THE MAJOR GODS AND IMMORTALS OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY:
Aegir God of the sea. Married to Ran with whom he has nine daughters [the billow maidens], who wore white robes and veils. His two faithful servants are Eldir and Fimafeng. The latter was killed by the treacherous god Loki during a banquet the gods held at Aegir's undersea hall near the island of Hler [or Hlesey]. Aegir was known for the lavish entertainment he gave to the other gods.
Aesir A group of warrior gods and goddesses led by Odin who inhabit Asgard. The Aesir gods included Balder, Bragi, Forseti, Freyr, Heimdall, Hod, Loki, Njord, Thor, Tyr, Vili, Ve, and Vidar. The goddesses included Freya, Frigg, Sif, and Idun.
Balder God of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence, and reconciliation. Son of Odin and Frigg. Known as a gentle and wise god, loved by god and man alike. Killed accidentally by his brother Hod due to trickery by Loki.
Bor Son of Buri, ancestor of the gods. He married the giantess Bestla, who is a daughter of the frost giant Bolthorn. Bor and Bestla had three children who became the first gods: Odin, Vili, Ve.
Bragi The god of eloquence and poetry, and the patron of skalds [poets] in Norse mythology. Son of Odin and Frigg. Husband to Idun.
Buri Ancestor of the gods. Created by the cow Audmula licking him from out of the ice at the beginning of the world.
Dwarves A dirty brown colour, they appeared only at night, for they avoided the sun as their most deadly enemy, because whenever his beams fell upon any of them they changed them immediately into stones. The lived in the lands of Nidavellir and Svartalfheim. They were particularly distinguished for a knowledge of the mysterious powers of nature, and for the runes which they carved and explained. They were the most skilful artificers of all created beings, and worked in metals and in wood. Among their most noted works were Thor's hammer, and the ship "Skidbladnir," which they gave to Freyr, and which was so large that it could contain all the deities with their war and household implements, but so skilfully was it wrought that when folded together it could be put into a side pocket.
Eir Goddess of healing. Knew the secret powers of herbs, with which she could even resurrect the dead. Patroness of health-care workers. One of the goddesses on the mountain called Lyfia ["to heal through magic"]. Companion of the goddess Frigg.
Elves of Light The white spirits, or Elves of Light, were exceedingly fair, more brilliant than the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate and transparent texture. They loved the light, were kindly disposed to mankind, and generally appeared as fair and lovely children. Their country was called Alfheim, and was the domain of Freyr, the god of the sun, in whose light they were always sporting.
Elves of Darkness These were actually thought to be brothers of dwarves or perhaps even dwarves themselves, rather than true Elves. They were supposed to have come into existence as maggots produced by the decaying flesh of Ymir's body, and were afterwards endowed by the gods with a human form and great understanding. See "dwarves" above.
Fenrir A terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. Eldest child of Loki and Angrboda. The gods learned of a prophecy which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. They caught the wolf and locked him in a cage. Only the god of war, Tyr, dared to feed and take care of the wolf. However, none of the gods had enough courage to face the gigantic wolf. The gods challenged Fenrir that he could not break free of their chains. He accepted not knowing they had the dwarves make a thin magic chain, Gleipnir. Suspecting treachery however, he in turn asked the gods for a token of good will: one of them had to put a hand between his jaws. The gods were not overly eager to do this, knowing what they could expect. Finally, only Tyr agreed, and the gods chained the wolf with Gleipnir. No matter how hard Fenrir struggled, he could not break free from this thin ribbon. In revenge, he bit off Tyr's hand. Being very pleased with themselves, the gods carried Fenrir off and chained him to a rock a mile down into the earth. They put a sword between his jaws to prevent him from biting. On the day of Ragnarok, Fenrir will break his chains and join the giants in their battle against the gods. He will seek out Odin and devour him. Vidar will avenge his father by killing the wolf.
Fjorgyn Lover of Odin and mother of Thor. Also referred to as Earth or Jord.
Forseti God of Justice. Son of the god Balder and Nanna [identity unknown].
Freya Goddess of love and fertility. Daughter of the god Njord, and the sister of Freyr. Her attributes are the precious necklace of the Brisings, which she obtained by sleeping with four dwarfs, a cloak [or skin] of bird feathers, which allows its wearer to change into a falcon, and a chariot pulled by two cats. She owns Hildesvini ["battle boar"] which is actually her human lover Ottar in disguise. Her chambermaid is Fulla. Freya lives in the beautiful palace Folkvang ["field of folk"], a place where love songs are always played, and her hall is Sessrumnir. She divides the slain warriors with Odin: one half goes to her palace, while the other half goes to Valhalla. Women also go to her hall.
