The Nordic Gods

The Nordic gods were worshipped by the Vikings in the era 900AD - 1100AD. Belief in the
gods existed before this time, but it was not organized and the myth would differ from region
to region. The gods were called the Asa Gods, or the anglified Aesir. There were also nature
gods called the Vana Gods or Vanir. The religion was called asatro, in English Asatru, which
means Asa Faith.

In time a rich mythology with many gods and tales would emerge, although it can be seen in
some cases that various gods were strangely similar to each other in either names or functions;
this is a result of the effort to merge disparate beliefs into one mythology. For example, Oden
and his wife Frigg appear much the same as Freya and her husband Od, and the sea gods Ägir
and Njord have very much the same function. Other times the same deity has several names;
Måne and Natt is one example.

The strength of the mythology in daily life would vary. It is clear that Nordic mythology was
the lense through which the world was explained, but it was never a fervent belief; like other
polytheistic faiths it was relaxed and the result of spontaneous growth, not an organized
effort. In times and places of great wealth the mythology would take richer forms, such as the
great temple in Upsala, which was a center of worship for travellers from many regions. In
this temple there were priests who would lead the worship, and there would sometimes be
priests in larger villages, usually old men from wealthy families who could no longer work
the fields. But most of the time religious belief was a private matter, led by the head of a farm
or simply left to symbolism and habit.

Creation myth:

As told in old Icelandic writings, in the beginning the world was only darkness, a giant void
called the Ginnungagap. Ice and fire met across the Ginnungagap, and from a block of
melting ice came the giant Ymer. From another block of ice came the cow Audhumla, from
which Ymer drank milk. Audhumla licked on a large block of salt, from which came the giant
Bure.

From Bure came Burr, and his sons were the first gods, Oden ("Odin" in English), Vile and
Ve. These three brothers slayed Ymer, and made the world from his body. His flesh became
the land, his blood became the rivers, his skull became the sky, his eyebrows became the
protective wall around the world of men.

Gods, other beings and places of importance:

(English names in parenthesis. The most important gods and places are written in bold.)

Oden (Odin): King of the gods, god of wisdom, war and death. He resides in Valhall
(Valhalla). He is one-eyed; when his two brothers Vile and Ve vanished, Oden sacrificed one
eye in the giant Mimer's well of wisdom, and because of that sacrifice he can see the past, the
present and the future. From his throne he can see the whole world. Through Oden's wisdom,
the gods and their realm is well defended against the giants. Oden has a spear called Gungner
which always hits its target.

Under the name Jolner, Oden is the god of Christmas (called “Jul” in Scandinavian
languages). He is also called Allfather/Valfader (Valar is another name for the gods) and One-
Eye. He receives the name Hangadrott (Hanged King) when he hangs himself in the world
tree Yggdrasil for nine days to gather wisdom and in particular to purchase the wisdom of
runes, which Oden then gives to men. Oden is a god who thirsts for knowledge. He is also
said to have speared himself high up in Yggdrasil’s branches to find out what death is like;
this is possibly the origin of Yggdrasil’s name, which means “the horse of the terrible storm
god,” Ygg being another name for Oden. In fact, he has 63 different names in the tales, some
used on only one occasion when he appears in disguise among men or gods, which he does
often; Oden liked to travel as an old man dressed in grey, with a wide-brimmed hat to hide his
one eye. He could also take the shape of an eagle.

Oden’s Hunt or the Wild Hunt was believed to be a large and noisy hunting party travelling at
night, led by Oden. The sound was probably actually made by geese or other animals.

Worship of Oden remained in parts of southernmost Sweden into the 17th century, where he
was called The Other and also had traits from the devil. A bundle of hay was left in the fields
for Oden’s horses after harvest. The historian Snorre Sturlasson (1178-1241) considered Oden
to have been a real person, who came from “Tyrkland” (Germany) to Svitiod where he was
elevated to the status of a god after his death. The Ynglinga Saga says that the Saxons were
born when Oden, on his journey to Sweden with his people, left two of his princes behind in
northern Germany, where they claimed the land that would be called Saxland.

