Norse Pantheon

Odin

The All-father

God of battle, inspiration, and death

• Self-sacrificing

• Spring of Mimir

Hanged on Yggdrasil

Woden’s Day- Wednesday

Frigg/Frigga

Odin’s wife

Depicted spinning yarn on golden distaff

Goddess most prayed to by women

Friday is named after her

• from the Old English word "Frīġedæġ," which translates to "day of Frigg".

Thor

Red-headed son of Odin and Jord

Strongest god

Had 3 magical weapons

• Mjollnir

• Power belt

• Iron gauntlet

Chariot drawn by 2 goats

God of the peasants

Thursday is named after him from Old Norse Þórsdagr, Day of Thor

Loki

Frost giant, shapeshifter

Admitted to Asgard

Archetypal Trickster

First wife, Angurboda gave birth to the wolf, Fenrir, world serpent, Jormungandr, and Hel

He gave birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse

Heimdall

Odin’s son

Watchman of Asgard

Born of the nine sisters, maidens of Jotar

Creates the social classes

acute sight and hearing

Blows his horn, Gjallarhorn to warn of danger

Frey/r

God of fertility

Lived in Alfheim

Aesirs gave him gifts

• ship, Skidbladnir

• boar with golden bristles

  • Symbol of Viking warriors; felt it placed them under Frey’s protection

Freyja

Practitioner of seidr, magic

Freyr’s twin sister

Goddess of love and beauty

Given her own hall of Asgard called Folkvangr

Tyr

God of battle

One-handed

Bravest god

Tuesday is named after him from the Old English word "Tiwesdæg," which translates to "Tiw's day"

Tīw or Tiu was the Germanic name for Tyr

Balder / Baldr

Sun god

Odin’s son

Most beloved of the gods

His death signals Ragnarok

The Valkyries

Name means “Choosers of the Slain”, spirits of carnage because they bring noble dead to Valhalla and Folkvangr

In older sagas, sinister and used magic

• Decided who lived/died

Not warriors themselves, they did not fight

Served the Einherjer in Valhalla

Other Immortals

Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, Frost Giants

Jormungandr

2 Tribes of the Gods

Initially live in peace

Feud over Freyja, practitioner of seidr (Norse magic, shamanism)

• Aesir attempt murder 3 times and fail, feud begins

Truce called; hostages exchanged

Aesir

Warrior gods

Plain combat

Odin, Vili, Ve

Kill Ymir

Create world

Vanir

Fertility gods

Concerned with magic

Merge with Aesir

Njord, Freyr, Freyja

Elves

Helped people, but also tricked

Dwarves

lived underground, jewelers of sorts

Trolls

lived in Jotunheim; allied with the Jotars; only evil deeds

Frost Giants

principal enemies of the Aesir /Vanir gods; constantly working to overthrown them