Up next in 10
Imagine your loyal dog as a mythical guardian. They could rule ancient lands as a king. Norse mythology gives amazing roles to our dogs.
These stories mix history and legend together. They show the deep bond we share with dogs. We are exploring the best dog myths from Scandinavia today.
We will reveal their links to modern companions. These tales shaped Viking life with dogs. Vikings respected their dog partners greatly.
So grab your favorite adventure buddy now and let’s travel back to the Viking age. Their view of dogs was truly visionary. It will change how you see your dog.
Read the full article at Doggozila Magazine on the link below: 👇
https://doggozila.com/dog-myths-from-scandinavia/
👆
#dogmyths #doglegends #vikingdogs #dogguardian #dogspirit
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Hey, welcome to the explainer. Today we
0:02
are talking about your dog. And I know
0:04
what you're thinking. But what if I told
0:06
you that furry friend on your couch has
0:08
a secret legendary history straight from
0:11
ancient Norsemiths. Yeah, it turns out
0:13
their backstory is way more epic than
0:15
you could ever imagine. Okay, let's just
0:18
jump right into this. I mean, think
0:20
about it. An underworld guardian, a
0:22
crowned king. This quote isn't just some
0:24
fun throwaway line. No, it gets right to
0:26
the core of how Vikings saw their dogs.
0:29
They weren't just pets. Not even close.
0:31
They were central characters in their
0:33
biggest stories, their cosmic dramas.
0:35
So, first up, your dog a legend. To
0:38
really get this, we've got to ask why.
0:40
Why did the Vikings hold their dogs in
0:42
such high regard? You know, it wasn't
0:44
just about them being useful. Far from
0:46
it. They saw them as, well, as partners,
0:49
woven right into the fabric of their
0:51
lives and even their beliefs. In this
0:53
respect, it went way beyond just having
0:56
a furry buddy around. For the Norse
0:58
people, a dog was literally a bridge
1:00
between worlds. Think about that. One
1:03
paw in our world, the world of humans,
1:05
and the other in the realm of the gods.
1:07
And this wasn't just some cute story
1:09
they told. It was fundamental to their
1:11
entire culture. All right, next section.
1:14
Guardians of cosmic order. Let's look at
1:17
how this incredible bond, this deep
1:19
respect, actually elevated dogs to some
1:21
of the most important jobs in all of
1:23
Norse mythology. And we're going to
1:25
start with a big one. the guardian of
1:27
the underworld. Okay, so meet Garm, the
1:30
Hound who guards the gate of hell. Now,
1:33
what's so fascinating here is that Garm
1:35
wasn't some evil monster. Not at all. He
1:38
was a protector, a necessary force
1:40
keeping the whole cosmos in balance. His
1:43
job, making sure the dead stayed where
1:45
they were supposed to. A pretty grim
1:46
duty for sure, but absolutely vital. And
1:50
this is a really crucial point. The
1:52
Vikings made this super clear
1:53
distinction. On one side you have dogs.
1:56
They stood for order, for partnership.
1:58
On the other side, wolves. And wolves,
2:01
like the monstrous Fenrar, were all
2:03
about chaos and destruction. This
2:05
difference says so much about Viking
2:07
values, right? It's all about loyalty to
2:09
your pack and the strength you get from
2:11
that. Next up, guides to the afterlife.
2:14
So, beyond these huge cosmic jobs, the
2:17
myths gave dogs a much more personal
2:19
role and a really comforting one, too.