Hugin and Munin: Oden's ravens. They fly across the world of men, and then come back to
whisper in Oden's ear of what they have seen.

Sleipner (Sleipnir): Oden's eight-legged horse, the fastest of all horses, who can run forever
with no need for rest. He is grey, very large, and has runes carved into his teeth; this gives
him the power to run faster than the wind. He can ride on land, in air and across the sea. He is
much loved by Oden, and he carries fallen warriors to Valhall where they take their place in
the army of the gods.

Vile and Ve: Oden's brothers. Together they slayed the giant Ymer and created the world. Vile
gave sight and hearing to men (who were created by Oden), and Ve gave them reason. They
disappeared one day, and Oden sacrificed his one eye in Mimer’s well to find out what had
happened to them. He only told the answer to his wife Frigg, and otherwise kept it secret.

Freke and Gere: Oden's two wolves. Oden often gives them the meat that he is served, since
he prefers wine.

Tor (Thor): Son of Oden. God of thunder. Also god of strength, battle and courage. He rides
across the sky in his chariot, pulled by two goats named Tandgniostr and Tandgrisner. Tor
and his wife Siv live in the fortress Bilskirner with 540 rooms in Trudvang, which means the
field of strength. He carries a belt that doubles his already impressive strength. He wields a
hammer made by dwarves, called Mjölner (Mjolnir). When thrown, Mjölner always hits its
target, destroys it, and then returns to Tor's hand. Because of this great weapon Asgård will be
safe from the giants until Ragnarök. Tor strikes with his hammer against the wheels of his
chariot to make lightning and thunder.

Tyr (Tir): Son of Oden. God of war, leader of the Asgard army, the Einherjar, where the
ranks are made up of brave vikings fallen in battle. Tyr has only one hand, as he sacrificed his
other hand to chain the Fenris Wolf. Tyr is considered the bravest of the gods. While Oden is
worshipped more by commanders in war, Tyr is worshipped more by the footsoldiers.

Balder (Baldur): Son of Oden. The most loved and good of the gods. He will lead the
remaining gods to rebuild the world after Ragnarök. He lives with his wife Nanna in the
fortress Breidablick; no dirt has ever been under its silver roof resting on golden pillars.

Hermod: Son of Oden. God of courage in war. Also called upon when a message must reach
its destination quickly and safely. When Balder dies, Hermod travels to Nifelheim to ask Hel
to release him.

Skjold: Son of Oden. He married Gefjon and became the king of Denmark, the founder of the
ancient line of kings called the Skjoldunga Line.

Vale: Son of Oden. Very brave. He is born to avenge the death of Balder, which he does by
slaying his brother Höder. All three will reconcile and rebuild the world after Ragnarök.

Vidar: Son of Oden. Silent but strong, he lives in the Vide lands where tall grass grows. He is
the god of shoemakers. His huge iron shoes are made of the leftovers from the making of all
shoes. These leftovers should be discarded with respect, because Vidar will kill the Fenris
Wolf at Ragnarök by stepping on it with his shoes.

Höder (Hoder): Son of Oden. A blind god who is tricked by Loke into slaying Balder.

Loke (Loki): Not really a god, but accepted as one – he is actually a giant. He is the trickster
god and wicked. He is Tor's adopted brother, and the two have gone on many adventures
together among giants and in the world of men, where Loke's clever mind and quick tongue
have helped them many times. There are more tales about Oden, Tor and Loke than about any
other gods.

Frej (Frey): God of nature and of passionate love. He is worshipped at Midsummer. His name
means Lord in Ur-Nordic. He is Freja's twin. He has a ship, Skidbladner, that folds in such a
way that it can fit in a pocket. It can sail on land and always has winds in its sails. He also
owns the large pig Gyllenborste, who runs on land and in the air and is faster than any horse.
He also owns the horse Blodighove. Like Freja he is actually a Vanir, residing among the
Aesir. His home is Alfheim, which has also been a home of the elves, the ancient allies of the
Vanir. Oden, Tor and Frej are the three most powerful and most worshipped gods. Frej is
married to Gerd, a beautiful woman of giant’s line; Frej’s loyal servant Skirner convinced
Gerd to marry Frej after nine nights, and for this Skirner was given a horse and Frej’s magic
sword Skrepp, which would have disastrous consequences at Ragnarök.

