Viking / Norse Mythology As A Topic

RockySC - Welcome to SCF, and thanks for reviving this great thread. Sorry, but I don't have any information about the interesting German-Austrian item you posted above, although I suspect it is a Nazi propaganda label and not a postage stamp. Either way, it's a nice addition to the thread.

Here are images of the six stamps in a set designed after illustrations from Snorri Sturluson's Saga of Kings by Norwegian cartoonist and illustrator Harald Damsleth (1906-1971), printed by photogravure, and issued by Norway in 1941 to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death of Norwegian writer and historian Snorri Sturluson (1178-1241), Scott Nos. 240-45, Facit Nos. 299-304.

- nethryk

Dream of Queen Ragnhild


Einar Tambarskjelve fighting in the Battle of Svolder (c. 999)


Snorri Sturluson


King Olaf the Holy sailing in his wedding procession to Landmerket


Svipdag's men entering the Hall of Kings


Before the Battle of Stiklestad (1030)

Isle of Man, One Pound, 1973,
Viking Longship

Here are images of a two-stamp souvenir sheet depicting Norse gods, designed by Faroese writer and artist Anker Eli Petersen (1959- ), printed by lithogravure, and issued by Faroe Islands on March 26, 2004, Scott No. 443.

Then comes the mighty son of Hlôdyn:
(Odin's son goes with the monster to fight);
Midgârd's Veor in his rage will slay the worm.

- nethryk



Thor, Norse god of thunder, fighting Midgârd serpent, Scott No. 443a, Facit No. 485. Note Thor's hammer, Mjölnir.


Rán, Norse goddess of the sea, in fishing net, Scott No. 443b, Facit No. 486.

Chieftains riding to the Althing, frame designed by L. Hessheimer, vignette designed by Icelandic artist "H.C.," printed by lithogravure (Elbemuühl, Vienna), and issued by Iceland on January 1, 1930, Scott No. 157, Facit No. 178.

- nethryk

What a feast of beautiful images.
Nethryk's high standard as usual.

I recognize the Ouroboros on the Iceland stamp, the serpent or dragon eating it's own tail. Neat.

rod222 - Thanks!

Here are images of the two stamps in a set depicting Viking art objects designed by Danish artist and cartoonist Holger Philipsen (1912-1993), engraved by Czeslaw Slania, and issued by Denmark on June 14, 1979, Scott Nos. 653 & 654, Facit Nos. 713 & 714. The objects shown are a pendant and a key, both of which have "Gripping Beast" designs.

- nethryk

Since this topic has sprung up again, might as well add my Danish New York World Fair cinderella to the mix.

In 2003, the Faroese Islands issued a mini-sheet of illustrations from the Voluspa, the poem from the Poetic Edda that is one of the main sources for what is known of Norse mythology from its creation myth to Ragnarok.

Btw I am grateful for this thread. It led me to this stamp community as well as to a number of issues that I somehow overlooked in building my own Norse mythology collection.

The high-value stamp in the Icelandic set commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the Althing depicts a sacrifice to Thor:

Erik Thorvaldsson (950-c. 1003), also called Erik the Red, was a Viking explorer who was the first European in Greenland, sailing from Iceland in 982. Here is an image of a semi-postal (charity) stamp depicting Erik the Red's longship sailing for Greenland, designed by Greenlandic artist Jens Christian Rosing, engraved by Arne Kühlmann, and issued by Greenland on August 2, 1982, Scott No. B10, Facit No. 137.

- nethryk

The Rökstenen, or Rök Runestone, created in the 9th century, is located outside Rök church, in Östergötland. It features the longest known runic inscription in stone, and is considered the first piece of written Swedish literature. Here is an image of a stamp depicting the Rökstenen, designed by A. Gustavsson and S. Johansson, engraved by Majvor Franzén-Matthews, and issued by Sweden on May 20, 1975, Scott No. 1120, Facit No. 924. plus a photo of the stone.

- nethryk

Roskilde Cathedral and a Viking ship, designed by Danish artist Bente Olesen Nyström, combined engrave by Arne Kühlmann and lithography, and issued by Denmark on March 26, 1998 to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand, Scott No. 1090, Facit No. 1205.

- nethryk

Here are images of the two stamps in a whimsical Norse mythology set, depicting the god Heimdallr (aka Heimdal) and the goddess Gefion, designed by Danish artist Kim Bjørnholt, combined engraved by Arne Kühlmann and lithography, and issued by Denmark on March 26, 2004, Scott Nos. 1273 & 1274, plus images of a figurine of Heimdallr, and a detail of the Gefion Fountain (Copenhagen, 1908) by Danish sculptor Anders Bundgaard (1864-1937).

- nethryk

Heimdallr possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn and guards the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst.


Gefion is associated with plowing, and is here depicted plowing Zealand out of Sweden.

In Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, trolls are supernatural beings who dwell in isolated places such as mountains or caves, living together in small family groups. Here are images of the three se-tenant booklet stamps in a set depicting trolls, designed after illustrations by Swedish artist John Albert Bauer (1882-1918) for various tales about these mythical creatures, combined engraved by Martin Mörck and lithography, and issued by Sweden on May 9, 1997, Scott Nos. 2235-37, Facit Nos. 2023-25.


- nethryk

Troll looking in a treasure chest.


Trolls looking at a girl sitting on a rock.


Trolls talking to a boy.