Frigg

Frigg (pronounced “FRIG;” Old Norse Frigg, “Beloved”[1]), sometimes Anglicized as “Frigga,” is the highest-ranking of the Aesir goddesses. She’s the wife of Odin, the leader of the gods, and the mother of Baldur. Strangely for a goddess of her high position, the surviving primary sources on Norse mythology give only sparse and casual accounts of … Continue reading Frigg

Odr (god)

Odr (pronounced “Oh-der,” from Old Norse Óðr, “ecstasy, inspiration, fury, frenzy;” sometimes shortened to Óð or “Od”) is an obscure, seldom-mentioned god. According to the medieval Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson, Odr is the husband of the Vanir goddess Freya, who is the mother of his daughter Hnoss. Snorri also briefly mentions one story about Odr, … Continue reading Odr (god)

Vili and Ve

Vili and Ve (pronounced “VILL-ee” and “VAY,” respectively) are the two brothers of the god Odin, with whom they shared a decisive role in the creation of the cosmos. The medieval Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson tells us that Odin, Vili, and Ve were the first true Aesir gods to exist. Their parents were the proto-god … Continue reading Vili and Ve

Hodr

Hodr (pronounced “HO-der”; from Old Norse Höðr, “Warrior”[1]) is a Scandinavian god whom we know only from a single episode in Norse mythology: the death of Baldur. Two widely divergent versions of this story exist. The more familiar of the two (the one recounted in the above link) comes from the Prose Edda of the … Continue reading Hodr

Gefjun

Gefjun (pronounced “GEV-yoon” and sometimes spelled “Gefjon,” “Gefiun,” or “Gefion”) is an ancient Norse goddess of agriculture, fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Her name is derived from the Old Norse verb gefa, “to give,”[1] and her name can be translated as “Giver” or “Generous One.” Most of our information about Gefjun has been filtered through the … Continue reading Gefjun

Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn

Fjorgynn (pronounced roughly “FIOR-gen” with a hard “g”) and Fjorgyn (pronounced roughly the same) are a divine pair in Norse mythology. Fjorgynn (Old Norse Fjörgynn) is male and Fjorgyn (Old Norse Fjörgyn) is female. References to either of these giants and/or deities in Old Norse literature are few and far between. They play no active … Continue reading Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn

The Death of Baldur

Baldur was one of the most beloved of all the gods. The son of Odin, the chief of the gods, and the benevolent sorceress goddess Frigg, Baldur was a generous, joyful, and courageous character who gladdened the hearts of all who spent time with him. When, therefore, he began to have ominous dreams of some … Continue reading The Death of Baldur

Freya

Freya (Old Norse Freyja, “Lady”) is one of the preeminent goddesses in Norse mythology. She’s a member of the Vanir tribe of deities, but became an honorary member of the Aesir gods after the Aesir-Vanir War. Her father is Njord. Her mother is unknown, but could be Nerthus. Freyr is her brother. Her husband, named … Continue reading Freya

Baldur

Baldur (pronounced “BALD-er;” Old Norse Baldr, Old English and Old High German Balder) is one of the Aesir gods. He’s the son of Odin and Frigg, the husband of the obscure goddess Nanna, and the father of the god Forseti. He’s loved by all the gods, goddesses, and beings of a more physical nature. So … Continue reading Baldur

Loki

Loki (pronounced “LOAK-ee;” Old Norse Loki, the meaning of which will be discussed below) is the wily trickster god of Norse mythology. While treated as a nominal member of the gods, Loki occupies a highly ambivalent and ultimately unique position among the gods, giants, and the other kinds of spiritual beings that populate the pre-Christian … Continue reading Loki