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Encyclopedia of Ancient Norse Gods

Aegir - the god of the sea, seashore and ocean and a son of Mistarblindi. He was a personification of the ocean, both good and bad. He caused storms with his anger and the skalds said a ship went into "Aegir's wide jaws" when it wrecked. Aegir was crowned with seaweed and always surrounded by nixies and mermaids while in his hall. Aegir's wife was Ran and they lived under the sea by the island Hlesey. Ran and Aegir had nine daughters who were the waves. Aegir brewed ale for the gods after Thor brought him a big enough kettle. Every winter the gods would drink beer at Aegir's home. He was, therefore, famed for his hospitality. Gold was put onto the floor of the hall to provide light, instead of having a fire. Gold is therefore called Aegir's fire. The cups in Aegir's hall were always full, magically refilling themselves. Aegir had two servants in his hall, Fimafeng and Eldir. Sailors feared Aegir, and thought he would sometimes surface to destroy ships. Early Saxons made human sacrifices to a god of the sea, possibly connected with Aegir. 

Aegir - the god of the sea, seashore and ocean and a son of Mistarblindi. He was a personification of the ocean, both good and bad. He caused storms with his anger and the skalds said a ship went into "Aegir's wide jaws" when it wrecked. Aegir was crowned with seaweed and always surrounded by nixies and mermaids while in his hall. Aegir's wife was Ran and they lived under the sea by the island Hlesey. Ran and Aegir had nine daughters who were the waves. Aegir brewed ale for the gods after Thor brought him a big enough kettle. Every winter the gods would drink beer at Aegir's home. He was, therefore, famed for his hospitality. Gold was put onto the floor of the hall to provide light, instead of having a fire. Gold is therefore called Aegir's fire. The cups in Aegir's hall were always full, magically refilling themselves. Aegir had two servants in his hall, Fimafeng and Eldir. Sailors feared Aegir, and thought he would sometimes surface to destroy ships. Early Saxons made human sacrifices to a god of the sea, possibly connected with Aegir. 

Aesir -the principal gods in Norse mythology. They lived in Asgard. 

Alta - the giant mother of Heimdall. 

Angrbotha - the prophetic death goddess. The iron wood hag and Ogress of Giantland. A worker of calamity. 

Asgard - the home of the gods. 

Asynjr - the generic term for female Aesir. 

Balder - the son of Odin and Freya and husband of Nanna, and the best, wisest, and most loved of all the gods. He was killed, at Loki's instigation, by a twig of mistletoe shot by the blind god Hodur. 

Berserker - a warrior whose frenzy in battle transformed him into a wolf or bear howling and foaming at the mouth, and rendered him immune to sword and flame. 

Bertha - is the goddess of spinning. 

Bor - a son of Buri and married to Bestla, and father of Odin, Vili, and Ve. 

Bragi - the god of poetry and eloquence. He was married to the goddess Iduna who dwelt in the underworld. 

Brono - the son of Balder. He was the god of daylight. 

Buri - the first god formed by Audumla licking ice. He was the father of Bor. 

Bylgja - a daughter of Aegir and Ran. 

Edda - the goddess of myth and oral history and the inspiration of poets. From her came those who work the land. 

Eir - the goddess of healing, and considered the best doctor. She taught her art to women who were the only physicians in ancient Scandinavia. 

Farbanti - a giant who ferried the dead over the waters to the underworld. He was the father of Loki. 

Fenrir - the monstrous wolf son of the god Loki. Fenrir will swallow the god Odin at the Ragnarok but will be killed by Odin's son, Vidar. 

Forseti - the god of justice. He is the son of Balder and Nanna and lives at Glitnir. 

Freya - the goddess of love, fertility, war, and wealth. Originally one of the Vanir. She was the daughter of Njord, and the sister of Frey. She lived in Folkvang and each day chose half of the slain warriors to split with Odin. 

Freyr -The god of rain, sunshine and fruits. 

Frigga - the goddess of marriage. She is the wife of Odin, and lives at Fensalir. She wove the clouds. Some believe Frigga and Freya to be one in the same. 

Fulla - the attendant to Frigga taking care of the goddess's shoes. She also, sometimes, functions as Frigga's messenger. 

Garm - a hound which stands in front of Hel's home and snarls with jaws dripping blood at the pilgrims from the upper world. 