Freja (Freya): Goddess of mild love and women. Also called Vanadis. She rides a chariot
pulled by cats, which all shine in the sunlight. A sun reflection is therefore called a "solkatt,"
a sun cat, in Swedish. Frej's twin. The most beautiful woman in the world, who has had affairs
with many of the male gods. When fallen warriors arrive in Valhall, she has the right to
choose among them the men who will accompany her in her mansion, Folkvang, where they
feast with Freja in the great hall Sessrumner. Freja is said to be married to Od, a god who later
leaves and causes her much grief. It is also implied that she lives as husband and wife with her
brother Frej. She owns Brisingamen, a magical and very beautiful fire necklace, which she
obtained by spending a night with each of the four dwarves who made it. She is considered to
have power over the earth, and her powers are described as dark and frightening. Her cult has
many elements of Nordic shamanism and like Oden she practices sejd. She has a cloak that
can turn her into a raven. When Oden finds out about Brisingamen he asks Loke to steal it for
him. He then tells Freja that he will return the necklace if she can make two kings, each with
twenty lesser kings as vassals, to go to war against each other; this is done, and through
Oden’s magic the fallen rise to fight again. This is considered the origin of all wars in the
world.

Njord: God of the seas, fishing, and the weather at sea. Father of Frej and Freja. Brother of
Frigg (Oden's wife, who is possibly a Vana goddess originally). He lives in Noatun by the sea,
which is the home of many ships.

Heimdall (Heimdal): Guardian of the Bifrost bridge, which mortal men also call the rainbow.
Bifrost connects the world of men with the world of gods. At the northern end of the bridge
stands Himinbjörg, Heimdal’s fortress. Heimdall has the best hearing and sight of all men and
gods; he can hear a cat walk and see the grass grow from far away. He has nine mothers. He
owns the Gjallarhorn, a mighty horn that will sound only once, at Ragnarök, when Heimdall
will blow the horn to alert the gods of the approaching army of giants.

Asgård (Asgard): the home of the gods.

Valhall (Valhalla): Oden's hall in Asgård, in the field Gladsheim. Its roof is made of golden
shields, and outside its gates stands the tree Glaser with leafs of red gold. The highest tower
in Valhall is Lidskjalf, from which Oden can see all of Asgård and Yggdrasil’s branches. In
Valhall the Einherjar gather to feast each night. Nearby is Idavallen, a field where the gods
gather, train, and where they invented their tools.

Einherjar: The army of the gods, brave fallen Vikings gathered by the Valkyries from the
battlefields. It is required that its members have been felled from the front. They practice
every day, lining up as two armies to fight each other under Tyr's watchful eyes, until
sundown. Then a horn sounds, and they come alive again. They spend the evening drinking
and eating in Valhall, and the next day they go back to training. The Einherjar army will go to
war only once, at Ragnarök.

Valkyries: Oden's beautiful warrior maidens, who ride flying horses across the battlefields.
With their spears they point at the fallen warriors who are brave enough to come with them to
Asgård. They are skilled warriors with spears and armor, who will fight at Ragnarök. Their
name means “Those who choose the fallen.”

Midgård (Midgard or Middle Earth): The home of mortal men, where they have lived ever
since Ask and Embla, the first man and woman, were made from driftwood on the shore by
Oden, Vile and Ve. Midgård rests on the branches of Yggdrasil, and Yggdrasil also passes
through its center.
Yggdrasil: The world tree, an ash tree which holds on its branches the worlds of men, gods
and giants. It reaches through the very center of Midgård and Asgård. Yggdrasil will stand
until Ragnarök.

Jotunheim: The home of the giants.

