From Bad to Norse... Trivia Quiz

Bifröst (probably meaning "shimmering path") is the burning rainbow bridge that connects Midgard (Earth) with Asgard, the realm of the Norse gods set high up in the sky. The bridge is guarded by the vigilant god Heimdall, one of the sons of Odin. During Ragnarök, the end of the world, Bifröst will be crossed by fire-giants bent on storming Asgard, and eventually destroyed.

Bifröst also appears in comic books and movies associated with the character of Thor, a Marvel Comics superhero.

Mjölnir ("lightning") is the hammer wielded by Thor, the Norse thunder god, son of Odin and Frigg. Symbolizing the power of lightning, it is the god's main weapon, often used to slay giants, the arch-enemies of the gods. However, it was also a symbol of blessing and protection, and was often worn as an amulet: over 1,000 pendants in the shape of Thor's hammer have been found in archaeological sites in Western Europe, Northern Europe and Russia.

Mjölnir has been depicted in various media in modern times, and its name has been given to places, ships and other items.

The monstrous wolf Fenrir ("fen-dweller") is one of the children of the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. The prophecy concerning the end of the world (Ragnarök) foretells that Fenrir will fight Odin, the head of the Aesir (gods), and swallow him whole. However, immediately afterwards the wolf will be killed by Odin's son Viðarr, who will be one of the few survivors of the catastrophe. In another myth, Fenrir bites off the hand (or arm) of Tyr, the god of war, when the wolf realizes that he has been bound with an unbreakable chain.

Fenrir appears as an antagonist in the video game "Assassin's Creed Valhalla" (2020), inspired by Norse mythology.

Yggdrasil ("Odin's horse") is the huge sacred tree that rises at the centre of the Norse cosmos. The Nine Worlds that are the homelands of the various beings featured in Norse mythology are arrayed around it. Yggdrasil is an ash tree with three roots and branches extending far into the heavens; a number of creatures, such as the squirrel Ratatoskr and the dragon Niðhöggr, live within it. The tree's name is a metaphor for "gallows", as according to one myth the god Odin hung from one branch of Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights in order to discover the runes.

Yggdrasil appears in various productions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe inspired by Norse myth.

Sleipnir ("the sliding one") is Odin's eight-legged horse, whom the god rides during his journeys through the Nine Worlds. Described as grey in colour, this extraordinary steed was sired by the stallion Svaðilfari (owned by a giant who was working on building a wall around Asgard) on trickster god Loki, who had taken the form of a beautiful mare.

In Northern Europe ships have often been named for Sleipnir, the shamanic horse that can travel to the heavens or the underworld.

Valhalla ("hall of the slain") is a magnificent golden hall (the palace or castle of a king or nobleman in medieval times) located in Asgard, the realm of the gods. Presided over by Odin, Valhalla is populated by the Einherjar - warriors who have died in battle, whom Odin himself has deemed worthy of living there. In the hall, decorated with weapons and armour, the warriors fight each other all day long; then in the evening - their wounds magically healed - they feast on roasted meats and drink horns of mead, waited upon by the Valkyries, the warrior maidens who guide the souls of the slain to Valhalla.

Valhalla has inspired many works in a variety of media, including music, comic books, and video games.

The Gjallarhorn ("loud-sounding horn") is a horn owned by the god Heimdall, the sentry of Asgard, the home of the gods. Heimdall's home sits at the top of the rainbow bridge Bifröst: from there the god, with his uncommonly keen eyesight and hearing, can see or hear for hundreds of miles. Heimdall hardly sleeps at all, but holds the Gjallarhorn close to him, ready to sound a warning if someone approaches. At Ragnarök, the call of the Gjallarhorn will signal the arrival of the fire-giants, who will cross the bridge and storm Asgard. This horn blast will be so loud as to be heard throughout the cosmos.

The Minnesota Vikings, a Minneapolis-based NFL (American football) team, have their own Gjallarhorn, a large horn that is sounded before the team's home games at US Bank Stadium.

Hugin ("thought") and Munin ("memory") are a pair of ravens that are Odin's constant companions and helpers. Every morning the god sends them out to fly around the world, gathering news they will then whisper into his ears while perching on his shoulders. In the ancient Norse religion, ravens were held sacred because of their association with Odin, the god of battle, poetry and knowledge. Many artifacts of the Viking age depict ravens, either on their own or with a human figure that may represent Odin.

Hugin and Munin also appear as characters in Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Gungnir ("swaying") is the spear of the god Odin. In ancient Norse artifacts, he is often represented bearing this weapon, created, like other magical objects and treasures, by the dwarves, the most skilled smiths in the cosmos. The runes carved on the spear's tip increased its effectiveness, so that it always hit its target, regardless of who wielded it. At Ragnarök, Odin will lead the host of the Einherjar (the dead warriors who live in Valhalla), carrying Gungnir - with which he will attack the monstrous wolf Fenrir.

Gungnir is also the name of a long-range anti-ship missile used by the Swedish Navy.

Jörmungandr ("the vast serpent-like being") is an immensely large sea serpent that lives in the ocean surrounding Midgard (the Earth), encircling it with its length. Like the wolf Fenrir and Hel, the goddess of the underworld, he is a child of trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. This fearsome creature, whom ancient Germanic tribes believed to be responsible for earthquakes, is thunder god Thor's nemesis, as related in various myths. At Ragnarök, Thor and Jörmungandr will fight each other: the god will slay the serpent, but will then die, poisoned by his deadly venom.

Jörmungandr is one of the characters in the video games "God of War" (2018) and "God of War Ragnarök" (2022).