Gefjon - a prophetic virgin goddess and a member of the Aesir and Vanir. All women who die virgins go to her hall. She was also a fertility goddess. In one myth, Gylfi, king of Sweden, tells Gefjon, who was disguised as a beggar, that she could have as much of Sweden as she could plow with four oxen in one day. She traveled to Jotunheim and found her four oxen sons whom she had by a giant. She returned to Sweden in Midgard with her sons and plowed all of the land now known as Zealand so it became part of Denmark, thereby tricking Gylfi. 

Gerd - the giant goddess of light. She is the most beautiful of all creatures. 

Ginnunggap - the Yawning Void. 

Gioll - the river which surrounded the underworld, Hel. 

Gladsheim - the mansion in Asgard where the gods lived. 

Gleipnir - the chain which bounds Fenrir. It is made from the footfalls of cats, the beards of women, the roots of mountains and the breath of fish. 

Gna - was a handmaiden of Frigga who sent her on errands. 

Gold-comb - the cock who shall crow when ragnarok comes. 

Gotterdammerung - is the end of the world. 

Gulltopr - the horse of Heimdall. 

Gullveig - the thrice-born and thrice-burnt virgin. The Aesir's attempt to kill her brought about the first war in the world (the Vanir against the Aesir) which the Vanir won. 

Gungnir - Odin's spear, obtained from the Dwarves by Loki for Odin. 

Gunlad - the giant mother of poetry. 

Hel - the Norse goddess of the underworld. She was a daughter of Loki and the giant Angurboda, and the sister of Fenrir and Jormungand. 

Hermod - the messenger of the gods. He rode to Hel's realm after the death of Balder to try and convince her to let Balder come back from the dead. 

Hlin - a form of the goddess Frigg charged with protecting those men who Frigg wants kept safe. 

Hodur - or Hod was a son of Odin. The blind god of winter, who is tricked by Loki into killing Balder. Vali avenged Balder's death by killing Hodur. 

Hoenir - after the war between the Aesir and the Vanir, Hoenir was sent as a hostage to the Vanir and gave sense to the first humans. 

Hresvelgr - a giant who lives in the extreme north and the motion of whose wings causes wind and tempest. 

Huldra - a form of the goddess Frigg, who was attended by wood nymphs. 

Huginn - a raven of thought which sat upon Odin's shoulder and brought him news everyday of what was occuring in the world. 

Iduna - the wife of Bragi. She kept golden apples in a box which the gods ate to keep themselves young. 

Jord - the earth goddess and the mother of Thor and Frigg. 

Jormungandr - the great dragon which lives in the Oceaneam which runs around Midgard. 

Jotunheim - the abode of the giants. It is on the edge of the ocean far to the north east. 

Kolga - a daughter of Aegir and Ran. 

Lodur - gave appearance and speech to the first humans. 

Lofn - the goddess concerned with sparking passionate love. She had permission from Odin and Frigga to do so even for those who were forbidden to marry. 

Loki - was one of the Aesir (the principal gods), but the cause of dissension among the gods, and the slayer of Balder. He became a member of the Aesir when Odin made Loki his blood brother. His children are the Midgard serpent Jormungander, which girdles the Earth; the wolf Fenrir; and Hel, goddess of death. 

Magni - a son of Thor, he will survive the Ragnarok. 

Mimir - the god of wisdom and knowledge. He dwelt by the ash-tree Yggdrasil. 

Modi - a son of Thor, he will survive the Ragnarok. 

Muninn - a raven of memory which sat on Odin's shoulder and along with Hunin brought Odin news each day of what was occuring in the world. 

Nanna - the moon goddess. She is the wife of Balder and mother of Forseti. She died of heartache after Balder's death and was burned with him on his funeral boat. 

Nastrand - the worst region of hell. It's roofs and doors were wattled with hissing snakes, ejecting poison and it was through this that murderers and perjurers were forced to wade as punishment. 

Nidhogg - a dragon which devours the corpses of evil doers. He lives in Hwergelmir, in the realm of Hel. 

Niflheim - a world of ice and darkness centered on an icy spring which existed before creation. As its waters met the fire of the other primeval world Muspell they formed the giant Ymir and started creation. 

Njord - the sea god of fruitfulness who lives in Noa-tun. 

Norn - the three goddesses of fate : the goddess of the past (Urd), the goddess of the present (Verdandi), and the goddess of the future (Skuld). 

Odin - the chief god of Norse mythology. A sky god, he lived in Asgard, at the top of the world-tree, and from the Valkyries receives the souls of half of the heroic slain warriors, feasting with them in his great hall, Valhalla; the rest are sent to feast with Freya.

Ogres - creatures who make the storms and who with their iron clubs strike the earth and send it flying into the air. 

Outgard - the home of giants and monsters. 

