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Gods & Goddesses of the Norse

Thor: "Thunder," son of Odin and Earth. The most beloved god of the Viking Age, perhaps seen as the chief god
at that time, and often known now as "god of the common man," Thor is best-known for his ceaseless battle
against the giants. He is not a bloody-minded reaver, however, but a warder who protects the folk of Midgard
and Asgard against the menacing beings who would destroy the world; unlike Odin, he never involves himself in
the battles of men, but the gods often seem to rely wholly on his protection. He is the only god that Loki seems
to respect.

Although Thor is sometimes shown as being slow-witted in comparison with Odin or Loki, he is a practical god
whose solutions to problems are usually swift, effective, and show the common sense the other two sometimes
lack. He is also called the "Deep-Thinker," and in one Eddic poem, outwits the clever dwarf Alviss ("All-Wise")
by engaging him in a riddle contest until dawn turns the dwarf to stone.
Thor's weapon is the Hammer Mjöllnir, images of which are worn by true folk today as a sign of troth, as was
also done towards the end of the Viking Age when Red Thor was called on to battle the White Christ. As well as
fighting giants, Thor also uses his Hammer for hallowing both brides and funeral pyres, and several runic
inscriptions from late Viking Age Denmark call on him to hallow the runes.

Thor was worshipped most by the free farmers (who were also warriors at need) and by those who "trusted in
their own might and main". Today, he is also seen as the warder of his mother Earth against those who would
harm her for their own gain. He is able to raise great rages in himself, in which he summons up more strength
than any being in the worlds can match.

Thor appears as a big, muscular man with red hair and beard and huge fiery eyes. He drives a wagon which is
drawn by two goats, Tanngrísnir (Teeth-Barer or Teeth-Gnasher) and Tanngnjóstr (Tooth-Gritter). When he
travels to Jotunheim, Loki often goes with him; Thor is the only god that Loki really seems to respect. He is
married to Sif, and had a daughter named Thrud (Strength) by her; he also has a giantess-concubine, who bore
him his sons, Modi (Courage) and Magni (Main-strength). It is said that "Thor will help you if your prayer is
sincere".

Old Norse Ţórr, Anglo-Saxon Thunar (from which "Thursday"), Old German Thonar, Modern
German/Wagnerian Donner, Proto-Germanic *Ţunraz.
Freya: Freya is probably the best-known and best-loved of the goddesses today. Her title simply means "Lady,"
her original name is not known. Freya is the "wild woman" among the deities of the North: free with her sexual
favors (though furious when an attempt is made to marry her off against her will); mistress of Odin and several
other gods and men; skilled at the form of ecstatic, consciousness-altering, and sometimes malicious magic
called seidhr; and chooser of half the slain on the battlefield (Odin gets the other half).
Freya's chief attribute is the necklace called Brisingamen, which she bought from four dwarves at the price of
four nights of her love. This necklace is sometimes seen today as embodying her power over the material world;
the necklace has been the emblem of the earth-goddess since the earliest times.

This goddess drives a wagon drawn by two cats, perhaps large forest-cats such as lynxes, and is seen today as
the patron goddesses of cats and those who keep them. As a battle-goddess, she also rides on a boar called
Hildisvini (Battle-Swine).

Like Odin, Freya is often a stirrer of strife. As Gullveig ("Gold-Drunkenness"), she came among the Aesir to
cause trouble. She was stabbed and burnt three times, but arose from the flame each time; through this
torment, she transformed herself into Heith ("the Glorious"), mistress of magic, in a typical shamanic
initiation. This also seems to have started the war between the Aesir and the Vanir.
Freya is sometimes seen as a fertility goddess, but there are no sources suggesting that she was called on to
bring fruitfulness to fields or wombs. Rather, she is a goddess of riches, whose tears are gold and whose
"daughters," in the riddle-poetry of the skalds, are precious objects. However, the giants are always trying to
take her away from the gods, and it is clear that this would be a great disaster: she was obviously known to be
the embodiment of the holy life-force on some level. Perhaps because of this, Wagner gave her some of Idunna's
attributes, making her the keeper of the golden apples without which the folk of Asgard would wither and die.
Old Norse Freyja, Old English Freo, Modern German Frau, Wagnerian Freia, Modern English Frowe.

Frey: Son of Njord, twin brother of Freya. "Frey" is a title simply meaning "Lord," his original name was
apparently some form of Yngvi/Ing. Together with Thor, Frey was one of the best-loved gods of the Viking Age.

Frey was the main god of kingship among the Swedes, whose royal family, the Ynglings, was descended from
him. His holy animal was the boar, which appears several times on richly decorated helmets from the sixth
century through the eighth.

Frey was called on for protection in battle, for frith (fruitful peace) at home, and for good weather and gentle
rains. He was, and is, often thought of as a giver of riches, whose blessing is called on for fruitfulness and
growth in all fields of endeavor. His priests at Uppsala were said to ring bells and clap their hands with
effeminate gestures, and it has been suggested that this cryptic reference hints at a tradition involving
shamanic cross-dressing.
Frey is the lord of the elves (see below), and is especially connected with the blessings and worship given to the
ancestral spirits and possibly land-spirits. His image was often shown with an enlarged phallus; like his twin
sister, he is sometimes seen today as a deity of love and pleasure. Frey owns a gold boar called Gullinbursti
(Gold-Bristled) on which he can ride over air and water. He once had a horse named Bloody-Hooved (perhaps
having to do with his role as battle-god) and a sword, but these he gave to his manservant Skírnir (the Shining
One) for winning the giant-maiden Gerd for him. At Ragnarok, he will fight Surt with a stag's antler.
Old Norse Freyr or Yngvi-Freyr, Ingunar-Freyr; Anglo-Saxon Ing or Frea, Old High German Fro, Modern
German (Wagnerian) Froh, Proto-Germanic *Ingwaz, also called Fro Ing (Lord Ing).

Odin: Originally a god of death, whose range later came to encompass magic (especially runic magic), battle
(giving victory by choosing who should die), poetry, the fury of the berserk-warrior, and, at least in part, the
authority of the ruler descended from the gods (he is the most frequent father of royal lines - including,
according to Anglo-Saxon genealogies, the current royal house of England). In the Prose Edda (written two
hundred years after the conversion of Iceland), he is shown as the chief of the gods, but historical accounts of
Germanic religion do not necessarily support this; it is likelier that Snorri was modeling the Norse pantheon
somewhat on the Classical.

