• Ajra – Goddess of healing.

• Alheim – abode of the light fairies identical to Ljosalfheim.

• Alvaldi – A powerful giant and father of Tjazi.

• Alvis – «omniscient». A dwarf Thor outwitted by giving him riddles. The riddle-asking went on until morning, and when the Sun rose it turned the dwarf into stone.

• Alberich – a character from the Nibelung epic. A dwarf whose treasure was stolen by Loki.

• Amsvartnir – the lake the island of Lingvi is located. The wolf Fenriz is shackled there.

• Andvari – dwarf, owner of the magical ring later stolen by Loki.

• Angrboda – «bearer of bad news». An ice she-giant and Loki’s lover. The mother of Fenriz, Hel and Jormungand.

• Apple – fruit considered sacred in Nordic tradition. It’s connected to the Goddess Idun who stored apples of youth in her coffer; these apples gave the Gods eternal youth and good health.

• Asir – one of the two divine tribes. Most of all they were Gods of war; belonging to this pantheon are Odin, Thor, Hermod, Tyr, Bragi, Forseti, Hodur, Vidar and many others. Asir is plural of the word As, meaning God.

• Askr – the first man created by Gods from an ash tree. From him and Embla the whole human race was born.

• Atli – Nordic name for Attila, king of the Huns, who died in 453 AD. Attila is the protagonist of the most famous German epic – the Volsung saga.

• Audhumla – primordial cow, the first creature to rise up from Ginugagap. From her four udders rivers of milk ran, feeding the first ice giant.

• Austri – one of the dwarves standing on four sides of the world, holding the heavens; austri means East.

• Asgard – abode of the Asir and the Vanir, after the two tribes made peace.

 

 

• Baldur – son of Odin and Frigga, Solar Deity who was sent to the Underworld by Loki’s ruse. Described as the fairest of the Gods, Baldur lived peacefully with his wife Nana until one fatal day. Even though he was protected from any weapon, Baldur could be injured by holly which Loki used to get rid of the Sun God. On that ill-fated day, Loki convinces Baldur’s blind brother Hod to shoot Baldur with an arrow made of holly and thus prove Baldur’s famed invulnerability. Hod hit Baldur who fell dead on the spot, and Hod and Loki were then cruelly punished. Subsequently Baldur went to Hel, where he will stay until Ragnarok ends.

• Bear – one of the sacred animals in Nordic tradition. It’s associated to the berserkers, warriors who possessed great strength and courage, greatly valued among the Nordic peoples. Parents often gave their sons the name Bjørn (bear), hoping that the bear’s strength and wisdom will be passed on to their offspring.

• Beowulf – Germanic hero who’s slain two monsters – Grendel and the dragon that attacked his country. Hero of the Old English epic of the same name.

• Berserkers – Odin’s warriors going into battle without armour and shields, relying only on their immense strength. They owed their bravery to an unidentified potion they’d drink before battle, which probably included some narcotics. Berserk means «bear-skin».

• Bestla – Borr’s wife and mother of Odin, Vili and Vea.

• Bifrost – rainbow-bridge, connecting Asgard and Midgard. It was made of three colours – red, blue and green (the Eddas mention four). This bridge was a protection from the forces of darkness and chaos, most of all from Muspel’s sons; it was also a connexion between humans and the Gods. Its other name was Ásbrú, i.e. the As bridge. The guardian of this bridge was Heimdal.

• Birka – a place near Stockholm where a pagan sanctuary was located.

• Boar – sacred animal in the Nordic tradition, dedicated to Frey. in the Eddas we find the boar Seshrimnir who served as food for the fallen warriors in Valhalla. No matter how much of him they ate, he would always regenerate, which is suggested by the meaning of his name – “cooking pit”.

• Borr – son of Buri and husband of Bestla, father of Odin, Vili and Ve.

• Bragi – son of Odin and the she-giant Gunlod. God of poetry and eloquence, as well as the husband of the Goddess Idun.

• Brisingamen – Freya’s magical necklace crafted by dwarves of Svartalfheima. Because of this item, the Goddess slept with four dwarves and so lost her husband Odur.

• Brisings – dwarves that crafted Brisingamen.

• Brunhilde – one of the Valkyries. She stood up to Odin and for punishment closed inside the fiery ring, wherefrom she was liberated by Sigurd, her future lover.

• Buri – forebear of all the Gods. He was liberated from the ice by Audhumle, the primordial cow.

 

• Cat – animal consecrated to Freya, that symbolizes her femininity. Freya was always depicted in the company of two cats dragging her carriage.

• Disir – a common name for all female deities (singular of Dis), meaning both Goddesses and mortal women who were later deified. These mortal women were priestess and tribal leaders in life, and it was believed that they won’t leave their tribes even after death. Hopeful for their divine protection, the people would offer sacrifices to the Disir.

• Donner – a name for Thor outside of Scandinavia, most of all in modern Germany.

• Draugen – mythical being bringing fear to villagers throughout Scandinavia. Draugen is the ghost of a drowned man, describes by the people’s imagination as a horrific creature bloated from the water and covered in river flora.

• Draupnir – Odin’s ring of power, capable of multiplying itself nine times.

