Norse paganism presented diverse and often non-uniform beliefs about death, lacking a single structured system. After death, individuals could journey to various afterlives, including the warrior's paradise Valhalla (ruled by Odin), Fólkvangr (ruled by Freyja), Hel (a realm for those dying of natural causes, ruled by Loki's daughter), or even persist physically within the landscape. The Norse concept of the "self" was complex, comprising elements like hugr (mind/soul), hamr (shape), fylgja (a spirit companion), hamingja (personal luck), and vörðr (a guardian spirit), differing significantly from a simple body-soul duality.

Funeral practices varied over time, including cremation and inhumation often accompanied by grave goods, with prominent examples of elaborate ship burials found at sites like Oseberg and Sutton Hoo. Beyond their journey to the afterlife, the dead were also believed to bestow land fertility and knowledge, sometimes in exchange for votive offerings. Many of these deep-rooted customs and beliefs continued to influence folk traditions long after the Christianization of the Germanic peoples.