Norse, another name for the North Germanic, or Scandinavian, group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages). The modern Norse languages—Danish, Faeroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish—all stem from an earlier form of Norse known as Old Norse. Now extinct, Old Norse was the language spoken by the Germanic tribes living in Scandinavia before A.D. 1000. It was first written in runes, some examples of which go back to the 3d cent. A.D., but later the Roman alphabet was used. The earliest extant Old Norse manuscripts in the Roman alphabet are from the 12th cent. Old Norse is also noteworthy as the language of the Eddas and sagas (see Old Norse literature; Icelandic literature).

Beliefs, rituals, and mythology of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples, in a geographic area extending from the Black Sea across central Europe and Scandinavia to Iceland and Greenland. The religion died out in central Europe with the conversion to Christianity (4th century) but continued in Scandinavia until the 10th century. The Old Norse literature of medieval Iceland, notably the Poetic Edda (circa 1200) and the Prose Edda (circa 1222), recounts the lore of the Germanic gods. The earth was held to have been created out of a cosmic void called Ginnungagap; in another account the first gods formed it from the body of a primeval giant, Aurgelmir. There were two sets of gods in the Germanic pantheon, the warlike Aesir and the agricultural Vanir. Germanic religion also encompassed belief in female guardian spirits, elves, and dwarfs. Rites were conducted in the open or in groves and forests; animal and human sacrifice was practiced. Ragnarok is the Germanic doomsday.

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Norse is an adjective relating things to Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Sweden. To refer to the modern people or culture of Norway, "Norwegian" is used.

The etymology of the adjective "norse" is somewhat surprising, as one would expect it to have entered the English language through either the already present native stem "north" or via a Scandinavian language. Yet "Norse," which entered English in 1598, derives from the Dutch word "noors", the adjective form of "Norwegian". The Scandinavian equivalent of the word is norrøn, or norrön (Icelandic: norræn). The modern English form (which sounds almost identical to the Dutch term) may be used in a number of ways.

Norse may refer to:

In history:

• Norsemen, the Scandinavian people before the Christianization of Scandinavia.
• Norse mythology, ancient Scandinavian beliefs.
• Norse paganism, the religious traditions that were common among the Scandinavian people before the Christianization of Scandinavia.
• Norse art, Scandinavian art of the period AD 400 to AD 1066 and sometimes of the pre-historic period 1700 BC to AD 500.

In language:

• North Germanic languages, through the synonym "Nordic languages," comprises a group of modern languages spoken in Scandinavia and nearby lands.
• West Norse is a term describing the modern languages of Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic within the North Germanic language group.
• East Norse is a term describing the modern languages of Danish and Swedish within the North Germanic language group.
• Proto-Norse language is the Germanic language in use from first centuries AD until the 8th century, predecessor of Old Norse.
• Old Norse language was the North Germanic language in use from c. AD 800 to c. AD 1300.

In fiction:

• "Norselands," a fictional land in the Age of Mythology computer game series; the "Norse" also comprise one of three playable civilizations within the game.
• The inhabitants of Norsca are a fictional land in the Warhammer Fantasy game setting.
• The "Nords" of the "The Elder Scrolls" series are a race from the snowy northern kingdom of "Skyrim" with Norse-like traditions.

In sports:

• The "Norse" is the mascot of the Luther College (IA) and Northern Kentucky University athletic teams.

See also

• Nordic

Norse