 

• Eddas – next to the sagas, eddas are the most important source for researching Nordic mythology. There are two narratives bearing this name: Poetic Eddas and the Prose Edda, that is Snorri’s Edda. The Poetic Edda is a collection of poems which were gathered from the 9th to the 12th century AD in Iceland. The essential part of this collection are poems Voluspa and Hávamál. Snorri’s Edda is consisted of four parts: Prologue, The Fooling of Gylfi, Skáldsaparmál and Háttatal. The most important part is certainly The Fooling of Gylfi, seeing that it describes the complete history of the Nordic Universe, and represents all the Gods of the Nordic pantheon.

• Egir – God of the sea and the Ran’s husband. His nine daughters are the waves, and their names are: Himinglaeva, Dufa, Blodughadda, Hefring, Unn, Hronn, Bylgja, Bara and Kolga. As he often sunk ships, the Nordic people would sacrifice prisoners to him, hoping that will give them safe sailing. Egir is also known as a very hospitable deity, whose halls often played host to feasts for the Gods. On one of those feasts Loki appeared and mocked the Gods, as described in the Lokasenna.

• Einherjar – Odin’s warriors «they who fight alone», they are dead heroes staying in Valhalla until Ragnarok. Their food is meat of magical boar Sehrimnir and their beverage the mead served to them by the Valkyries. Einherjars spend their days battling on a field in front of Valhalla, and none of their wounds are lethal, because they heal on themselves.

• Embla – the first woman, made out of a birch tree. Henir, Odin and Lodur gave life to her and her husband Askr.

 

• Falcon – animal considered holy in the Nordic tradition. The falcon is associated with Freya, seeing how she would occasionally take the form of this bird, but also with Loki, who flew like a falcon after stealing Freya’s feathered shirt.

• Fafnir – because of his greed for the cursed treasure he was turned into a dragon. He was slain by Sigurd.

• Farbuti – Loki’s father.

• Fenriz – one of Loki’s children, the beast of Ragnarok. To stop his destructiveness, the Gods tricked him into magical shackles.

• Fylgja – a creature from the Nordic folklore considered a man’s follower. This being appears to a man announcing his death; it had its human and animal form. The placenta the children were born with was also called fylgja.

• Fjalar – he and his brother killed the wise Kvasir.

• Forseti – God of justice, the son of Baldur and Nana. He reigned in Glitnir where he presided as a judge and dispensed justice.

• Frey – the son of Nord and Nertus, Freya’s twin brother. God of fecundity and plenty, ruled the Sun’s light and rain, but also a God of peace and prosperity. During drought and barren years the Nordic peoples would offer sacrifices to Frey; also to achieve peace. Frey’s temple was in Uppsala. Even though he wasn’t allowed to sit on Odin’s throne – Hildskjalf – Frey did it causing big trouble for himself. From Hildskjalf he saw the beautiful she-giant Gerda who he fell deeply in love with. Frey sent his servant Skirnir to propose to Gerd, and gave him the sword he never let out of his hands. Because of this, he won’t be able to defeat Surt, who will attack him when Ragnarok comes, and because of this he will die.

• Freya – one of the Vanir, the Goddess of fertility and Freya’s sister. According to legend, she was a sorceress who could fly in the form of an falcon. Half of the fallen warriors belonged to her, and another half to Odin; because of this she’s also called Valfreyia. Freya would take these fallen warriors to her palace of Sesrumnir, while Folkvang was reserved for dead lovers. Freya was the one who uncovered the power of the seidr to humans, a Nordic magical practice; beside the humans, she also revealed this skill to Odin. In spite of her power and beauty, Freya lost her husband: he abandoned her because she spent the night with four dwarves. Therefore she started a quest all over the world, crying tears of red gold. Her daughter’s name is Hnoss – a name for precious jewellery.

• Freki – a wolf whose name means Voracious. Together with Geri, he followed Odin on all his journeys.

• Frigga – Odin’s wife and Baldur’s mother, guardian of marriage. She tried to protect his son by making all the plants and all the weapons to swear not to injure him. It worked with everything except the holly which caused Baldur’s death. Frigga is also considered the queen of Asgard, even though Odin doesn’t have the title of king. Her palace is Fensalir which means Marsh Halls.

 

• Galdor – magical practice of the old Germans which, unlike seidr, can be practiced by both men and women. We can understand galdor in two ways. The first is that galdor is a set of techniques that are based on studying and analyzing myths and the Germanic system in general, as well as the studying of Runes and vibratory formulae. Unlike seidr which is a way of intuition, meditation and astral experiences, galdor is a practice that demands activity. For exactly that reason, galdor is regarded as a male practice, Odin’s way, while seidr is associated with women as more passive beings, and thus named Frigga’s way. The other way we consider galdor as just vibratory formulae, i.e. curses, blessings and spells mantras in general. They can be based on Runes, but it isn’t required.

• Garm – the hellhound who was imprisoned in the hole of Gnipahel until the beginning of Ragnarok. During Ragnarok he will fight Tyr, causing both their deaths.

• Gefijon – guardian of virgins; her name is also connected to agriculture.

• Gladsheim – one of the most important halls in Asgard, belonging to Odin.

• Gerda – a beautiful she-giant and Frey’s wife. She reluctantly entered into marriage with him only after Skirnir, Frey’s messenger, threatened to cast spells to make her ugly.

• Geri – or Greedy, one of the wolves – Odin’s companions. Seeing how Odin drank only wine, he gave all his food to Geri and Freki.

