This is our growing dictionary of Norse mythology, which is added to one a regular basis. Just use the find function to search for what you are interested. You will find links to our full pages on related subjects, and more in-depth discussions of gods and monsters that we don’t have enough information about to dedicate a full page.
Aegir
The giant Aegir was considered a god of the sea, but with a cruel and unforgiving temperament. He would smash ships to procure their treasure for himself. Aegir is most famous for hosting a party for all the gods of Asgard, from which Loki was excluded. The trickster showed up anyway and began to throw insults at everyone in what is known as the Lokasenna. His partner is the see giantess Ran.
Alfar
The Alfar, or Ljosalfar, are the light elves in Norse mythology and they seem to be a mixture of nature spirits and deified ancestors. They live in a land called Alfheim, which is ruled over by the god Freyr. Read our complete profile on the Norse light elves here.
Alviss
Alviss is a dwarf who travels to Asgard and falls in love with Thrud, the daughter of Thor. The god of thunder is offended when the dwarf asks for her had in marriage. But the arrogant dwarf dismisses Thor, who he does not recognize, calling him ignorant. Consequently, Thor challenges him to prove his intelligence by answering questions. In this way, Thor distracts Alviss and tricks him into talking until dawn, when the sun turns him into stone.
Angrboda
Angrboda was the partner of Loki who gave birth to Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel. Her name means “bringer of grief”. She is described as living in a wood east of Midgard called Ironwood where she is the mother of a pack of wolves. She may also be able to shapeshift into a wolf herself.
Audumbla
Audumbla is the primordial cow that comes into existence at the start of creation along with the giant Ymir. While Ymir feeds himself on her milk, she sustains herself by licking the salt lick from which life emerges. After three days, she licks the god Borr out of the salt stones. It is unclear what happens to her as creation continues.
Balder
Balder is the son of Odin and Frigg, making him the prince of Asgard in Norse paganism. He is a god of light, joy, and purity. He is invincible thanks to his mother Frigg obtaining promises from everything in existence never to hurt his son. But the most important role that Balder has to play in Norse mythology is to die due to the machinations of Loki, an event that will lead to Ragnarok. Read our full profile of Balder here.
Bestla
Bestla is the mother of Odin with the god Bor. She may be the sister of Mimir, who is described as Odin’s uncle.
Beyla and Byggvir
Beyla and Byggvir are listed among the gods present during the feast described in the Lokasenna, at which Loki insults all the gods. Beyla tells the room that she hears Thor coming and that he will be able to silence the slanderous Loki. The trickster, who calls Beyla the wife of Byggvir, tells her to be silent because she is steeped in shame and filth that brings shame to the gods.
Borr
Borr is the son of Buri, the first god, making him the second god and the progenitor of all other Norse gods. He mated with the giant Bestla to give birth to Odin, Vili, and Ve. When his sons decide to kill Ymir and use his body to create the world, there is no word of what Borr is up to. He does not appear in Norse mythology after primordial times.
Borr may be closely related to the Germanic god Mannus. He is mentioned by Tacitus in his Germania, written in the first century. According to Tacitus, Mannus plays a parallel role to Borr in the creation story told by the German tribes. Tacitus describes Mannus as the son of Tuisto, a god “brought forth from the earth”, equating Tuisto with Buri.
Mannus is then the progenitor of all three of the Germanic tribes, the Ingaevones, Herminones, and Istvaeones, via his three sons, just as he was the father of Odin, Vili, and Ve.
If this conflation is accurate, this might hint at the origins of some of the other divine races mentioned in Norse mythology. Perhaps, just as Odin is the progenitor of the Aesir gods, Vili and Ve were the progenitors of some of the other divine races, such as the Vanir gods, as their origins are not otherwise explained. This might also explain why Vili and Ve are never mentioned when the parentage of any of the other gods of Asgard.
Bragi
Bragi is the god of Skaldic poetry and is best described as the bard of Valhalla. In Norse mythology, he often appears welcoming new fallen warriors to this realm of the dead and composing poetry about their deeds. He also dines alongside the Norse gods with his wife Idun, and may have written of their deeds. He has runes carved on his tongue. Read our full profile of Bragi.
Buri
Buri was the first god and the progenitor of all the gods. According to the Norse creation myth, at the beginning of time, when only the giant Ymir and the cow Audumbla existed in the world of primordial goop.
Audumbla licked Buri out of the salt lick that was formed by the cold of Niflheim mixing with the heat of Muspelheim. This took three days, with his hair emerging on the first day, his head on the second, and the rest of his body on the third. He emerged beautiful and strong.
Buri fathered the giant Borr. It is unclear how. While Ymir reproduced asexually, it seems that Buri could not do the same because he reproduced much slower than Ymir. He probably mated with a giantess, just like his son Borr would father Odin, Vili, and Ve on the giantess Bestla. In Old Norse, the name Buri means “progenitor” or “father”.
It is unclear what happened to Buri after the end of the primordial age. We hear nothing more of the Norse god.
Dagr
Dagr means day in Old Norse. The son of Dellinger and Nott, he is a sun god who shines brightly and beautifully. Dagr has a horse called Skinfaxi, which means “shining mane”, and it wears precious jewels so that it shines as it pulls Dagr across the sky of Midgard.