Nifelheim: The death kingdom, for those who have not died in battle, but instead of sickness
and old age. It is a cold and dreary place. The dead walk the terrifying, dark Hel Road to
arrive here; the road ends by the golden Gjallar Bridge, where the goddess Godmunn stands
guard. Nearby is the cave Gnipahålan, where the wolf Garm lives. Behind the bridge is the
Hel Gate, the tallest gate in the world. By the dark sea Amsvartner is the shore Narstrand,
which is full of piles of tortured bodies; criminals of all kinds come here, to a hall filled with
venomous snakes.

Hel: The goddess who rules Nifelheim. She is the daughter of Loke. She is said to be
beautiful on one side, but lifeless like a corpse on the other; this is because Tor threw her
down into Nifelheim when it was discovered that Loke had fathered her with a giantess, and
she fell badly. Also called Leikin. She lives in the dark fortress Eljudne. Her blood-stained
wolf Garm guards the entrance to Nifelheim.

Ragnarök (Ragnarok): The end of days, when the armies of Jotunheim and Nifelheim will
march against the gods.

The Midgård Serpent: A giant monster, a son of Loke. It was thrown in the ocean, where it
grew until it encircled all of Midgård. It then began to consume its own tail. Had it not done
so, the serpent would have kept growing until it had destroyed the world. It is also called
Jormungandr.

The Nornor: Three women, called Urd, Verdandi and Skuld. They live in Asgård in a home
close to Yggdrasil, near the Urda Well which has a surface like a mirror. They weave the
threads of fate for all men; they cut the threads in the length each person has to live, and then
tie them together when people's roads cross. Urd, Verdandi and Skuld weave the fate of the
past, the present and the future, respectively. Skuld is the mightiest of the three, and she is
also considered a Valkyrie. The Nornor only speak with each other and with Oden. Time
began when they came to Asgård, and this marked the end of the golden age of the gods.

Särimner: A pig that is slaughtered and eaten by the Einherjar in Valhall every night. It then
comes alive again the next day. There is always enough meat on Särimner for all to eat.

The Fenris Wolf: Secretly Loke's son with a giant woman; a large and immensely strong
wolf.

Brage: God of skalds (bards), music, storytelling and poetry.

Frigg: Oden's wife, who can see the future. She is considered his equal in the stories. She is
the goddess of marriage. She leads the other goddesses in a sisterhood. Her fortress is the
Fenn Halls, meaning the Sea Halls, which can be found in Gladsheim.
Gefjon: Goddess of virgins, who protects those women who die unmarried, or who die as
virgins. She is called upon by those who want the strength to keep their virginity. Also
goddess of farming. She had four sons who she turned into oxen.

Brynhild: Goddess of fortune in war. Leader of the Valkyries.

Nanna: Goddess of the moon. Balder's wife. Also goddess of sorrow for a lost loved one. She
dies of sorrow when Balder dies and is burned with him on his funeral ship.

Idun: Goddess of longevity. She grows the apples of youth, which all gods eat once a year to
live forever. Married to Brage.

Siv: Goddess of marriage and brothers-in-law, and Tor's wife. Her hair is woven gold.

Saga: A lovely goddess who lives in Sökkvabäck by a river. Oden enjoys visiting her, and she
prepares delicious drinks for him. Sister of Idun.

Eir: Goddess of healing. Frigg's messenger, riding the horse Hofvarpner. Sister of Frej and
Freja.

Fulla: Goddess of secrets. She knows all the secrets of the gods.

Sjovn: Goddess of desire, she makes both men and women think of lovemaking. She is called
upon by those who want to ignite the spark of desire. She is the only one who can approve of
couples that have been forbidden by others.

Lofn: Goddess of kindness.

Var: Goddess of oaths and promises. She punishes those who break an oath. She is called
upon by a wedding couple when they take each other's hands.

Fjorgyn: Goddess of the earth. Mistress of Oden, mother of Tor.

Hlin: Goddess of mercy. At Frigg's orders she saves men and women from mortal danger.

Härn: Goddess of linen preparation.

