The people of Europe called the Norsemen “Heathens,” meaning non-Christian, or “Vikings,” meaning pirates. For three centuries, the Vikings terrorized their neighbors in countries such as England and France, attacking communities, looting churches, and kidnapping people to sell on the slave market. While their victims may have considered the Vikings “godless,” they worshiped a complex and fascinating pantheon of gods. Meet the most important gods, goddesses, and giants from the Norse pantheon that shaped their culture.
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| Ymir | The Primordial Giant and progenitor of the giants. |
| Odin | The All-Father; God of war, wisdom, writing, and witchcraft. |
| Thor | God of thunder, strength, and protection. |
| Frigg | Goddess of women, motherhood, and wisdom. |
| Freya | Goddess of love, beauty, and Seidr magic. |
| Balder | God of light, purity, and beauty. |
| Tyr | God of justice, heroic glory, and war. |
| Loki | The Trickster and god of mischief. |
| Hel | Queen of the Underworld (Helheim). |
| Heimdall | The ever-vigilant guard of Asgard. |
| Freyr | God of fertility, harvests, and virility. |
| Sif | Goddess of the harvest (the “Golden-Haired”). |
| Forseti | God of justice and arbitration. |
| Idunn | Goddess of youth and keeper of the divine fruit. |
| Bragi | The Bard of Asgard; God of poetry. |
1. Ymir – The Primordial Giant
We are going to start with an unusual figure, because he was one of the first beings to come into existence. Ymir, whose name means “screamer,” was a primordial giant that emerged from the ooze of creation. He fed on the milk of the primordial cow Audumla, while she licked the first god, Buri, out of the salt lick produced by the primordial ooze.
Producing asexually, he was the progenitor of the giants, called Jotnar (or Jotun in the singular), which sprang forth from his armpits. Other monstrous beings came from other parts of his body.
Buri reproduced the old-fashioned way and had a son called Borr, who married the giantess Bestla and gave birth to Odin. He worried that the world was being overrun by giants, since Ymir reproduced so quickly. Therefore, with his brothers Vili and Ve, they killed Ymir and flooded existence with his blood, killing many of his offspring.
The trio then used Ymir’s blood to create Midgard. His body became the land, and his blood created the lakes and seas. They used his bones to fashion mountains, trees were formed from his hair, and clouds from his brains. They created man to populate their new world, and then used Ymir’s eyebrows to build a wall around Midgard to protect mankind from the threat of the giants and other creatures of the cosmos.
So, while Ymir is not the most well-known Norse supernatural being, and he was not “worshiped” by the Vikings, mankind lives on and within Ymir.
2. Odin – The All-Father
The most important Norse god was Odin, the All-Father, who was the god of war, wisdom, writing, witchcraft, and wanderers. He was the “all-father” as the principal creator of mankind, and because he was the father of most of the Aesir gods (as we shall see). The Aesir were the most important, but not the only, race of gods in Norse mythology.
Odin was the god of war who decided the outcome of all battles, and therefore commanded the fate of men and kingdoms. He was also a god of the afterlife, choosing the bravest fallen warriors to live in his hall, Valhalla. There, they fight and feast, training to fight alongside the gods at Ragnarok, the apocalyptic battle destined to happen at the end of time.
He was also the god of wisdom, and would famously do anything to obtain it. He plucked out his eye to drink from the Well of Wisdom, and hung himself from the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights to learn the secret of the magic runes, which he shared with mankind. As well as a runemaster, he learned the art of Seidr magic, despite the fact it was usually considered a feminine art.
Odin was known to wander the cosmos disguised as an old man, or riding his eight-legged steed Sleipnir. He had several other familiars, including his ravens Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), who flew across the worlds and reported everything they saw. He also had two wolves, Geri (greedy) and Freki (ravenous), who he feeds off his own table while only drinking wine.
Odin was associated with several symbols. One of his defining attributes was his spear, Gungnir, and almost all Viking warriors carried a spear. He was linked with the Valknut, which was the symbol of Valhalla, and also the honed Triskelion, a symbol of wisdom and eloquence. He was often depicted alongside ravens, and he was linked with the runes, especially the Othala rune.
Discover Odin-inspired pieces in the VKNG Collection.
3. Thor – God of Thunder
Thor is best known as the Norse god of thunder, but he was so much more than that. A son of Odin with the giantess Jord (a personification of the earth), he was the strongest of the Aesir gods and considered the ideal warrior. He was charged with protecting Asgard and Midgard from the threat of the giants with his mighty hammer Mjolnir. Linked to the weather, he was also considered a fertility god.