Freyr God of sun and rain. Patron of bountiful harvests. He is also the ruler of the elves. Husband to the beautiful giantess Gerd and son of Njord. His sister is Freya. He rides a chariot pulled by the golden boar Gullinbursti which was made for him by the dwarves Brokk and Eitri. He owns the ship Skidbladnir ["wooden-bladed"], which always sails directly towards its target, and which can become so small that it can fit in Freyr's pocket. He also possesses a sword that would by itself emerge from its sheath and spread a field with carnage whenever the owner desired it. On the day of Ragnarok he will battle without weapons [for he gave his sword away to Skirnir], and will be the first to be killed by the fire giant Surt.
Frigg Goddess of love and fertility. Patron of marriage and motherhood. Wife of Odin, Mother of Balder. She is one of the foremost goddesses of Norse mythology. She shows many similarities with Freya, of whom she possibly is a different form. Her hall in Asgard is Fensalir ["water halls"]. Frigg's messenger is Gna, who rides through the sky on the horse Hofvarpnir.
Heimdall God of light. Son of the nine daughters of Aegir. His hall is Himinbjorg, The Cliffs of Heaven, and his horse is Gulltop. Heimdall carries the horn Gjallar. He is the watchman of the gods and guards Bifrost, the only entrance to Asgard, the realm of the gods. It is Heimdall's duty to prevent the giants from forcing their way into Asgard. He requires very little sleep and can see a hundred miles around him, by night as well as by day. His hearing is so accurate that no sound escapes him: he can even hear the grass grow or the wool on a sheep's back. At the final conflict of Ragnarok he will kill his age-old enemy, Loki, but will die himself from his wounds.
Hel Ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. Youngest child of Loki and Angrboda. She is usually described as a horrible hag, half alive and half dead, with a gloomy and grim expression. Her face and body are those of a living woman, but her thighs and legs are those of a corpse, mottled and moldering. The gods had abducted Hel and her brothers from Angrboda's hall. They cast her in the underworld, into which she distributes those who are send to her; the wicked and those who died of sickness or old age. Her hall in Helheim is called Eljudnir, home of the dead.
Hermod Messenger of the gods. Son of Odin and Frigg. After the death of Balder, Frigg sought for one brave enough to face Hel and plead for his Balder's return. Hermod volunteered and entered the great hall of the dead. There he saw Balder and he begged Hel to release him because Balder was loved by all so no-one could miss him. Hel was skeptical and agreed to release Balder on the condition that everything, dead or alive, should weep for Balder. If only one thing should not cry, then she would keep Balder in the realm of the dead. Hermod returned to the land of the living and told the gods what Hel's terms were. But not everyone wept and therefore Balder had to remain in the underworld until the end of the world. Hermod carries a magical staff called Gambantein.
Hod Blind god of darkness and winter. Son of Odin and Frigg. When the gods enjoyed themselves by using his brother Balder as a target, Hod unintentionally killed him by throwing a fig made of mistletoe, the only object that could harm Balder. Hod was put to death for this deed by Vali, Odin's youngest son who was born for revenge. However, after Ragnarok, Hod will be reborn.
Hymir Sea giant who lives at edge of the heaven. Possessed an enormous cauldron which the Aesir coveted to brew beer in and Thor was sent to obtain it. In the final battle against the gods, Hymir will sail the terrible ship Naglfar, which is made entirely from the nails of the dead. The flood that precedes Ragnarok will free the ship after which the giants will board it and, with Hymir as commander, sail towards the battlefield of Vigrond.
Idun Goddess of eternal youth. Wife to Bragi. Custodian of the golden apples of youth. When the gods feel old age approaching, they only have to eat of the apples to become young again.
Jormungand One of the three children of Loki and Angrboda. The gods were well aware that this monster was growing fast and that it would one day bring much evil upon gods and men. So Odin deemed it advisable to render it harmless. He threw the serpent in the ocean that surrounds the earth, but the monster had grown to such an enormous size that it easily spans the entire world, hence the name Midgard Serpent. It lies deep in the ocean where it bites itself in its tail, and all mankind is caught within his coils. At Ragnarok, Jormungand and Thor will kill each other.
Loki God of trickery and deceit. Son of the giant Farbauti and the giantess Laufey. Loki's mistress is the giantess Angrboda, with whom he fathered three monsters, the gigantic wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent Jormungand, and the goddess of the death, Hel. Husband to Sigyn, who stayed loyal to him, even when the gods punished him for the death of Balder. He was chained to three large boulders; one under his shoulders, one under his loins and one under his knees. A poisonous snake was placed above his head. The dripping venom that lands on him is caught by Sigyn in a bowl. But every now and then, when the bowl is filled to the brim, she has to leave him to empty it. Then the poison that falls on Loki's face makes him twist in pain, causing earthquakes. On the day of Ragnarok, Loki's chains will break and he will lead the giants into battle against the gods.