Skade: Goddess of the hunt and of skiing. She often travels in the mountains on skis,
surrounded by her wolves, hunting with her spear and bow. Originally a giant. She lived with
her father Tjatse in Trymheim before he was slain. She became the unlikely wife of Njord.

Ran: Goddess of the depths of the sea. Wife of Ägir. She captures drowned men in her large
net, especially if they carry gold. She keeps them in her halls at the bottom of the sea.

Modgunn: Goddess who stands post by the golden Gjallar Bridge, which leads from the
world of men to Nifelheim. She asks all passers-by their name and heritage.

Forsete: God of justice, son of Balder and Nanna. He is an expert at solving complicated
disputes, and sits as the head of the ting (court) of the gods. All who come before him with a
dispute will leave satisfied. He wields a golden axe and lives in Glitner, a fortress given to
him by his father.

Ägir: Giant who became a sea god. He has a golden palace where the gods come to hold
feasts. His palace is decorated with the gold from sunken ships.

Ull: God of the hunt, winter and duels. His foremost weapon is a bow with a sunbeam arrow.
Son of Siv, but not of Oden. He lives in the Ydalar lands, full of yew trees which Ull needs
when he is making bows.

Delling: God of dawn, and also an elf. He is the guardian of Breidablick, Balder's home.
Married to Natt, and father of Dag.

Dag (Day): The father of the light elves and the personification of daylight. He oversees the
passing of the day on his horse Skinfaxe, riding across the sky.

Natt (Night): Of elven line. She oversees the passing of the night on her horse Rimfaxe, riding
across the sky. When Rimfaxe chews on his bridle his saliva falls to the ground and becomes
morning dew.

Sol: The goddess who pulls the sun across the sky on the carriage Alfrödull, pulled by the
horses Arvaker and Allsvinn. She is also called Sunne; origin of the word Sunday. Sister of
Måne. She is also an elf. The carriage is chased by the wolf Skoll, who will catch it on the day
of Ragnarök.

Måne: God who pulls the moon across the sky on a carriage. His name is the origin of the
word Monday. Brother of Sol. He is also an elf. The carriage is chased by the wolf
Månegarm, who will catch it on the day of Ragnarök.

Bryggve: God of beer, servant of Frej.

Mimer: a wise giant, the son of Ymer, the first giant. He guards the well of wisdom and is a
friend of Oden. The Vanir cut off his head, and the mourning Oden placed the head in the
well.

Gondul: One of the three highest Valkyries, together with Hild and Skogul. Gondul
personifies battle magic.

Hild: The second of the highest Valkyries. She personifies the war without pardon.

Skogul: The third of the highest Valkyries.

Mist: Valkyrie who serves mead in Valhall. One of Oden's two female servants.

Hlökk: Valkyrie who often serves mead in Valhall.

Svava: Valkyrie who once fell in love with Helge, the son of a mortal king. After many tragic
events the two died, to be reborn together.

Syn: Valkyrie who guards the entrance to Oden's mighty fortress Valhall.
Trud: Valkyrie and goddess, the daughter of Thor and Siv. She is very strong.

Heidrun: Oden's goat, who stands on Valhall's roof and chews on leafs from Yggdrasil's
branches. Through her udders she provides a never-ending stream of mead, wine and beer,
which gods and Einherjar drink every evening.

Månegarm: The wolf that chases the moon across the sky. He lives in the Iron Forest in
Jotunheim. He lives off the blood of dying people. By chasing the moon he causes moon
eclipses. He also causes sun eclipses, by shaking off blood from his fur so that the sun is
covered in blood. Like his brother Skoll he is born from a giant woman in the Iron Forest.

Elves: The beautiful elves live in Elfheim, close to Asgård. They once fought the gods, but
they are usually allies. The elves and the Vanir, nature gods, stood against the Aesir but lost,
and their punishment was to build Valhall, since they had occupied and caused the ruin of
Oden's earlier hall (the gods had been out searching for the elves at the time, and the elves had
then taken their fortress). The Vanir had to send hostages to live among the Aesir, and they
sent Njord, Frej and Freja, who became much loved inhabitants of Asgård.

