What did the afterlife mean to Roman and Norse society? Back in the day, the afterlife was essential as it established behavior in normal life. While the Romans adapted a culture similar to that of the Greeks, the Vikings worshiped a pantheon of gods and goddesses, each representing a different aspect of life. The Romans and Vikings had different levels to their afterlife; both shared similar characteristics, but also different aspects. The Romans had a level called the Elysian Fields where warriors and heroes went, basically people who did good for humanity. The version of Norse society was called Valhalla, where you joined Odin and trained for the final battle called Ragnarök. If one had been a good citizen, that person would continue to live a good life as a shadow on the plain of Asphodel if he or she resided in Rome. The Plain of Asphodel is similar to Fólkvangr, where the Scandinavians would join the goddess Freyja (Odin's wife). The next two stages were the ones a person would not want to be in: Tartarus in Roman mythology and Hel in Norse mythology. One ended up in Tarta...