Ragnarok - the ultimate battle between good and evil from which a new order will come. 

Ran - the giant wife of Aegir. It is she who uses a net to draw the sailors of sinking ships to their doom. 

Runes - the letters of the alphabet peculiar to the ancient Teutonic peoples of north west Europe. There are 3 runic alphabets; the Norse, with 16 characters, the Anglo-Saxon with 40 and the German. Saxon tradition ascribes the invention of the runes to Woden. Their use reduced under christianity because of their connection with magic. They were used for casting spells as well as divining the future. 

Runic wand - a smooth willow wand inscribed with runic characters (runes).

Saga - the daughter of Odin. She was the goddess of poetry. 

Seidr - a form of Norse magic ascribed to Odin and Gullveig. It was mainly used for harmful purposes. 

Sif - the goddess of crops and fertility, married to Thor. 

Sjofn - the goddess concerned with causing men and women to think of love. It was her duty to stop fights between married couples. 

Skadi - a mountain giantess. A goddess on skis. The snow-shoe goddess of winter and hunting. 

Sleipnir - the swift horse ridden by Odin. 

Snotra - a wise and gentle goddess who knew the value of self-discipline. 

Surtr - a giant who lived in the extreme south, and whose flaming sword guarded the bounds of Muspelheim. 

Syn - a goddess invoked by defendents at a trial. She was an attendant of Frigga, guarding the door of Frigga's palace. 

Thiassi - The giant father of Skadi, after his death his eyes were cast into the sky by Thor where they now shine as stars.

Thor - the son of Odin and a member of the Aesir, he was the god of thunder and the main enemy of the giants, smashing their heads with his mighty hammer Mjollnir which to wield he needed iron gloves and a belt of strength. Mjollnir would return to Thor's hand after being thrown and was symbolic of lightning. Thor rode around middle-earth in his wagon which was drawn by two goats. He lived at Thruthheim in his hall, Bilskinir. He was foremost of the gods to the common man, who would call on him to ensure fertility, and widely worshiped. Hammer shaped amulets, a symbol of Thor because it was his weapon, were worn about the neck well into the christianization of Scandinavia. 

Thrud - a daughter of Thor. The dwarf Alvis wanted to marry her but Thor tricked him into being above ground when the sun came up thus turning him into stone. 

Troll - a race of giants. They appear in various Northern mythologies. In Norse mythology Trolls are represented as a type of goblin. 

Tyr - the god of war and athletic sports. Tyr had one hand bitten off by the wolf Fenris, after he put it in the wolve's mouth as a pledge of security when the wolf allowed himself to be bound in a net until the judgement day. 

Ulle - the god of the chase, archery and hunting. His weapon was a longbow made out of Yew and he lived in Ydal. He was called upon for help in duels. He was the son of Thor and Sif 

Valhalla - the paradise where the souls of dead warriors slain in battle go to.

Vali - the youngest of Odin's sons. His mother was 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 Hodur. He will be one of the seven Aesir to survive the ragnarok. 

Valkyries - an army of women, formed by Odin, charged with the responsibility of collecting all the valiant warriors fallen in battle in Midgard to bring them to sit beside Odin in Valhalla. They wear shining mailcoats and helms, carry the finest weapons and ride spirited flying horses.

Var - the goddess who punishes those who do not keep their marriage vows. 

Ve - a son of Bor and Bestla. Ve 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. 

Vidar - a son of Odin and Grid, and had a twin brother named Vali. He dwelled in Vidi and was one of the strongest of the gods and was considered a god of vengance. It is said that in the Ragnarok he would avenge his father by killing Fenrir. He is one of the Aesir who will survive the final battle. 

Vili - a son of Bor and Bestla and a brother of Odin and Ve. Together with Odin and Ve, he killed the giant Ymir, created the cosmos out of Ymir's carcass and made the first man and woman. He gave the humans thought and motion. 

Vingulf - the mansion in Asgard where the godesses lived. 

Vithar - the god second in strength to Thor, and who would kill the wolf Fenrir by wrentching the wolve's jaws asunder. 

Vor - the goddess of marriage and contracts from whom nothing could be hidden because she was so wise. 

Woden - the Anglo-Saxon form of the name of the god called Odin by the Norse. 

Yggdrasil - In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the oldest of all trees. It stands in the centre of the world and divides the planes. 

Ymir - In Norse mythology Ymir is a giant. In the beginning there was just Ymir and Ginnunggap. Ymir was slain by Odin, Vili and Ve and out of his blood they made the sea, out of his flesh the earth and out of his bones the rocks and out of his skull the cavity of heaven. 

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