Odin won the runes by hanging on a tree for nine days and nights, wounded with his own spear. He gave up one
of his eyes for a drink from the Well of Mímir ("Memory"). He won the mead of poetry by seducing the
giant-maid Gunnlod who had been set to keep it, then asking for a drink and draining all three cauldrons. To
his chosen ones, he gives victory, inspiration, magic, madness, and death when he sees fit. He is seen as
especially a god of wisdom, a patron of poets, thinkers, and singers. Of all the gods, Odin is the one who seems
to take the most active part in the affairs of humans, and the one who appears most often in the writings of the
Germanic peoples.
Odin usually appears as a graybearded man, tall and thin, with a blue-black cloak and an eyepatch or
wide-brimmed hat tilted to hide his missing eye. His weapon is the casting spear Gungnir, with which he dooms
his chosen ones to die in battle. He has two wolves, Geri and Freki (both names mean "the Greedy"); two ravens,
Huginn ("the Thoughtful" or "the Bold") and Muninn ("the Mindful" or "the Desirous"); and a gray,
eight-legged horse called Sleipnir ("Slipper"). He is the husband of Frigga and the father of many gods and
human heroes. As the leader of the Wild Hunt, he also brings fruitfulness to the fields.

Odin is assisted by the valkyries ("Choosers of the Slain") who work his will on the battlefield, bringing the
bravest warriors to Valhall ("Hall of the Slain"), where they ready their strength against the coming of
Ragnarok. It is said that "Odin will help you if he feels like it," and it is true that he is a stern tester of his
children, and often seems rather capricious. However, even when he seems cruel, his purpose is always clear: to
strengthen the hosts of the gods for the last battle so that life and knowledge can be preserved and the new
world born after the old is destroyed. In the late Viking Age poem Eiríksmál, Bragi asks Odin, "Why did you
take victory from him (Erik Bloodaxe), if he seemed the bravest to you?" and Odin answers, "Because of that
which no one knows (that is, the time of Ragnarok): the Gray Wolf gapes ever at the dwellings of the gods." Odin
is a god of foresight, careful weaving of plots, and long-term agendas.

Old Norse Óđinn; Anglo-Saxon Woden; Old High German Wodan; Modern German Wotan; Proto-Germanic
*Wođanaz. "The Furious (or Mad) One".
Frigga: Wife of Odin, Frigga is the patron goddess of the home and of the mysteries of the married woman. She
is seen as Odin's match (and sometimes his better) in wisdom; she shares his high-seat, from which they look
out over the worlds together.

Frigga is especially concerned with keeping social order. She is called on for blessings when women are giving
birth and for help in matters of traditional women's crafts (spinning, weaving, cooking, sewing) and the magics
worked thereby. Frigga can also be called on by mothers who want to protect their children. In olden days, this
was especially the case with sons going out to battle, for whom their mothers would weave or sew special
protective items. She is also called Hlin (protectress).

Frigga is the mother of Balder, and is often thought of as still mourning for him. She is a seeress, who knows all
fates, though she seldom speaks of them. Her hall is called Fensalir - "marsh-halls". She has a handmaiden
called Fulla and a messenger named Gna.

Despite the likeness of names and the similar relationship to Odin, Frigga should not be confused with Freya,
who shares none of her essential traits. Her only departure from strict social behavior is that during one of
Odin's journeys away from Asgard, she is said to have taken his brothers Vili and Ve as husbands; however, this
probably shows the queen-goddess as the embodiment of sovereignty. Her name is also not directly related to
the English slang-word, though the two derive from the same original root ("love, pleasure"). Old Norse Frigg,
Anglo-Saxon Frige, Old High German Frija, Wagnerian Fricka.

Loki: An etin brought among the Aesir by Odin, who swore blood-brotherhood with him, Loki wavers between a
weal-bringing culture-hero/Trickster and a woe-bringing destroyer. He is responsible for getting the gods most
of their good, but only after he has led them to the edge of destruction. He often travels with Thor, sometimes
leading him into trouble and sometimes getting him out of it. Loki also brings a surprising amount of humor
into the Norse tales (and into the practice of the Northern religion today). The need for this function of his
appears explicitly in the tale of how the giantess Skadi was reconciled to accepting weregild from the gods
instead of insisting on revenge: one of her conditions is that they must make her laugh, and it is only Loki who
can accomplish this.

Loki may have appeared in cultic dramas as a ritual Lord of Misrule: inversion and reversal of all sorts are
typical for him. As well as being the father of the Wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent, and, allegedly, Hel, he is
also the mother of Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and cross-dresses in the typically feminine falcon-hides
of Frigga and Freyja when he needs to fly between the worlds.
Bad nineteenth-century etymology associated Loki with Logi (fire) and, helped along by Wagner, the image of
Loki as a fire-being seems to be with us to stay. Modern thought also associates Loki especially with computers,
for a number of reasons.

After the death of Balder, the gods bound Loki in an underground cave, and Skadi hung a venom-dripping
snake over his face. The venom is caught in a cup by his Aesir-wife Sigyn; supposedly, when she turns away to
empty it, his writhings cause earthquakes. There is much debate among true folk as to whether Loki is really
bound, or just how bound he is, however.

Not surprisingly, views on Loki range from those who think of him as a merry friend to those who see him
almost as a Nordic Satan. Although he plays a key role in many of our holy tales, it is fairly safe to guess that he
was not worshipped in the sense that the other gods and goddesses were - but whenever a drink is given to Odin,
according to the terms of their oath, Loki also gets one.
Other God/esses and Wights

Aegir: the giant who embodies the sea. Aegir brews ale for the gods and hosts some of their feasts. His wife is
Ran, a less friendly personification of the sea; their daughters are the waves. Old Norse Ćgir.

