|
|
Norse Deities
Aegir
Aegir was the primary Norse (Scandinavian) god of the sea. He was a deification of the ocean, both in the calm, beautiful aspects, and in the torrential, destructive aspects. Storms were caused by his anger and it was said that a ship which had wrecked went into "Aegir's wide jaws". Sailors feared Aegir, and thought he would come up to destroy ships. Because of this it is believed that early Anglo-Saxons made human sacrifices to a god of the sea, most likely Aegir, to prevent him from wrecking their ships.
Aegir was crowned with seaweed and was always surrounded by mermaids while in his hall. Gold was put onto the floor of the hall to provide light rather than having a fire. This is why gold was sometimes called "Aegir's fire". Every winter the gods would drink ale at Aegir's hall. Aegir brewed ale for the gods once Thor brought him a big enough kettle. Because of this, he was famed for his hospitality, which was a greatly important virtue to the Norse peoples. The cups in Aegir's hall were always full, replenishing themselves by magic.
Aegir had two servants in his hall, Fimafeng and Eldir. He was son of Mistarblindi and husband of Ran. Ran and Aegire lived under the sea near the island Hlesey. Together they had nine daughters who were the waves.
Alaisiagae
Norse (Scandinavian) war goddess.
Balder
Norse (Scandinavian) god of joy, light, beauty, innocence, purity, and reconciliation. His parents are Odin and Frigg.
Balder's mother, Frigg, took oaths from all plants, creatures, minerals, and elements that they would not harm him, all except the mistletoe plant for she felt it was too young and too small to harm him. He was therefore considered immune from harm and the other gods would throw things at him in sport. Loki deceived Hod (Balder's blind brother) into throwing a spear made from mistletoe at Baldur. It was this which killed him. This story can easily be compared to the Greek legend of Achilles' heel.
Bor
Norse (Scandinavian). Father of Odin, son of Buri.
Eir
Norse (Scandinavian) Goddess of healing with herbs. Eir taught the use of healing herbs only to women, and was a handmaiden to Frigg.
Elli
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of old age who beat Thor in a wrestling match.
Forseti
Norse (Scandinavian) god of justice and reconciliation. His name would be said before a trial to ensure that the argument was perfectly reconciled. Associations: Truth, justice, peace, equity.
Freya
"Queen of the Valkyeries". Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of love, sex, sensuality, passion, and fertility. Called the most beautiful of the goddesses. She is also the patron Goddess of crops and birth. Her father is Njörd; her brother, Freyr. She spends much of her time with the faeries. She symbolizes war, fertility, leo magic, fruitfulness, the moon, poetry, child blessing, maternity.
Frey
Norse (Scandinavian) God of sun and rain, peace and war, and the bountiful harvest. He is the son of Njörd, husband of Gerd, and the brother of Freya. He symbolizes peace and prosperity.
Frigg
Norse (Scandinavian) Goddess of love, fertility, marriage and motherhood. It is said that she knows but will not reveal the destiny of everyone. She symbolizes fertility, physical love, foresight, cunning, wisdom, the moon, and love. Also known as Frigga.
Gefion
Norse (Scandinavian) vegetation and fertility goddess. It is told that maidens who die as virgins become her servants. Gefion's symbol is the plough. A shapeshifter. She symbolizes fortunate turns of luck, magical arts, virginity, prosperity, luck, fertility, and agriculture/growth.
Gerd
Norse (Scandinavian) earth goddess who married Freyr. She was a giantess, and considered very beautiful.
Gullveig
"The Golden Branch". Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of sorcery, symbolizes the magickal arts, prophecy, foresight, healing.
Heimdall
Norse (Scandinavian) god of light and guardian of the rainbow bridge. He eventually kills Loki. Symbolizes education, teaching, and protection.
Hel
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of death and the underworld. The Christian concept of "Hell" came from this goddess, however, her realm of the dead for those who were wicked was cold and dark, not fiery.
Hermod
Norse (Scandinavian) god who was a messenger between the gods. Son of Odin and Frigg.
Hodr
Norse (Scandinavian) god of winter and darkness. Blind twin of Balder.
