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Aesir
-- the name for the
the main race of Norse gods who reside in Asgard under the
leadership of Odin. From here they ruled the lives of mortals.
Balder, Bragi, Forseti, Freya, Freyr, Frigg, Heimdall, Hod,
Idun, Loki, Njord, Odin, Sif, Thor, Tyr, Vili, Ve and Vidar
all dwell in Asgard.
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Angrboda
-- a giantess who's name means "herald of sorrow".
She is the mate of Loki and together they had three monster
children -- Fenrir, Jormungand and Hel. When the gods realized
what a threat these three would become, they abducted them
from Angrboda's hall.
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Asgard
-- one of the nine worlds
located on the highest level of the Norse universe. It is
the home of the Aesir or warrior gods.
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Balder
-- the god of beauty,
purity, innocence and light. He was loved by gods and men
alike and was considered to be the most beneficent of the
Norse deities although he had little power. He is the son
of Odin and Frigg, husband of Nanna and the father of Forseti,
the god of justice. Loki, jealous of Balder, tricked Balder's
blind twin brother Hod into killing him. It is said following
Ragnarok, a new world will arise and both Balder and Hod will
be reborn.
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Bragi
-- the god of eloquence
and poetry and the patron of poets (skalds). In the beginning,
Bragi was not part of the pantheon -- he was a poet from the
9th century named Bragi Boddason whom later poets made into
a god. He is considered to be the son of Odin and Frigg and
is married to Idun, the goddess of eternal youth. Runes were
carved on his tongue and he inspired poetry in mortals.
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Eddas
-- two collections of
Old Norse writings. The Elder or Poetic Edda is the older
of the two and is a collection of 34 Icelandic poems dating
back to the 9th to 12th centuries. It is followed by the Younger
or Prose Edda which was written by the Icelandic poet and
historian Snorri Sturluson (1179 - 1241). It was probably
written as a handbook for poets who aspired to become skalds.
Together, the Elder and Younger Eddas are the most authoritative
source for Norse mythology.
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Fafnir
-- the great worm who
safeguards the treasures of light. He is slain by Sigurd in
an old tale of the Volsungs.
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Fenrir/Fenris
-- the fierce and formidable monstrous wolf and oldest
child of Loki and Angrboda. He was captured, chained and locked
in a cage by the gods when they heard the prophecy that Fenrir
and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction
of the world. When Ragnarok comes, Fenrir will escape and
join the giants in the clash with the the gods. He will hunt
down Odin and devour him. Vidar will then kill Fenrir, avenging
his father.
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Forseti
-- the god of mediation and justice. He is the son
of Balder and Nanna. All legal disagreements are settled in
the palace Glitnir which serves as a court of justice and
is ruled by Forseti.
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Freya
-- one of the foremost
goddesses of the Vanir. She is the goddess of fertility and
love and the most beautiful and auspicious of the goddesses.
She is the daughter of Njord, the sister of Freyr and she
is married the mysterious god Od (probably another form of
Odin). Freya resides in the palace Folkvang ("field of folk")
and her hall is Sessrumnir. Freya was held hostage during
the conflict between the Aesir and the Vanir and was later
consecrated as sacrificial priestess. She is a mistress of
magic and taught the Aesir witchcraft, an art that was integral
among the Vanir. Freya is associated with Friday.
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Freyr
-- called "God of the
World" and later "Lord of Aesir", Freyr was the god of peace.
He was recognized as the most prominent and most handsome
of the male gods -- he is the essence of beauty itself. He
is the god of fertility and of sun and rain and he makes the
crops grow. He also is a prosperity god, creating abundance
and dispensing wealth. When a hostage of the Aesir, he along
with Njord were appointed high priests to preside over sacrifices.
He is the son of Njord, brother of Freya and husband of the
beautiful giantess Gerda (the Earth). On the day of Ragnarok,
Freyr will battle unarmed and will be the first to be killed
by Surt.
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Frigg
-- she is Odin's wife
and one of the foremost goddesses. She is the goddess of marriage,
motherhood, love and fertility. Because of the love and fertility
characteristics she shares with Freya, she may be a different
form of her. She is known for seeing every person's destiny
but never unveiling it.
