COMPLETE list with the main Norse gods

Throughout the centuries, humanity has followed numerous gods, which were included in certain mythologies, some more important than others. One of the most relevant mythologies in history has been the Norse, whose influence on literature is only comparable to the Greek and Roman. Therefore, in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about main Norse gods.

Image source. 20 minutes

In most pantheons all the gods are of the same class, existing differences of importance and rank, but not differing in different groups. This does not happen in Norse mythology, since in this the gods can be divided into two large groups, depending on different factors. It should be taken into account that this division was very relative, being very difficult to know why a god belonged to one group and not to the other.

On the one hand there were Æsir, which were considered as the main gods of Norse mythology, having in principle greater importance than the other group. They are all supposed to be related to the main Norse god, Odin, and all of them inhabit Asgard.

On the other hand were the Vanir, considered as previous gods than the Æsir, but less important according to mythology. It is said that this class of gods inhabited the world of Vanaheim, being in principle a less warlike and more peaceful group than the Æsir.

The Æsir are the gods to which the relatives of Odin belong, the main god of the Norse pantheon, and therefore in this group we can find many of the greatest gods, some of them being the most important in Norse stories, especially in the Ragnarok. Some of the main gods that belong to the Æsir are as follows:

• Odin: The main Norse god, it is said that he was the creator of the universe with Ve and Vili. He is the god of wisdom and war, saying that he sacrificed his eye at the well of Mimir in order to achieve absolute knowledge of everything. He lived in Asgard, from where he could see everything that happened throughout the 9 worlds. It was said that he sent the Valkyries to collect the warriors killed in battle, who would become his army when Ragnarok came.
• Thor: God of thunder and possessor of Mjolnir, a hammer created by the dwarves and said to be the most feared weapon by all the enemies of the gods.
• Sif: Thor's wife and goddess of fidelity and crops.
• Frigga: Odin's wife and goddess of heaven and love. She is considered to be one of the main goddesses in mythology, she being the only one other than Odin who could sit on the throne of Asgard.
• Balder: Son of Odin and god of peace. Her death is considered one of the reasons for the beginning of Ragnarok.
• Tyr: Son of Odin and god of war and courage. Tyr sacrificed his hand so that he could bind the great wolf Fenrir.
• Heimdal: Son of Odin and guardian god, he was in charge of watching over Asgard and the Bifrost.

To conclude this lesson on main Norse gods we must talk about the second group of deities, the Vanir.

The Vanir are the gods of the fertility and the sea, being gods of peace and great wealth. They were gods much more peaceful than the Æsir, and more related to the viking magic. Some of the main Vanir gods were as follows:

• Freyja: She is sometimes considered a member of both groups of gods. She was the goddess of beauty, love, and magic.
• Freyr: Also called Frey, was the god of the rain and the rising sun. He was the bearer of the summer sword, one of the greatest Norse weapons, but he abandoned it for the love of a giantess.
• Njörðr: Father of Freyja and Freyr, and god of the fertile land and seashores.
• Gerd: Frey's wife, she was considered the most beautiful creature in the world.
• Gullveig: She was killed three times by Odin, although she was resurrected all three times. Odin's attack on Gullveig is what started the war between the Æsir and the Vanir.