Dainn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Durathror
These are four stags that feed on the leaves and branches of Yggdrasil. The morning dew gathers on their horns and feeds the rivers of their cosmos. It is unclear what they are meant to symbolize. They are called Dainn, “dead one”, Dvalinn, “unconscious one”, “Duneyrr, “thundering in the ear”, and Durathror, “thriving slumber”.
Dellingr
Dellingr is the personification of the dawn and is one of the Aesir gods. As the partner of Nott, he is the father of Dagr.
Draugr
Draugr are the undead in Norse mythology and are a mix of vampires and zombies. They are usually people who have had problems in life and rise again to wreak vengeance on their communities. They are super strong and can destroy property and kill cattle, and they can also enter people’s dreams and send them mad. If the presence of a draugr was suspected, the Vikings would dig up the recently dead and weigh them down with stones, or place blades over their necks so that they could not rise without decapitating themselves.
Eagle and Verdrfolnir
A mighty eagle that knows many things lives at the very top of Yggdrasil. We are not given the name of the eagle, but he must be enormous in size as an eagle called Vedrfolnir sits between his eyes. This name means “storm pale” or “wind bleached”, which may suggest harsh conditions at the very top outside the protection of Yggdrasil.
Eir
The Norse goddess Eir, whose name means protection or mercy, was also counted among the Valkyrie. But Eir stands out among this group of female warriors who assisted Odin in collecting the souls of the worthy dead and taking them to Valhalla. She is also described as a physician and the best of healers.
This suggests that she may have had a slightly different role to the other Valkyrie. It is possible that she was believed to return some warriors for health, at Odin’s behest, so that they could continue to battle.
The presence of Eir could have explained miraculous battlefield recoveries and reduced the shame of men carried off the battlefield and cared for during their recovery process. They were spared from Valhalla, for now, because they still had a purpose to serve.
Elli
Elli is a personification of Old Age that Thor meets in Utgard in the castle of Utgard-Loki. He wrestles with what appears to be an old woman, but loses because you can’t defeat old age.
Fafnir
Fafnir is a dwarf and the son of the king Hredimarr. When his father comes into possession of the cursed ring Andvaranaut, Fafnir and his brother Regin become obsessed with the ring as well. In the end, they kill their father for it. Fafnir then turns into a dragon and drives everyone, including Regin, away from the castle so his can defend his treasure. Later, Regin convinces the hero Sigurd to kill Fafnir for him.
Fenrir
Fenrir is one of the children of Loki with the goddess Angrboda and takes the form of a great wolf. The gods fear Fenrir and so trick him into letting himself be chained up. He will remain imprisoned until Ragnarok, when he will break his chains and devour Odin. Read our full profile of Fenrir here.
Forseti
Forseti is the son of Balder with his wife Nanna and the god of justice in the Norse pantheon. He is described as being an extremely peaceful being that spends much of his time meditating. Forseti lived in Asgard in a beautiful house called Glitnir, which had a shining silver roof and gold pillars that radiated light. This house also served as the court of justice for solving all disputes among the gods, for which Forseti was the law speaker.
Freyja
Freyja, or Freya, is a Vanir goddess who came to live among the Aesir at the conclusion of the Aesir-Vanir war in Norse mythology. She is the goddess of love and beauty, plus she is associated with fertility. She is a master of Seidr magic and taught the art to Odin, and she may also have numbered among his Valkyries. She chose brave fallen warriors from the battlefield to live in her realm of Folkvangr. Read our full profile of Freyja.
Freyr
Freyr is the twin brother of Freya and the two were married before they came to live in Asgard, when their marriage was annulled. He went on to fall in love with and marry the giantess Gerdr. He is associated with fertility and virility and was one of the gods most commonly venerated by the Vikings.
Sometimes represented by a phallus, Freyr was also closely linked with the wild boar. He had a golden boar called Gullinbursti and a magical ship big enough to carry all the gods that he could then fold down and keep in his pocket called Skidbladnir. Read our full profile of Freyr.
Frigg
Frigg is the wife of Odin and the mother of Balder and the goddess of domestic and matronly duties. This included serving wine during important dinners, which associated her with political negotiation. Frigg is a seeress who sees the fates of all, but never tells anyone what she sees. Read our full profile of Frigg.
Fulla
Fulla is one of the three principal handmaidens of Frigg. A virgin, Fulla attended to Frigg’s ashen box and footwear and was a favourite of the Asgard queen and knew all her secrets.
Garm
Garm is the guard dog of Helheim. He will accompany his mistress Hel into battle at Ragnarök, where he and the god Tyr will kill one another.
Gerdr
Gerdr, whose name means “fenced in” is a beautiful giantess living in Jotunheim. The god Freyr catches a glimpse of her from Odin’s throne, Hildskjalf, which allows the god to look out over the Norse cosmos. Freyr instantly fell in love and then fell into a depression when he realized he could not have Gerdr.
In the end, Freyr sends his servant Skirnir to negotiate for Gerdr’s hand in marriage. She initially refuses but agrees to meet and marry Freyr in three days after in response to threats. Skirnir threatened to kill Gerdr’s father, send her mad, imprison her in her body, only able to watch what is happening around her, and make her the laughingstock of all gods and men. Despite the rocky start, the couple seems to have lived happily ever after.