• Gerod – a giant who tried to kill Thor by deception, inviting him to come without his hammer and the belt that doubles his strength. The she-giant Grida helped Thor by lending him her own weapon. He was killed by Thor by throwing a flaming ball that went through an iron pillar and his stomach.

• Ginungagap – «Gaping hole», the primeval chaos from which the Universe was later created. Ginungagap was located between Muspelheim and Nifelheim; the Fire and Ice that poured into it later created organic life.

• Gjalarhorn – a horn hidden near the roots of the Yggdrasil just next to Mimir’s spring. Mimir uses this horn to drink the water from the spring, the water that gave him wisdom. The horn will remain there until Ragnarok when Heimdal takes it and by blowing on it announce the end of the world (and its subsequent regeneration). Gjalahorn translates as “loud horn”.

• Gothi – Nordic priest whose obligations were the performance of rituals and handling the kindred.

• Grendel – a monster that couldn’t be harmed by any weapon; for a long time he molested the Danish kingdom during king Hrotgar’s reign. He was slain by Beowulf.

• Grid – she-giant who helped Thor in fighting Gerod, lending him her battle belt, gauntlets and unbreakable staff. She’s believed to be Vidar’s mother.

• Gungnir – Odin’s magical spear, adorned with Runes.

• Gulveig – a witch that would cause greed in the hearts of men and Gods. Because of this, the Gods tried to burn her, but since it failed three times they honoured her and called her Heidi (light-one). Behind the name of Gulveig is most probably Freya, which was associated to treasure like Venus (gull means gold); she’s also the Goddess that practices magic.

• Gunlod – Sutung’s daughter, the guardian of mead of inspiration. She let Odin drink three gulps of this beverage, after which he tricked her and drank all the mead. Even though he spent three nights with her, Odin stole the mead and escaped in the form of an eagle.

• Gydja – Nordic priestess. The female equivalent to gothi, she also handles the kindred and its activities.

• Gylfi – Swedish king who, in disguise, visited the Gods and questioned them on the creation of the world and their order.

 

• Hamingja – a being similar to fylgja, it was believed that it measures the fortunes of individuals. In Atlamál there is a description of Kostaber’s dream in which she sees Attila’s hamingja appear in the form of an eagle and sprays blood on its enemies.

• Hár – one of Odin’s names, meaning Tall-one. Under this name Odin introduces himself to Gylfi and tells him of the three manifestations of the supreme deity. The other two manifestations of Odin are Jafnhar and Tridi.

• Hati – the wolf that goes in front of Sol, that is the girl that represents the Sun in Nordic mythology. His name means “disdain”.

• Hávamál – one of the holy Asatru texts, holding the words of Odin himself. The text contains moral guidance on various topics Odin gave to Lodfafnir, as well as health, love and magic advice.

• Heimdal – son of nine mothers and the guardian of Bifrost. His dwelling, called Himinborg or Heavenly city, is located near the Rainbow-bridge. As guardian, Heimdal is always on alert. He sleeps very little, he can see by night and day, as well as hear even the grass growing. His guardianship ends with the coming of Ragnarok, for no matter how well Asgard is guarded, its fated to be destroyed. Then Heimdal gives the warning by blowing in the horn of Gjalahorn and thus announcing the world’s end. Heimdal is also called the white God, and in the text called Rig’s Counting, he’s named Rig.

• Heiti – in many parts of the world Odin was revered under many names. Depending on which aspect of his personality they comprehended and with which divine manifestation they were in contact with, people gave Odin names that were called heiti. Some of them are Har (Tall), Herjan (Warrior), Gangleri (Voyager), Helblindi (Blind-one from Hel).

• Hel – the daughter of Loki and Angrbode, ruler of Hel, empire of the dead. She refused to send Baldur back into the world of the living where she’ll keep him until Ragnarok. Some believe that Hel was actually in love, and that’s why she wouldn’t let Baldur go back. However, to demonstrate good will she said she will let Baldur go if the whole world mourns for him. Seeing how only the he was kept in Helheim. Hel was described as a half-dead half-living woman of terrifying appearance. The first half of her face represents the rot and horror of death, while the prettier side of her face is a symbol of eternal life. It’s up to us how we should regard this Goddess, i.e. Death itself.

• Helheim – region under the reign of Hel, the Goddess of death. Unlike Valhalla, the deceased coming here died from illness or old age. Helheim is depicted as a cold and damp place ruled by misery, famine and tedium.

• Hermod – son of Frigga and Odin, Baldur’s brother. He was the divine messenger and went to the Underworld to bring Baldur back into the world of the living.

• Hildskjalf – the throne Odin sat on observing the whole Universe. One day Frey sat on the throne and looking north saw the she-giant Gerd and instantly fell in love.

• Himir – he’s believed to be the father of Tyr. The giant who owned a great cauldron in which the drink of the Gods was brewed.

• Hod (Hodur) – the blind son of Odin and Frigga. Loki tricked him into killing Baldur with an arrow made of holly. Like Baldur, he will stay alive after Ragnarok.

• Hoenir – fast-running Odin’s brother, sent to live with the Vanir as a gesture of good faith of the Asir. When man was created he was present along with Odin and Lod; Hoenir’s obligation was to give him senses.

• Hrimtursar – ice-giants, the progeny of Imir. They constructed a tough wall around Asgard for protection from Jotuns.

• Hugi – «thought», protagonist of the story about Thor’s travels to Utgard.

• Hugin – also «thought», one of Odin’s two ravens.