Dwarves: Small men who live in holes in the ground or in caves in the mountains. They are
expert smiths, and they have made Oden's spear, Tor's hammer, and the most beautiful
necklace in the world, which they sold to Freja. The dwarves usually live in the dreary
Svartalvheim, where the Svartalfer, Black Elves, also live. It is believed that dead witches and
warlocks are buried here.

Ivalde: Prince of dwarves. His son and daughter Hjuke and Bil followed a keg of mead up to
the moon, and ever since then they have followed the moon's carriage across the skies.

Surt: A fire giant and the ruler of Jotunheim. He has a sword that shines stronger than the sun,
and he lives below the earth. He will lead the giants in Ragnarök.

Nidhögg and Hräsvelg: A squirrel, Ratatosk, runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil and
delivers insults between the dragon Nidhögg at the roots, and the eagle Hräsvelg at the top of
the tree. Winds are caused by the beating of the eagle’s wings. Nidhögg is so enraged by the
eagle’s insults that he gnaws at the roots of the tree, which are then weakened. He drinks the
blood of the dead who have sinned in life and come to Nifelheim. He is killed by the god
Magne in Ragnarök.

Magne and Mode: Sons of Tor. Magne is immensely strong, and he will slay the dragon
Nidhögg at Ragnarök. They are among the gods who survive the end of the world. They
inherit their father's most precious possession, the hammer Mjölner.

Giants: The enemies of the gods, who live in Nifelheim. Tor's hammer holds them at bay, and
they are for the most part not a serious threat, since they are disorganized and fight among
themselves. Tor often travels among them together with Loke, and he has been invited into
the homes of several giants. The giants will gather to fight the gods at Ragnarök.

Gimlä: This fantastic hall has a golden roof and is more beautiful than the sun. Only the most
good men and women come here after death, to live in eternal happiness.
Vidblåin: Home of the light elves, of Dag’s line. They look like human beings but have
eternal beauty. They are also good smiths.

Tjalve: Tor's quick and resourceful human servant, who lives with Tor and Siv together with
his sister Röskva. Tjalve personifies the arrow.

Sejd: A rite from Nordic shamanism where the practitioner, usually a woman, enters a state of
trance when other women urge her guardian spirit to come to her aid. Once in trance and in
contact with the spirit world she can answer questions about the weather, the future, harvest
and wars. The sejder would then be paid and move on to the next farm. Nordic shamanism
was considered unmanly, and a male sejder was looked down on in this manly warrior culture.
Nevertheless Oden was considered the greatest sejder, having learned the practice from Freja.

Tales about the gods (a few of many):

Thor's Fishing Expedition: Once, the brothers Thor and Tyr went to visit the giant Hymer.
The giant offered Thor to go fishing with him, but Thor had to supply his own bait. Thor then
went out in Hymer's stable and wrung the head off the ox Himinrjod. He used a thick rope as
a fishing line, an anchor as hook, and the ox head as bait. As they rowed out, Thor was
planning to catch the Midgard Serpent. He caught the serpent, and the two began a struggle
that was mighty to behold. The serpent's thrashing about caused large waves to move in over
the shores, threatening to flood the world. Finally, Thor slowly reeled in the serpent bit by bit,
but the giant, frightened to the point where he would defy even Thor, cut the rope. For this
Thor hit him hard in the head so he fell off the boat and had to swim back to shore. Once back
on land, Thor and Tyr took Hymer's gigantic pot the Sea Boiler, which Ägir wanted to borrow
for his beer feasts; the Sea Boiler was a mile deep, but Thor could still carry it over his head.
Hymer sent his relatives after the two, but Thor put down the Sea Boiler on the road for a
while and slayed them all.

