Norse Gods and
Goddesses
Odin










Chief of the gods and men – called
Allfather
Father of Thor, Balder, and other gods
Wears winged or floppy hat
God of magic, wisdom, wit and leaning;
later with war and bloodshed
Odin pierces himself with a spear and
hangs on Yggdrasil for 9 days and nights
to learn the secret knowledge of runes
Has one eye because he traded it for a
drink from the spring of clairvoyance to
gain inner wisdom
Resides in Valaskjalf (“shelf of the slain”)
Attributes are the spear Gungnir (which
never misses its target) the ring Draupnir
and his 8-footed steed Sleipnir.
During Ragnarok he will be killed by the
wolf Fenrir
The day Wednesday is named for him.
His two ravens are called
Huginn and Muninn (Thought
and Memory)
Thor











God of thunder and lightning
Huge, red-bearded, with burning eyes
Similar to Hercules in his feats of strength
and giant-killing.
Son of Odin
Mated with giant Jarnsaxa, but his wife is
Sif (golden hair)
Mjolnir (the destroyer) – an ax-hammer
that can destroy giants and mountains in a
single blow; he also carries a belt of
strength and iron glove
His home was called Bilskirnir
Has a chariot pulled by two goats. He can
kill these goats and eat them and they will
come back to life.
Is constantly fighting the World Serpent –
Jormungand
He once drank from a horn that was
emptying the water from the ocean–
gigantic appetite
Thursday is named for him
Thor’s
Helmet
Balder








“The Beautiful” and “The Good”
Son of Odin and Frigg
Primarily known for his death and
resurrection – Loki tricked his
brother Hod into killing him with a
mistletoe dart
His death is the harbinger of
Ragnarok
After Ragnarok, when a new world
arises, Baldor and Hod will be
reborn to rule
His hall is Breidablik
Considered to be the best of the
gods
Friendly, wise and eloquent, little
power
Loki









God of mischief and fire
Trickster figure
Assists and causes problems for the gods
Shape shifter – appears, as salmon,
mare, seal, fly, woman
Born of giants, but welcomed by the gods
Responsible for Balder’s death and
punished by having snake venom dripped
on his forehead
Jormungand (world serpent), Hel, and
Fenrir (wolf) are his children
Will begin Ragnarok
Fights with the giants during Ragnarok –
slayed by Heimdall
Freyr











God of sun, rain, and plentiful harvest
God of peace and a brave warrior
Member of the Vanir
Gods gave him Alfheimr, the realm of
the Elves
Marrried to giantess Gerd, son of
Njord
Rides the dwarf-made boar
Gullinbursti – symbol is boar
Possesses a ship which always has a
favorable breeze and can be folded
together and carried in a pouch
Killed by the fire demon Surt at
Ragnarok
Twin to Freya
Has a sword that can fight by itself,
but he gives it away
The boar is his symbol
Freya










Goddess of love and fertility
Vanir goddess
Most beautiful goddess
Patron of crops and birth
Daughter of Njord, sister of Freyr
Married to Od, when he died she cried
tears of gold
Attributes are the necklace of Brisings
(pure gold), a cloak which allows its
wearer to change into a falcon, and a
chariot pulled by two cats.
The symbol of sensuality, called upon
in matters of love
Particularly fond of elves (fairies)
Divides slain warriors with Odin; ½ go
to her palace, ½ go to Valhalla .
Women also go to her hall.
Frigg








Mother Goddess, Queen of
Asgard
Patron of marriage and
motherhood
Goddess of love and Fertility
Wife of Odin, mother of Balder
and Hod
Weaves clouds
She knows events
in the present and future,
but is powerless to
change them
Learning of her son’s (Balder)
death, she makes everything
promise not to harm him –
except the mistletoe
The term Friday derives from
her name
Heimdall

“World Brightener”, God of light

Son of nine mothers
Born at the end of the world and
raised by the force of earth and
seawater, and the blood of a boar
Carries the horn, Gjallar, which
announces gods, warns of danger,
and will signal the beginning of
Ragnarok
Great hearing (can hear grass
grow) and eyesight
Watchman of the gods and guards
Bifrost (the rainbow bridge to
Asgard)
Will Kill Loki at Ragnarok, but will
die from wounds
Created 3 races of Men: serfs,
peasants, and warriors.






Tyr






God of war and justice
Precursor of Odin
Boldest of the gods, inspires courage
and heroism in battle
Lost his hand to Fenrir, Loki’s wolfson
His symbol is the spear which has
become a symbol of justice
At Ragnarok, he will kill the hound
Garm, the guardian of hell, but he
will die from his wounds.
Hod






God of winter and darkness
Blind
Son of Odin and Frigg
Tricked by Loki into killing
Balder with mistletoe
Vali killed Hod in revenge
for Balder
After Ragnarok, he will be
reborn and rule with Balder
Idun
Goddess of immortality
 Keeps the golden apples
of youth
 Major story deals with a
giant who, with Loki’s
help, stole the apples,
causing the gods to wither
 Married to Bragi

Bragi
God of poetry and
eloquence
 Loki calls him
“Braggart” and the
verb “to brag” comes
from his name.
 Married to Idun

Hel
Daughter of Loki
 Giantess, half alive/half dead
 Ruler of Helheim, Goddess of
death and the underworld
 Half black/ half white
 Her face and body are human
but her legs are of a corpse
 Spread the plague with a rake or
a broom
 Agrees to release Balder from
Helheim if everything weeps for
him.