• Huldra – name of a female mythical creature. Peasants imagined Huldra as a sorceress with a cow’s tail.

 

• Idavol – «star meadow». This valley, in which the Gods gather after Ragnarok, is actually the starry sky, and the constellations are – houses of the Gods.

• Idun – the Goddess who protected the apples of youth, Bragi’s wife. After her apples were stolen, the Gods suddenly started to age rapidly and regained their youth when Idun got her apples back.

• Ig – one of Odin’s names meaning Terrible. It was the root of the name of the holy tree Iggdrasil meaning Ig’s horse.

• Iggdrasil (Irminsul) – holy tree of the old Nordic people, axis of the Universe. Odin hanged on it for nine days, sacrificing himself to himself which later served as a basis of a Viking ritual. War prisoners were sacrificed to Odin, most often nine of them, by hanging them on a tree; this ritual was most often practiced on Vinterblot, the winter solstice. Iggdrasil is a mighty ash tree that encompasses nine worlds. Its roots are in Asgard, Jotunheim and Nifelheim. This tree actually represents the whole Universe as a living organism that’s always regenerating and which saves the spark of life (Liv and Livtrasir) after the world ends.

• Imir – the first living creature. From its sweat the other ice giants were created, from his bones the mountains, from his skull the sky and from his eyebrows Midgard.

• Ing – the Saxons revered Frey under this name. Ing is considered as the founder of the Ingling dynasty, from which many Scandinavian konungs, i.e. kings, have sprung.

 

• Jafnhar – the other member of the trinity of Har-Jafnhar-Tridi. This manifestation of Odin describes him as an equal to himself (Equally-tall is the translation of this heiti).

• Jord – Jord or Erda was the Goddess of the Earth in Nordic mythology. The German version of her name is Nertus, and Frey’s wife’s name – Gerd – has a connexion to this name as well. Jord still means earth in Scandinavian languages.

• Jormundgand – Loki’s progeny, thrown into the sea by the Gods. This Snake of Midgard grew so large that it encircled the Earth and remained in the world Ocean biting its own tail. It will leave its dwelling during Ragnarok to fight Thor and lose its life in this encounter.

• Jotuns – giants and the greatest enemies of the Gods and men. They most often came into conflict with Thor who’d crush them with his hammer – Mjollnir.

• Jotunheim – home of the giants, a terrifying ice-covered region with its fort of Utgard.

 

• Kindred – name for a type of organization whose members belong to the Asatru movement. Earlier this organization had its basis in the tribe, i.e. it was based on familial relations, but this is no longer the case. The kindred is led by a gothi or a gydja, and the main purpose for this kind of group is the joined participation in rituals. Most often the celebrations of Nordic holidays.

• Kvasir – a person known for his great wisdom. He was killed by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar. His murder is actually a description of brewing beer.

• Lif and Liftrasir – «life» and «will to live». A man and a woman who survived Ragnarok by hiding in the branches of Iggdrasil. They will be parents of a new race that will repopulate the Earth.

• Ljossalheim – a region inhabited by Light Elves and their ruler – Frey.

• Lodfafnir –person who learned the wisdom of the Gods coming to the spring of Urd and staying in Valhalla. He’s mentioned in Havamal.

• Loki – God of fire, a shape-shifter. His giant origins explains his inclination towards evil. However, he didn’t always do harm, but sometimes even helped the Gods, like when Freya was engaged with the giant Thrym. Loki is actually a dynamic impulse that puts into motion events described in Nordic myths, and without him the whole Nordic mythological system is virtually impossible. Because of this, Loki and his progeny are as essential for this system as a negative and destructive change in one’s life is necessary and useful for the future development of an individual.

• Lorelei – legendary being from Germanic folklore depicted as a beautiful siren mesmerising sailors with her singing, effectively luring them to their deaths. Beguiled by her song, the sailors would jump into the water wishing to embrace this enchantress.

 

• Managarm – the wolf who chased the Moon and caused its eclipse. It was believed that during a lunar eclipse the wolf devours the whole Moon and dyes the whole world with the redness of its blood. This wolf fed on the corpses of dead humans, like Nithog, and his name means “Moon dog”.

• Mani – male Nordic deity of the Moon. The Moon took two children from Earth and made them his followers. Their names – Bil and Hjuki – i.e. Waxing and Waning, are actually the phases of the Moon.

• Magni – «mighty». Son of Thor and the she-giant Jarsankse. After Thor’s demise in Ragnarok, he and his younger brother Modi will inherit the Mjollnir.

• Midgard – region inhabited by humans. Midgard means “middle garden”. According to tradition, it was created from the eyebrows of the giant Mimir and set in the middle of the tree Iggdrasil.

• Mimir – a God sent to the Vanir after peace was proclaimed with the Asir. When the Vanir thought that they’ve been tricked, they cut off Mimir’s head and sent it to the Asir. Odin rubbed it with magical plants and later used a divination object, returning the ability of speech to Mimir’s head. Bran and Baphomet.

• Mjöllnir – crafted by the dwarves Etri and Brok, this hammer became Thor’s mighty weapon. The old Scandinavians considered it a symbol of fertility, it also had many other uses, for instance blessing a marriage. This symbol is still in use, and is worn most often by members of the Asatru movement as a symbol of their faith, Troth. Mjollnir means “lightning”.

