Nordic Discovery
Norse Mythology: The Asgardians (Part 1)
Oct
In Norse mythology, the male gods are collectively known as the Aesir and the goddesses are called Asynjur.
1. Odin
This one-eyed wizard is the most powerful god in Asgard, the leader of the Aesir and Asynjur.
Odin lived in the house of Valaskialf, where there was the Hlidskialf throne on which he used to sit to observe the Nine Precepts. Odin is the god of Victory, Happiness and Wisdom. People take Wednesday of the week as the day to represent Odin.
According to genealogy, Odin is the grandson of Buri – the first god, born from the giant cow Audhumla. Buri gave birth to Bor. Bor married a Jotun Giant woman Bestla and had three children, Odin
, Vili and Ve.
When realizing the rapid growth of the Jotun tribe, the 3 Odin brothers plotted to kill Ymir – the ancestor of the Jotun clan, chased the giants and created the Nine Realms. Odin became the powerful god, ruling Asgard.
According to legend, Odin is described as always in the form of a sorcerer, however, he can also transform into animals. Odin almost never participates in battles. He has the ability to see the future and past of others, travel to the furthest reaches of memory, and bring disease to his enemies. Odin’s voice was so soft and gentle that anyone was convinced by what he said. People always draw Odin with only one eye because, according to the story, Odin used one of his eyes in exchange for wisdom and the ability to see the future and the past.
2. Thor – God of Thunder
Thor is the son of Odin and Fjorgyn. The deity represents the Thursday of the week. He is described as one of the most powerful gods in Asgard. However, Thor has the disadvantage of being short-tempered and unwise, so he is often deceived by the Jotuns.
Thor lives in the largest house in Asgard. His weapon is the magic hammer Mjolnir – The most destructive weapon in the universe. It can rip through a mountain, unleash lightning, strike enemies from a distance, and automatically return to Thor’s hand.
2. Balder – God of Light and Blessing
alder is the son of Odin and Frigg. He is the most beautiful and honest god in Asgard, representing love, peace and forgiveness. Balder lives in the Breidablik house made of gold in Asgard
When Balder dreamed of his death, his mother, Frigg, traveled the Earth, forcing all creatures to swear not to harm her son. However, she omitted mistletoe because she thought it was too small and harmless. Loki – The deceitful god, knowing this, made a spear of mistletoe and tricked it for Balder’s blind brother Hohr to use it to hurl at him.
Balder died by the spear of mistletoe in the mourning of the gods. However, after the events of Ragnarok, Balder escaped from Hel and will replace Odin as ruler of Asgard.
4. Tyr – God of battle and courage
Tyr is another son of Odin. He is the bravest deity, representing the Battle and the Sky. He lost a hand during a fight with the wolf Fenrir. Fenrir is such a fearsome wolf that no god dares to come near to chain him, except Tyr – the bravest god.
Before going to battle, warriors often carved the god Tyr in Rune on their shields to feel stronger and braver.
Tyr represents Tuesday of the week
5.Vidar – God of Vengeance
Vidar is the son of Odin and Grid (a giant). He is the god of the woods, vengeance and silence.
During the event of Ragnarok, when Odin was swallowed by the wolf Fenrir, Vidar killed the monster to avenge his father by using a pair of magic shoes to press on its jaws. He was also one of the few gods that survived Ragnarok.
6. Njord – god of the sea
Njord is the god of the wind and the sea. Represents wealth and fertility. He was not an Aesir but a member of Vanir. When the war of the Aesir and the Vanir ended. To show the harmony between the two sides, Njord was sent to live in Asgard, while the Aesir gods also sent two people, Honor and Mimir, to live with the Vanir. (this can be considered a kind of hostage exchange).
This god had an unhappy marriage. In the story, a giant woman named Skadi came to Asgard to ask the gods for compensation for her father’s death. The Aesir gods gave her the choice of one of her husbands. Skadi mistook Njord for Balder (the most handsome god) and chose him. Their marriage did not last long. Unable to bear life in the snowy mountains with Skadi, Njord left Asgard and lived on the coast of Noatun.
7. Bragi – the god of poetry
Bragi is the son of Odin and Gunlod. He has a very long beard. Not only knowledgeable about poetry, Bragi was also a wise god, very good at using words and an excellent speaker.
8. Freyr – God of Prosperity
Freyr was not originally a Vanir. After the war between the Aesir and Vanir ended, Freyr was one of the Vanirs sent to Asgard to show goodwill for peace. He is the god of fertility and favorable rain and the ruler of the Elves in Alfheim.
Freyr has a wild boar named Gullinbursti as a mount. It is a pig that can run across the sky and ocean and is faster than any horse. The golden hairs on its body can shine so brightly that wherever it passes, night becomes day.
Freyr is also a god of love. He fell in love with a giant Jotun woman at first sight, whose name was Gerd. Freyr saw that Gerd was the most beautiful woman in the world, and fell in love with her. He was melancholy and ailing from a one-sided love until his father, the sea god Njord, had to send a subordinate, Skirnir, to Jotunheim to befriend Gerd for Freyr. Despite being promised many precious treasures, Gerd still refused, until Skirnir had to use curses to threaten, Gerd agreed to marry Freyr. But she asked Freyr to wait nine days before marrying her. Nine long days is exactly the amount of time Gerd wants to torment Freyr’s broken and loving heart before marrying him.
9. Forseti – God of Justice
Forseti is the son of the god Balder. He represents justice and reconciliation. His house was called Glitnir – a building with a silver roof and golden pillars, the Great Hall of Justice.
Unlike Tyr, who represents justice at the expense of war, Forseti represents justice based on law and fairness, reconciliation and mutual respect. He has the ability to make sound judgments and can satisfy both sides.
10. Heimdall – Guardian of Bifost
The tall god Heimdall is the guardian of Bifost – the bridge between Asgard and Midgard. His nickname is Golden Teeth. It is said that Heimdall sleeps less than a bird. He has excellent eyesight and hearing. Heimdall could see clearly in the dark hundreds of kilometers away, see every blade of grass and hear clearly the sound of each wool growing on the sheep’s body.
Heimdall has a horse named Gulltopp made of gold, a sword named Hofund and a horn called Gjallahorn. The sound from this horn can reverberate throughout the nine worlds. Whenever an enemy appeared, Heimdall would blow the horn to warn the Aesir.
11. Ull – The God of Ski
Ull represents winter and hunting. He is the son of Thor and the goddess Sif. It is said that he often used his shields to make skis like modern skiing today. He is also a magician and often uses a magic bone to travel across the seas.
12. Mini and Honor
Mirmir and Honir were two gods sent to Vanaheim as hostages after the war between the Aesirs and the Vanirs ended.
Honir is a god with very long legs. He is tall and beautiful, but he is indecisive and decides everything depezds entirely on Mimir.
Mimir is a god of wisdom. His name means “The Wise One” or “The One Who Remembers”. He was beheaded by the Vanirs and sent back to Asgard to the Aesirs. Odin always carries Mimir’s head with him to listen to wise advice. Mimir has a magic well named after him in Jotunheim. It is said that if you drink water from Mimir’s well, you will be blessed with his wisdom. The god Odin also came to this well, trading an eye for the ability to see into the future and the past.
13.Kvasir – God of Wisdom
To reconcile the differences between the two factions, the gods Aesir and the gods Vanir together spit their saliva into a cauldron to create the god Kvasir. Kvasir is very intelligent and can answer any question in the world. He traveled the world to learn knowledge from people.
Translation and editing : Viking Sons Of Odin