Thor also had other attributes. He possessed special iron gloves called Jarngreipr and the belt of Megingjard, which doubled his already considerable strength. He also rode in a chariot pulled by two goats.
Many stories from Norse mythology feature Thor’s adventures, often accompanied by Loki. For example, when the giant Thrym stole his hammer, he traveled to Jotunheim dressed as the goddess Freyr to win it back. On another occasion, he traveled to the hall of Utgard-Loki in Jotunheim and competed in a series of rigged competitions. He went on a fishing trip with the giant Hymir and almost caught the monstrous serpent Jomungandr on his hook. These stories often show Thor’s volatile temper and lack of concern for the feelings of others.
Thor was among the most popular Norse gods, and Norsemen wore Mjolnir amulets as symbols of divine loyalty and protection. They are extremely common in the archaeological record, and these artifacts have inspired many Mjolnir pendants in the VKNG collection.
4. Frigg – Goddess of Women
The sources often call Frigg the most important of the Norse goddesses, and she is always listed first among them. She is the wife of Odin, and her name means “beloved.” Despite that, very little is known about Frigg. She was probably some kind of sky goddess, and she was also associated with matronly duties, such as serving wine to guests, which was important to facilitate diplomacy.
Frigg is also sad to be a seeress. She sees everyone’s future, but never reveals anything that she sees. In stories, she often acts as a wise counselor to her husband. She is also attended by several servants, including the goddesses Fulla, who attends Frigg’s ashen box and footwear and knows all the goddess’ secrets, Gna, her most trusted messenger who ran errands for her across the nine worlds, and Hlin, who was sent by Frigg to protect people on her behalf.
She is most famous for obtaining an oath from everything in existence never to hurt or assist in hurting her son, Balder. However, she forgot the humble mistletoe plant. Loki extracted this information from her while pretending to be an old woman, with disastrous results.
5. Freya – Goddess of Love and Beauty
While Frigg was the most prestigious Norse goddess, Freyja is the most famous and was the most widely worshiped in the Viking Age. Her name means lady, and she was one of the Vanir gods sent to live among the Aesir following the Aesir-Vanir War. The Vanir gods were fertility deities associated with magic.
Freyja was the most beautiful of all women, and many stories from Norse myth feature beings seeking her hand in marriage. She was also powerful. When it came to the dead, she was on par with Odin himself, choosing the bravest fallen dead to live in her realm, Folkvangr, and the sources imply that she may have had first choice. She was also a master of Seidr magic and taught the art to Odin.
She was identifiable by her necklace, Brisingamen. When Thrym stole Thor’s hammer, he wanted Freyja’s hand in marriage to return it. Freyja refused to marry him or participate in any ruse, so Thor was convinced to pretend to be her to get the hammer back, borrowing her necklace to complete his disguise.
6. Balder – The Dead God
Son of Odin and Frigg, Balder was the Norse god of light and purity and epitomized the effulgent summer sun itself. He was characterized as a fair, wise, and gracious divine being of beauty and elegance. His name means “brave,” and he was said to be beloved by both gods and men and considered the best of all the gods.
Unfortunately, Balder is most famous for his tragic end. When his mother asked everything in existence not to hurt him, Balder became invincible. This amused the gods, who made a game of throwing things at Balder and watching them bounce off harmlessly. But when Loki learned that mistletoe had not sworn the oath, he made a mistletoe dart and tricked the bling god Hodr into throwing it at Balder. He was killed instantly.
The gods gave him an elaborate funeral, but because Balder did not die in battle, he found himself in Helheim (rather than Valhalla). The gods sent Hermodr to Helheim to negotiate with Hel to return Balder. He argued that he was so beloved that he should be returned to the world. Hel said that she would release him if they could prove he was universally beloved by all things in existence weeping for him. All things did weep, except for a witch named Thokkr, assumed to be Loki in disguise, who refused. Balder as forced to remain in Helheim.
The break between Loki and the Aesir god that eventually leads to Ragnarok starts with the death of Balder. The gods expelled Loki from Asgard and then tracked him down for punishment.
7. Tyr – Brave God of Justice
Tyr was the Norse god of war, heroic glory, and the formalities of conflict. Little is known of Tyr’s origins, perhaps because he was the most important Norse god before being supplanted by Odin. In Old Norse Tyr simply means “god.” He was linked with the Tiwaz rune.