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Heimdall
-- the god of light
and guardian of the gods. He is responsible for guarding Bifrost,
the only entrance to Asgard and preventing the giants from
forcing their way in. Heimdall also created the three races
of mankind: the serfs, peasants and warriors. His hall is
Himinbjorg or The Cliffs of Heaven. When Ragnarok comes, he
will kill his nemesis Loki, but will die from the wounds he
inflicts on him.
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Hel
-- she is the ruler
of Helheim, the realm of the dead, and is the youngest child
of Loki and Angrboda. She was cast into the underworld by
the gods when they realized that she and her two siblings
were a danger. In Helheim, she distributes those who are sent
to her, separating the wicked from those who died of sickness
or age. She is portrayed as half alive and half dead.
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Hermod --
the messenger of the gods and the son of Odin and
Frigg. At Frigg's request, Hermod bravely went down into the
underworld to see Hel and plead for Balder's return after
his murder.
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Hod
-- the blind god associated
with darkness and winter. He is the son of Odin and Frigg.
Tricked by Loki, he unintentionally killed his twin brother
Balder by throwing a dart at him poisoned with mistletoe --
the only thing that could kill him. Hod was later put to death
for this act by Vali. After Ragnorak and a new world is created,
Hod will be reborn.
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Idun
-- goddess of eternal
youth. She is the keeper of the golden apples which restore
youth to the gods. Because she is associated with fertility,
youth and death, it may be that originally Idun was one of
the Vanir. She is married to Bragi.
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Jord
-- mother of Thor and
one of Odin's wives. She personifies the primordial Earth.
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Jormungand
-- the serpent child of Loki and Angrboda. Because
of the danger he posed to gods and men alike, Odin cast the
serpent into the ocean. Jormungand, who was growing rapidly,
easily spanned the entire world -- which is why he is given
the name Midgard Serpent. Jormungand resides deep in the ocean
where he bites his own tail. All mankind is caught within
his coils. When Ragnorak comes, Jormungand and Thor will kill
each other.
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Jotunheim
-- one of the nine worlds
that is situated in Midgard. It is the homeland of the frost
giants and rock giants and is ruled by Thrym, the feared king
of the frost giants. Mimir's well of wisdom is located here
beneath the Midgard root of Yggdrasil.
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Lif and Lifthrasir
-- the only two humans who will survive Ragnarok.
Lif ("life") and Lifthrasir ("eager for life") sleep through
the destruction and when they awake, they will find a new
world. They will start a new race of humans and their descendants
will inhabit the Earth.
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Loki -- god
of fire and ally of the frost giants. He is connected to fire
and magic and he is a shapeshifter and trickster figure. He
is the son of the giants Farbauti and Laufey. His loyal wife
is Sigyn and his mistress is the giantess Angrboda with whom
he fathered three children -- Fenrir, Hel and Jormungand.
Loki's attractive and friendly appearance contrasts his true
nature which is crafty and malicious. In his trickster form
however, he is also heroic. He is considered one of Aesir
but there are many times he crosses the other gods. He is
responsible for plotting Balder's death and cajoling Hod into
throwing the poison dart that killed him. For this the gods
punished him by chaining him to three large rocks and placing
a poisonous snake above his head. Sigyn would catch the dripping
venom in a bowl but every so often, the poison would fall
on his face and the pain would make him writhe, causing earthquakes.
When Ragnarok arrives, Loki will break free and lead the giants
into battle against the gods.
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Midgard
-- the "middle world".
The gods built this fortress around the middle section of
the earth to protect man from the giants. It is on the same
level as Nidavellir, the land of the dwarfs, Svartalfheim,
the land of the dark elves and dwarfs, and Jotunheim, the
land of the giants.
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Niflheim
-- the "house of mists"
located on the lowest level of the universe. It is far to
the North and it is characterized by icy fogs and mists and
darkness and cold. Helheim, the realm of death, is part of
this vast region. After Ragnarok, there will be a hall here
to punish evil and immoral people.
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The
Nine Worlds of Norse Mythology -- First level:
Asgard/world of the Aesir;
Vanaheim/land of the Vanir; and Alfheim/land of the light
elves. Valhalla is also on this level
Second level: Midgard/Land
of humans; Nidavellir/Land of the dwarfs; Jotunheim/Land of
the giants; and Svartalfheim/Land of the dark elves.