Gefjon
Gefjon may have one of the most memorable stories from Norse mythology. King Gylfi was the king of Sweden. He was approached by what appeared to be a vagrant woman who asked him for land. As a jest, he said that she could have as much land as she could plough with four oxen in a single day and night.
The woman was Gefjon in disguise, and she turned her four half-giant sons into oxen to help her. She was able to cut so deep into the land that she severed it from Sweden and created an island, which she called Zealand, which is now part of Denmark.
Gefjon was clearly considered an important goddess and she is often listed among the attendees at Aesir feasts. She also seems to have been a seeress. In the story where Loki berates all the gods at a feast, Odin warns Loki not to insult Gefjon because she sees the destinies of all.
Geri and Freki
Geri and Freki are the two wolves that accompany Odin wherever he goes. Their names mean greedy and ravenous, and they represent challenging characteristics of the god, who would famously do anything for knowledge. Odin doesn’t eat himself, but feeds meat from his table to his wolves.
Gersemi
Gersemi is one of the two daughters of Freya and Odr. Her beauty is said to match that of her mother.
Gridr
din fathered Vidarr on Gridr. Vidarr will avenge his father’s death at Ragnarok by killing the wolf Fenrir.
Gullinbursti
Gullinbursti is the golden boar that belongs to the god Freyr, his name means golden bristles. The boar was made for the god by the dwarves, and so is a manufactured rather than a natural being. He shines like the sun and can run faster on land and through the air than any horse.
Gullveig
Gullveig was a Vanir goddess who played an important role in the Aesir-Vanir War of Norse mythology. She was able to use her powerful magic to penetrate the Aesir lines and enter their city. As a result, she was pierced by spears and burned three times by the Aesir, but she used her magic to come back to life. She is specifically described as a Volva (witch) performing Seidr.
Heidrun
Heidrun is a goat that lives on the roof of Valhalla, where he eats the leaves of Yggdrasil. He produces mead from his udders for the Einherjar, the brave fallen warriors that live in Valhalla.
Heimdall
Heimdall is the watchman of Asgard. His stronghold sits where the rainbow bifrost bridge enters Asgard, and he will be the first to see the giants descending on Asgard at Ragnarök. He will sound the warning with his horn Gjallarhorn.
He has nine mothers, the nine waves, and as a result, he has superpowers. He can hear and see better than all the gods and barely needs to sleep. He is also responsible for establishing the social order of elites, middle class, and thralls in Viking society. Read our full profile of Heimdall.
Hel
Hel is one of the children of Loki with the giantess Angrboda. She was born half living and half dead and is hideous to look upon. For that reason, din sent her away to be the queen of the underworld, which became known as Helheim. She has complete control there, and when the god Balder is killed through her father’s machinations, she refuses to return him to Asgard. She will fight alongside her father against the gods in the final battle at Ragnarök. Read our full profile of Hel here.
Hermóðr
Hermod’s name means “spirit of war” and he was considered a messenger among the Norse gods. After the death of Balder, he was sent on Odin’s eight-legged steed Sleipnir to bargain with the goddess Hel for teh return of Balder. The story fro Norse mythology describes his descent into the underworld.
Hildisvini
Hildisvini is the boar that serves the goddess Freyja. The animal may be her lover Ottar in disguise, as she rides the boar as she tries to help him learn about his ancestry.
Hjuki and Bil
This is a brother and sister pair that follow the personified moon, Mani, across the heavens. Their names mean “returning to health” and “instant”.
Hlin
Hlin is another of Frigg’s three principal handmaids. Hlin, which means protector, was sent by Frigg to protect people on her behalf, including Odin.
Hnoss
Hnoss, whose name means jewel or treasure in Old Norse, is a daughter of Freyja and Odr and teh sister of Gersemi. She was said to be as beautiful as her mother and a goddess of lust.
Höðr
Hodr was a brother of Balder, but while Balder represented light and job, Hodr seems to have represented darkness. He was blind, and so did not join the other gods in throwing dangerous objects at his invincible brother Balder. Loki saw this and pretended to brefriend Hodr and help him participate in teh game. He placed a deadly mistletore dart in Hodr’s hand and directed his throw, causing Hodr to kill his brother. For this, Hodr was killed and joined Balder in the underwolrd ruled by the goddess Hel.
Hœnir
Hoenir is one of the Aesir gods who, in the Voluspa, helped Odin create the first human beings, Ask and Embla. He is said to have bestowed them with reason and intellect. In the Gylfaginning, it is Odin’s brothers Vili and Ve who helped him with this task, so Hoenir may be an alternative name for one of the brothers.
In the Ynglinga saga, after the Aesir-Vanir War, Honeir and Mimir are sent to Vanaheim to live among the Vanir gods as hostages. Hoenir was swiftly made the new chief of the Vanir with Mimir as his advisor. But the Vanir soon grew suspicious of Hoenir when they realized that he relied on Mimir to make all his decisions and could not even make a simple decision without his advisor. They subsequently killed Mimir, but it is not recorded what might have happened to Hoenir.