Tyr was considered the bravest and most selfless of the Norse gods due to his role in subduing the giant wolf Fenrir, a son of Loki. The gods wanted to keep Fenrir chained up in order to keep him from wreaking havoc.
They tried many chains, convincing Fenrir, who was too strong to be overpowered, to put them on by suggesting that it was a game and a test of his strength. Fenrir broke each easily. Finally, the gods got a special chain made by the dwarves that was both strong and light.
Fenrir was suspicious of the chain that looked like a ribbon and only agreed to put the chain on if one of the gods put their hand in his mouth as a sign of good faith. While the other gods refused, Tyr agreed to this, knowing that he would lose his hand, which Fenrir bit off.
Wolves are among the most important symbols in the Norse world, representing a ferocious natural force that is both a source of strength and danger.
8. Loki – The Trickster
Loki is a Jotun who is allowed to live in Asgard among the Aesir due to a blood brotherhood pact made with Odin. He has the ability to shapeshift, and often uses this to cause mischief. Often, he creates problems for the gods and then helps them solve them.
For example, Loki convinced the gods to contact a wandering builder to make the walls of Asgard, convincing them that he would not complete the work on time, and they would not have to pay. When it became clear that the builder would finish due to the help of his might horse Svladifari, Loki shapeshifted into a Mare to distract the steed. As a result, he gave birth to Sleipnir. On another occasion, under threat, he helped the giant Thjazi kidnap the goddess Idunn. When it was discovered that she was missing, he borrowed Freyja’s falcon cloak to fly to Jotunheim and retrieve her.
Most famously, he cut off all the hair of Thor’s wife Sif in a way that it would not grow back. Thor told him to replace it was something as fine or suffer the consequences. He went to a group of dwarves named the Sons of Ivaldi to get a golden headpiece for Sif. They also made the spear Gungnir and the ship Skidbladnir to help Loki buy his way back into the favor of the gods. While waiting, Loki encountered another group of dwarves named and bet that they could not make items as fine as the Ivaldi. They made the ring Druapnir and the golden bull Gullinbursti. Seeing the quality of their work, Loki began to worry that they would win the bet, so he tried to sabotage them. Nevertheless, they produced Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, but with a shorter handle than expected. The gods still declared it the finest of the six treasures.
Loki is also known as the father of monsters. With the giantess Angrboda, he is the father of the mighty wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent Jormungandr, and the giantess Hel. The gods so feared the offspring of such a monstrous union that they imprisoned each of them in a way that would limit their harm. This treatment of his children may be why Loki decided to kill Balder.
The Aesir hunted Loki down to punish him. He was chained to two rocks with a snake hung above his head, dripping venom painfully onto his body. His Aesir wife, Sigyn, stays by his side, catching the venom in a bowl. When she leaves to empty it, his body convulses in pain, causing earthquakes. He will break his chains at Ragnarok when he will lead the charge to destroy the Aesir god.
Discover Loki-inspired pieces in the VKNG Collection.
9. Hel – Queen of the Underworld
While Fenrir was chained and Jormungandr was thrown into the sea surrounding Midgard, Hel was sent to the lower realm of Niflheim to rule over the afterlife there, which became known as Helheim. While she was banished, her power in the underworld was absolute, and even Odin could not command her.
She is described as half flesh and half black, which is usually interpreted as meaning she is half living and half dead. She is sometimes described as a psychopomp, who leads souls to the underworld. Her realm is guarded by her dog Garm.
Snorri Sturluson suggests that Hel is a dismal realm. He recounts a dark and dreary hall, called Elvidner (misery), where the goddess of death eats from a dish called “hunger”, with a knife called “famine”, suggesting that no amount of eating can fill the empty stomachs of the dead. He also refers to a bed that is called “sick bed”, again suggesting that no amount of sleep can ease the weariness of the dead. However, he is probably injecting Christian ideas of Hell into his description. He also suggests that when Hermodr descended to Helheim, he found Balder seated in a place of honor in Hel’s hall, suggesting it was not that different from Valhalla.
10. Heimdall – Superhero of the Gods
Heimdall is the ever-vigilant guard of Asgard. He has a hall where the Bifrost Bridge enters Asgard, so he can see all who enter. He sounds the alarm with his horn Gjallarhorn, which he will use when the giants cross over the bridge at Ragnarok.
He is the son of Odin with nine mothers, probably the nine waves, and his exceptional parentage has left him with exceptional abilities. Heimdall requires less sleep than a bird, and can see for over 100 leagues either at day or night, so in light or darkness. His hearing is also so good that he can hear the grass growing in the meadows and wool growing on sheep. He may also have had some powers of foresight.
