Norse Mythology

A short description of different Norse gods and creatures

Yggdrasil

Humans live in the middle (Midgard)
9 levels

Tree that all life lives on – “The World Tree”

Asgard

* Home of the **Aesir** (gods)

Valhalla

* Great Hall for **dead warriors**
* Within **Asgard**
* **Life goal** of a Viking is to die in battle and go to Valhalla

Ragnarok

* **End of the world** cycle
* Great battle between the forces of **good and evil**
*  world is restarted by **two humans**

Odin

* **King** of the gods
* Has two pet **ravens** and two pet **wolves;** Has an **eight legged** horse
* **Father** of Thor and Baldur
* Has a **spear** that never misses as a weapon

Thor

Rides in a chariot pulled by two immortal **goats**

Battles the **Midgard serpent**

God of **thunder and rain**

Freyja

Queen of the Valkyries

Has a **cloak of falcon**

A member of the **Vanir**

Goddess of love, beauty, and war

Freyr

god of **fertility**

king of the **elves**

has a pet **golden boar**

Tyr

god of **war**

sacrificed his **right hand** and take care of Fenrir the wolf

Loki

Trickster god

shape shifter

part giant

Father of Fernrir, and Jormurgandr

Skadi

**Giant** that **marries** into the family of gods

* goddess of **winter**, the hunt, skiing, justice and vengeance
* Married to the **sea god**, but wants **Baldur**

Frigg

* Odin’s **wife**
* **Mother** to all

Protector of **children**

Hel

* Goddess of the **underworld**– those that do not die in battle

Half **dead** and half **alive**

Child of Loki

Baldr

God of **love and light**

* **Mother** tries to make sure that nothing could harm him (like Achilles), except for **mistletoe**
* Is left after **Ragnarock** from the land of **the dead**
* Most beautiful of all the gods

Sif

* Wife of **Thor**
* **Long golden** hair
* **Earth** goddess

Heimdall

* Has **9** mothers
* Can see the future
* “**Whitest** of the Norse Gods”
* Protects the **Bifrost bridge** and sounds his magical horn when intruders are near

Valkyries

* Shield **maidens**
* Chooses from the **slain** in battle to take to **Valhalla**
* Ride **horses** down from the sky

Fenrir

* Terrible **monster** in the shape of a **giant wolf**
* Son of **Loki**
* Chained by the **gods** out of **fear**

Jormungandr

* The Midgard **Serpent**
* Father is **Loki**
* So big that it **circles the earth** and can bite its own tail
* Enemy is Thor

Draugr

* **Undead** warriors
* Glowing **blue eyes**
* Super **strength**

Norns

* Three **women** – sometimes a child, a mother, and a crone
* Spin the **threads of fate**
* Rule the **destinies** of gods and men

Hugin and Munin & Geri and Freki

* **Two** ravens and **two** wolves
* Tell **Odin**_ everything that happens on the earth
* Eat the **food** from Odin’s table as Odin never **eat**

Sleipnir

* Eight legged **horse**
* Son of **Loki** and a **magical horse**
* **Fastest** horse in the world

Dwarves

* Live **underground**
* Creators of **great weapons** and objects for the gods
* Not **tiny** – almost as tall as men with their proportions different

Elves

* **Nature** spirits
* Always **youthful** and beautiful in appearance
* Can be **good or evil**

Giants

* Can be anywhere from **man** size to **mountain** size
* Can be **beautiful or monsters**
* Sometimes enemy of the gods, sometimes **besties**
* \

Trolls

* **Large** in size
* Live **underground**
* Will turn to **stone** in **sunlight**

Lindworm

* **Sea** serpent
* Wingless
* Poisonous **bite**
* To see one and escape is **good luck**