• Modi – his name means Courage; he’s Thor’s son and Magni’s brother. Both Modi and Magni will survive Ragnarok and inherit Thor’s hammer Mjollnir. With Baldur, Hod, Hoenir and Vidar they will be members of the new generation of the Gods.

• Munin – one of Odin’ ravens; his name means “memory”. Together with Hugin, Munin flew all over the world and gave news to Odin on all that’s going on in the world. Judging by his name, Munin didn’t travel only through space, but most probably through time as well.

• Muspelheim – fiery region. It’s inhabited by the sons of Muspel – fire giants, ruled by Surt. According to the Nordic myth on the creation of the world, fire from Muspelheim mixed with the ice from Nifelheim and thus created life.

 

 

• Naglfar – ship made from fingernails of dead men. During Ragnarok, the forces of chaos and destruction will sail on it.

• Nana – Baldur’s wife. After his death, Nana’s heart broke from all the pain, so she was thrown on the funeral pyre as well.

• Nari and Vali – Loki’s sons he conceived with Sigin. Because of their father’s crimes Nari and Vali got horrible fates: Vali was turned into a wolf, and let loose on his brother, he tore him apart. A similar occurrence is mentioned in the Volsung Saga.

• Nertus – Goddess Earth whose cult was described by Tacitus. She had her shrine on the island of Frisian, and sacrifices offered to her were drowned in the holy lake.

• Nidstag – one of the techniques of Nordic magical practice; its purpose was sending hexes and curses. Saxo Grammaticus describes the time Egil Skallgrimsson sent a Nidstag on Eric Bloody Axe and his wife: a horse’s head was sacrificed to the Gods and placed on a staff which was subsequently thrust into the ground. The whole artefact was then pointed towards Eric and Egil summoned spirits of vaetta and asked them to banish Eric from the country. It would appear that the hex worked, because Eric soon left Scandinavia with his whole family.

• Nifelheim – one of the two worlds of Yggdrasil that made life possible. Nifelheim is an ice-covered region, while Muspelheim was a fiery region; by mixing these two elements life was created in the Universe.

• Nithog – a dragon who lived in one of Iggdrasil’s roots – Nifelheim. He gnawed on the roots of the Tree, and he also attributed to the universal chaos that ensued during Ragnarok. He fed on corpses.

• Nisse – guardian spirits of the farm or home. They are similar to Russian domovoj and Serbian zduhač spirits who also protected the homes of Slavic ancestors. They’re depicted as small beings who can be extremely strong despite their diminutive size.

• Nordri – the dwarf that sits on the northern side of the world, holding up the Heavens.

• Nornas – Germanic Fates, who lived beneath Iggdrasil. Their names were Urd, Verdandi and Skuld, that is Was, Is and Will Be. Besides these Nornas there are many other less significant Nornas (equal to Slavic Fates), that are assigned to individual persons. Seeing how they appear on the day of one’s birth, they’re very similar, if not identical to Disir.

• Njord – one of the Vanir, the father of Frey and Freya. Like Egir, he was a sea God, and his functions were controlling the wind and settling the ruffled waves of the seas. Because of this he was often called upon by seamen and fishermen. He had two wives – Herta (Nertus), who was also his sister; because of this she was forbidden from Asgard. His other wife was Skadi. Seeing how they couldn’t agree on a place to live, Njord and Skadi decided to live apart, so Njord returned to Noatun (i.e. the open sea), while Skadi lived in the mountains.

• Odin – Supreme God of the Nordic pantheon, son of Borr and the grandson of Buri. Odin is the God of magic, war, poetry and death, and his throne Hlidskjalf gives him a view of all the worlds. Two ravens, Hugin and Munin, tirelessly fly all over the world and give him news; also a part of his entourage are two wolves – Geri and Freki. Let us first define Odin as a God of magic. His thirst for knowledge about the universe was so strong that he was ready for two great sacrifices: Odin first sacrificed his left eye in order to access great secrets of the Universe, next he sacrificed himself receiving in return the knowledge of the Runes. As a God of war, he throws a spear onto the army that is supposed to lose the battle, thus taking it as a sacrifice for himself. Regardless of the battle’s outcome, Odin receives all the other warriors that fall in the battle as well. One belief tells us about this: before battle, Odin shows himself to all the warriors, and walking among them says “Odin owns you all!” The fallen warriors are brought to Odin by Valkyrie, however half of them go to Freya. This God is also known as the great Nordic bard; he passed on this talent to his son Bragi. As to most of the Nordic Gods, Ragnarok will be the death of Odin. He will be devoured by Fenriz, however, Odin will continue living through Baldur and Vali who will survive this cosmic catastrophe.

• Odur (Od) – Freya’s husband and the father of her daughter Hnoss. When he abandoned Freya, she went looking for him, crying tears of red gold. These tears fell into the sea, and according to tradition, this is how amber was created. It was believed that behind this name – Od – is Odin himself, who by his functions (war, magic) is an perfect match for Freya.

• Odreri – magical cauldron in which the mead of inspiration was brewed. After slaying Kvasir, Fjalar and Gjalar mixed his blood with honey in Odreri and brewed a magic potion.

