Norse Gods

The Norse gods fall mainly into two groups, the Aesir and the Vanir. These were for a time at war, before a peace treaty was arrived at. The Aesir are associated with chaos and war, with the principle members being Odin, Frigg, Thor, Loki, Balder, Hod, Heimdall and Tyr. The Vanir are associated with nature, fertility, wealth and wisdom, and include Njord, Freyr and Freya, amongst others.

Kali, Hindu goddess of death. Source: super / Adobe Stock.

30 October, 2023 - 13:56 Aleksa Vučković

10 Most Fearsome Gods in Ancient Mythology

Throughout the long ages of our collective history, gods and goddesses have been revered, worshiped, and feared . Ancient mythologies from around the world are rife with deities who instilled awe and...

The symbol kolovrat engraved on a tree. Source: anji77702 / Adobe Stock.

14 October, 2023 - 22:53 ancient-origins

From Nordic Symbols to Sledgehammer Executions: Wagner’s Neo-Pagan Rituals

According to the Orthodox Eastern Church, the spirit of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin now ought to have embarked in heaven or hell. The religion believes it takes 40 days after death for souls to...

A representation of Jötunn (Giant) Surtr of Norse mythology. Source: warmtail/Adobe Stock

20 April, 2023 - 14:57 Aleksa Vučković

Surtr: Norse Mythology's Giant God of Fire and Apocalypse

Giants, demigods, dwarves and elves - all these creatures made the Old Norse mythology so colorful and captivating. Preserved for posterity in the Norse sagas and manuscripts, these myths and legends...

Depiction of Valhalla, where Odin held court at Asgard, from the 1878 staging by Hermann Burghart of Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner. (Public domain)

7 November, 2022 - 13:47 Molly Dowdeswell

Asgard: The Fabled Home of the Aesir Gods of Norse Mythology

Asgard was the home of the mighty Norse gods, from where they watched over the other eight realms and administered justice. It was also the final resting place of the dead and where Odin, King of the...

The Wolves Pursuing Norse sun and moon gods Sol and Mani Source: John Charles Dollman, 1909, Public Domain, colorized

12 October, 2022 - 14:50 Molly Dowdeswell

Celestial Siblings: Norse Sun and Moon Gods Chased Across the Sky

Chased across the sky by a pair of wolves, the Norse sun and moon gods were tasked with a heavy burden. The Sol and Mani were responsible for pulling a chariot across the sky every day and night...

Odin and his brothers defeated Ymir in Norse mythology, and used his body to create Midgard. Odin’s symbol, a raven, seen superimposed on a cosmic background. Source: jozefklopacka / Adobe Stock

8 October, 2022 - 14:55 Molly Dowdeswell

Ymir in Norse Mythology: A Cosmic Creation Story

The story of Ymir and the creation of the universe typifies the emphasis on sacrifice as a theme, in Nordic myth and in creation stories around the world. In Norse mythology, Ymir was the primeval...

Painting of Freja by John Bauer. Source: Public domain

17 September, 2022 - 02:00 Molly Dowdeswell

The Story, Symbols and Powers of Freya, the Norse Goddess of Love

Freya is old Norse for “lady” and was the name given to the Norse goddess of love. Whilst she certainly sought out passion and pleasure, she was a complex character. In fact, to the Vikings she was a...

22 August, 2022 - 22:56 Jessica Nadeau

Kvasir and the Mead of Poetry in Norse Mythology

For the ancient Vikings, poetry was a way to tell the stories of their gods, their religion, their heroes and villains. Works that have survived centuries are told with such eloquence; it would only...

Odysseus escaping from the cave of Polyphemus by Flemish Jacob Jordaens (1635) (Public Domain)

12 August, 2022 - 20:52 ashley cowie

Giants Among Men Who Walked The Earth

Today, overachievers are often called “giants in their field" and “giants among men”- terms which define talent, ability and zeal. However, in the ancient world, the word “giant” applied to the...

Petroglyphs of Scotland, found in Lurgan by George Currie. Source: George Currie

5 September, 2021 - 14:37 Mark A. Carpenter

Comparing the Prehistoric Stone Symbols of Scotland and the Judaculla Rock

Within the rolling green hills of Scotland, slumber thousands of ancient stones bejeweled with mysterious glyphs. Across the proverbial pond, hidden in the great Appalachians of America’s North...

15 July, 2021 - 14:29 dhwty

The Norse God Odin: Viking God of War, Father of Thor, But There’s More

Odin is the chief deity of the Norse pantheon. Although Odin was worshipped more generally in Germanic paganism, the information we have today about this god is derived mostly from Norse mythology...

