om vikingernes tidlige tro og den nordiske gudeverden.
Apart from these sources, some archaeological objects have also been found, which tell us about the Vikings’ early beliefs and the pantheon of Norse gods.
Thorshammeren er et af de mest kendte eksempler.
Thor’s hammers are a good example of this.
Thor var tordenguden, og med hammeren Mjølner beskyttede han Midgård – menneskenes verden.
Thor was the god of thunder and he protected Midgard – the world of humans – using his hammer Mjöllnir.
Der er også fundet smykker, der forestiller valkyrier.
Jewellery has also been found representing valkyries.
Valkyrierne var kvindelige guddomme, som Odin sendte til slagmarken for at udvælge de krigere, der skulle dø, og bringe dem til Valhal.
The valkyries were female dieties, who Odin sent to the battlefield to choose the warriors that were to die and bring them to Valhalla.
Her opvartede valkyrierne de faldne krigere.
Here the valkyries waited upon these fallen warriors.
Der er bevis for, at de nordiske guder blev dyrket allerede i jernalderen, mindst 300 år før vikingetidens begyndelse.
There is evidence that the Nordic gods were worshipped as early as the Iron Age, at least 300 years before the beginning of the Viking period.
På guldbrakteater er der billeder af myterne om de nordiske guder.
Certain gold bracteates feature depictions of the Nordic gods.
For eksempel ses billeder af krigsguden Tyr med hånden i munden på Fenrisulven, og man ser billeder af den skønne gud Balder, som bliver dræbt af en pil lavet af mistelten.
These include the war god Týr with his hand in the mouth of the wolf Fenrir, as well as the noble god Baldr, who was killed by an arrow.
Selvom vikingerne lod sig kristne, gav de aldrig helt slip på de nordiske guder.
Even if the Vikings became Christian, they never completely let go of the Norse gods.
Ugedagenes nordiske navne er et godt eksempel herpå.
The days of the week that are named after gods are a good illustration of this.
Gudernes hjem
The home of the gods
Asgård svævede over jorden og var en stor befæstet borg med en høj mur eller et højt hegn omkring.
Ásgard floated in the air and was a large fortified castle with a high wall around it.
I Asgård lå adskillige haller og gårde, hvor guderne boede.
In Ásgard were various halls and abodes, where the gods lived.
Jætter
Giants
Ved verdens ende boede jætterne – guder og menneskers fjender.
At the edge of the cosmos lived the giants – the enemies of the gods and humans.
Jætterne var i familie med de nordiske guder, men alligevel var de bitre fjender.
The giants were related to the Nordic gods, but were nevertheless their bitter enemies.
De kæmpede gang på gang mod hinanden.
They battled against each other time after time.
Særligt Thor tog tit på jættejagt.
Thor in particular often went out to hunt giants.
For vikingerne var jætterne lig med ondskab og kaos.
The Vikings equated giants with evil and chaos.
Ved verdens undergang – Ragnarok – skulle jætter, guder og mennesker mødes én sidste gang i et drabeligt slag.
At the end of the world – Ragnarök – the giants, gods and humans would meet in a final deadly battle.
Andre væsner
Other beings
Ved Yggdrasils rødder boede nornerne – skæbnegudinder, for såvel guder som mennesker.
At Yggdrasil’s roots lived the norns.
De spandt den uundgåelige skæbnetråd og bestemte over livet.
They spun the inevitable threads of fate and were arbiters of life.
De farligste væsener var Fenrisulven og Midgårdsormen – en kæmpe søslange, som strakte sig rundt om hele jorden.
The most dangerous beings were the wolf Fenrir and the Midgard serpent – a great sea snake, which stretched around the whole world.
Hver gud havde forskellige egenskaber, svagheder og attributter.
Each of these gods had various characteristics, weaknesses and attributes.
Det fremgår af sagaerne og nogle få billedsten, hvor guderne er afbildet som menneskelige skikkelser.
This is evident from the sagas and some rune stones, upon which the gods are depicted with human forms.
Men selvom guderne virkede menneskelige, måtte vikingerne endelig ikke glemme deres betydning.
However, even if the gods appeared as human, it was crucial that the Vikings never forgot their great importance.
Her kan du læse om de mest populære og vigtige guder.