 

• Ragnarok – Twilight of the Gods, end of the world described in Voluspa. It is the final battle between the Gods and their enemies – the giants. Surt, the guardian of Muspelheim will set the whole world ablaze and many of the Gods will perish, including Odin, Thor and Frey. After Ragnarok, a new, better world will rise, a better world inhabited by people and Gods who lived. What’s interesting is that the Gods did not try to prevent Ragnarok, but yielded to something greater than themselves. This force that even the Gods respected is ørlog, that is – Fate. Even though they could have killed Fenriz, the Gods only tied him with magical shackles, very well knowing that he will bring misfortune on them (as we well know, Fenriz is responsible for Odin’s demise). Loki wasn’t killed either, just cruelly punished, while Surt’s coming is expected as well. Ragnarok is actually the process of purification of the world by which all evil will be destroyed and life continued in a better, untainted world. Even though it was consumed by fire, Yggdrasil becomes the source of life once again, holding in its branches Liv and Livtrasir (Life and Life’s Spite).

• Ran – Egir’s wife, Goddess of the sea. Drowning victims resided in her palace.

• Raven – sacred animal in the Nordic tradition. This animal is chthonic, because it’s always been believed that it announces death, and the Nordics believed that it always follows an army thus foretelling bloodshed. Valkyries sometimes appeared in the form of ravens, and Odin himself as a God of war had two ravens – Higin and Munin. His epithet Hrafnass gives him the title of Master of Ravens.

• Regin – Fafnir’s brother, he was cursed by the powers of the Andvarinaut ring.

• Ratatoskr – a squirrel whose name means Drill- or Bore-tooth. It runs up and down Iggdrasil carrying gossip between the eagle who dwells on the tree-top and the dragon Nidhog under its roots.

• Ríg (Rígr) – the other name for Heimdal, given to him in the Eddic poem Rígsthula. It’s believed that this names means king.

• Rid – Odin’s lover and the mother of Vali, the God who will avenge Baldur.

• Runes – an alphabet used by Germanic peoples before Christianization. It was also used in magical practices, most of all divination. It consisted of 24 signs (old Futhark), while the Anglo-Saxon version of this alphabet had 33 signs. Runes are formed exclusively by straight lines, therefore this alphabet was well suited for engraving. Besides wood, Runes were also engraved in stone, and a large number of these Rune-stones has been found all over Scandinavia. The purpose of Rune-stones differed – they were used to mark an event, a bridge-builder, as a tomb-stone or a memorial stone for a deceased loved one. Nowadays, Runes are no longer used as an alphabet and have a strictly magical use. They are most often used for divination, and aside from Asatruans, they’re used by members of other occult traditions.

 

• Sága – Goddess of history. Her abode is Sökkvabekkr or Sunken (river) bank. This name is a poetic explanation of history as something dynamic but basically hidden from man’s gaze, something that only Saga has insight into. The noun saga was derived from the name of this Goddess (sögur), and it signifies tales from Iceland’s past.

• Sagas – prose works created on Iceland during the 13th and 14th centuries. One of the first sagas was written by an abbot of the name Kari Johnsson; his saga tells the story of king Sverrir. Although these works are by its nature realistic, it’s not such a rarity to come across a fantastical being or event in them. Skaldic poetry was often quoted, mainly to emphasize an occurrence. The most famed author of sagas is certainly Snorri Sturluson, author of the saga Heimskringla and many others. There’s also the Saga of Njal, work of an unknown writer, considered the pinnacle of Nordic medieval literature, just like the Sagas of Greenlanders &c.

• Seidr – Nordic magical practice associated exclusively to women. Several women would gather in a place prearranged for the ritual, and one of them (the volva) would sit on an improvised throne (seidhjallar). Women gathered around the volva would sing song in order to fall intro a trance, during which she would go on astral journeys or commune with the dead. According to legend, the Goddess Freya was the one to reveal the art of seidr to the Gods, and the only male individual who dared practice this art was Odin.

• Sif – Thor’s wife; one night Loki cut off her hair. The dwarves made her a new head of hair from gold, that magically grew again on her head. She was the mother of Ulir, the God of archery.

• Sigin – wife of Loki, mother of Nari and Vali. When Loki was punished for his offences, she remained by his side, collecting the poison falling on his face.

• Siktuna – a place by the lake of Loh in modern Sweden. Coming to Scandinavia, Odin founded a shrine here in which rituals were performed in “As tradition”.

• Sigurd – Old Germanic hero, one of the Volsung. He slayed the dragon Fafnir and thus gained riches and wisdom. By tasting Fafnir’s blood, Sigurd gained the ability to understand bird-speak, which later helped him fin Fafnir’s treasure.

• Skadi – «destruction», daughter of the giant Tjazi and wife of Njord. When the Gods killed her father for stealing Idun’s apples, she went to Asgard to ask for reparation. Refusing gold, she demanded a husband, and believing that she’s chosen Baldur, she mistakenly chooses Njord. However, her marriage to Njord was not a very happy one. Seeing how they could never reach a consensus on joint dwelling, they separated, and Skadi went back into the snowy mountains that were her home, while Njord remained at sea.

• Skalds – Icelandic poets who were greatly respected by the people in their times. The basic trait of the skaldic art was using the kenning, a literary figure which would use a poetic description instead of a noun (e.g. fire – the wolf that devours trees). The most celebrated skald was Egil Skallgrimsson.

• Skirnir – a devoted servant of Frey’s; his name means «gleaming». By Frey’s command he went to the hall of the forest giants to propose the she-giant Gerd for Frey.

• Skol – the wolf that hounded Sol i.e. the Sun. Whenever there was a solar eclipse, the Nordic people would say that the wolf ate the Sun. his name means “scorn”.