Skade's Wedding: Skade, goddess of the hunt, was the daughter of the giant Tjatse who was
slain by the gods. She travelled to Asgard to seek revenge, but she was convinced by Loke to
settle for a new husband instead. She could choose any of the male gods, but only by looking
at their feet. The gods stood behind a curtain and only their feet were showing. Skade wanted
Balder, the fairest of the gods, and so she picked the most beautiful pair of feet. But these feet
belonged to the old god Njord, who often stood in the water where they were polished by the
waves. Skade and Njord tried to live together in the mountains, but Njord couldn't sleep for
the howling of the wolves. They tried to live by the sea, but Skade couldn't sleep for the sound
of the seagulls. Finally they had to live apart, and they were both saddened.

The Chaining of the Fenris Wolf: One day, Loki brought home a wolf pup from one of his
travels, and the gods gave the pup the name Fenris. The wolf was secretly Loki’s child with a
giant woman. As a pup, Fenris was loved by all, but the wolf grew to a large monster, and the
gods feared that he would soon challenge Odin for his throne. Fenris had to be chained by Tyr
with a magical chain, Gleipner. The chain was made of the roots of the mountains, the
stomping of the cat, the tendrils of the bear, the breath of the fish, the beard of babies and the
spit of birds. But who would dare put the chain around the wolf's neck? Two heavy chains had
already been laid around his neck, with the excuse that the gods wanted to see if he could
break them: the Fenris Wolf easily broke the chains, and after these two attempts he had
become suspicious. Only Tyr, the bravest of the gods, could now chain the wolf with
Gleipner: he was the only one who the wolf trusted enough, as he had fed Fenris as a pup.
Fenris would only agree to let him put the chain around his neck if Tyr put his right hand in
the wolf's mouth. When Fenris felt the chain tighten and realized that he was captured, he bit
down hard and cut off Tyr's hand. Now the wolf is chained to a large rock on the island
Lyngve in the terrible sea of darkness called Amsvartner. His howling is the wailing sound
that comes with strong winds. Only at Ragnarök will he break his chain and seek out Oden for
a battle to the death.

The Theft of Mjölner and Thor's Wedding: One morning, Thor found that his hammer Mjölner
had been stolen, and a ring found in his home showed the name of the giant Trym. Loki then
borrowed Freya's feather coat, which turned him into a bird so that he could fly away to look
for the hammer. Once at Trym's fortress in Jotunheim, Trym told Loki that the hammer would
be returned only if Freya would marry Trym. Loki returned to Valhalla, where Freya refused
to marry the giant, even though all the gods begged her to do it. Finally they dressed up Thor
in a wedding dress instead. Loki and Thor's human servant Röskva were disguised as
bridesmaids. Once at Trym's fortress some of the giants recognized Thor, but Loki spoke to
them and reminded them that they didn't like Trym, and that they would love to see him fail
with the wedding. Thor tried to sneak away to look for his hammer, but he was put in the
kitchen to prepare the wedding dinner. He wasn't paid like the other women in the kitchen
because he was going to be the woman in charge of the household; this made him angry and
he shouted like a man, despite his disguise. Trym's sister heard him and went to tell Trym that
the bride was not really Freya, but the giant had locked himself in his room where he was
bathing in gold, because he was nervous before the wedding. Finally it was time for the
wedding ceremony, at which Trym gave the hammer Mjölner to Thor, who he thought to be
Freya. He laughed, saying that he had now returned the hammer to the gods as he promised,
but since Freya was now his wife, the hammer would stay with him. Thor then gripped the
hammer with a grim smile and promptly killed all the giants at the wedding, releasing all his
rage in an orgy of blood.