Here you can read about the most popular and important gods:
Gudernes overhoved var Odin.
The supreme god is Odin.
Odin var krigs- og dødsgud og tronede i Valhal i ”de dræbtes hal”.
Odin is the god of war and of the dead.
Alle vikinger, der døde i kamp, tilhørte ham.
All Vikings who died in battle belonged to him.
De blev hentet af hans tjenerinder, valkyrierne.
They were collected by his female handmaidens, the valkyries.
Odin blev først og fremmest dyrket af konger, krigerhøvdinge og deres mænd.
Odin was first and foremost worshipped by kings, warrior chieftains and their men.
Det var deres behov, han kunne opfylde.
It was the requirements of these people that he could satisfy.
Thor var den mest populære af alle guderne.
Thor was the most popular of all the gods.
Han var både krigs- og frugtbarhedsgud.
He was a god of war and fertility.
Han lavede lyn og torden, når han kørte over skyerne i sin vogn trukket af geder svingende med sin hammer, Mjølner.
He created thunder and lightning as he rode over the clouds in a chariot drawn by goats, swinging his hammer Mjöllnir.
Thor stod for fysisk styrke, og med sit våben Mjølner kunne han bekæmpe de onde jætter, der levede i Udgård.
Thor was physically strong and with his weapon Mjöllnir could do battle with the evil giants who lived in Jötunheimar.
Thor blev dyrket af de fleste – han var folkets gud.
Thor was worshipped by most Vikings – he was the god of the people.
Thor var forståelig og til at stole på i modsætning til sin far Odin, der kunne være fuldstændig uforudsigelig.
He was comprehensible and could be trusted, in contrast to his father Odin, who could be completely unpredictable.
Derfor var Thors rolle også at opretholde lov og orden.
Therefore Thor’s role was also to uphold law and order.
Loke er oprindelig ud af jætteslægt, men bor i Asgård og respekteres af guderne, fordi han har blandet blod med Odin.
Loki is originally of giant stock, but lives in Ásgard and is respected by the gods as he is a blood brother with Odin.
Loke er af karakter lumsk og upålidelig.
Loki is crafty and not to be trusted.
Han har mange gange snydt både jætter og guder og spillet dem ud imod hinanden.
On many occasions he cheats both the giants and gods, and plays them off against each other.
Loke kan være rigtig intrigant, men alligevel beholder guderne ham.
Even though Loki is often up to no good, the gods still tolerate his presence.
Han er nemlig snu og god til at lyve – evner selv guderne har brug for.
He is sly and lies – abilities that the gods can use to their advantage.
For eksempel fik Loke overtalt de ligeså snu dværge til at smede mange magiske ting til guderne – ikke mindst Thors hammer Mjølner.
This is shown when Loki persuades the equally cunning dwarves to smith various magical objects for the gods – notably Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir.
Frej knyttes til frugtbarhed og god høst.
Frey is connected with fertility and a good harvest.
Han får alt til at spire og gro på markerne.
He makes the crops in the fields grow.
En af Frejs attributter er hans magiske gris Gyldenbørste.
One of Frey’s attributes is his magic boar Gullinborsti.
Grisen skinner som guld, og på den kan Frej ride over land og vand hurtigere end på nogen hest.
The boar shines like gold, and Frey rides it faster than any horse over land and through water.
Måske var det grise, som bønderne ofrede til Frej?
Perhaps it was pigs that Viking farmers sacrificed to Frey?
Frejs tvillingesøster er Freja.
Frey’s twin sister is Freyja.
Hun er den smukkeste af de kvindelige guder, og hun hersker i sin gård Folkvang i Asgård.
She is the most beautiful of the female gods and rules from her abode of Fólkvang in Ásgard.
Hun er gudinde for både elskov, frugtbarhed og kunsten sejd.
She is the goddess of love, fertility and the practice of seid.
Mange steder i Norden er opkaldt efter Frej og Freja.
Many places in Scandinavia are named after Frey and Freyja.
I Danmark har vi for eksempel Frøsmose, Frøsbjerg og Frølund.
Frøsmose, Frøsbjerg and Frølund are examples from Denmark.
Navnene kendes mest fra Norge og Sverige, så måske var troen på frugtbarhedsguderne stærkest dér.
