Ullr: Norse God of Winter, Skating, and Oaths

Ullr is one of the Viking gods who didn’t make it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he is among the lesser-known gods today, he seems to have been a very important Norse god in both pre-Viking and Viking times.

The son of Sif and stepson of Thor, he was a god of winter, skis, archery, hunting, combat, and vows. Like most Norse gods, he was extremely complex, made more complex by the fact that so little information survives about him and much of what we assume about him is speculative.

Who Was Ullr?

Ullr was a Germanic god who predated the Vikings, but also had a place in Viking religion and Norse mythology.

His name, pronounced “Ool,” comes from the Old High German word “wuldor,” which means “glorious” or “dazzling.” This may be linked to the fact that he was described as having a “fair aspect,” as Balder and Heimdall were also described as being fair and “shining.”

God of Winter

Like most of the Norse gods, the domains that were considered to belong to Ullr were various and overlapped with that of many of the other gods.

Winter Wilderness and Snowshoes

Ullr was a god associated with the winter wilderness and the snowshoes used to navigate it. It was said that no one could catch him on the snow. He is described as crossing water on magical bones, which has been taken as a metaphor for crossing a frozen lake on skates.

He is also linked with skis. The earliest skis in Scandinavia date to about 6,000 years ago found in peat bogs. The word used by the Sami people, non-Viking peoples living in Finland, for “to ski”, “cuoigat,” can be dated on linguistic grounds to between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago, suggesting that they needed a term for the act very early in their history.

While ski designs vary across time and space, most skis found across Scandinavia were made by hand from wood and had flat surfaces that reduced friction against the snow, allowing fast and silent movement. This would have been essential to move between the animal traps set by Viking hunters in the winter months. Unlike examples from other parts of the world.

They were usually about six feet long, tapered at the back, and curved at the front. Skiis had a slightly convex underside, gradually coming to a point. They were not covered in fur or hides.

The footrest was raised and inset from the side edges and is slightly concave so that footwear such as moccasin would fit in. There was a horizontal hole beneath the footrest for the toe strap.

The skis were also often decorated with braided patterns that were popular in Birka and in central and south Sweden in the Viking Age.

The historian Saxo Grammaticus described the Vikings as using skis for reconnaissance missions in the 13^th century. From this and other written sources, it seems likely that the Vikings used just one ski pole to propel themselves, probably to leave the other arm free for other activities.

The Vikings were accustomed to using their waterways as transport links. It was much easier to sail a small boat down a waterway than to try to move through dense forests or open wilderness.

This does not seem to have changed in the winter months, during which the Vikings would skate along the same waterways.

Skates have been found all over the Viking World from Dublin to Hedeby to Birka to York, where more than 40 sets of skates have been recovered.

They made skates from bones, most often horse bones but also cattle bones. Holes were bored through the bones and securely strapped in a figure 8 shape to Viking shoes.

They most likely used a pole to help control their movement along the ice.

God of Hunting

Ullr was also a god of hunting. He had a hall in Asgard called Ydalir, which means Yew Grove, linked to the idea that yew was the best wood for bows, though they were also made from ash or elm. The Vikings primarily associated the bow with hunting, although they were also used in battle.

The majority of Viking bows were of longbow style and measured between 1.6 and 2 meters long. The estimated draw weight of a Viking bow was 90 pounds.

Deity of Single Combat

Ullr was also considered by the Vikings to be extremely accomplished as a warrior, especially single combat. In fact, it was Ullr that the Vikings would invoke for good luck before participating in a duel.

The Vikings called single combat “Holmgang,” and it was considered a legally recognized way to settle disputes. In theory, you could charge anyone regardless of social status. Not to turn up for a duel was to sacrifice one’s honor, though the weak and infirm could have a warrior fight on their behalf.

Patron of Shields

Perhaps linked with the idea of Ullr as an expert warrior, he was also linked with the Viking shield. In fact, shields were often referred to as Ullr’s ship. There is some speculation that this may have been a reference to him using a shield-shaped object as a sled. Though this may be doubted as the Vikings did have a more sophisticated sled design.

If you are inspired by Sigyn’s role as a shield, discover shields in the VKNG Collection.

God of Oaths

There are also references in the surviving Skaldic verse to swearing oaths on rings sacred to Ullr. This was confirmed by the discovery of a shrine of Ullr found at Lilla Ullevi in Sweden. 65 rings were excavated from the shrine. These rings were probably used to swear oaths and then buried in the sacred ground of the god.

Modern Vikings often use arm rings as symbols of oaths they have made to other people or themselves, wearing them as a regular reminder to keep their world. Discover arm rings in the VKNG collection, many inspired by genuine archaeological finds.

Family of Ullr

The only thing that we know for certain about Ullr is that he was the son of Sif, the fertility goddess who was the wife of Thor, the god of thunder. But Ullr is not the biological son of Thor, as he is always described as Thor’s stepson.

There are a few theories about who Ullr’s father could be. Some scholars suggest that he may have been the son of Aurvandil, a mortal who accompanied Thor to Jotunheim. But during the journey, Aurvandil lost a toe to frostbite, so Thor cast it into the sky and made it a star. Others suggest that his father may have been among the Vanir gods since he is associated with nature and the hunt.

We also do not know if Ullr had a wife or children. Again, some scholars suggest that he may have been linked with Skadi, the giantess who was associated with winter and the hunt. But the German version of Ullr, Holler, was married to the goddess Holda, a wife and matriarch goddess that more closely resembled Odin’s wife Frigg than any other goddess.

Since Ullr was associated with the wilderness and the idea of living rough in the cold, be may, of course, have been an eternal bachelor.

He is, however, described in one source as a flirt, and also an excellent lover.

Importance Among the Norse Gods

We know so little about Ullr that we often do not consider him when talking about the important Viking gods. But there is good evidence that Ullr was considered very important and was probably one of the older gods.

First and foremost, his name appears as part of many Norwegian and Swedish place names, but not place names in Denmark and Iceland. This lends support to the idea that Ullr was an older god that was popular before the Vikings, as Iceland was only colonized during the Viking era.

His importance is also suggested by the fact that Saxo Grammaticus included Ullr in his 12th-century Gesta Danorum, which cast the god in the role of heroes.

In the story, he appears as Ollerus, who was chosen to replace Odin as king for ten years when Odin was exiled for rape. This may be a metaphorical reference to a time when Ullr was among the most important gods, even greater than Odin. The story describes this as an interlude, since Odin was considered an old god, involved in creation, and then came to prominence again after Ullr.

Learn More About Norse Mythology and the Viking World

Are you interested in learning more about the Norse gods and their myths, the symbols that shaped the Norse world, and life in the Viking Age? Consider grabbing one of our books.