Third level: Hel/Realm of
the dead; and Niflheim/World of the dead. Nastrond, the Shore
of Corpses is also located on this level.
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Njord -- the
sea god, god of winds and fire, and a god of beginnings, fertility
and the Earth. He brings prosperity at sea and in the hunt.
He is married to Skadi but his children Freya and Freyr were
conceived by his sister. Njord was originally one of the Vanir
but when they made peace with the Aesir, he and his children
were given to them as hostages. The Aesir made Njord a high
priest presiding over sacrifices.
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Norns
-- the three sister
demi-goddesses of destiny who live at the base of Yggdrasil
in Asgard -- Urd, who is fate, Verdandi, who is necessity
and Skuld who is being. They control the fates of gods, men
and the cosmos.
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Odin
-- the chief god of
the Norse pantheon. He is a son of Bor and Bestla. With his
wife Frigg, he is the father of Balder, Hod and Hermod. With
the goddess Jord, he fathered Thor and with the giantess Grid,
he fathered Vidar. Odin is the god of war and death and also
the god of poetry and wisdom. It is said that he hung from
the world tree, pierced by his own spear, for nine days in
a mystical state. He also traded one of his eyes for a drink
from the Well of Wisdom to gain untold knowledge/wisdom. The
one remaining eye blazes like the sun. During this time, he
learned magical songs and runes. His hall is Valaskjalf, meaning
"shelf of the slain". He also dwells in Valhalla. When Ragnarok
occurs, Odin will be slain by Fenrir.
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Ragnarok
-- or Gotterdammerung means the "Doom of the Gods"
and the end of the cosmos. Preceding it will be Fimbulvetr
when all morality will disappear and conflicts will arise.
This is the beginning of the end. The wolf Skoll will consume
the sun and his brother Hati will devour the moon, plunging
the earth into darkness. The stars will vanish from the sky.
Three cocks will crow: one to call the giants, one to call
the gods, and the last to call and raise the dead. The earth
will shudder with earthquakes and every bond and fetter will
burst. The sea will rage as Jormungand makes his way toward
the land. This will set free the ships of the giant Hymir
who will lead the giants, and of Loki who will guide the dead.
Surt, who will scorch the Earth with his sword, will lead
the fire giants and Heimdall will sound the alarm that calls
the gods. From all corners of the world, gods and demons will
converge on the plain of Vigrid where the last battle will
be fought. Surt will then hurl fire in every direction and
the nine worlds will burn. Everything will perish and the
earth will sink into the sea. A new and idyllic world will
then arise from the sea. Some of the old gods will survive
--others will be reborn. Evil and misery won't exist and gods
and men will peacefully coexist.
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Sif
-- Thor's golden-haired
wife. Little is known or written of her. She may have originally
been a fertility goddess.
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Sigmund
-- Son of Volsung. Sigmund was the only person able
to draw the great sword Gram from the log into which Odin
had thrust it and so it became his. After his death, Sigmund
left it to his unborn son, Sigurd.
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Sigurd
-- or Siegfried, he
was the greatest hero in Germanic legend and central character
of the Saga of the Volsungs. Sigurd's foster father Regin
wanted the treasure which his brother Fafnir, in the form
of a dragon guarded. Regin forged an extraordinary sword for
Sigurd but it broke when first tested. Sigurd had his father's
sword Gram reassembled and reforged and it withstood all the
tests. Sigmund managed to slay Fafnir and gained not only
the treasure but wisdom by tasting the blood of the lifeless
dragon. Sigurd then killed Regin when he realized he planned
to kill him for the treasure he wanted for himself. Sigurd
went on to free the Valkyrie maiden Brunhilde, who lay in
a magical sleep induced by Odin for her supposed insolence.
Brunhilde had avowed to marry the person who could get through
the fire that surrounded her abode and Sigurd, in the form
of Gunnar, the man who loved her but couldn't get through
the fire, did.
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Skadi
-- she is a giantess
and the embodiment of winter. She was married to Njord although
their marriage was not a happy one. Skadi was of the mountains
and Njord was of the sea. They agreed to spend the first nine
days in the mountains and the following nine days by the sea.