However, such names are more commonly found in Norway and Sweden, so perhaps the belief in the fertility gods was strongest in these areas.
Derfor havde de tidlige missionærer, der kom til Danmark i 700- og 800-tallet for at udbrede kendskabet til kristendommen, svært ved at overbevise vikingerne om, at det ikke var nornernes tråd eller Odins lune, der bestemte vejen til dødsriget.
Therefore the early missionaries, who came to Denmark in the 700s and 800s to spread the message of Christianity, had a hard job in convincing the Vikings that it was not the norns’ threads or Odin’s will that determined their path to the afterlife.
Kristendommen syntes dog at være et nødvendigt onde for handlende vikingekøbmænd i Europa, hvis de ville indgå handelsforbindelser med anderledes troende.
Christianity was regarded as a necessary evil by the Viking merchants in Europe, if they were to participate in trading contact with different believers.
Derfor lod de handlende vikinger i udlandet sig ofte primsigne – de afsværgede de gamle guder uden nødvendigvis at modtage dåben.
Therefore whilst abroad Viking traders often agreed to be marked with the sign of the cross – they renounced the old Nordic gods without necessarily receiving baptism.
Vikingerne valgte i løbet af 900-tallet kristendommen til dels på grund af den omfattende handel med de kristne, men især på grund af et stigende politisk og religiøst pres fra det tyske rige i syd.
The Vikings chose Christianity during the 900s, partly because of the extensive trade networks with Christian areas of Europe, but also particularly as a result of increasing political and religious pressure from the German empire to the south.
I slutningen af vikingetiden, omkring 1050, var de fleste vikinger blevet kristne.
By the end of the Viking period, around 1050, most Vikings were Christians.
De blev døbt, gik i kirke og blev begravet på kristen vis.
They were baptised, went to church and were buried in a Christian manner.
Overgangen til kristendommen markeres af kong Harald Blåtands runesten i Jelling fra omkring år 965.
The transition to Christianity is marked by King Harald Bluetooth’s rune stone at Jelling, which dates to around 965.
Her står skrevet, at han gjorde danerne kristne.
The stone displays an inscription which declares that Harald made the Danes Christian.
Men i virkeligheden skete trosskiftet ikke fra den ene dag til den anden.
But in reality the change in belief did not take place from one day to the next.
Der har været kristne strømninger i Danmark længe før kong Haralds tid.
Christian currents were apparent in Denmark long before King Harald’s time.
Syd for grænsen blev Danmarks naboer allerede kristne omkring vikingetidens begyndelse i slutningen af 700-årene.
South of the border Denmark’s neighbours were already Christian, around the beginning of the Viking period, in the late 700s.
Den første kristne mission, vi har efterretninger om, fandt sted omkring år 710, da den engelske ærkebisp Willibrord (ca. 658-739) rejste til Danmark for at missionere.
The first Christian mission, that we have reports of, took place around 710, when the English archbishop Willibrord (c. 658-739) travelled to Denmark to undertake missionary activity.
Willibrord kom her i kontakt med danernes konge, Ongendus (Agantyr).
Here Willibrord came into contact with the king of the Danes, Ongendus (Agantyr).
Willibrord fik sandsynligvis en hård medfart, for han omtaler kongen som mere grusom end noget dyr og hårdere end sten.
Willibrord seems to have been treated harshly, as he described the king as more cruel than any animal and harder than stone.
Det var nok grunden til, at Willibrord hurtigt rejste hjem igen.
This was probably the reason why Willibrord soon travelled home again.
Med sig tog han dog 30 drenge, der skulle oplæres i den kristne lære.
He came back with 30 boys, who were to be trained in the teachings of Christianity.
Willibrord missionerede siden blandt friserne og blev kendt som ’frisernes apostel’.
Willibrord later undertook missionary work amongst the Frisians and became known as ‘the Apostle of the Frisians’.
Allerede i 800-årene var dele af befolkningen kristnet.
By the 800s part of the population was already Christian.
Da kong Harald proklamerede kristendommens indførelse i anden halvdel af 900-årene, havde asatro og kristendom længe levet side om side.
When King Harald announced the introduction of Christianity in the second half of the 900s, the old Nordic religion and Christianity had long existed side by side.
Herom vidner forskellige genstande fra vikingetiden, som for eksempel en støbeform af fedtsten, fundet ved Trend i Himmerland.