Njord God of winds, sea and fire. Husband to the giantess Skadi. Father to Freya and Freyr, whom he fathered on his own sister.
Odin God of war and death. Son of Bor and Bestla. Father of Balder, Hod, and Hermod [with Frigg], Thor [with Jord/Fjorgyn] and Vidar [with the giantess Grid]. Ruler of the Aesir. His hall in Asgard is Valaskjalf [ "shelf of the slain"] but he also resides in Valhalla. Odin's attributes are the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target, the ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight new rings appear, and his eight-footed steed Sleipnir. He is accompanied by the wolves Freki and Geri, to whom he gives his food for he himself consumes nothing but wine. Odin has only one eye--his other eye he traded for a drink from the Well of Wisdom, and gained immense knowledge. On the day of Ragnarok, Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir. He is also called Othinn, Wodan and Wotan. Some of the aliases he uses to travel icognito among mortals are Vak and Valtam. Wednesday is named after him.
Ran Goddess of storms. Wife to Aegir. She rules over the realm of the dead which is situated on the bottom of the ocean. She sinks ships and collects drowned sailors in her nets and takes them to her hall where she tenderly ministers them [drowned persons neither go to Valhalla nor to Helheim].
Sif Golden-haired wife of Thor. Not much known about her, except the myth that Loki sneaked into her bedroom and chopped off her hair. Furious, Thor threatened to smash him unless Loki managed to replace the hair. He went to the sons of Ivaldi, and told the dwarfs to spin gold as fine as Sif's hair and imbue it with magic that it will grow on her head. The dwarfs agreed and made a long wave of fine golden strands, which Loki gave to Sif.
Surt Fire Giant who lives with the People of Muspel in Muspelheim. There he stands ever alert, brandishing his great, fiery sword which shines brighter than the sun. In Ragnarok, he is the one who sets the world on fire and burns it down.
Thor

God of thunder. Son of Odin and Jord. Husband to Sif. His mistress is the giantess Jarnsaxa, and their sons are Magni and Modi and his daughter is Thrud. Thor is helped by Thialfi, his servant and the messenger of the gods. The Norse believed that during a thunderstorm, Thor rode through the heavens on his chariot pulled by the goats Tanngrisni and Tanngnost. Lightning flashed whenever he threw his hammer Mjollnir. Thor wears the belt Megingjard which doubles his already considerable strength. His hall is Bilskirnir, which is located in the region Thrudheim ["place of might"]. His greatest enemy is Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent. At Ragnarok, Thor will kill this serpent but will die from its poison. His sons will inherit his hammer after his death.

Tyr Along with Odin, a God of war. The boldest of the gods, he inspires courage and heroism in battle. Tyr is represented as a man with one hand, because his right hand was bitten off by the gigantic wolf Fenrir. His attribute is a spear; the symbol of justice, as well as a weapon. At the day of Ragnarok, Tyr will kill the hound Garm, the guardian of the hell, but will die from the wounds inflicted by the animal.
Vanir Originally a group of wild nature and fertility gods and goddesses, they were sworn enemies of the warrior gods of the Aesir. They were considered to be the bringers of health, youth, fertility, luck and wealth, and masters of magic. The Vanir live in Vanaheim. The Aesir and the Vanir had been at war for a long time when they decided to make peace. To ensure this peace they traded hostages: the Vanir sent their most renowned gods, the wealthy Njord and his children Freya and Freyr. In exchange the Aesir sent Honir, a big, handsome man who they claimed was suited to rule. He was accompanied by Mimir, the wisest man of the Aesir and in return the Vanir sent their wisest man Kvasir. Honir however, was not as smart as the Aesir claimed he was and it Mimir who gave him advice. The Vanir grew suspicious of the answers Honir gave when Mimir was not around. Eventually they figured out that they had been cheated and they cut Mimir's head off and sent it back to the Aesir. Fortunately, this betrayal did not lead to another war and all the gods of the Vanir were subsequently integrated with the Aesir. There is not much known about the Vanir of the time before the assimilation.
Ve One of the primordial gods, brother of Odin and Vili. The three of them were responsible for the creation of the cosmos, as well as the first humans.
Vidar God of silence and revenge, the second strongest of the gods. Son of Odin and the giantess Grid. At Ragnarok, Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir, and Vidar will avenge his father by killing the wolf with his bare hands. He will press one foot on Fenrir's bottom jaw, and will take hold of his other jaw and tear the wolf apart. He is one of the gods that will rule the new world when it is created.
Vili One of the primordial gods, brother of Odin and Ve. The three of them were responsible for the creation of the cosmos, as well as the first humans.

 

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