Heimdall

Heimdall was the dutiful sentry who kept watch over Asgard to warn of any approaching giants or other beings who might want to hard the gods. Heimdall actually kept “watch” by listening to everything that was happening in the entire cosmos. It was said that he could “hear grass growing on the ground and wool growing on sheep”. There seems to be a lost myth about Heimdall sacrificing one of his ears in order to gain exceptional hearing just like Odin who sacrificed one of his own eyes for his own exceptional perceptual ability. Heimdall required less sleep than a bird and tirelessly defended the gods and their heavenly fortress. He sat atop the rainbow bridge called Bifrost which was the entry point to Asgard. In his hand he held Gjallarhorn or the “Resounding Horn” in which he would blow if there was danger. Heimdall is said to have fathered the ancestors of the three main social classes in Norse society: aristocrats, freemen, and slaves. Heimdall was also credited, sometimes, of fathering all of humankind. The animal related to Heimdall was the ram for unknown reasons. The birth of Heimdall was rather confusing for his father was Odin, but he had nine mothers, a feat which is possible for gods, but not humans. Heimdall was not a major god and therefore there is not very much other information related to him.

Balder

Balder was said to be the fairest of all of the Norse deities, both in appearance and in character. For these reasons, he actually radiated light. He was so eloquent and gracious that when he pronounced a judgment on any matter, no one could find a way to criticize it. The main surviving myth of Balder was his murder by Loki and the blind god Hod, most famously told by Snorri Sturluson. When Loki, heard that the only thing that could harm Balder was a mistletoe, he made a magical spear from this plant. Loki went to the place where the gods were indulging in their favorite pastime of hurling random objects at Baldr, which would all bounce off without harming him. Loki gave the spear to Baldr’s brother, the blind god Hod, who then inadvertently killed his brother with it. For this act alone, Odin and the giantess Rindr gave birth to Vali who grew to adulthood within a day and killed Hod.

Balder of course was an accomplished and formidable warrior like any Norse god. The most straightforward translation of Balder was that to came from the adjective “bold” attributed for his eagerness of battle. Other than the story of his death, not much else survived to today about the god Balder.

Loki

Many people who nothing absolutely nothing about Norse mythology have at least hear of the trickster god Loki. Loki was known for his scheming and as a coward who only cared about self-preservation and shallow pleasures. Loki was, like most other Norse deities, a contradiction for he was known to be playful as well as helpful, and benevolent as well as malevolent. Loki helped both the giants and the gods depending on which course of action was most adventurous and pleasurable to him. Loki found stealing objects of power from the gods enjoyable. But at the end of the day, Loki always fixed whatever problems he caused and his actions would eventually benefit the gods greatly. Loki is most associated with the gods Thor and Odin though both of these relationships were tumultuous. Thor and Loki had a very close relationship and were known to fight and protect each other like siblings. Loki fathered many different kinds of children.

It was said that Loki ate the heart of a woman known for many deeds of great malice and this caused he himself to become impregnated and give birth to all the female monsters in the world. Loki was labeled as the most shameful being possible because the idea of a man giving birth was brought about the highest level of dishonor. A man giving birth to children was worse than a man practicing magic.

Loki was ultimately responsible for the death of the beloved god named Balder (discussed in the next blog post). For this murder, and countless other crimes the gods decided to punish Loki. The gods took Loki into a cave and bound him with a chain made from the entrails of his son, Nari, who was killed in front of him. To make matters worse, a poisonous snake was placed above his head to drip venom onto Loki’s forehead. In the end, it was Loki who betrayed the gods that lead to the downfall of the cosmos.

Frey

Frey is the brother of Freya and as such his name is also a title rather than an actual name. Frey simply meant “Lord”, while it is said that his more proper name is Yngvi. Like all Norse gods, Frey had many different names and his last name commonly used was Frodi which translates to “Fruitful”. Frey was worshipped primarily as a god who brought fertility and vitality to the land and to the people. Peoples’ who’s primary occupation was either a farmer or a herder usually regarded Frey as their most important deity. His followers were known to sacrifice animals, such as boar, to him during a couple’s wedding to encourage the fertility and happiness of the party involved.

In order for agriculture to be carried out successfully, war and all conflicts must be absent. For this reason, Frey was said to be the bringer of peace. But, like all Norse gods, Frey was a formidable warrior due to the warlike nature of the Norsemen. Chariots was essential to his worship. These chariots would carry a statue of Frey and would be carted from village to village blessing the land and inhabitants of these villages. Chariots were also essential to war and Frey was said to have been one of the best. His chariots were pulled by boar, hence they were commonly used as sacrifices to the god.

Frey was also associated with transportation by ship. For this reason, he was credited with stocking the seas full of fish and other useful resources. Frey’s ship was was so big that it could carry all of the gods and their weapons at once. Of course then the ship can be folded up and placed in a small bag when it is not in use. His ship always had a favorable wind!

 

Freya and Frigg

Freya was the most important goddess in Norse mythology and religion. She was immensely popular throughout the entire Viking world. Her name translates to “Lady” which is actually more of a title than her actual name. This is due to the fact that Freya journeyed many times into the mortal world under various names in search of her lost husband. Like most Norse gods and goddesses Freya had countless names and nicknames. The nicest way to describe Freya, while still being polite, is to call her the “party girl” of all gods. It was said that she slept with every single god and elf in Asgard at some point or another, including her own brother Frey.