He may well have survived, as Snorri Sturluson, is his version of the ending of the Ragnarök myth where the work re-emerges, says that Hoenir was one of the gods who survived to rebuild the world. But he may have been already dead. Balder and Hodr survive Ragnarök because they were already dead and living in Helheim, but the destruction of the world allowed them to leave. Hoenir is sometimes described as accompanying Odin on his travels, usually with Loki as well, so he probably survived his period in Vanaheim.
Hrungnir
Hrungir is a giant who bet Odin that his horse was faster than Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged steed. The two raced, and Hrungnir lost, but Odin appreciated his good humor and invited him into Asgard for a drink. But the giant drank too much and started harassing and threatening all the gods. This annoyed them, so they called on Thor to kill him.
Thor planned to kill him from behind, but Hrungir realized and called him a coward, leading the two to duel. Odin killed Hrungnir, breaking his death open, by throwing his hammer Mjolnir. But Hrungnir also through a stone at Thor that was embedded in his dead and could never be removed. When Hrungnir died he also fell on top of Thor. Weakened, Thor could not free himself, and none of the other gods had the strength to lift the body. Only Thor’s three-year-old son Magni was able to lift the incredible weight and free his father.
Huginn and Muninn
Huginn and Muninn are Odin’s two raven familiars. Their names mean thought and memory. Every day they fly out into the world and tell Odin everything they see and hear. Read our full profile on Huginn and Muninn.
Hymir
Hymir is described as the father of the god Tyr, and Thor and Tyr go to Hymir’s house to find a cauldron big enough to brew ale for all the gods. Hymir invites them to stay for dinner, and Thor eats two oxen on his own. Unwilling to kill more of his animals to feed the god the next day, he tells Thor that they must fish for their food and tells the god to find the bait. Thor kills the rest of Hymir’s oxen and uses their heads as bait.
Hymir is angry, but cannot break the rules of hospitality. They row out to sea and catch several whales with the bait, but Thor seems unhappy and always wants to go deeper. Finally, when they are the deepest that they dare go, Thor begins to fish. He catches something on his line so big that it destabilizes the god a little. Hymir realizes that this must be Jormungandr and he begs Thor to let it off the line, but Thor refuses. Eventually, Hymir becomes so concerned that he cuts Thor’s fishing line. This makes Thor so angry that he pushes Hymir into the water. But they later make up.
Hyrrokkin
The giantess Hyrrokkin was said to live in the darkest forest of Jotunheim. She had a mighty horse that could transform itself into a wolf, and in order to control it in wolf form she used reigns made from poisonous snakes. She was so strong that she was called to Asgard pull Balder’s funerary ship out to sea as none of the Aesir gods, not even Thor, was strong enough.
Iðunn
Idun is the goddess that cares for the orchards of the Norse gods, where grow magical golden apples that maintain the youth and strength of the gods. She was once kidnapped by the god Thjazi for her apples, causing the gods to age. She is also married to the god Bragi. Read our full profile of Idun.
Jarnsaxa
Jarnsaxa means “iron dagger” and she may be one of the nine waves, daughters of Aegir. Thor fathered Magni on Jarnsaxa, and at just three years old Magni was able to lift a dead giant off his injured father when no one else had the strength.
Jotnar
The Jotnar or Jotun are the race of giants in Norse mythology. They were the first beings to exist and soon came into conflict with the Aesir gods. The giants represented chaos and the gods believed that they needed to control the giants and protect mankind from them. Read our full profile on the Jotun.
Jörð
Odin fathered Thor on Jord, a giantess considered a personification of the Earth. This may account for Thor being the strongest of the gods. She is the daughter of the giantess Nott.
Jormungandr
Jormungandr is one of the children of Loki and Angrboda. Born a snake, he grows quickly and has deadly venom. The gods decide to throw him into the water surrounding Midgard. There he grows to such an enormous size that he can encircle the whole world and hold his own tail in his mouth. He is destined to emerge from his waters at Ragnarök, when he will fight to the death with Thor. Read our full profile of Jormungandr.
Kvasir
Kvasir is a being that was made from the mixed spittle of the Aesir and Vanir gods during the resolution of the Aesir-Vanir war. He is the most intelligent being ever to have existed and roams the realms of the Norse cosmos sharing his wisdom. However, when he met the dwarves Fjalar and Galar, they killed him and used his blood to make the Mead of Poetry.
Lofn
Lofn seems to have been an Aesir goddess of forbidden or difficult love matches. She is described as a goddess with a gentle manner who arranges marriages and can be invoked to help those who want to pursue an otherwise forbidden marriage. It is Odin and Frigg who gave her permission to organize these unions. In Kennings, her name is often invoked as a poetic reference to women in general.
Loki
Loki is a giant who makes a blood brotherhood pact with Odin that allows him to live among the Aesir gods. His mischief creates most of the problems that the gods find themselves in, but he also helps them resolve them. The gods rejected Loki after he orchestrated the death of Balder, one of the sons of Odin. The gods imprisoned Loki, and he is destined to break his chains at Ragnarök and lead the charge against the gods. Read our full profile of Loki here.
Magni
Magni is the son of Thor with the giantess Jarnsaxa. His name means strength and may have been stronger than his father. When Thor fought with the giant Hrungnir, he defeated the giant, but the giant lodged a rock in Thor’s head and then fell on top of him.