2:22
They were seen as guides for human souls
2:24
on their final journey. I mean, just
2:27
imagine the comfort in that. The idea
2:30
that death isn't something you have to
2:31
face all by yourself. That your most
2:34
loyal friend, the one who was right
2:36
there with you your whole life, would be
2:38
there to guide you and protect you in
2:39
whatever comes next. That's that's a
2:42
powerful idea. But you got to wonder,
2:45
right? Was this just a comforting story
2:47
they told themselves to make death less
2:49
scary, or was it something more? Did
2:51
they actually act on this belief? Well,
2:53
the answer, it turns out, is literally
2:56
buried right under our feet. And here's
2:58
the proof in the ground. This is where
3:00
myth and reality just slam right into
3:02
each other. Archaeologists have found
3:04
tons of Viking burial sites. And guess
3:06
what? In so many of them, like the
3:08
famous ones at Burka, they find dog
3:10
remains carefully buried right alongside
3:12
humans. Sometimes even multiple dogs
3:14
with one person. This wasn't just a
3:17
story. It was a real sacred practice, a
3:19
final act of companionship. All right,
3:22
let's switch gears a bit from the
3:24
spiritual to the political. The
3:27
unbelievable dog kings. Yeah, you heard
3:30
that right. Because in the Viking world,
3:32
dogs weren't just spiritual guides.
3:34
Incredibly, they were political figures,
3:36
too. So, here's the deal. A conquering
3:39
king would sometimes crown a dog as the
3:41
new ruler just to humiliate the people
3:43
they defeated. It was supposed to be the
3:45
ultimate insult, right? You're going to
3:47
be ruled by a dog. But what's so great
3:50
about these stories is how they take
3:51
this bizarre, surprising turn. It shows
3:54
off this really sharp, satirical Norse
3:56
sense of humor. It's like they were
3:58
mocking the whole idea of absolute
4:00
power. And you know, it also kind of
4:01
hints at a genuine respect for how smart
4:04
dogs are. And the most famous example of
4:06
this is the story of King Sar. His reign
4:09
is actually recorded in ancient
4:11
chronicles. So the people of Tronheim
4:13
are told to pick a new ruler, a slave or
4:15
a dog. They pick the dog, Sar. And get
4:19
this, they treat him like a real king
4:21
for three whole years. He had a golden
4:23
collar, a mansion. They even signed
4:25
official decrees with his paw print. But
4:27
the story doesn't end with a joke. It
4:29
ends in total heroism. King Sar is
4:32
killed bravely defending his royal flock
4:34
of cattle from a wolf attack. A true
4:36
king's end. So echoes in your home.
4:40
Let's bring all this ancient history
4:42
right back to today, right into your
4:44
living room. How does this incredible
4:46
legacy of guardians, guides, and even
4:48
kings still live on? Well, the answer is
4:51
in our modern Scandinavian breeds.
4:54
They're basically living connections to
4:55
this mythical past. They carry the same
4:58
genes and the same traits that the
5:00
Vikings prized all those centuries ago.
5:03
Which means those legendary hunters and
5:05
loyal companions from the sagas, they're
5:07
still with us, walking in our parks,
5:10
living in our homes. They are quite
5:12
literally living history. And you can
5:15
see these direct lines so clearly. Take
5:17
the Norwegian elound, bred to have the
5:19
courage to hunt moose. Think about that.
5:21
Or the super high energy Norwegian
5:23
Buhund, your classic do-it-all farm dog.
5:26
And then there's the Norwegian London.
5:28
This one's amazing. It has these unique
5:30
physical traits like six toes that are a
5:32
direct link to its past as a specialist
5:34
cliffher. Their behaviors today are just
5:37
powerful echoes of those ancient jobs.
5:39
So think about it. Your dog's instinct
5:42
to guard your home, to offer you
5:44
comfort, to greet you with that crazy
5:45
excitement. It all echoes the very
5:47
traits the Vikings celebrated in their
5:49
myths. When your dog barks at a delivery
5:51
person or just comes and puts their head
5:53
on your lap when you're feeling down,
5:54
they are tapping into something ancient.
5:57
This bond we have with them, it's a
5:58
tradition that's over a thousand years
6:00
old. It connects you to every single dog
6:02
lover that came before you. So the next
6:04
time your dog barks at a stranger, are
6:06
they just being a dog or are they
6:09
fulfilling an ancient duty?
6:12
It's a pretty powerful thought, isn't
6:13
it? That one simple bark might just be
6:15
an echo of gmer guarding the gates. It's
6:18
the kind of thing that can totally
6:19
change how you see your loyal and maybe,
6:22
just maybe, mythical companion.