Aesir: "the gods," used specifically for the godly tribe including Odin, Thor, and Tyr (in contrast to the Vanir,
Njord, Frey, and Freya), but also used in general for all the deities. Generally more associated with air, fire, and
the mechanical or artifical; whereas the Vanir are associated with earth, water, and the natural or organic -
though these are by no means firmly set boundaries. The Aesir and the Vanir once held a war, which, since their
battle-might was equal, ended in a draw. The truce was settled by the creation of the being Kvasir (see below)
and the trading of hostages: Odin's brother Hoenir and the giant Mimir went to the Vanir, and Njord and Frey
were sent among the Aesir (Freya seems to have come along of her own choice), where, according to Ynglinga
saga, they held the role of "priests". Old Norse Ćsir, singular Áss; Modern English Ase, plural Ases.

Angrboda: Loki's giant-wife, mother of the Wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent, and Hel.

Askr: "Ash-Tree"; the first human male, made out of an ash-log by Odin, Hoenir, and Lodurr. Husband of
Embla, the first human female.
Audhumla: the primal cow, born at the same time as Ymir (see below), whose licking brought the first god,
Odin's grandfather Bor, out of the ice of Niflheim.

Austri, Sudri, Vestri, Nordri: the four dwarves who hold up the four corners of the sky (Ymir's skull): East,
South, West, and North. Sometimes also thought to be the four who forged Freya's necklace Brisingamen. Old
Norse Austri, Suđri, Vestri, Norđri.

Balder: Son of Odin and Frigga, he is shown in the Prose Edda as a rather pallid Heathen imitation of Christ,
but other sources, notably the Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, portray him as a doughty and aggressive
warrior. Today we often think of him as the shining young hero who embodies the hope of an age. After his
death was foretold, Frigga got everything in the Nine Worlds to swear not to harm him, but neglected the
mistletoe, which she thought was too small and weak to harm him. Making a game of his invulnerability, the
gods cast weapons at him; meanwhile, Loki made an arrow of mistletoe and put it in the hand of Balder's blind
brother Hod, aiming it for him. After Balder's death, Frigga sent a messenger to Hel to ask for him back. Hel
answered that if everything would weep for Balder, she would return him. Only one old hag, who some think
was Loki and others identify as Hel herself, refused to shed a tear; and so Balder stays in Hel's realm yet. After
Ragnarok, he and Hod will come back to inherit Odin's seat. Balder is seldom called on, but is remembered as
the hidden seed of the new world to come after the final battle. Old Norse Baldr, Old English Bealdor.

Beyla: servant of Frey, wife of Byggvir. Her name is thought to be related to a word for "cow," and she the
protectress of dairy work; the alternate suggestion is that "Beyla" is related to "bee," so that Beyla and Byggvir
might be the givers of mead and ale.

Bragi: Husband of Idunna, sometimes identified as the best of poets or the god of poetry. Here his function
overlaps with Odin's, since Odin is the keeper and giver of the mead of poetry. Bragi is sometimes thought to be
an historical poet of the early Viking Age who was taken up among the ranks of the gods.

Byggvir: "Barley"; servant of Frey, husband of Beyla. Perhaps related to the English "John Barleycorn" of the
folk-song.

Disir: ancestral female spirits who look after their descendants, worshipped especially at the festival of
Winternights (mid-October). The word "dis" can also mean "goddess" or "kinswoman"; for instance, Freya is
called "Vanadis" (dis of the Vanir). Old Norse dísir (singular dís), Anglo-Saxon ides, Old High German idis (pl.
idisi), Modern English idis (pl. idises). Probably the same as the Romano-Germanic Matronae, or Mothers, who
were worshipped along the Rhine in the first part of the Common Era and appear in votive carvings as triads of
women with beehive hairdresses and baskets of fruit.
Dwarves: The great smiths of the Germanic world, the dwarves were formed from the maggots crawling in the
body of the proto-giant Ymir. They dwell beneath the earth; they forged, among other things, most of the great
treasures of the gods. Many dwarf-names suggest that they were originally thought of as the dead or as demons
of death. Though sometimes surly, if approached with fitting respect, they can be friendly to humankind, and
several of our heroes (such as Sigurd/Siegfried and, according to Thidreks saga, Wayland) were fostered by
dwarves. If offended or forced to work against their will, they take nasty revenge. Old Norse Dvergar. Also called
Swart Alfs (Old Norse Svartálfar), Nibelungen (Wagner).

Earth: Identified as a giantess, mother of Thor by Odin, she is often referred to in poetry as "Odin's bride". The
traces that have survived of the worship of the personified Earth herself show that she was honored by the
Germanic people, though not active in tales. Old Norse Jörđ.

Easter: the English name of an continental Germanic Heathen goddess of spring, whose memory proved so
enduring in Saxon England that the christian springtime feast was eventually called by her name. The hare
may have been her holy beast. Anglo-Saxon Eostre; Old High German Ostara.

Edda: See Prose Edda, Poetic Edda.

Eir: Goddess of healing, patroness of health-care workers, called on against sickness or injury. She is one of the
goddesses on the mountain called Lyfia ("to heal through magic"), and gives both physical and psychic means
of healing; shamanic healing, especially, falls into her realm.

Elves: usually called "alfs" in the Troth to avoid confusion with the elves of Shakespeare or Tolkien. The Elves
sometimes appear to be the ghosts of dead ancestors still dwelling in mounds or hills; sometimes they are more
similar to land-wights (earth spirits). The Elves are worshipped together with the Disir (see above) and often
with Frey. Sometimes they are kindly, as names like Alfred (Elf-Counsel) show; when offended, they shoot
humans or animals with elf-shot, causing stroke and other forms of sickness. They are divided into Light Elves
(often seen as wights of sun and air), Dark Elves (the dead in the mound), and Swart Elves (see "dwarves"). Old
Norse Álfar (singular álfr), Anglo-Saxon Ćlf, Modern English Alf.

Embla: First human female. The name is often translated "elm," though it could also refer to a sort of vine. See
"Askr".