Thor was unable to free himself, and none of the gods had the strength to lift the giant. Eventually, Thor’s three-day old son appeared and was able to remove the giant.
In some versions of teh Ragnarok myth, Magni and his brother Modi are among the gods that survive Ragnarok. They inherit Thor’s hammer and go on to rebuild the world.
Mani
Mani is the moon, and was created by the sparks of Muspelheim. He rides across the sky in a chariot, chased by the jotun wolves Skoll and Hati.
Meili
Meili is a Norse god whose name means “lovely one” and is described as the son of Odin and the giantess Jord, making him a full-blood brother to Thor. He is known almost exclusively through Kenning-references to Thor as “Meili’s brother”.
Mímir
Mimir may be a giant rather than a god, but as an uncle of Odin, he lived in Asgard among the gods at the beginning of time. The wisest of the Norse gods, after the Aesir-Vanir war he was sent to Vanaheim to be the advisor to Hoenir, who was also sent there to be their new leader. The Vanir soon became suspicious of his intelligence and killed him. Not wanting to lose his wise counsel, Odin magically reanimated Mimir’s head and placed it at the Well of Wisdom so that he could consult the head when needed. Read our full profile of Mimir.
Modi
Modi, whose name means bravery, is another son of Thor. He may survive Ragnarok with his brother Magni.
Nanna
Nanna is the wife of the god Balder and the mother of Forseti. She threw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre after his death.
Narfi and Vali
Narfi and Vali are sons of Loki with the Aesir goddess Sigyn. When the gods decide to punish Loki for his role in the death of Balder, they also summon his two Aesir sons. They turn Vali into a wolf, and he loses his senses and tears his brother Narfi apart. The gods then use Narfi’s entrails to tie Loki to his rock.
Nerthus
Nerthus is an ancient Germanic goddess mentioned by Tacitus. A goddess of peace, wherever she visited there was always celebration and all weapons are locked up. It is suspected that she was also the sister-wife of Njord and the mother of Freyr annd Freyja.
Nidhoggr
At the very bottom of Yggdrasil among the roots of the tree lives a dragon or a snake called Nidhoggr. The Vikings did not differentiate between dragons and serpents. The name Nidhoggr means curse striker or malice striker. Nidhoggr is an angry and mean creature who is stuck in a feud with the eagle at the top of the tree.
Njord
Njord was one of the Vanir gods sent to live in Asgard after the Aesir-Vanir war and is also the father of Freyr and Freyr with his sister Nerthus. He is a god of seafaring and wealth, which makes sense since much Norse wealth came from the sea.
Njord was the god of wind, seafarers, coasts, and inland waters. He was also associated with crop fertility, fishing, and wealth. He was invoked by the Vikings before setting out on sea voyages, but also hunting and fishing expeditions. He was believed to have the ability to calm waters and quell fires. Njord is described as being extremely wealthy and prosperous, and able to grant wealth in the form of land and valuables to those who invoke his aid.
Njord later married Skadi, the daughter of the giant Thjazi, who famously kidnapped Idun from Asgard. The giant was killed when the gods saved Idun with the help of Loki. Skadi then headed to Asgard to seek revenge. One of the payments that the god agreed to offer was that she could choose a husband from among the Aesir, but she had to do so by looking only at their feet. She was hoping to choose Balder but ended up with Njord, who she considered ugly and to stinking of salt.
Their union did not last long as they could not agree on where to live. Njord considered Skadi’s home in the land of the giants too cold and desolate. Skadi did not like the noise and activity of Njord’s home, a house on the seashore of Asgard called Noatun, which means ship haven. Each could only tolerate the home of the other for nine nights, and so went their separate ways.
Njord seems to have been a very important deity among the Vikings, as reflected in the number of Swedish, Norwegian, and Icelandic place names that incorporate his name. These may originally have been temple locations. Njord’s name also features in 14th-century Icelandic legal oaths, sworn on a temple ring, along with Freyr and Ass (probably Odin or Thor). He was still venerated as part of the Norwegian folk practices of fishermen in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Norns
The Norns are the fates in Norse mythology. While there seem to be Norns within each race of being, there are also three principal Norns that live at the base of Yggdrasil where they spin the fates of men and carve destiny into the bark of Yggdrasil using the runes. Their names are Urd, which means “what once was”, Verdandi, which means “coming into being”, and Skuld, which means “that which shall be”. Read our full profile of the Norns here.
Nótt
Nott is the goddess of the night sky who rides a horse called Hrumfaxi, which means “frosted mane” as she draws her moon chariot across the sky each night. The foam that falls from her gorse’s bit every morning forms the dew. She is black and swarthy and is the daughter of the giantess Norvi. Nott had several partners. With Dellingr she is the mother of Dagr. With Naglfari she is the mother of Audr, and with Annar she is the mother of Jord.
Odin
In Norse mythology, Odin is the leader of the Aesir gods and known as the All-Father because he is the father of many of the gods and also the creator of Midgard, and mankind to occupy it. He is the god of war, wisdom, wanderers, writing, and witchcraft. He is also a Norse underworld god as he chooses brave fallen warriors to live in his realm Valhalla with the help of the Valkyries. Read our full profile of Odin.