This arrangement did not work out very well, and they separated.
Eventually, Skadi left Njord for the god Ull.
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Surt
-- the Fire Giant who
lives in the realm of fire in the south. When Ragnorak comes,
he will set the world on fire, destroying all.
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Thor
-- the god of thunder.
He is a son of Odin and Jord. He is married to the fertility
goddess Sif and his mistress is the giantess Jarnsaxa. Thor
fathered three children with Jarnsaxa -- two sons, Magni and
Modi and one daughter, Thrud. He was one of the most powerful
gods and was very popular as the protector of both gods and
humans against the forces of evil. He outshined even Odin
in popularity because unlike Odin, Thor did not demand human
sacrifices. It was said that Thor rode through the sky on
his goat-pulled chariot during thunderstorms and that lightning
flashes every time he threw his hammer, Mjollnir. His hall,
Bilskirnir, is in Thrudheim, the "place of might". On Ragnarok,
Thor will kill his greatest enemy, the Midgard serpent Jormungand,
though he will die from his poison. His sons will inherit
his hammer after his death. Thursday is named after him.
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Tyr
-- the first Germanic
god of war and justice who inspires courage and heroism in
battle. Tyr was around before Odin was but in the time of
the Vikings, Odin became the war god and Tyr was regarded
as his son or possibly the giant Hymir. Tyr is portrayed as
a man with one hand because one of them was bitten off by
Fenrir. When Ragnarok arrives, he will kill the guardian of
hell, Garm, but he will die from the wounds inflicted by this
monster hound. He is associated with Tuesday.
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Valhalla
-- Hall of the Slain.
This is the hall presided over by Odin and where the Valkyries
bring the slain heroes. It is said on the day Ragnarok begins,
eight hundred warriors will march shoulder to shoulder out
of each of Valhalla's five hundred and forty doors.
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Vali
-- a son of Odin and
his mistress, the giantess Rind. He was born solely to avenge
Balder's death at the hands of Hod, even though it was unintentional.
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Valkyries
-- the "choosers of
the slain". These young and beautiful women and spirits of
war who ride winged horses and dress in battle garb, are messengers
of Odin's. Because Odin needs the best and bravest warriors
for the coming of Ragnarok, the Valkyries scout the battlefields
choosing the best of the slain heroes (Einherjar) to bring
to Valhalla. There is also a story that when riding on their
horses in the sky, the Valkyries armor shimmers in such a
way that it is associated with the Northern Lights(Aurora
Borealis)
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Vanir
-- originally, the Vanir
are gods and goddesses of wild nature and were considered
masters of magic. They live in Vanaheim. Not much is known
about them before the time they were integrated with the Aesir.
At the beginning, the Vanir were enemies of the warrior gods
of the Aesir. After warring for a very long time, they made
peace, and the Vanir were assimilated with the Aesir.
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Ve -- along
with his brothers Odin and Vili, Ve is an ancient Scandinavian
god and son of the primordial giants Bor and Bestla. After
slaying the primeval being Ymir, Ve, Odin, and Vili created
heaven and earth from his body. They also created the twelve
realms and the first pair of humans, Ask and Embla.
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Vidar
-- god of silence and
revenge and the son of Odin and the giantess Grid (Gridr).
He is the second strongest of the gods. When Ragnarok comes,
he will avenge his father's death by destroying Fenrir. He
will be one of the gods that will rule the new world when
it is established.
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Vili
-- one of the primordial
gods and brother of Odin and Ve. Odin, Ve and Vili created
the cosmos and the first humans.
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Vor
-- the goddess of marriage,
contracts and faithfulness between man and woman. Nothing
could be concealed from her as she was extremely wise.
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Yggdrasil
-- is symbolic of the World Tree. It is a giant ash
tree that connects and protects all the worlds in Norse mythology.
There are three roots and below them lie the realms of Asgard,
Jotunheim, and Niflheim. Three wells are located at the base
of the tree: the Well of Wisdom (M’misbrunnr), the Well of
Fate (Urdarbrunnr) and the Hvergelmir (Roaring Kettle). When
the day of Ragnarok comes, Surt will set the tree on fire
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