List of Norse gods and goddesses
In Norse paganism, a religion followed by the ancient and early mediaeval Norse peoples of Scandinavia, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. This article is a comprehensive list of them.
Divided between the Æsir and the Vanir, and sometimes including the jötnar (giants), the dividing line between these groups is less than clear. However, it is usually accepted that the Æsir (including Óðinn, Þórr and Týr) were warrior gods, while the Vanir (mainly Njörðr, Freyja and Freyr) were fertility gods. Various other groups of beings, including elves, dwarves and jötnar were probably minor gods, and might have had small cults and sacred places devoted to them.
Contents |
The gods and their function
| God | Function/Ability | Items | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldr | Hringhorni, greatest of all ships | Consort: Nanna | |
| Borr | Father of Odin, Vili and Ve. Consort: Bestla | ||
| Bragi | skaldship | Consort: Iðunn | |
| Búri | Father of Borr. Grandfather of Odin | ||
| Dagr | Day personified | son of Delling and Nótt. | |
| Delling | Father of Dagr by Nótt. | ||
| Eir | healing | ||
| Forseti | God of justice, peace and truth | Son of Baldr and Nanna. | |
| Freyja | Goddess associated with wealth, love, beauty, magic, prophecy, war, battle, and death. |
|
Consort: Óðr |
| Freyr | God associated with Fertlity. |
|
Consort: Gerðr |
| Frigg | Goddess of marriage and motherhood. | Consort: Óðinn | |
| Fulla | golden ribbon around her head | Frigg´s handmaid. | |
| Gefjun | perhaps fertility | ||
| Hel | Ruler of Hel. | Daughter of Loki | |
| Heimdall | Guardian of Ásgarð | ||
| Hermóðr | A son or servant of Odin. | ||
| Hlín | handmaid of Frigg | ||
| Höðr | Killer of Baldr | brother of Baldr | |
| Hœnir | Becoming one of the few survivors of Ragnarök | ||
| Iðunn | Keeper of apples of eternal youthfulness | Consort: Bragi. | |
| Jörð | Earth personified | Mother of Þórr by Odin. | |
| Kvasir | wisest of the Vanir | created from saliva of all the gods | |
| Lofn | May be another version of Freyja | ||
| Loki |
|
Consort: Sigyn | |
| Máni | The moon personified | ||
| Mímir | Wisdom | ||
| Nanna | Daughter of Nepr and wife of Baldr. Mother of Forseti | ||
| Nerþus | A goddess mentioned by Tacitus. Her name is connected to that of Njörðr. | ||
| Njörðr | A god associated with seafaring, wind, and wealth. | ||
| Norns | destiny | Well of Urðr | |
| Nótt | Night personified. | ||
| Odin | Lord of the Æsir. God of both wisdom and war (also battle, death, magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt) |
|
Consort: Frigg. |
| Sága | An obscure goddess, possibly another name for Frigg. | ||
| Sif | Wife of Thor. | ||
| Sjöfn | love, possibly a variant of Freya | ||
| Skaði | Njörðr's ex-wife. Daughter of Thjazi, and stepmother of Freyr and Freyja | ||
| Skirnir | |||
| Skuld | |||
| Snotra | |||
| Sól (Sunna) | The sun personified. | ||
| Thor | God associated with thunder |
|
Consort: Sif. |
| Týr | god of war | ||
| Ullr | Son of Sif. | ||
| Urd | |||
| Váli | |||
| Vár | |||
| Vé | One of the three gods of creation | Brother of Odin and Vili. | |
| Verdandi | |||
| Víðarr | Son of Odin and the giantess Gríðr. | ||
| Vili | One of the three gods of creation | Brother of Odin and Vé. | |
| Vör |
Lesser figures
- Ægir - Consort: Rán
- Andhrímnir - A cook in Valhalla.
- Aurvandil - A minor figure in the Skáldskaparmál with cognates in other Germanic tales.
- Elli - Personification of old age.
- Fenrir- Son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Destined to grow too large for his bonds and devour Odin during the course of Ragnarök.
- Magni - Son of Thor and Járnsaxa.
- Meili - A brother of Thor.
- Móði - Son of Þórr.
- Rán - Keeper of the drowned. Consort: Ægir
- Þrúðr - Daughter of Þórr and Sif.
Lists of Norse gods and goddesses contained in the Prose Edda
Goddesses
| Gylfaginning (35) | Skáldskaparmál (1) | Thula |
Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses
Some characters sometimes presented as Norse deities do not occur in the ancient sources.
- Astrild (Actually a synonym for Amor and Cupid invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Freyja.)
- Jofur (Actually a synonym for Jupiter invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Thor.)
The following pseudo-deities are presented in Encyclopedia Mythica as Norse.
- Brono (Claimed to be the god of daylight and the son of Baldr. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Dagr or Forseti.)
- Geirrendour (Claimed to be the father of the billow maidens. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Ægir.)
- Glúm (Claimed to be an attendant of Frigg. Source unknown.)
- Laga (Claimed to be the goddess of wells and springs. May be the same as Laha, a Celtic goddess of wells and springs.)
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