Various objects from the Viking Age testify to this, such as the mould of soapstone found at Trend in Himmerland.
Støbeformen kunne bruges til fremstilling af både kors og torshammer: håndværkeren leverede hængesmykker til kunder fra begge trosretninger.
The mould could be used for the production of crosses as well as Thor’s hammers.
Vikingerne lærte også om kristendommen på deres rejser rundt om i verden eller hos de munke, der rejste til Norden for at missionere.
The Vikings learnt about Christianity on their journeys around the world or from monks who travelled to Scandinavia as missionaries.
I udlandet kunne vikingerne se de kristne landes styrke.
Whilst abroad, they became aware of the power of the Christian countries.
Her så de blandt andet imponerende katedraler og klostre bygget af sten fyldt med store rigdomme – sommetider røvede de dem også.
They also saw impressive stone cathedrals and monasteries, with their associated riches, which they looted from time to time.
Mange vikingehandelsmænd lod sig primsigne eller døbe i udlandet.
Many Viking traders were marked with the sign of the cross or baptised abroad.
For at opnå de nødvendige privilegier på handelspladser i kristne byer var det ofte et krav, at man enten var kristen eller i det mindste velsignet.
In order to be given the necessary privileges at trading centres in Christian towns, it was often a condition to be either Christian, or at least blessed.
I de skriftlige kilder kan vi læse, at der fulgte gaver med dåben – et fint sæt hvidt tøj.
Written sources mention a gift that came with baptism – a set of fine white clothes.
Det lokkede sikkert mange vikinger til at lade sig døbe.
This tempted many Vikings to be baptised.
Der skulle døbes mange mennesker den dag, og da det var blevet vedkommendes tur, var der ikke mere hvidt tøj.
Many people were baptised that day, and when it came to this individual’s turn, there were no more white clothes left.
Derfor blev han præsenteret for nogle mere grove og tarvelige klæder.
Therefore he was presented with a set of coarser and simpler clothes.
Da det skete, skulle han have sagt: Tyve gange har man badet mig og skænket mig de bedste hvideste klæder, men en sådan sæk klæder ikke en kriger, de passer snarere til en svinehyrde.
When this happened he apparently said: Twenty times I have been bathed and given the best and whitest clothes, but such sackcloth is not fit for a warrior, it suits a swineherd better.
Og hvis det ikke var fordi, at jeg skammede mig over min nøgenhed, ville jeg give dig både klæderne og din Kristus tilbage…
And if it was not because I was ashamed of my nakedness, I would give you back both the clothes and your Christ …
Meget tyder altså på, at vikingerne ikke blev kristne med ét, bare fordi de blev døbt i udlandet.
It seems likely that Vikings did not become Christians overnight, just because they were baptised abroad.
Ifølge de skriftlige kilder tyder meget på, at dåben af vikingerne var missionærernes førsteprioritet.
Written sources indicate that baptism of the Vikings was the priority of the missionaries.
Dåben var en alvorlig affære i kristendommen.
Baptism was crucial for Christianity.
Ifølge kirken afskar døbte sig fra at deltage i den hedenske kult.
According to the Church, once they had been baptised, people were precluded from participating in the pagan cult.
Fordi dåben var så stort et skridt, opfandt kirken ”et lille skridt”, så det var muligt at stå med et ben i hver lejr: Primsigning.
As baptism was such a big step, the Church came up with “a smaller step”, which enabled Vikings to stand with a foot in both camps.
Her modtog de ikke-kristne korsets tegn som en uforpligtende forløber for dåben.
In this non-Christians were marked with the sign of the cross in a non-committal precursor of baptism.
I Danmark skete overgangen til kristendommen gradvist og uden de store sværdslag.
The transition to Christianity in Denmark took place gradually and without major conflict.
Vikingerne opfattede den nye tro som et supplement til de nordiske guder – ikke som et enten eller.
The Vikings regarded the new belief as supplementing the Nordic gods – it was not simply a choice between the old and the new religion.
Vikingernes tro på flere guder gjorde det muligt for den nye kristne Gud, Hvidekrist, at blive opfattet på linje med guder som Thor og Odin.
The Vikings’ belief in many gods meant that it was possible for the new Christian god, White Christ, to be worshipped alongside gods like Thor and Odin.