Etins: giants. "Etin-kin" is used as a general term for giants of various sorts and trolls. Usually seen as the foes
of the gods, although many of them are quite helpful, and etins and gods often interbreed. In fact, at least two
of the goddesses, Skadi and Gerd, are etins; and there are none of the gods who do not have quite a lot of
giantish ancestry. Some true folk today see the etin-kin as the largest of the land-wights, who now need to be
helped to restore the balance of being rather than battled against; others stick to the traditional view of the
giants as, in general, the embodiment of destruction. Old Norse Jötunn (plural jötnar), Anglo-Saxon Eoten,
Fenrir: the great Wolf, son of Loki and his giant-wife Angrboda, who will swallow Odin at Ragnarok. The
commonly seen form "Fenris" is a grammatical error based on a misunderstood Old Norse poetic convention of
identifying things by their type and a possessive: "the ash of Yggdrasill," askr Yggdrasils; "the wolf of Fenrir,"
úlfr Fenris.

Forseti: Patron god of the Frisians and giver of their laws. Silence had to be kept while drinking from the spring
on his holy island, which he had brought forth from the rock with his axe, and beasts on the island could not be
harmed. In the Old Norse sources, he appears as the son of Balder, whose hall Glitnir, "Glistening," is pillared
with gold and thatched with silver; he is also a settler of lawsuits and quarrels. Frisian: Fosite, Foseti.

Gefjon: Her name means "giver". With a plough drawn by four sons whom she bore to a giant and changed into
oxen for the purpose, she ploughed the island Zealand (the main island of Denmark) away from the Swedish
mainland, later mothering the chief dynasty of Danish kings. She is clearly a goddess of fruitfulness in some
aspects; however, she is also the protectress of maidens and their modesty, and unmarried women are said to
go to her hall after death.

Gungnir: Odin's spear.

Harrow: an altar, in early times usually made of heaped stones. Old Norse hörgr.

Heimdall: Watcher at the gates of Asgard, he can hear the grass growing on the ground and the wool on a
sheep's back, and needs no sleep. He is the son of nine etin-maids, perhaps the nine waves. His hall is called
Himinbjörg (Heaven-Mountain). He owns the Gjallarhorn (the Horn Resounding) which he shall blow at the
beginning of Ragnarok to gather the hosts of the gods. Some see this horn as a cowhorn, others as one of the
sousaphone-like lurhorns used in Bronze Age rituals. Under the name of Rig ("King"), he came to Midgard in
order to father the three tribes of humans - thralls, freemen, and rulers - and to teach runes and lore to the last.
Heimdall is described as very fair, with golden teeth. His horse is called Gulltoppr ("Golden-Mane"). He is a
great foe of Loki: according to one tale, when Loki had stolen Freya's necklace, Heimdall changed into a seal
and fought with him in that shape, winning it back. Heimdall and Loki will slay each other at Ragnarok.
Heimdall is sometimes seen as a rather aloof god and lacking in humor; however, he is a great teacher, and an
especially good god to call on for those who work in subjects calling for cool intellect rather than the furious
inspiration given by Odin.

Hel: Ruler of the kingdom of death, the Prose Edda describes her as half-black, half-white (she is sometimes
seen as half-rotting, half alive) and of grim and unmistakable appearance. Her name may originally derive
from the buried slab-rock grave-chambers of the Stone Age. The Hel-word is known to all branches of the
Germanic speech, and clearly very old, but there is some question as to whether the goddess was recognised as
an independent person before the Viking Age. The Prose Edda, probably suffering from semantic
contamination (the use of the English word Hell for the frightful Christian afterworld), describes her hall as
full of horrors, but older sources make it rather pleasant, and indeed a close reflection of the idealized
god-house seen in descriptions of Valhall (Hel and Odin have much in common, in fact). The specialization of
the Germanic afterlife into the glorious Valhall where the chosen battle-dead go and the hideous Hel where
everyone else ends up is probably a product of Christian influence on the retelling of Norse god-lore; our earlier
sources offer far more options (going to the hall of the deity to whom one is closest, dying into a hill or rock
where the other ghosts of one's family dwell, remaining as the guardian of a stead, being reborn in a child who
bears one's name and/or lineage), and the name Valhall does not become specialized for Odin's hall until the
middle of the tenth century, when it is probably a description rather than a proper name. There is no evidence
for the worship of the goddess Hel in elder times, but there are several folk who work with her today. Also called
Hella.

Hod: Blind brother of Balder, who unknowingly (at Loki's direction) cast the mistletoe to slay him. Slain in turn
by Vali. According to the rather different version of the story told by Saxo, Hod was not blind, nor related to
Baldr; he was a doughty warrior, who fought with Baldr over the woman Nanna. Old Norse Höđr.

Hoenir: brother of Odin, long-legged and handsome, but slow of speech. Sent to the Vanir as a hostage after the
war between Aesir and Vanir. After Ragnarok, he will take the role of priest among the gods. Little more is
known of him, although he appears travelling beside Odin and Lodurr (or Loki) in several tales.

Hof: originally a large farmhouse, especially one at which the holy feasts were held for a whole settlement. Used
in modern times for a hallowed temple.

Holda: A goddess known through German folklore, her name means "the Gracious One". She has much in
common with Frigga, being the patroness of spinners and the keeper of social order, especially enforcing taboos
about working on holy days. She is also said to be the keeper of the souls of unbaptized (or sometimes simply
young) children, and women who want to bear children ask for them at her well. Holda also appears at times as
the leader of the Wild Hunt. According to one tale, it was she who taught humans how to plant and process flax.
When it snows, Holda is supposed to be shaking out her feather-bed.

Idunna: the goddess who keeps the apples of youth, by which the gods stay ever-young. Loki arranged for the
etin Thjazi to abduct her, but then was forced to get her back, a deed which ended in Thjazi's death. Apples are
one of the oldest and holiest symbols of life and rebirth among the Germanic folk, appearing as grave-gifts from
the Bronze Age onward. The Troth's quarterly journal is named after this goddess. Old Norse Iđunn.

Ing: See Frey.

Irminsul: "Great Pillar"; a pillar which was a major center of worship to the Continental Saxons, destroyed by
Charlemagne at the beginning of his genocidal war against this people in 772. Possibly a ritual representation
of the World-Tree.

Jormungandr: See "Midgard Serpent".

