While we have put together full profiles of many Norse gods and goddesses on this site, we don’t know enough about some of the Norse gods to justify a full page. Below is a list of the Norse gods and goddesses with a summary of what we know about them from Norse mythology. If you are looking for giants, you’ll find a list here.
While we have tried to be thorough, we don’t know exactly how many Norse gods there were. The names of many gods are only mentioned in passing in the surviving sources, and we know nothing about them beyond their names. Moreover, these could be alternative names for more other gods in the Norse pantheon, as many Norse deities had multiple names. But below are the most important gods and goddesses to know about in Norse religion.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gersemi
Gersemi is one of the two daughters of Freya and Odr. Her beauty is said to match that of her mother.
Gullveig
Gullveig was a Vanir goddess who played an imporant role in the Aesir-Vanir War of Norse mythology. She was able to use her poerful 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.
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 Ragnarok. 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.
Hermod
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.
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.
Hodr
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.
Hoenir
Hoenir is described as teh god of silence, spirituality, poetry, and passion. He may also have helped Odin create the first living beings, Ask and Embla, to popular Midgard. But the most famous role Hoenir had to play in Norse Mythology was after the Aesir-Vanir War.
A charistmatic deity, Hoenir was sent to the Vanir after the war to be their new leader. But he relied on Mimir to advise him, and could give no good advise without Mimir by his side. The Vanir gods became suspicious and killed them both. But while Odin brought Mimir back to life, he did not do the same for Hoenir.
Idun
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.
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.
Mimir
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.
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.
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 god who married Freyja after she arrived in Asgard. He would often go off wandering, leaving Freyja heartbroken. It is said that her tears turned to gold when they touched land and amber when they touched water. It is possible that Odr is an alternative name for Odin.
Saga
Saga was a Norse goddess associated with the mythical island Sakkavbar. It is said that she would often meet up with Odin there to drink and that she was a powerful clairvoyant. This has led to speculation tha Saga could be an alternative name for Frigg.
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.
Snotra
Snotra is a goddess of wisdom and prudence and Snorri Sturluson says that she was worshipped as a high ranking goddess. He also mentioneed that she dies at Ragnarok, but gives no further details.
Sol
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.
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.
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”.
Tyr
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 Ragnarok. 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.
Vali
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.
Var
Vár is a goddess of promises and agreements in Norse mythology. She listens to people that make agreements with one another. She also punishes those that break their promises and contracts
Ve
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.
Vidar
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 Ragnarok, Vili sacrifices himself to the wolf Fenrir after Odin is killed, assuming that the war is over and all is lost.
Vor
Vor is described as one of the goddesses in the Prose Edda. Her name means wisdom.
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