| Tyr | God of war. He was the only god brave enough to put his hand in the Fenris- wolf's mouth so the gods could bind it. The wolf bit off his right hand. There is much debate about his lefthandedness. In the norse culture the right hand was given for a pledge, which could be why the right hand was placed in the wolf's mouth. It has also been noted, however, that the offering of the right hand is to show that it is free of weapons. A left handed person was sometimes considered evil because he could use a weapon with his left hand even though he shook with his right hand. Tuesday is named for Tyr who was known as Tiw, or Tiu, by the Anglo-Saxons. |
| Ull | God of archery and the hunt, according to some he was a god of skiers and the snowshoe. His weapon was a longbow made out of Yew and he lived in Ydal [Yew Dales]. He was called upon for help in duels. He was the son (or step-son) of Thor and Sif (or Ovandrill, depending on the source). His name, which means glorious, is a part of many place names, therefore, he is considered to be an ancient god who was widely worshipped. It is believed that at one time he was one of the highest gods. |
| Vali | In some sources, the twin brother of Vidar. In other sources, he is the youngest of Odin's sons. His mother is the giantess Rind and he was born for the express purpose of avenging Balder's death since the gods could not kill one of their own. When he was only one night old, he killed Hod. He will be one of the seven Aesir to survive the ragnarok. |
| Var | Goddess who punishes those who do not keep their marriage vows. Probably the same as Vor, and just a part of Frigg. |
| Ve | Son of Bor and Bestla, brother of Vili and Odin. He is identified with Lodur by some. Killed the giant Ymir and created the world out of its carcass along with his brothers. He gave the first humans feeling, appearance, and speech. His name means "Holiness". |
| Vidar | He was a son of Odin and Grid (a giantess), and had a twin brother named Vali. He dwelled in Vidi. He was one of the strongest of the gods and can be considered a god of vengance. In the ragnarok he will avenge his father by killing Fenris. He is one of the Aesir who will survive the final battle. | Vili | Son of Bor and Bestla, brother of Odin and Ve. Along with Odin and Ve, he killed the giant Ymir and created the cosmos out of Ymir's carcass. He made the first man and woman, along with Odin and Ve. He gave the humans thought and motion. He is identified with Hoenir by some and only as a part of Odin by others. His name means "Will". | Vor | A goddess whose name means "vow". Nothing can be hidden from her because she is so wise. She is considered by some to be a goddess of marriage and contracts. She is probably an aspect of Frigg. |
A young man had seduced a girl under promise of marriage, and she proving with child, was deserted by him: The young man was called before session; the elders were particularly severe. Being asked by the minister the cause of so much rigor, they answered, "You do not know what a bad man this is; he has broke the promise of Odin."
Being further asked what they meant by the promise of Odin, they put him in mind of the stone at Stenhouse, with the round hole in it; and added, that it was customary, when promises were made, for the contracting parties to join hands through this hole, and the promises so made were called the promises of Odin.
It was said that a child passed through the hole when young would never shake with palsy in old age. Up to the time of its destruction, it was customary to leave some offering on visiting the stone, such as a piece of bread, or cheese, or a rag, or even a stone.
The Odin stone, long the favorite trysting-place in summer twilights of
Orkney
lovers, was demolished in 1814 by a sacrilegious farmer, who used its
material
to assist him in the erection of a cowhouse. this misguided man was a
Ferry-Louper (the name formerly given to strangers from the south),
and his
wanton destruction of the consecrated stone stirred so strongly the
resentment
of the peasantry in the district that various unsuccessful attempts were
made to
burn his house and holdings about his ears.
This stone is now kept at the Statens Historiska Museet at Navavagen, Sweden.
The top scene shows Odin astride his eight-legged horse Sleipnir approaching
Valhalla. The bottom scene depicts a Viking warship.
He and his wife could not reproduce so they prayed to Frigg for fertility. Frigg told Odin about the couple's request so Odin called one of his wish maidens (possibly a valkyrie), the giant Hrimnir's daughter, and gave her an apple. She turned into a crow (a woman turning into a bird or putting on its feathers was common in norse lays) and droped the apple onto Rerir's lap. Rerir took the apple with him on a visit to the queen, and ate some of it. The queen soon bore Volsung. He married the aforementioned wish-maiden who was named Hljod.
Hljod and Volsung had ten sons, the eldest named Sigmund, and one daughter, Signy. Volsung had a palace built around the tree Branstock so that the trunk of the tree was in the palace. The King of Gautland (Sweden), Siggeir , asked for Signy's hand. At the wedding banquet, Odin arrived in his usual disguise -- elderly, one-eyed, wearing a cape and hood --, stuck a sword in Branstock and said whoever pulled the sword out could have it. All tried, but only Sigmund prevailed. Siggeir wanted the sword and plotted revenge against Sigmund. He invited the King and all of his sons to visit the newly weds in Gautland in three months.
After the Volsungs arrived, Siggeir and his army attacked them. King Volsung was killed and all of his sons taken prisoner. Signy asked her husband to put her brothers in stocks instead of killing them quickly. Siggeir agreed since he thought they deserved to be tortured. For nine nights a she-wolf, Siggeir's shapeshifted mother, ate one of the Volsungs, until only Sigmund remained. Signy had her trusted man-servant smear honey on Sigmund's face and in his mouth. That night the wolf licked the honey and when it stuck its tongue into Sigmund's mouth, he bit it off, killing the wolf.
Siggeir thought all the Volsungs were dead, but Sigmund lived in the forest underground. Signy brought him everything he needed. She had two sons with Siggeir and sent the eldest when he was ten to Sigmund to aid in the revenge of Volsung. Sigmund tested the boy's courage by asking him to knead flour which had something alive in it. The boy would not touch the flour so Sigmund didn't want him as a helper. Signy told Sigmund to kill the boy, since he was worthless. Sigmund did so. The same happened with Signy's other son.
Signy exchanged shapes with a beautiful sorceress and went to Sigmund. The two slept together and Signy later had Sigmund's son, Sinfjotli.