11. Freyr – Vanir Fertility God
The twin sister of Freyja, Freyr is another one of the Vanir gods sent to live among the Aesir. He was an important fertility deity and was often represented by a phallus. He was linked to bountiful harvests and virility, symbolized by the boar, which was often sacrificed to him (and then eaten by the guests). He was given the golden boar Gullinbursti and the ship Skidbladnir that Loki got from the dwarves.
In one story, Freyr secretly used the throne of Odin and could see all over the nine worlds of Norse mythology. He spots the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, the giantess Gerd, and falls instantly in love. Not knowing how he will gain his love, he falls into a deep depression. When his father, Njord, learned of this, he became worried about his son’s depression. Eventually, Freyr sent his servant Skirnir to deliver a marriage proposal. For this work, Freyr had to pay him with his enchanted sword, which was capable of fighting on its own. Gerd initially refused the proposal, so Skirnir threatened her with madness, and she agreed. Despite this inauspicious start, the marriage of Freyr and Gerd became highly symbolic and was often depicted on gullgubber, sacred gold fragments.
At Ragnarok, Freyr is destined to fight to the death with the fire giant Surtr, but he will be without his enchanted sword.
12. Sif – She of the Golden Hair
Little is known about the Norse goddess Sif; her name simply means “wife” or “bride,” and she is the wife of Thor. She had beautiful golden hair, which Loki removed and replaced with a golden headpiece. Her hair was probably meant to represent wheat, so she was probably a fertility goddess.
She was also the mother of Ullr, the god of winter, hunting, and skiing.
13. Forseti – God of Justice
Son of Balder, Forseti was the Norse god of justice. He lived in Asgard in a beautiful building called Glitnir, with silver pillars and a golden roof. The gods used it as their hall of arbitration for disputes. It could be seen shining from a great distance. Forseti was probably the divine equivalent of the logsogumadr, or lawspeaker, that headed Norse legal assemblies. Forseti means “the one who presides” in old Norse.
14. Idunn – Goddess of Youth
Idunn is known as the goddess of youth because she tended the orchards where the gods grew fruit that gave them their eternal youth. She harvests and keeps in a box made of ash called eski. It was for the desire of this fruit that the giant Thjazi kidnapped Idunn. Without her presence, the gods soon started to grow old. Feeling her absence, they sent Loki to find word of her. He borrowed Freyja’s falcon feather cloak to fly to Jotunheim, where he found her, turned her into a nut, and took her back to Asgard. She was also married to the god Bragi.
15. Bragi – Bard of Asgard
Bragi is the bard of the gods, with runes on his tongue giving him power over the spoken word. He is usually described in Asgard, composing verses to celebrate the fallen warriors resident there. Some sources suggest that the Vikings believed that the Bragi who dwelled in Valhalla was none other than Bragi Boddason, a 9th-century Skaldic poet who served several important Swedish leaders, including none other than Ragnar Lothbrok. He was made the bard of Valhalla after death.
FAQs
Why is Odin known as the “All-Father” in Norse mythology?
Odin is the principal creator of mankind and the father of most of the Aesir gods, making him the most important figure in the pantheon. He rules over war, wisdom, and the afterlife, specifically presiding over the fallen warriors in Valhalla.
What are the primary attributes and symbols of the god Thor?
Thor is the god of thunder and the strongest of the Aesir, primarily armed with his famous hammer, Mjölnir. He also possesses a strength-doubling belt called Megingjard and iron gloves named Jarngreipr to protect the realms of gods and men.
What selfless act is the god Tyr most famous for performing?
Tyr sacrificed his right hand to the monstrous wolf Fenrir to allow the other gods to bind the creature. He placed his hand in the wolf’s mouth as a sign of good faith, knowing it would be bitten off once the wolf realized he was trapped.
What role does Heimdall play in the defense of Asgard?
Heimdall serves as the ever-vigilant sentry of the gods, stationed where the Bifrost Bridge enters Asgard to guard against intruders. He possesses extraordinary senses, such as hearing grass grow and seeing for 100 leagues, and will sound the Gjallarhorn at the start of Ragnarok.
How do the Norse gods maintain their eternal youth?
The goddess Idunn tends to a magical orchard and keeps a box of fruit that provides the gods with their longevity. Without these fruits, as seen when she was kidnapped by a giant, the gods begin to age and wither.