Odr
Odr is the Norse god of madness and frantic feelings. He is most well known as the husband of Freyja. When she arrived in Asgard as a hostage following the Aesir-Vanir War, she was married to her twin brother Freyr. This was considered an abomination by the Aesir gods, so they annulled the marriage and married Freyja to Odr. Together they have two daughters that rival their mother in beauty, Hnoss, and Gersemi.
Odr has a penchant for traveling and will often abandon his wife for extended periods as he travels the world. This causes her great sorrow, and she weeps. When her tears touch land they turn into gold, and when they touch water, they turn into amber.
Odr is also described as always full of desire, and there are some suggestions that it may be an alternative name for Odin, whom himself took Freyja as his wife. This would explain similarities between Odin and Odr, as the All-Father also liked to wander. It could also explain similarities between Freyja and Odin’s wife Frigg, who may have been one and the same in earlier mythology.
Rán
Ran is a sea giantess and the wife of Aegir. She would catch sailors in her nets and pull them beneath the water. The underworld for men who died at sea was called Ran.
Ratatoskr
Ratatoskr is a squirrel that lives in Yggdrasil and spends most of his time running up and down the tree passing insulting messages between the eagle at the top of the tree and the dragon Nidhoggr at the bottom. The name Ratatoskr means “drill tooth” or “bore tooth”, and he also nourishes himself by chewing on the bark of Yggdrasil.
Rindr
Odin fathered Vali on Rindr. He grew to manhood in just one day in order to kill Hodr for his role in the death of Balder.
Saga
The Norse goddess Saga is associated with the island Sakkavbar, which means fallen bank. She often meets with Odin on this island, where the two eat and drink together, and she has clairvoyant abilities. For this reason, many scholars suggest that Saga is an alternative name for Frigg, Odin’s wife who was also a seer.
Saehrimnir
Saehrimnir is a boar that is kept in Valhalla that is killed and cooked by the chef Andhrimnir, but is brought back to life constantly, offering an unending food supply for the Einherjar.
Sif
Sif is the wife of Thor and her name means “related by marriage”. Very little is known about her except that she had bright golden hair that looked like the harvest. She was probably a fertility goddess associated with farm and field.
The only surviving significant story about Sif is about the time that Loki decided to remove her golden hair as a prank. When Thor discovered what had happened, he told Loki that he had better replace the hair with something just as fine or face the consequences.
As a result, Loki traveled to the realm of the dwarves, the master craftsmen of the Norse cosmos. He convinced them to make a golden headpiece for Sif that was enchanted to grow on her head like hair. He also commissioned some other gifts for the gods to win back their favor, including Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. All his presents seem to have satisfied the gods.
Sif had one daughter with Thor, Thrudr, whose name means strength. Sif may also have been the mother of Ullr, the god of snow and winter, though Thor was not his father. This may suggest an association between Sif and the season, with the goddess linked to autumn and spring, and her son the winter.
Sigyn
Sigyn’s name means “victorious girlfriend”, suggesting that she was a goddess of victory in war, probably not dissimilar from the Greek goddess Nike and the Roman goddess Victoria. She is the Aesir wife of the trickster giant Loki. When Loki is imprisoned for his role in the death of Balder, Sigyn tries to protect her husband. She sits by his side catching the poisonous venom of the snake hanging over his head in a bowl. Read our full profile of Sigyn.
Sjofn
Sjofn is yet another Norse goddess associated with love. Listed among the Aesir gods in the Gylfaginning, it is said that she is concerned with directing the minds of men and women to love, a bit like a cupid.
Skadi
Skadi is considered the goddess of winter and skiing, but she is a giantess, the daughter of Thjazi. Her father was killed by the Aesir gods, so Skadi went to Asgard looking for justice. Rather than fight, the Aesirr agreed to pay for her father. They agreed to complete an impossible task, which was to make Skadi laugh, and give her an impossible gift, which was to place Thjazi’s two eyes in the sky as stars.
For a husband, Skadi was told that she could choose but must do so by only looking at the feet of the gods. Wanting to marry the beautiful god Balder, she chose the best-looking feet, but this belonged to the sea god Njord, who had a haggard appearance due to his years by the sea. The two married, but it was short-lived as Skadi could not stand his seaside village home, and he could not stand her cold mountainous home.
After they split, Skadi was still welcome in Asgard and became a mistress to Odin, whom she gave many (unnamed) son. When the god imprisoned Loki for his crimes, it was Skadi who hung a venomous snake above the trickster.
Skoll and Hati
Skoll and Hati are two might wolves, the sons of Fenrir, who have been chasing the sun and moon across the sky for an eternity. At Ragnarök they will finally catch their prey and plunge the world into darkness.
Sleipnir
Sleipnir is the eight-legged steed of Odin. He is the best of horses and can run with ease between the nine worlds of the Norse cosmos. Sleipnir is actually a son of Loki, who transformed into a mare to distract the stud Svaldifari from helping his master build the walls of Asgard. In this way, Loki stopped the work from being completed on time, so that the gods would not have to pay for them. But he got pregnant in the process and gave the young horse to Odin.
Snotra
Snotra is another goddess listed among the Aesir but about whom little else is known. She is described as wise and courteous, which has led modern scholars to suggest that she was a goddess of wisdom.