Kvasir: After the war of the Aesir and Vanir, the two godly tribes sealed peace by spitting into a bowl and
creating Kvasir from the mingled spittle. He was said to be the wisest of all creatures. He was slain by two
dwarves, who brewed the mead of poetry (Odroerir) from his blood. The name derives from kvase (Norwegian),
kvas (Russian), a kind of fermented berry juice traditionally prepared by communal chewing of the berries and
spitting into a bowl.

Land-wights: the beings who dwell in rocks, springs, and so forth. They are shy and easily driven away
(especially by noise or strife); when they have fled, the land will not prosper. In Heathen Iceland, it was illegal
to come within sight of the shore with a dragon-prow raised, as that frightened them. The land-wights are
friendly towards humans who treat them well. Gifts of food and drink were often left by their dwelling places; in
America, tobacco is often added, as they have grown used to it from the practices of the Native Americans. Old
Norse landvćttir.

Lif: "Life," the human woman who survives Ragnarok by hiding beneath the bark of the World-Tree (or one of
its shoots) and, with her husband Lifthrasir ("the one striving after life"), reproduces humankind after the last
battle. Old Norse Líf, Lífţrasir.

Lodurr: possibly another name for the brightest aspects of Loki, though this is not certain. The third god of the
Odin-Hoenir-Lodurr trio which shaped humankind. Old Norse Lóđurr.

Lofn: One of Frigga's women, who gets permission for folk to marry when it had been forbidden before.
Especially the patroness of those whose love is criticized by outsiders.

Midgard Serpent: child of Loki and Angrboda, this great Wyrm circles Midgard, lying in the depths of the
ocean. Some think that he holds the world together while the age last. Thor caught him once while fishing and
struck him on the head, but Thor's companion, the giant Hymir, became afraid and cut the line. At Ragnarok,
the Midgard Serpent and Thor will slay each other. The Wyrm is also called Jörmungandr (the Great Wand or
the Great Magic-Beast).

Mimir: a giant, perhaps the brother of Odin's etin-mother Bestla. Keeper of the Well of Mimir, in which all
wisdom lies - the spring where Odin gave up his eye to drink. Mimir was sent to the Vanir as a hostage with
Hoenir, but when Hoenir's slowness of speech was discovered, the Vanir became angry. Unwilling to harm
Odin's brother, they lopped off Mimir's head instead and sent it back. Odin preserved it with herbs and spells,
and gains much wisdom from talking with the head. According to the Eddic poem Sigrdrífumál, Odin learned
the runes from Mimir's head. Old Norse Mímir.

Mjollnir: Thor's Hammer; see "Thor". Old Norse Mjöllnir.

Moon: The Moon is always masculine in Germanic language and culture, just as the Sun is always feminine.
This is one of the most difficult things in Northern religion for those brought up on the Greco-Roman Diana and
Apollo to get used to; but traces of our original way of thinking of these two survive even in English (cf. "the
Man in the Moon"). The Moon is the brother of the Sun: he is seen as dressed in a gray sark (long shirt), driving
a wagon drawn by a horse called Hrimfaxi (Ice-Mane) and chased by a troll in wolf-shape who will devour him
at Ragnarok. Old Norse Máni (used only as a personal name or poetic term, not usually applied to the simple
heavenly body).
Muspilli: The meaning of the name is not certain; it may
be "destruction of the world through fire". The Muspilli are fire-giants, led by Surt, who will break through to
fight against the gods at Ragnarok. The belief in the fiery destruction of the cosmos, and the association of it
with the name "Muspilli," is probably very early. Other than this, we know little of them; they hardly appear in
the Norse sources.

Nanna: Wife of Balder (of Hod in Saxo's version), mother of Forseti. Her name may mean "the daring one".
According to the Prose Edda version of the story, she dies of grief and is burned on the pyre with Balder.

Nerthus: The "Mother Earth" worshipped by the North Sea Germans, according to the Roman historian Tacitus
(writing in the first century of the Christian era). Her worship included the springtime procession of a wagon in
which her image was kept, which ended on a holy island. The name is an earlier form of the Old Norse Njörđr
(Njord), who is, however, clearly masculine. Still, it is said that Njord fathered Frey and Freya on his sister, who
is not named; it is possible that the feminine and masculine Nerthus/Njord could have been a similar pair of
mixed twins.

Nine Worlds: The Nine Worlds of the Norse cosmos are Midgard (Miđgarđr, the Middle-Garth) where humans
dwell; Asgard (Ásgarđr, the Ases' Garth) or God-World (Gođheimr); Light Alfheim (Ljósálfheimr, Light
Elf-World); Niflheim (Niflheimr, Nebel-Home), the "world of mists" and primal ice; Jotunheim (Jötunheimr,
Etin-World), where the giants live; Muspellheim (Muspellheimr, Muspilli-World - perhaps "home of the
destroyers of the world"), world of primal fire where the Muspilli dwell; Vanaheim (Vanaheimr, Wan-World),
home of the Vanir), Swart Alfheim (Svartálfheimr), where the Swart-Alfs or dwarves dwell), and Helheim, land
of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel.

Njord: Father of Frey and Freya, he is not active in the Northern tales. However, he was seen as god of the sea
and of ships, and also thought of as a giver of riches and good harvest. He was usually blessed together with his
son.

Norns: The three Norns, Urd (Wyrd), Verdandi, and Skuld, are etin-maidens who guard the Well of Urd from
which the World-Tree springs. They reach into the Well's waters (the past) and sprinkle the Tree to shape that
which shall happen. They are also said to do their shaping by cutting runes and/or by spinning and weaving.
They are possibly related to the three Continental Matronae (see "disir"); Snorri, and the Eddic poem
Fáfnismál, also describe clan-disir as "norns".
Odr: said to be Freya's husband, but the name is either the same as the root-word on which Odin's name is
based, "fury," or that from which Odroerir is derived, "inspiration". It is most often thought that Odr is the
same god as Odin, perhaps in an earlier form.
Odroerir: "Stirrer of inspiration"; the mead of poetry (see "Kvasir").
Poetic Edda: A collection of poems about Norse god/esses and heroes. Also called "Saemundr's Edda," as the
first version was thought (erroneously) to have been collected by Iceland's beloved magician/priest, Saemundr
the Wise.The manuscripts in which they are written down date from the late thirteenth century onward, but
many of the poems themselves probably go back to the Heathen period (though dating them is notoriously
difficult), and some of the material may be extremely archaic. The chief "holy text" of the Elder Troth.

