Norse Gods and
Goddesses—Mrs. Thaler
Asgard – Heaven
Midgard – Earth
Yggdrasil – World Tree
Norse Mythology
Objectives: You will be introduced to
 the world of Norse Mythology--and gain
 understanding of the culture, belief
system,
 Learn the gods/goddesses of early
Viking culture
 (Nordic countries) and Nordic folklore.
 Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and
Sweden
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Viking Maps
Journal: You have now entered Yggdrasil…
THE WORLD TREE
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Yggdrasil—World Tree with Asgard at the
top
Fatalism
Foundational cultural belief in their own
eventual destruction.
 Fate, predestined to face inevitable doom
 Fight between good/evil, tragic
 Gods will fight to the end in War to have
a seat at Valhalla (in Asgard)
 Death inevitable—triumph, victory, honor
 Predates Christianity/Pagan beliefs
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Two Tribes
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Vanir
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Aesir
– Two groups of Gods
– After the big war, Vanir becomes a subgroup
Of the Aesir and become a single tribe
The NINE worlds of Norse
1.
Niflheim
– World of ice
– “Abode of Mist”, fog, “mist world”
2. Muspelheim
--World of Fire
--Fire demon’s home, Surtyr is ruler
Worlds..continued
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3. Vanaheim
– World of the Vanir (Vanr singular)
– A place of fertility, wisdom, and ability to see
the future
– Njord and his children Freyr and Freyja are
Famous Vanirs.
At war with the Aesir
Worlds continued
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4. Asgard—world of the Aesir, Home of
the Gods
– Associated with Power and War
– Asynja (feminine, plural)
– Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr, and Tyr are famous
warriors from Asgard
Vile, Ve
Home of Valhalla—heaven for great warriors,
Odin’s hall, home of Einherjar—the souls of the
greatest warriors, Selected by Valkyries
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5. Jotunheim—world of the Jotnar (Frost
Giants)
– Superhuman strength
– Stand in opposition to tribes of Aesir and
Vanir, but intermingle and marry both.
– An area separated from Midgard (humans) by
high mountains and dense forest
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6. Midgard
– Land of average human existence
– Somewhere in the middle of Yggdrasil
– Surrounded by water or ocean that is
impassible.
– AKA—”middle earth” in Tolkien’s Lord of the
Rings trilogy
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7. Alfheim
– World of the Alfar (Elves)
– Divine/Semi-Divine beings endowed with
magical powers
 8. Svartalfheim
--World of Svartalfar (Black Elves)
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9. Nidavellir (Hel)
– World of Nioavellir (Dark Fields)
– Home of the Dwarves
– Hreidmar is the king here
Other Parts:
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Rainbow—(Bifrost)
– Burning rainbow bridge connecting Midgard
and Asgard
– Heimdallr guards it from the jotnar (frost
giants)
– Will be destroyed at Ragnorok (end of the
world battle)
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Ratatosk(r)
– Messenger Squirrel
– Carries messages between Eagle at top
and the Nidhogg at the bottom

Nidhogg
– Midgard serpent (Snake/Dragon)
 Grows so that it stretches around the world
 Will bring doom to the Gods/Universe
 Represents the end of the world/the edge
 Danger
 Ultimate adversary of Thor
Odin/ Woden/ Wotan
Chief of the gods
Father of Thor, Balder,
and other gods
 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
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His two ravens are called Huginn and
Muninn (Thought and Memory)
Valkyries and Valhalla
Valkyries are female spirit
warriors that ride the
battlefields and find
worthy slain warriors and
takes them to Valhalla
where they will train until
Ragnarok.
 The northern lights are
light shining off of their
shields
 Valhalla is the Hall of the
Slain. It exists in Asgard,
home of the gods

“Ride of the Valkyries”
Richard Wagner
Thor/ Thunor
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God of thunder and lightning
Mjollnir (the destroyer) – an
ax-hammer that can destroy
giants and mountains in a
single blow
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 is capable of drinking an
ocean
“Thursday” son of Odin and
Jord
Thor’s
Helmet
Balder
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“The Beautiful” and “The Good”
Primarily known for his death and resurrection
The favorite child
Loki
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God of mischief and fire
Trickster figure
Unknown parentage
Responsible for Balder’s
death and punished by
having snake venom drip
on his forehead
Jormungand, Hel, and
Fenrir are his children
Will begin Ragnorak
Bragi
God of poetry and
eloquence
 Loki calls him
“Braggart” and the
verb “to brag” comes
from his name.
 Married to Idun
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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
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Freyr / Frey
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God of agriculture,
fertility, and plenty
Twin to Freyja (they are
VERY close)
Unlike the other gods,
Freyr and Freyja are
earth dieties
Has a sword that can
fight by itself
The boar is his symbol
Freyja
Goddess of love and fertility
 Twin sister of Frey
 Slept with four dwarves to
get a flaming necklace,
which becomes her symbol
of fertility
 Leader of the Valkyries
 She takes some of the dead
warriors for herself
 Has a chariot drawn by cats
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Freyja’s
hair
Frigg / Frigga / Frea
Mother Goddess
Wife of Odin
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
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Tyr
God of war and justice
 Precursor of Odin
 Boldest of the gods
 Lost his hand to Fenrir,
Loki’s wolf-son
 His symbol is the spear
which has become a
symbol of justice
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Heimdall
“World Brightener”
 God of the dawn
 Great hearing (can
hear grass grow) and
eyesight
 Is the look out on
Bifrost (the rainbow
bridge to Asgard)
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Hod
God of winter and darkness
 Blind
 Tricked by Loki into killing Balder
 Vali killed Hod in revenge for Balder
 Will return during Ragnarok
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Hel
Daughter of Loki
 Giantess
 Goddess of death and the
underworld
 Half black/ half white
 Her face and body are human
but the legs are of a corpse
 Has two servants: Ganglati and
Ganglot
 Spread the plague with a rake or
a broom
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Hel / Helheim
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The underworld
The road to Hel is an icy river
(Gjoll) full of weapons
Guarded by a large dog (Garm) and
Modgud (an ugly goddess)
Nothing can leave Hel, not even
gods
The wicked go here and the people
who do not die a glorious death in
battle
A giant in the form of an eagle sits
and flaps his wings, making a
freezing wind. His name is
Hraesvelg (corpse eater)
Garm
Garm guards the
entrance to Hel
 Has four eyes and a
bloody chest
 Could be appeased with
cake as long as they
gave the poor bread in
life
 Will join the giants in
Ragnorak
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Wyrd