Baldur's Death: After Baldur's birth, his mother went around to all things living and dead and
asked them not to harm him. All agreed, except the thistle, which was hidden under a tree.
Because Baldur could not be harmed, the gods amused themselves with throwing things at
him when he was an adult. But the god Höder could not take part, because he was blind. Loke
then gave Höder a bow and arrow and helped him aim at Baldur. Höder fired the arrow, and it
hit Baldur’s heart and killed him; it was made from a thistle. The gods mourned Baldur
greatly, and he was sent out on the ship Ringhorne which was set on fire. His wife Nanna died
from grief after his death, and accompanied Baldur on the ship. (Thor, who was bored when
the ship was being prepared, also kicked onboard the annoying dwarf Lit just when the ship
left the shore; Lit had been disturbing the funeral preparations all day.) Odin’s son Hermod
was then sent to the kingdom of the dead to retrieve Baldur. He rode through the Hel Gate on
Odin’s horse Sleipner, who bravely jumped over the dog Garm, the guardian of the realm of
death. For nine days and nine nights they travelled through the kingdom of death, until they
reached the goddess Hel, who promised to release Baldur if all things would cry for him. All
things in the realms of gods and men did cry, except for an old woman, who turned out to be
Loki in disguise.

Loki's Punishment: When the gods learned that Loki was the cause of Baldur's death they
chased him across the world. He went to Mimer’s Well and asked Mimer’s head to turn
Odin’s eye downward so it wouldn’t be able to see him, but Mimer refused. The gods found
Loki in a cabin where he turned himself into a salmon to escape in a river, but Tyr made the
world's first fishing net and caught him. The gods brought Loki to the island Lyngve where
they chained him to a rock with the entrails of his son Narfe, and set a serpent above him to
drip venom in his face for all eternity. Loki's wife Sigyn stands beside him to gather the
venom in a bowl, but sometimes she has to empty the bowl, and the venom dripping in Loki's
face then causes him to writhe in pain so that the whole world shakes, and that is where
earthquakes come from. Loki will remain chained until the day of Ragnarök. After Loki was
caught Odin travelled on Sleipner to Nifelheim to find Baldur. But once there he was met by
an old witch, who whispered something in his ear. Odin would never tell anyone what the
witch had said, but he returned to Valhalla without Baldur, and immediately began
preparations for Ragnarök.

Ragnarök: Ragnarök is the end of days. It comes after three hard years of winter, called the
Fimbul Winter. It begins when three roosters cry: one in the realm of gods, one among the
giants, and one in Nifelheim. The giants will celebrate the coming end on the island Okolnir
before they march to war. The giants and the fire giants will storm the Bifrost bridge, and the
Gjallarhorn will sound, waking the gods and calling them to battle. The Bifrost bridge will
break, killing many of the giants. An army of the dead from Nifelheim will be led to the final
battlefield by Surt, followed by Loki, now free from the chains he was bound by after killing
Baldur. Loki sails in Nagelfarne, a ship made from the nails of all men who have died from
old age. (Ragnarök will come when this ship is ready. Therefore, the nails of all dead men
should be cut short, so that Ragnarök will be delayed.)

The dead and the giants will stand on one side of the hundred-mile Vigrid Plain on the island
Oskopnir, and the gods and the Einherjar Army will stand on the other side. The final battle
will be the greatest the world has ever seen, deciding the fate of all living things. The Fenris
Wolf will break free from its bonds, fight Odin and finally kill him, and also slay Sleipnir at
the same time. One of Odin's sons, Vidar, will then slay the Fenris Wolf by stepping on him
with one of his gigantic shoes. Tyr slays Hel's wolf Garm, the guardian of the death realm.
The wolf Skoll catches Sol, and the wolf Månegarm catches Måne, ending the journey of the
sun and the moon. The fire giant Surt will slay the swordless Frey, and he will set all lands on
fire. Loke is slain by Thor, his blood brother. The Midgård Serpent will come to fight Thor,
and Thor, mightiest of all gods and men will slay this monster, but will die in the poisonous
fumes from its breath. The Serpent's death throes will stir the oceans, and the waves will crash
in over the burning world and flood it, and all will be undone in fire and water. Yggdrasil, the
world tree, will shake and almost fall when the dragon Nidhögg attacks its roots, but Thor’s
son Magne slays the dragon.

Finally, in the end, an island will be seen in the sea. There, Baldur, now alive again, will sit
with Höder and Vidar, other surviving gods and most of the goddesses, and talk about the
past. The mortal man and woman Liv and Lust will also be there, having survived the flood.
The sea will slowly retreat, and the world will begin anew.