• Skuld – one of the Nornas, a Fate. She was associated with the future, and her role was to cut the life line of every person and thus put an end to his or her existence.

• Sleipnir – Odin’s swift horse, who had eight legs. Odin travelled on this horse between the worlds, and the very way he obtained it is interesting. The giant who built Asgard had a horse named Svadilfar that did all the work for him. Loki approached Svadilfar in the form of a mare and conceived with him a foal – Sleipnir.

• Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) – the most famous of Iceland’s saga writers; he’s considered the author of four works of prose: The Prose Eddas, Saga of Egil Skallagrissom, one of the sagas about St Olaf and the book of Heimskringla (circle of the world). The Prose Eddas contain Gylfginning (the fooling of Gylfi), a work that is, aside for Voluspa, an essential source on Nordic mythology. The Eddas also includes legends from the time of the great migrations, whose protagonists are Attila the Hun and Sigurd, while the Heimskringla is a chronicle on the kings of the Ynglig dynasty, a dynasty founded by Frey.

• Sol – the Sun. As in the Hittite language, the Sun is female in the Nordic tradition. A myth associated with this deity is this one: a man had a son so handsome that he called him Mani (Moon), and a daughter so beautiful he named Sol (Sun). This enraged the Gods, and so they took his children and placed them in the sky as heavenly bodies to shine upon the Earth and measure time.

• Stag – one of the sacred animals of the Asatru movement, associated with Frey. In addition to the fact that the stag’s horns symbolize the Sun and fertility, it’s also known that, lacking a sword, Frey used a stag’s horn to slay the giant Beli.

• Sudri – “south”. Name of the dwarf that guarded the south side of the world.

• Surt – «black». Fire giant with a flaming sword who sets the world ablaze during Ragnarok. He resides in Muspelheim with the other fire giants; during Ragnarok he will lead the forces of darkness in their battle against the Gods.

• Sutung – the giant guarding the mead of inspiration. Odin snatched it from him after seducing his daughter Gunold who guarded the magic potion. Upon uncovering the deception, Sutung rushed after him in the form of an eagle, but it was too late.

• Svartalfheim – an underground world, the abode of dwarves and dark elves. This world is the smithy of the universe, a place where many powerful objects were crafted: Freya’s necklace – Brisingamen; Odin’s helmet of invisibility; the magical shackles that imprison Fenriz.

 

 

• Thor – Odin’ son Thor is the God of storms, thunder and springs. He was considered a fertility God because he stopped the winter ice, and in the old days he was the most popular Nordic deity. Unlike Odin who was revered by priests and berserkers, Thor was more of a “people’s deity”. Numerous myths describe Thor’s exploits, depicting him as a strong but benevolent God. His strength was so extensive that he could fight even the horrific snake of Midgard, the Jormundgand, as well as Old age, Hunger and Thirst. His hammer – Mjollnir – was an efficient weapon against giants; today it is the most recognizable symbol of the Nordic religion (another fact testifying to Thor’s popularity). In the end of time, Thor will face his eternal enemy, Jormundgand; neither one will come out of this battle alive.

 

• Thrym – the giant who came to possess Thor’s hammer. He promised to return Mjolllnir to the Gods if they give him Freya for his bride.

• Tjazi – Skadi’s father; he stole Idun’s apples of youth.

• Tridi – third member of the trinity of Har-Jafnhar-Tridi; one of Odin’s manifestations. By that name Odin described himself while describing the essence of the supreme deity to Gylfi. Tridi means “third”.

• Troll – a mythical being. It’s depicted as a giant of great strength, but not very bright; he’s always outwitted by a hero or a simple peasant. It was believed that their residence was in Trollebotn, a dark and cold region connecting Greenland to the Scandinavian peninsula. The verb fortrollen (enchant) is derived from this being’s name.

• Trudheim – Field of strength, Thor’s dwelling in Asgard.

• Týr – Nordic God of war, equal to the Roman God Mars. Although he’s believed to be Odin’s son, there’s a possibility that Tyr is from a much older pantheon. The archaeological proof for this comes from the prehistoric era; images of a one-armed God have been discovered in Scandinavia. Tyr lost his right arm by helping the Gods fool the wolf Fenriz, who was a great danger for the whole Universe. Because of this, Tyr is regarded as the bravest and most daring of all the Gods; he’s also revered for his devotedness. Like Odin, Tyr decides the victory in a battle. In his honour war dances were performed and his Rune (Teiwaz) was engrave on handles (or blades) of swords. During the Twilight of the Gods, Tyr will also find his demise in the fight with the giant hound Garm.

 

• Ulfsark – «wolf-skin». A name used for warriors similar to berserkers who fought without armour or shields. They’d go into battle blinded by belligerent rage of their God, Odin. Their terrifying looks were helped by warrior colours which were used by these warrior of Odin, like the Picts in ancient Britain.

 

• Ullr – God of archery, winter and hunting; Thor’s stepson. Most often depicted as a hunter on skis; because of this some have associated him with Skadi. He is one of the twelve chief Gods of the Nordic pantheon.

• Uppsala – the place where the most famous shrine was located. Adam of Bremen describes it as follows: in the centre of the shrine there were statues of Thor, Frey and Odin. Thor’s statute was in the middle, because the people revered him the most. Next to the shrine there was a tree that was green in both summer and winter, as well as the like in which people were drowned as sacrifices to the Gods.