12 May, 2021 - 21:49 Nathan Falde

Elite Gold Pendants Unearthed in Norway Were ‘Sacrifices’ to the Gods

In separate discoveries that occurred in 2019 and 2020, searchers found seven ancient gold pendants buried in a field near the Norwegian municipality of Råde in Østfold County. The first four gold...

The site of the newly discovered rare ancient Viking temple found in Norway with an imagined reconstruction of the actual building. Source: University Museum of Bergen

8 October, 2020 - 20:55 Ed Whelan

Viking Temple to Thor and Odin Unearthed In Norway

The Viking Age has fascinated people for generations and now we have a newly discovered ancient Viking temple that has finally shed some new light on Norse religion . Believe it or not, there is a...

Representation of Hel, the Norse goddess of the Underworld

11 September, 2020 - 19:30 valdar

Going to Hel and Back: The Realm of the Norse Goddess of the Underworld

By far, Loki’s most well-known children are the ones he had with the giantess Angurboda. These include the wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent Jormugandr, and the goddess Hel. Legends say that the...

Mimir, the bodiless god of wisdom, plays a fundamental role in the stories of Odin and the Norse gods.

11 August, 2020 - 12:49 Riley Winters

The Bodiless God of Wisdom: Mimir in Norse Mythology

The god who transcends even Odin’s power, Mimir (or sometimes called Mim) is remembered throughout Norse mythology as the oracular head from which the two races of gods, the Aesir and Vanir, seek...

25 June, 2020 - 22:56 johnblack

The Story of Ragnarok, The Ancient Norse Apocalypse

In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a series of apocalyptic events that will define the end of the world, where giants of frost and fire will band together to fight against the gods in a final battle...

27 May, 2020 - 21:33 Riley Winters

The Enigmatic Loki, A Trickster Among Gods in Norse Mythology

The trickster god Loki is undoubtedly the most debated figure from Norse mythology to this day. Though he appears to be a scheming, mischievous deity who has no real loyalties, scholars still explore...

Representation of the goddesses that were the wives and daughters of Odin. Source: Jozefklopacka / Adobe Stock.

31 March, 2020 - 14:45 B. B. Wagner

Odin’s Women – Goddesses Ignored, Forgotten and Denied Valhalla

In the Norse myths, the moment Odin sat high on the throne of Asgard, he became all-knowing and ever powerful, as written by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda . He is the Allfather who lives in all...

Fertility goddesses can be found in all cultures and times. Source: zolotareva_elina /Adobe Stock

28 December, 2019 - 13:46 Aleksa Vučković

Praying For Life – Top 10 Ancient Fertility Goddesses

Throughout the ancient history of the world, polytheism - commonly known as paganism or heathenism - was the defining aspect of all societies and civilizations. Our ancestors had complex and...

16 July, 2019 - 17:18 dhwty

Frigg: Queen of Asgard, Beloved Norse Goddess, Mother

Frigg or Frigga (which means ‘Beloved’ in Old Norse) is a goddess found in Norse mythology. As the wife of Odin and the mother of Baldur, she is the ‘Queen of the Æsir’. This deity was worshipped as...

Artists impression of Norse giantedd , Skaði or Skadi

18 May, 2019 - 23:04 dhwty

Skaði, The Norse ‘Giantess’ with a Godly Vendetta

In Norse mythology, Skaði (also anglicized as Skadi, Skade, or Skathi) is a giantess and goddess. She is most often associated with winter. Apart from that, Skaði is also connected with hunting,...

The one-eyed Odin with his ravens Hugin and Munin and his weapons. An illustration from an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript.

28 April, 2018 - 14:02 Caleb Strom

The Saga of Gestumblindi and Odin’s Riddles

In mythology, riddles are used to test the intelligence and wisdom of mortals. They can contain elements of everyday life, but they can also contain elements from lore that would only be known by...

25 April, 2018 - 19:00 Caleb Strom

Denizens of Valhalla and the Transient Afterlife of Norse Myth

The ancient Norse were one of the few cultures to create a mythology that did not necessarily promise eternal life of any kind for the souls of the deceased. The world was believed to be heading...

‘Idun and the Apples’ (1890) by J. Doyle Penrose.

15 April, 2018 - 14:01 dhwty

Idunn: The Rejuvenating Goddess that Keeps Norse Deities Young

Idunn (Iðunn) is one of the most important goddesses in Norse mythology. The name of this goddess has been variously translated to mean ‘The Rejuvenating One’, ‘Ever Young’, and ‘Rejuvenator’, which...