Sól
Sol is the sun, wh rides across teh sky each day in her chariot. She is chased enternally by the jotun wolves Skol and Hati and will be devoured at Ragnarok, plunging the world into darkness.
Surtr
Surtr is the leader of the fire giants who have been trapped in the firey world of Muspelheim since near the beginning of time. He sits at the closed gates that keep him trapped and watches. When Ragnarok comes, the tremors that shake the universe will open these gates and Surtr will lead his people through. He will begin to decimate the world with his burning sword. He will eventually meet Freyr in battle and the two will kill one another.
Suttungr, Baugi, and Gunnlod
Suttungr is the giant who took possession of the Mead of Poetry from the dwarves who created it, demanding it in payment for the dwarves killing his father. Suttungry hid the mead in his mountain home and charged his daughter Gunlod with guarding it. But when Odin learned of the existence of mead, he must have it for himself.
Odin disguised himself as a working hand and tricked his way into the service of Baugi, Suttungr’s brother. In return for his work, Odin made Baugi agree to help him access Suttungr’s mountain by drilling a hole in the mountainside. Baugi tried to double-cross Odin by making the hole too small for a man, but Odin turned himself into a serpent and crawled up the mountain.
Once inside, Odin pretended to be in love with Gunnlod and begged her for a drink of the mead so that he would have the knowledge to put his passion into words. Once Odin got access to the mead, he drank it all and turned into an eagle to fly back to Asgard. He was pursued by Suttungr, who was killed, and Odin spat the mead out to be stored in Asgard.
Svartalfar
The Svartalfar (black elves), Dokkalfar (dark elves), or dwarves are the master craftsmen of the Norse cosmos. They live in Svartalfheim in dark caves that they use as mines and workshops. The dwarves are responsible for creating most of the great treasures owned by the gods including Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and Odin’s spear Gungnir. Read our complete profile of the Norse dwarves here.
Syn
Syn guards the doors to the hall of Freyja’s hall Sessrumnir. She is also considered a goddess of justice and is responsible for guiding defendants to trial.
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr
These are the two goats that pull Thor’s chariot. Thor will sometimes eat the goats, but is careful not to damage their bones, as he can resurrect the goats with his hammer. But, one time, one of their leg bones is damaged and the goat is resurrected lame.
Thjazi
Thjazi is another giant who turned himself into an eagle. He followed Odin, Loki, and Hoenir when they were traveling and magically prevented them from lighting a fire unless they agreed to share their food with him. When Loki tried to scare the bird away, he picked Loki up and sailed into the sky. He only agreed to let the trickster go if he helped Thjazi kidnap Idun, the goddess that cares for the orchard of golden apples that maintains the youth of the gods.
Idun was kidnapped, and the gods eventually noticed when they started to age. They suspected Loki and sent him to retrieve her. He did this by borrowing Freyja’s falcon feather cloak to turn into a bird, and then turning Idun into a nut so that she was small enough to carry back to Asgard.
When Thjazi learned what had happened, he turned into an eagle and pursued them. But the god was prepared, and as soon as Loki flew into Asgard, they created a ring of flames around the stronghold, which killed Thjazi when he tried to pass.
Thor
Thor is the Norse god of thunder. The son of Odin with the giantess Jord, he is the strongest of the gods and is charged with protecting both Asgard and Midgard from the threat of the giants. He does this with his might hammer Mjolnir. While he is represented as an ideal warrior, he is not “noble”. He is often selfish, arrogant, and has an enormous appetite. Most of the surviving stories from Norse mythology describe his adventures with the giants. Read our full profile of Thor.
Thrud
Thrud, whose name means strength, is the daughter of Thor and Sif. She rarely mentioned in the surviving sources, but she is mentioned in the story of the dwarf Alviss. Apparently, the dwarf arrived in Asgard, fell for Thrud, and asked for her hand in marriage. Thor wasn’t happy about it, so he tricked the dwarf into letting the sun turn him to stone.
Thrud is also the name of one of the Valkyries, the divine warriors that serve Odin. It is unclear whether this is the same Thrud or another woman with the same name.
There may also be an interesting connection between Thrud and Hrungnir, who is referred to by the kenning “thief of Thrud” by Bragi Boddason. Another poem, the Haustlong, tells the story of the fight between Hrungnir and Thor but does not give a reason for the disagreement. However, the poem is accompanied by an image of a shield depicting two scenes, the kidnapping of Idunn, and the fight between Thor and Hrungnir. This may suggest a connection between the two stories, perhaps that both related to the kidnapping of a goddess.
A lost story about the kidnapping of Thrud may also explain why Thor is called by the kenning “he who longs fiercely for Thrud”.
Thrym
Thrym is famous for having stolen Thor’s hammer and saying that he would only return it in exchange for the hand of the goddess Freyja in marriage. When Freyja refused to either marry him or participate in a ruse, Thor was convinced to disguise himself as Freyja and go after the hammer.
Accompanied by Loki, who shapeshifted into a handmaiden, Thor’s appetite and volatile nature almost gave him away, but Loki was able to cover for him. Eventually, when Thrym summoned the hammer to bless the wedding, Thor took it back and killed everyone in the giant’s hall.