• Utgard – «the place without». Capital of the giants in Jotunheim where Thor, Loki and Talfi competed with Utgard.

• Urd – Norna (Fate) of the past. The spring by which she sits bears the same name. Ur means old in Nordic languages.

 

• Vaett – name of the female spirit, guardian of earth. When ships approached the shore the sailors had to remove the horrifying ornaments from the ships’ bow, so they wouldn’t frighten off the vaetts.

• Vala – prophetess from Voluspa. Another Vala is mentioned in Nordic myths: this Vala gave birth to three daughters fathered by Odin: the three Nornas. It’s possible that it’s the one and same person, if the name vala designates any sorceress (vovla).

• Valaskjalf – the throne upon which a Nordic witch sits in trance and predicts the future. This prophesying was one of the most renowned Nordic rituals, which also included communion with the dead and descending into the Underworld. The throne is also called seidhjallar.

• Valhalla – dwelling-place of fallen warriors – Einherjar. Odin’s daughters – Valkyries – brought the dead warriors to Valhalla where they would serve them mead; for food the warriors ate meat of the ever-regenerating boar Seshrimnir. In the Eddas, Valhalla is described as an vast hall covered in gold. It had 540 doors through which 800 warriors could pass at the same time.

Vali – son of Odin and Rind. The Eddas only mention that he’s brave and a good shot.

Valkyries – maiden-warriors whose duty was to take the best men fallen in battle to Valhalla. In the beginning, Valkyries were depicted as blood-thirsty maidens appearing as nightmarish beings to warriors thus foretelling their deaths. Later they were depicted as beautiful fair-haired warriors who served the heroes in Valhalla. The root of this word val is also in the name Valhalla and Valknut; this root means fallen, slain.

• Valknut – one of the sacred symbols of Asatru. It’s consisted of three triangles that together make up the number nine, a sacred number in the Germanic tradition. This is, first and foremost, Odin’s symbol (the other name for Valknut is Odin’s Eye), but it’s also associated with Valkyries and Freya. Valknut translates as Knot of the Fallen; this makes it the sign of warriors fallen in battle who belong to either Odin or Freya after death.
• Vanadis – one of the names of Goddess Freya. It means the Goddess of the Van.

• Vanaheim – abode of the Vanir before peace was made with the Asir.

• Vanir – one of the two divine tribes. The Vanir are first of all forces of nature and fertility Gods. In the beginning of time they entered into war with the Asir; the cause of this war was Gulveig. After the war was ended, some of the Vanir were sent to the Asir, and vice versa. The Vanir sent Njord, Frey, Freya and Kvasir from their ranks, and in return they got Henir and Mimir. Hemidal is also a Van (the singular of Vanir) as well as Egir.

• Var – the Goddess who would punish unfaithful lovers as well as other who broke oaths.

• Vardlokkur – song sung by women during the ritual in which volva foretold the future and communed with the dead. This song helped volva to fall into trance while sitting on her throne – the valaskjalf.

• Ve – Odin’s brother; together they shaped the first humans – Askr and Embla.

• Verdandi – Norna of the present, whose name means Is. She was the one who decided the length of an person’s life line.

• Vestri – name of the dwarf who was on the western side of the world.

• Vidar – Odin’s son, God of the forest, described as the “taciturn God”. During Ragnarok, he will slay Fenriz and thus avenge his father.

• Vili – Odin’s brother who created the first humans, Askr and Embla, together with his brothers Odin and Ve. His name means will.

• Vingolf – palace of the Goddesses in Asgard.

• Vitki – Nordic sorcerer.

• Völsungs – Volsung was the offspring of Odin an the father of Sigmund and Signy, who created Sinfiotilj, not knowing they’re related. Sigmund’s other son was Siegfried (Sigurd).

• Volva – a woman practicing magic.

• Voluspa – part of the Poetic Edda; this text is a description of the visions of a prophetess in trance, telling of the creation of the Universe and the coming of Ragnarok. Because of its style the text is difficult to comprehend, so it’s necessary to consult other sources of Nordic mythology.

 

• Wayland – the Anglo-Saxon blacksmith God. In Scandinavia he’s know as Volund. The Swedish king Ninud cut of his left leg and moved him, together with his forge to a remote island. As revenge, Wayland raped his daughter and murdered his sons, making their skulls his chalices.

 

• Walpurgis – holiday dedicated to the Goddess of the same name, celebrated on May the 1st. In Christian times it was celebrated by witches. On that day, the witches would gather in the mountains like Brocken in Germany and Blåkulla in Sweden; according to the Christians, orgies were performed and the Devil was summoned on these mountains.

• Wolf – another sacred animal of the old Nordic peoples. Most of all it’s associated with Odin, who was always depicted in the company of his two wolves, Geri and Freki. The best known wolf from Nordic mythology is Fenriz, who will bring Odin his demise during Ragnarok. Fenriz is the principle of destruction; this is way Ragnarok will be called “age of the wolf”.

 

• Wotan – Odin was celebrated under this name throughout modern Germany. Another version of this name is Wodan (Wodanaz) which means fury.

 

• Yule – holiday of the winter solstice. It was celebrated by Scandinavians and all the old European people alike. Even today the Scandinavians call Christmas Yule (jul); in the English language Christmas is often called Yuletide.  

 

Vanadis

translation: Uroš Rajčević