Hoenu
Norse (Scandinavian) god of silence. He, along with his brother Lodur, created Ask and Embla, the first humans.
Iduna
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of eternal youth. She symbolizes youth, longetivity, fertility, and death.
Jord
Norse (Scandinavian) primeval earth goddess. Mother of Thor and wife of Odin.
Loki
Norse (Scandinavian) trickster god. Loki is an important god in Norse (Scandinavian) legends. He is an impish, destructive god. He caused the death of Baldur by guiding Baldur's blind twin brother to unknowingly assassinate him. He is dangerous and should be avoided for invocations. He fathered Hel. He symbolizes destruction and trickery.
Nanna
Norse (Scandinavian) great goddess of earth. Mother goddess, symbolizes the moon and fertility.
Nerthus
Norse (Scandinavian) earth mother. She symbolizes peace, fertility, the sea, purity, magic, and white witchcraft.
Njord
Norse (Scandinavian) God of winds, sea, fire, and wealth. His children were Freya and Freyr. In the pagan days, his name was said in court oath. Invoke for financial requests, prosperity, or those rites involving the elements air, water, or fire.
Odin
"Father of the Gods". Norse (Scandinavian) god of death, poetry, wisdom, magic and war. With his brothers, Ve and Vili; he created heaven, earth, and the twelve realms. They also created the first humans, Ask and Embla.
Thor can often be considered his enemy because they are such opposites. Odin was known to be treacherous and deceitful to man. He would turn on man with or without reason. Odin symbolizes creativity, divination, oracles, prophecy, luck.
I know that I hung there
on the windy tree
swung there nights, all of nine gashed with a blade
bloodied by Odin
myself an offering to myself
knotted to that tree
no man knows whither the root of it runs
None gave me bread
None gave me drink
down to the depths I peered
to snatch up runes
with a roaring screech
and fall in a dizzying faint
Wellspring I won
and wisdom too
and grew and joyed in my growth from a word to a word
I was led to a word
from a deed to another deed.
-Lay of the High One (old Norse verse). 138, 139, 141.
Ran
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of storms. She ruled the realm of the dead and was wife of Aegir. She was vicious and destructive. She symbolizes the element of water.
Saga
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of good memories and the past. She is the daughter of Odin and can be invoked for remembrance.
Sif
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of corn, crops, summer, and fertility. Symbolizes fidelity, friends, peace, and domestic matters.
Sjofna
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of love.
Skadi
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of winter, darkness, black magic, and hunting.
Thor
Norse (Scandinavian) God of thunder and fighter of giants. Thor was amongst the most powerful and important gods of this pantheon. The sound of thunder was believed to be the rolling of his chariot. He had a magic hammer which he threw with the aid of iron gloves, like a boomerang, it always returned to his hand.
When Christianity was introduced and began to spread throughout Iceland, many Norse gods were quickly diminished. Thor, on the other hand, lived on for quite some time. His symbol, the hammer named Mjollnir, is still common in Nordic artwork. Little silver hammers were made in smith's shops along with Christian crucifixes, and there have been molds discovered with the cross and the hammer side by side. He also lives on in the day of the week named after him -- Thor's day, or as it is commonly known, Thursday.
Thor symbolizes protection, defense, safety at sea, agricultural fertility, law, order, justice. Also known as Thunar, Donner, Thunor, Donar.
Uller
Norse (Scandinavian) God whose name meant "the brilliant one". Symbolizes oaths, pacts, duels, hunting, winter, and glory.
Var
Norse (Scandinavian) goddess of contracts and agreements. She gets revenge against those who break oaths. No secret can be kept from Var. She is best invoked when one is signing an agreement, contract, pact, or oath. She is also good to invoke if an oath or promise to you was broken, especially in marriage. Also symbolizes love. Also known as Vor.
Vidar
Norse (Scandinavian) god of silence and vengeance. He is the second strongest in his pantheon.
Weland
Norse (Scandinavian) god of smiths and metalworkers. His element is fire.
Woden
Germanic war god, a version of the Norse (Scandinavian) Odin but much gentler. Human sacrifices, stabbed to death and then burned, were made in his honor. See also ODIN.