Prose Edda: A text written by Snorri Sturluson in roughly 1220, some two hundred years after the conversion of
Iceland. Also
called "Snorri's Edda". Snorri's intention was to preserve the dying art of skaldic poetry, which was totally
based on an intimate knowledge of Heathen god-lore. Although he often over-systematized and sometimes got
his materials wrong, his book is one of our most valuable sources in learning about the deities of our forebears.
Ragnarok: The last battle, at which the Muspilli will break through the walls of the world, and the wolves that
follow the Sun and Moon will swallow them at last. Most of the gods will die fighting against the etin-kin: Fenrir
will swallow Odin (and be ripped open in his turn by Vidar), Thor and the Midgard Serpent will slay each other,
as will Heimdall and Loki, Tyr and Garm. Frey will fall before Surt. However, a new world will rise from the sea
afterwards. Balder and Hod will come back from Hel's realm; Vidar and Vali will sit in their father's stead as
well, and Modi and Magni will inherit Thor's Hammer. It is to bring the new world safely about that Odin
gathers his hosts in Valhall, and works his many other subtle plots.
Ratatosk: The squirrel that runs up and down the World-Tree, bearing nasty messages between the dragon at
its roots and the eagle at its crown. Old Norse Ratatoskr.

Runes: The word originally probably meant "secrets" or "whispered speech"; later it was transferred to the
actual staves of the native Germanic writing, and this is the sense in which it is normally used today. The runic
"alphabet" is called a futhark because that is the order of the first few letters: F, U, Th, A, R, K. The original
form was the 24-rune Elder Futhark; with time and changes in speech, this later mutated to the Anglo-Frisian
Futhork (ranging from 28 to 31 or 32 letters) and, in Viking Age Scandinavia, the Younger Futhark (16 letters).
Runes were often used for magical or memorial inscriptions, though they were also used for mundane phrases
like "Katla owns this comb" and occasionally for rather foul graffiti. Each of the runes has a name, a numerical
value, and a magical use. For more information on their magic, see Edred Thorsson's FUTHARK and Runelore
(pub. by Samuel Weiser), Freya Aswynn's Leaves of Yggdrasil (Llewellyn), and Kveldulf Gundarsson's Teutonic
Magic (Llewellyn). Avoid any book which claims the existence of a "blank rune," which makes exactly as much
sense as a "blank letter" would in our everyday alphabet. The runes are a means of writing known wholly
through inscriptions.

Saga: an Icelandic prose work written in the period (roughly) between 1200 and 1400. The source of many of
our stories of heroes, and most of our knowledge of Icelandic and Norwegian history.

Sága: Her name is related to the Norse word saga, though not the same. She is mentioned in the poem
Grímnismál and, passingly, in the Prose Edda. According to the poem, her hall is called Sökkvabekk, ("Sunken
Benches") and she and Odin drink out of golden cups there - probably, if her name is any clue, retelling old
stories while they do it. She, together with Odin, cares for writers. It has also been suggested that she might also
be seen as the patron goddess of Iceland - certainly she was the only one to bless that country for many years.

Saxnot: a patron god of the Saxons; since he was apparently not known to the Norse, no tales of him have
survived. However, we know that when Charlemagne was carrying out his war of cultural destruction against
the Heathen Saxons, those forcibly converted were made to swear an oath forsaking Woden (Odin), Thunaer
(Thor), and Saxnot. In the slightly variant form Seaxnet, he is also recorded as the father of the East Saxon
dynasty in England. The first element of his name is probably related to the word sax (a type of knife).

Sif: Wife of Thor, mother of Ull (by an unknown father), best known for her long golden hair. She appears only
in one tale: where Loki cuts her hair off in the night and, to save himself from Thor's wrath, gets the dwarves to
forge hair of real gold for her, along with several of the other great treasures of the gods. It has often been
suggested that she is a fertility goddess, whose rippling golden hair may be seen in the ripe grain. In the
prologue to the Prose Edda, she is also called a seeress. There are hints that she may be associated with the
rowan tree as well.

Sigyn: Loki's godly wife, who bore him two sons, Narfi and Nari. She sits by the bound Loki with a cup,
protecting him from the venom dripping onto his face (see Loki).

Sjofn: A goddess of marriage and love; Old Norse Sjöfn.
Skadi: An etin-maid, daughter of the giant Thjazi, who came among the Aesir in full armor to take revenge for
her father. As part of her weregild, she demanded a husband; she had wanted Balder, but, being forced to
choose among the gods by their feet alone, ended up with Njord. His sea-home was as unpleasant to her as her
mountain-home was to him, and so they parted. She later bore a son to Odin: this son fathered the line of the
Jarls of Hladhir, who were some of the greatest protectors of Heathenism in Norway during the extremely
bloody and brutal process of the conversion of that country. Place-names show that she was especially
worshipped in eastern Sweden; in the Eddic poem Lokasenna, she speaks of her shrines and holy fields. Skadi is
a goddess of skiing, hunting, revenge, protection of the clan, and those women who follow the path of the
"Maiden Warrior". Old Norse Skađi.

Skirnir: "The Shining One"; Frey's servant and messenger. Old Norse Skírnir.

Sleipnir: Odin's gray, eight-legged horse, borne by Loki (in mare-shape) to the giant-stallion Svadilfari.

Snotra: "the wise one," a goddess of wisdom and good behavior, always ready to let folk know what is fitting at
any given time. Often called on by the lady of the house when men are feasting too boisterously.

Sunna: the Sun. The Sun is always feminine in Germanic languages and culture, just as the Moon is masculine.
There is fairly strong evidence showing that the Sun was actually worshipped by the Norse. She is seen as
driving a fiery wagon across the sky, which is drawn by either one horse named Skinfaxi ("Shining Mane") or
two named Arvaki ("Early Awake") and Alsvidr ("All-Swift"), and chased by a troll in wolf-shape who will
devour her at Ragnarok. Old Norse Sól.
Surt: "The Black One," chief of the Muspilli, or fire-giants, who will lead the battle against the gods and slay
Frey at Ragnarok. His name appears attached to several sources of Icelandic volcanic activities, from the
Viking Age to the modern era (the volcanic island flung up off the coast of Iceland in 1963 is called "Surtsey,"
Surt's Island). The fire that burns the cosmos at Ragnarok is called "Surt's fire". Old Norse Surtr.