Således kunne begge trosretninger eksistere ved siden af hinanden.
In this way both religious beliefs could exist alongside each other.
Den ene trosretning udelukkede ikke den anden.
One religion did not exclude the other.
Det viser en støbeform, hvor smeden både kunne lave Thorshamre og kristne kors.
This is shown by the find of a mould, which the smith could use to make both Thor’s hammers and Christian crosses.
Det var en tid med store forandringer, og måske søgte vikingerne tryghed i begge trosretninger – bare for at være på den sikre side?
It was a time of great change and perhaps the Vikings sought security in both religious creeds – just to be on the safe side.
Kristendommen vandt langsomt indpas, uden at den gamle tro helt blev opgivet.
Christianity slowly won a footing without the old belief being completely abandoned.
Den blev derimod omfortolket og inddraget i den nye kristne tro.
Instead, it was reinterpreted and incorporated into the new Christian faith.
Den gamle tro levede også videre i folketroen.
The old belief also survived in popular folk beliefs.
Her finder vi beskrivelser af store, dumme trolde, og vi hører om nisserne, små skæggede mænd, der ofte er i dårligt humør.
Here we find descriptions of big, stupid trolls and hear about gnomes, who are small bearded men.
Mon ikke det er troen på jætterne og dværgene, der har overlevet her?
Is it the belief in giants and dwarves that has survived here?
Kendetegnende for den nordiske mytologi er, at verden og naturen er fyldt med magter lige så virkelige som mennesket selv, og at forholdet mellem mennesket og magterne er præget af gensidig afhængighed.
In Norse mythology the world and nature were filled with forces equally real as human beings, and the relationship between humans and these forces was characterised by mutual dependence.
Ifølge den tankegang var det sandsynligt, at andre kulturer kunne have lige så kraftfulde guder som vikingernes egne.
In line with this way of thinking, it was likely that other cultures could have gods who were just as powerful as the Vikings' own gods.
Det er selvfølgelig svært at vide, hvad den enkelte viking tænkte under kristningen.
It is of course hard to know what the individual Viking thought about the process of Christianization.
Vikingerne kan have følt, at de helgarderede sig ved at tro på både de gamle guder og Kristus.
The Vikings may have thought that they were hedging their bets by believing in the old gods as well as Christ.
Ved at tro på så mange guder som muligt var sandsynligheden større for, at én af dem var venlig stemt, når der var brug for det.
By believing in as many gods as possible, the likelihood was greater that one of these would be favourably disposed when required.
For eksempel beretter den islandske Landnambók om Helge den Magre, som fortalte, at vel troede han da på Kristus, men var han til søs eller i en særlig vanskelig situation, valgte han at bede til Thor.
For example, the Icelandic book Landnambók about Helge den Magre (Helge “the Lean”) describes how, although Helge believed in Christ, when at sea or in a particularly difficult situation he would pray to Thor.
Flere arkæologiske fund viser en fredelig overgang til den nye tro.
A number of archaeological finds point towards a peaceful transition to the new belief.
Fra Trend i Jylland kendes en støbeform, som har plads til to kors og en thorshammer.
These include a smith’s mould from Trend in Jutland, which has spaces for two crosses and one hammer.
Smeden har altså kunne fremstille netop de amuletter, som kunderne ønskede.
The smith could use it to produce exactly which amulets his customers wanted.
På en middelalderlig døbefont fra Gettrup i Thy ses også både kors og thorshamre.
In addition, a medieval font from Gettrup, in Jutland, displays both crosses and Thor’s hammers.
Ligeledes findes der også flere thorshamre med korsornamentik.
Several Thor’s hammers, which feature cross ornamentation, have also been found.
Meget tyder på, at vikingernes tro på de nordiske guder blev omfortolket og inddraget i kristendommen.
The Viking belief in the Norse gods was thus reinterpreted and drawn into Christianity.
Kristningsprocessen har dog næppe været helt fri for konflikter.
However, the Christianization process was not completely free of conflicts.
Selvom missionærerne gjorde deres for at indføre kristendommen, kan man langt op i 1200-tallet stadig se spor efter de nordiske guder.
Even if the missionaries did their best to introduce Christianity, traces of the Norse gods were still evident up until the 1200s.