Týr
Tyr is a god of war and justice. It seems that he may have been the most important god among the pre-Vikings of Scandinavia, but his position was then usurped by Odin, who is sometimes described as his father. Tyr famously sacrificed his hand to imprison the great wolf Fenrir. But the wolf will get his revenge, killing Odin himself at Ragnarök. Read our full profile of Tyr.
Ullr
Ullr was the Viking god of winter, skis, archery, hunting, combat, and vows. He was associated with wintery wilderness, and as an extension of this, the important tool of snowshoes. The Vikings said that no one could catch him on the ice. He is also described in one text as crossing water on magic bones, which has been taken as a metaphor for crossing a frozen lake on skates.
His hall in Asgard is called Ydalir, which means Yew Grove, and yew was considered the best wood for making bows. The Vikings primarily associated the bow with hunting, though they were also used in battle. Ullr was considered by the Vikings to be extremely accomplished as a warrior, especially in single combat. In fact, it was Ullr that the Vikings would invoke for good luck before participating in this type of fight.
Perhaps as an extension of this, Ullr was also associated with Viking shields, which were often referred to by the Kenning “Ullr’s ship”.
There are references in the surviving Skaldic verses of oaths being sworn on rings that were sacred to Ullr. That this was a common practice is reinforced by the discovery of 65 rings at a shrine of Ullr in Sweden. The rings were probably used to swear oaths, and then buried in grounds sacred to the gods.
Ullr is the son of the fertility deity Sif, though he is described specifically as the stepson of her husband Thor.
Utgard Loki
When Thor and Loki travel to Jotunharm, Utgard-Loki uses illusion to trick them every step of the way. First, he disguises himself as another giant called Skrymir and replaces his head with a mountain so that Thor cannot kill him with his hammer.
At his hall, he then tricks Loki into an eater competition with “fire”, which devours everything, including the table. He tricks another of Thor’s companions into racing against time. He tricks Thor into trying to wrestle with age, drink from a bottomless cup connected to the Midgard sea, and pick up a cat which is actually Jormungandr. Utgard-Loki and his companions mock them when they fail at each task.
Váli
Vali is the son of Odin with the giantess Rindr. He grew to manhood in one day to kill Hodr for his role in the death of Balder.
Valkyries
The Valkyries are divine shieldmaidens who work with Odin to decide the outcomes of battle and choose the bravest fallen warriors to take to Valhalla. While they are often depicted in later art as idyllic women, they are described by the Vikings as demons of death who reveled in battle and bathed in blood. Read our full profile of the Valkyrie here.
Var
Var is a Norse goddess whose name means pledge and is associated with oaths and agreements. In the story of Thor crossdressing as Freyja to retrieve his hammer from the giant Thrym, the giant calls on Var to bless the marriage. Elsewhere, Odin in the guise f High explains that Var listens to oaths and private agreements that men and women make with each other and punishes those who break them.
Vé
Ve is one of the borthers of Odin. Odin, Vili, and Ve together killed the giant Ymir and used his body to create Midgard. Ve is a god associated with the sea, and seems one to have challenged Odin for rulership of Asgard, but was defeated. It is possible that Ve is the progenitor of one of the other lines of gods, perhaps the Vanir or the elves, just like Odin is the progenitor of the Aesir. It is said that while Odin wore gold armour, Vili wore silver and Ve bronze.
Víðarr
Another son of Odin All-Father, Vidar is known by a variety of kennings, which reveal the significance of the god. He is “the avenger”, “the possessor of the iron shoe”, “the silent”, and “he who inhabits the homestead of his father”. Vidar is the son of Odin and the giantess Grindr, whose name means “vehemence of violence”.
Vidarr was associated with vengeance because he is destined to avenge his father at Ragnarok. Odin will be devoured by the great wolf Fenrir. Wearing thick shoes made of an enchanted material, Vidar will be able to stamp down on the lower jaw of the mighty wolf and use his strength to hold Fenrir’s mouth open. He will then drive his sword down Fenrir’s throat and into his heart, killing him and avenging his father.
Vidar was considered a strong and talented warrior, but unlike Thor, he never boasted of his prowess. He was known as the silent god. This association may be due to Viking rituals surrounding revenge combat.
The Vikings believed that a man who offended another man had the right to challenge him to a duel, called holmgang. In theory, you could challenge anyone, regardless of their social status, and to refuse was considered shameful.
Before a duel, a combatant might make an offering to Vidar. Some Viking texts suggest burying a weapon in cold water or ice. There may also have been rituals conducted before the fight that were performed in silence, as a form of cleansing.
As well as these icy places, Vidar was associated with wilderness. His hall in Asgard is described as a place where brushwood grows, and the grass is high. He is also described as being happiest in nature.
Vili
Vili is one of the brothers of Odin. Odin, Vili and Ve killed the giant Ymir and used his body to create Midgard. In one account of Ragnarök, Vili sacrifices himself to the wolf Fenrir after Odin is killed, assuming that the war is over and all is lost.
Vör
Vor is described as one of the goddesses in the Prose Edda. Her name means wisdom.
Ymir
Ymir is the first primordial giant that emerged from the goop of creation. He produced asexually, with other giants springing forth from his body. This concerned the gods, who reproduced much more slowly, so Odin, Vili, and Ve killed Ymir. They flooded the world with his blood, killing many of his giant offspring, and then used his body to create Midgard.
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