Syn: "the denier": a goddess who guards gates and doorways against those who should not enter.

Swart Alfs: see "dwarves".

Thjalfi: servant of Thor. When Thor stayed overnight at the house of a man (race unclear; sources hint
variously at human, giant, or elf) named Egill, there was little to eat, so Thor slew his goats and served them up.
He warned the family not to harm any of the bones, but Thjalfi cracked one and sucked the marrow. The next
morning, Thor put the hides back over the bones and swung his Hammer over them; the goats jumped up alive
and well, but one was lamed. To pay for the harm, Egill gave Thor his son Thjalfi and his daughter Roskva as
servants. Thjalfi was best known as a remarkably swift runner. The name (Old Norse Ţjálfi) has been
interpreted as "serving-elf," but also appears as a personal name. His sister's name, Old Norse Röskva, is
related to the verb "to grow, to mature," and may hint at an original role as fertility goddess, fitting to both
Thor's role as a god of fruitfulness and to the character of his wife Sif.

Thrud: "Strength"; Thor's daughter. Perhaps abducted by the giant Hrungnir, whom Thor slew; also desired by
the dwarf Alviss, whom Thor outwitted. Her name is sometimes listed among the valkyries; it is a common
element in women's names (such as Gertrude - "spear-Thrud" or "spear-strength"). Old Norse Ţrúđr; English
Trude.

Thurse: another term for a giant, especially used for ill-willing giants.

Troll: originally, perhaps, simply meaning "magic," though it has also been connected with "to roll". Today it is
normally used for a being from Icelandic and Norwegian folklore which seems to be a cross between a
land-wight, a giant, and the undead. Trolls of this sort are magical beings which kill (and perhaps eat)
travellers in the mountains and are turned to stone by daylight.

Tyr: His name simply means "god"; at one time, he may have been the Germanic equivalent of Zeus or Jupiter,
the "Sky-Father" of the Indo-Europeans. In Old Norse, Tyr appears only in the myth in which he gives up his
hand so that the gods can bind the Wolf Fenrir. However, there are hints associating him with the Thing (the
judgement-assembly of the Germanic peoples) and suggesting strongly that he may originally have been a god
of justice. Tyr's justice, however, is not that of calm Solomonic legislation, but that of the often lively wrangling
of the Germanic legal process, which was effectively a battle sublimated into a form where the process of
working out the problem could help, rather than harm, the community. Tyr will fight Garm, the hound of Hel,
at Ragnarok. No images or descriptions of Tyr have survived, except that we know he is one-handed, and the
Prose Edda portrays him as a warrior. It is said that "Tyr will help you if - and only if - your cause is just". A
female deity named Cisa or Zisa (Upper German feminine form of the name Tyr) is also recorded near
Augsburg, but we know even less of her, though it has been suggested in modern times that she may be paired
with Tyr in some way, perhaps as either a twin with similar functions or as an Earth-Mother complementing
the Sky-Father. Old Norse Týr, Anglo-Saxon Tiw (from whence "Tuesday"), Old High German Ziu,
Proto-Germanic *Tiwaz.
Ull: God of the bow and the snowshoe, patron of hunters and single combat, little is known of Ull from the tales
of the North. His name means "Glory," and has sometimes been thought to refer to the Northern Lights. His
home is called "Yew-Dales," fitting to the bow-god. Since his name often appears twinned with that of Njord or
Frey in place-names, it is possible that he may have alternated with one or the other as the Winter half of a
Winter King/Summer King pair. Old Norse Ullr, Anglo-Saxon Wuldor, Primitive Norse Wulţur.
Utgard: "the world outside the enclosure"; the world of giants, sometimes the evil dead, and other frightful
beings. A clear distinction is made between Asgard/Midgard, which gods and humans share, and Utgard;
normally the divider is seen as a river or ocean.
Vali: Fathered by Odin on the maiden Rind to avenge Balder's death.
Valkyries: "Choosers of the Slain," these maidens were originally seen as frightful battle-spirits accompanying
Odin in his work of marking men for death in war. They appear in a more pleasant aspect in Valhall, where they
carry out the traditional womanly duty of bearing drink. The idea of the valkyrie as the hero's supernatural
lover is probably a product of romanticization by the thirteenth-century scribes who recorded the earlier
poems of the heroes Helgi and Wayland (Völundr) and filled in gaps with their own prose; the poems
themselves do not recognise these spirit-wives as valkyries. The most famous of the valkyries, known chiefly
through Wagner's Ring Cycle, is Brunnhilde, demoted from her position for defending a hero against Odin's will
and punished by being forced to fall in love with Siegfried the Dragon-Slayer (Sigurd).

Vanir: a tribe of deities which we only know about through their relationship with the Aesir. After a war which
ended in a truce between equally matched forces, the two tribes were reconciled, and the Vanic Njord and Frey
came to live with the Aesir. Since Frey and Njord are often called on for peace and good harvest, the Vanir are
often seen as peaceful fertility deities and contrasted to the warlike Aesir in this respect, but since Frey is one
of the doughtiest warriors and called "leader of the hosts of the gods," and his twin Freya is well known as a
patron goddess of warriors and stirrer of strife, this can hardly be the wholeness of their being. The Vanir are
especially known for their wisdom and ability to see into the mists of what shall become; the mind-altering
magical technique called seidhr is originally attributed to them. The rock carvings of the Bronze Age seem to
show a great deal of Vanic symbolism, though Aesic images (the god with the spear, the god with the
double-headed Hammer or axe) are also often present. In modern speech, Wans or Wanes.

Var: "Beloved" or "goddess of contracts". One of Frigga's women, a goddess of love and marriage, especially of
marriage oaths. Old Norse Vár,

Ve: "Holiness". Probably an aspect of Odin. The "three brothers" Odin, Vili, and Ve slew the proto-giant Ymir
and made the worlds out of his body. Old Norse Vé, modern "Wih".

