How the Norse Faced Death: Viking Funeral Rituals

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with archaeologist and museum lecturer Ellen Marie Næss from the Museum of the Viking Age in Oslo. Together, they discuss how Norse communities approached death, burial, grief, and legacy.

From funeral rituals and fate-driven beliefs to the poetry of grief and the legacy of honor, this conversation reveals how the Norse faced death and what we can learn from them today.

Key topics include:
- Norse views on death, destiny, and the afterlife
- What Viking funerals actually looked like (hint: not always burning ships)
- Gender, status, and symbolism in burial practices
- The emotional power of Sonatorrek and skaldic poetry
- How grief and memory shaped Norse culture

This episode connects ancient practices with the ways we continue to honor and remember the dead today, reminding us that death has always been part of the human story.

Links/Resources

• Guest: Ellen Marie Næss – Museum of the Viking Age, Oslo
  https://www.vikingtidsmuseet.no/english
• Host: Traci Arieli – https://www.comfortingclosure.com
• Sonatorrek (Translation): https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sonatorrek-loss-son.html
• The Hávamál Quotes: https://www.thenarratologist.com/best-havamal-quotes-about-death
  – Wardruna’s musical rendition of Sonatorrek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRQBxwzB2S0

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