Freya was a lover of fine material possessions, more specifically jewelry. Gold was said to be the tears of Freya which fell all over the earth while she searched for her lost husband. Her husband was Odin, but he went under the name Od during his travels throughout the mortal world. Of all Norse gods and goddesses only Odin rivaled Freya when it came to magical abilities. She was the divine model of a Viking Age sorceress. It was said in one Old Norse poem that she went from house to house in the mortal world giving prophecies, chanting, and preforming all kinds of rituals for her human hosts. Freya taught Odin much of what he knew when it came to magic.

Frigg was Odin’s official wife, but it has been determined that she is an exact duplication of Freya, making them one and the same. The other difference between the two woman was Odin was simply called Od in reference to Freya, but he was called Odin by Frigg. Frigg was also noted for sleeping with both of Odin’s brothers while Odin was exiled. She also slept with a slave at one point. Freya and Frigg were very popular with the woman during the Viking Age because of her connection to fertility.

Thor

Although Odin was the leader of the gods, Thor was by far the most popular of the northern gods during the Viking Age. The name “Thor” translates to “Thunder”. Thor was the divine force that manifested in physical thunder. Thor was also a very popular war god. The difference between Odin’s war tactics and Thor’s was simple: Odin was cunning and intellectual, while Thor was portrayed as a brawny and hot-tempered. He was most known for his signature weapon: the hammer. Its name was Mjollnir which translates to “Lightning”. Thor was the strongest and masculine of all Norse gods. He also wore a “belt of strength” that doubled his already insane physical strength.

Not only were Thor’s methods of war different than that of Odin’s, but so were his motivations and goals. Odin was self-centered, but Thor was a selfless defender of the gods. When the Norse people heard thunder in the air it was said that Thor was riding his chariot into battle. Each bolt of lightning they saw was Thor’s hammer connecting on an enemy giant. Hence the thunder and lightning combination was Thor protecting his kingdom of Asgard from fierce giants.

Thor was the patron and model of the loyal, honorable warrior. Thor was considered the “champion of the common people”. His straightforward, masculine personality was more fitting to the Vikings life style. He was a relatable deity and a role model to all Viking customs and values. This was the reason for him being more popular than even the king of all gods: Odin.

Thor was known for much more than just war. It was said that “Thor and his hammer were frequently invoked to hallow births, marriages, funerals, the forging and use of weapons, the carving of runic inscriptions, feasting, traveling, the establishment of new settlements, the planting of crops, and the swearing of oaths”. Basically, anyone could call upon the thunder god for any reason and it would still be deemed appropriate. The great majority of Norse commoners were farmers. Thor was in charge of bringing rainstorms to furnish and grow their crops which again was another reason for his popularity.

 

Odin

Odin was considered to be the chief of the gods. He was often found far away from Asgard, the kingdom of the gods, on long wanderings throughout the cosmos on trips that were purely for his own selfish reasons. He did not care about the most common human values of justice, fairness, or respect for law and customs. He was seen as the divine patron for both rulers and outcasts. Odin was a walking contradiction. He was a war god, but also a poetry god. He was worshiped by those seeking prestige and fame, but he was also cursed for being a trickster. The Norse people had over 200 names for Odin as he was a very complicated deity and was known for so many different things.

The Nose were extremely warlike people and therefore had several gods that were known for exactly this. Odin was mostly known for the raw intensity that was felt inside a person during battle. Warriors that were closely tied to Odin were known as berserkers. It was said that these warriors took on the spirit, and sometimes the physical form, of wolves and bears. They charged and howled onto the battlefield with absolutely no concern for their own wellbeing. They did not fear death. Berserkers did not wear armor into battle, but instead wolf and bear skins. They were furious on the battlefield and extremely dangerous when lost in the midst of fighting. Odin was not one to be trusted. He was known for granting victory to mortals by breaking the rules. He also was willing to break oaths he had sworn, which in Norse society was one of the most unforgivable things someone could do. An honorable warrior would not want to follow Odin’s lead.  He was unpredictable, unfair, and a trickster. But Odin’s favored warriors were always elite and exceptional in one way or another. Since Odin was the leader of the gods, he was the natural choice to be the patron for human rulers and kings. Odin and his followers were known to rule with raw power as their biggest strength. Odin was on of the most mysterious, powerful, and complex of all the Norse gods and goddesses.

Introduction to Norse Deities

The Norse gods and goddesses were completely unlike what most people thought of when they heard the word “god”. Most Jews, Christians, and Muslims refer to “God” with a capital “G” as being a very supreme being who created the entire world singlehandedly. This “God” typically is all-loving yet all-powerful. “He” usually has a plan that works for everyone’s benefit. The Norse gods and goddesses were none of those things. They were not supreme and most of them certainly were not beneficial to humanity. Instead, they had complicated personalities and none of them were simply referred to as “the god of something”. Throughout this blog, I will describe a different Norse god or goddess in detail and summarize some of the more famous stories about them.