Vidar: Called "the Silent God," Vidar was fathered by Odin on the giantess Grid. At Ragnarok, he will tear
Fenrir's jaws apart, avenging Odin and freeing him (or at least some important part of his spirit) from the
Wolf's belly. His name may mean "the Wide-Ruling One". Old Norse Víđarr.

Vili: "Will". Probably an aspect of Odin. See Ve.

Vingolf: "The Friendly House," which, according to Snorri, is the special holy hall of the goddesses in Asgard.
Old Norse Vingólf.
Vor: "The Careful One," one of Frigga's women. Old Norse Vörr.
Walpurga: "Wald-burga" (Wood-Protection), a christian saint whose name was given to the holy night May Eve
("Walpurgisnacht"). No Heathen name for this feast survives. However, for the sake of custom and because
nothing more original could be found in Teutonic tradition, the Troth has taken to calling the festival
"Waluburg's Night," after the second-century Heathen Germanic seeress Waluburg.
Wayland: the greatest of smiths in Germanic legend. A human who was wedded to a swan-maiden; after she left
him, he was captured by the king Nidhad, hamstrung, and forced to work at the forge, but he slew Nidhad's
sons, seduced his daughter and left her pregnant, and flew away on wings he had forged himself. There is a
megalithic tomb in England called "Weyland's Smithy". Old Norse Völundr; also called Weyland.

Wild Hunt: the procession of the dead which rides through the night skies, especially around Yuletime.
Sometimes it is said to be led by Odin; sometimes by either heroes (such as Gudrun, wife of Sigurd from the
Volsung/Nibelung legends, or Theoderik the Great) or local villains.

Yggdrasill: The World-Tree. The name Yggdrasill means "Ygg's steed"; Ygg is one of Odin's many names. The
title probably refers to the nine nights Odin spent hanging from it to win the runes, as a gallows is often called
"the steed of the hanged". All the Nine Worlds lie within the span of the World-Tree. It is usually called an ash,
but some think that it may be a yew, since it is also said to be evergreen. At its roots gnaw the dragon Niddhogg
and many snakes; an eagle nests at its crown with a falcon between his eyes, and the squirrel Ratatosk runs up
and down between them. Four stags also gnaw on the World-Tree's bark; but the Norns' sprinkling of the waters
from the Well of Wyrd heal it each day.

Ymir: The first giant, born from the meeting of primal ice and primal fire (according to the Prose Edda) or from
the mists rising from the rivers that flow from Niflheim (according to the Eddic poem Vafthrudnismal). Slain
by Odin and his brothers (or aspects) Vili and Ve. They made the sky from his skull, the earth from his body; his
blood became the sea and the waters of the earth, his bones the rocks, and his hair trees and bushes.

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Some Norse Invocations:

Invocation to Baldr

"Baldr, Son of Frigg, Join us.
Baldr, Son of Odin, Join us.
Baldr, Husband of Nanna, Join us.
Baldr, Brother of Hodr, Join us.
Baldr, Brother of Hermod, Join us.
Baldr, Father of Forsetti, Join us.
Baldr, Slain by blind Hodr, Join us.
Baldr, Master of Breidablik, Join us.
Baldr, Who is much loved, Join us.
Baldr, Who Thokk alone would not mourn, Join us.
Baldr, The Fairest of the Aesir, Join us.
Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unaltered, Join us.
Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unheeded, Join us.
Baldr, The Wisest of the Aesir, Join us.
Baldr, The Shining One, Join us.
Baldr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"

Invocation to Freyja

Freyja, Of the many names, Join us.
Freyja, Of the golden tears, Join us.
Freyja, Daughter of Njord, Join us.
Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us.
Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us.
Freyja, Mother of Hnoss, Join us.
Freyja, Claimed by Thrym, Join us.
Freyja, Driver of cats, Join us.
Freyja, Goddess of Fertility, Join us.
Freyja, Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us.
Freyja, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us.
Freyja, Lender of Falcons' Flight, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of nature, Join us.
Freyja, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!

Invocation to Freyr

"Freyr, Son of Njrd, Join us.
Freyr, Husband of Gerdr, Join us.
Freyr, Brother of Freyja, Join us.
Freyr, Father of kings, Join us.
Freyr, Whose sword would fight for itself, Join us.
Freyr, Who gave his sword for Gerdr, Join us.
Freyr, Patron of married couples, Join us.
Freyr, Most beautiful of Gods, Join us.
Freyr, Whose tooth-gift was Alfheimr, Join us.
Freyr, Master of Gullinbursti, Join us.
Freyr, Owner of Skidbladnir, Join us.
Freyr, Slayer of Beli, Join us.
Freyr, Master of Frodi's Peace, Join us.
Freyr, Who directs Man's good fortune, Join us.
Freyr, Who brings fruitful seasons, Join us.
Freyr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"

Invocation to Frigg

Frigg, Daughter of Jord, Join us.
Frigg, Daughter of Fiorgyn, Join us.
Frigg, Wife of Odin, Join us.
Frigg, Sister of Thorr, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of Balder, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of Hodr, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of Hermod, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of the gods, Join us.
Frigg, Wise in all fates, Join us.
Frigg, Who will tell no fortunes, Join us.
Frigg, First among the Asynjur, Join us.
Frigg, Queen of Asgard, Join us.
Frigg, Mistress of home and hearth, Join us.
Frigg, Mistress of Eir, Join us.
Frigg, Mistress of healing, Join us.
Frigg, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!

Invocation to Thorr

Thorr, Red-beard, Join us.
Thorr, Son of Jrd, Join us.
Thorr, Brother of Frigg, Join us.
Thorr, Father of Mdi, Join us.
Thorr, Father of Magni, Join us.
Thorr, Father of Thr#dr, Join us.
Thorr, Husband of Sif, Join us.
Thorr, Jtunn bane, Join us.
Thorr, Foe of Irmungandr, Join us.
Thorr, Who bears Marriage Hallower, Join us.
Thorr, Who bears Death Hallower, Join us.
Thorr, Who wields Mjllnir, Join us.
Thorr, Defender of Asgard, Join us.
Thorr, Thunderer, Join us.
Thorr, Storm Lord, Join us.
Thorr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!