First, you need to introduce the main characters of mythological legends - the Scandinavian gods. They are the central persons for us, significant figures in this ancient world.
At different times in Ancient Scandinavia (as well as opinions in the present), there were different preferences for certain gods. However, the main three of the divine pantheon can be distinguished, both in interest and in importance: Odin, Thor and Loki.
One- the supreme God in Scandinavian mythology. Central figure. In addition to the main one, it has several more names. Here are some of them: Allfather, Herran (Herian), Nikar (Khnikar), Nikuts (Khnikund), Fölnir, Oski, Omi, Bivlidi (Bivlindi), Svidar, Svirdir, Vidrir, Yalg (Yalk).
One of the wisest creatures. For this property he gave his left eye - then he drank knowledge from the source of Mimir. But even this knowledge was not enough for him. Then he hung himself on the branch of the world tree of Yggdrasil and pierced himself with a spear. Hanging for 9 days, he went through death and learned infinite wisdom. After that, he received another name: the god of the hanged.
There is a dark hat on his head. On the shoulders are two crows: Hugin and Munin (Thinking and Remembering). They fly around the world and then return and tell their master about all the news. Odin has two dogs at his feet: Geri and Freki (Greedy and Gluttonous). Has a personal artifact: the Gungnir spear forged by dwarfs. The seven-legged horse Sleipnir quickly delivers his god wherever Odin does not want.
Almost no event happens without this god. He is either the source of the appearance of each episode, event, or a direct participant. Globally, the role is ambiguous. He is cunning, smart. Great wizard. Able to transform into any creature.
Thor- the main protector of Asgard, Midgard (see. mythical world), son of Odin. The most powerful of the gods. Direct and good-natured. Participates in all the great battles. Defeats the most formidable creatures. Main artifact: Mjöllnir is a hammer, a weapon forged by dwarfs. Sometimes it warms up to white. That's why Thor wears gloves. Fragments of a large grindstone stick out in the forehead - a reminder of the battle with the giant Hrungnir. Lightning God. Rides across the sky in a chariot pulled by goats.
Loki- the very personification of duality. Still being an ace, he manages to do as many troubles to his roommates as to his enemies. There is an assumption that he is the many-sided evil under various disguises. Many disasters are committed on his initiative. A wizard capable of disguising. However, he still remains an ace, the highest god. Maybe this is an indication that the root of evil is always within ourselves?
Loki has a wife Sigyn and sons Nari and Navri. From the giantess Angrboda (Promising grief) he has children: the terrible wolf Fenrir (Moonhound), the world serpent Jormungand and the ruler of the kingdom of the dead Hel. Being a mare (Scandinavian mythology is replete with fabulous events and unimaginable turns of events) gave birth to the horse Sleipnir.
Heimdall or Rig- the son of Odin. "White Ace". Guards the Bivrest Bridge - the entrance to Valhalla, the home of the Aesir. He traveled the earth and helped people - the closest god to them. He has a horse called the Golden Bangs and the horn of Gjallarhorn, which is heard in all nine worlds. Rig - the ancestor of the estates of people: Konnungs, Bonds and Trells (slaves).
Freya- the most beautiful goddess - the goddess of love. Daughter of Njord. Rides in a chariot drawn by two cats. He often travels with Odin to the battlefields. Half of the fallen is taken by Odin, and half by Freya. Owns eagle plumage, which allows the owner to turn into a bird. Brisingamen is her miraculous dwarf-forged belt necklace.
Freyr- the god of fertility, nature. Freya's brother. Rides a boar Golden Bristle. Owns the fastest and most skillful dwarf ship Skidbladnir.
Siv- Thor's wife. Sons - Modi and Magni. The family has a promising stepson Ull. She has golden hair, made by dwarfs after Loki cut the real ones.
Bragi- the son of Odin. God of Scaldic Art. The first scald.
Balder- the son of Odin. The bright god of fertility, peace and beauty.
Head- the son of Odin, a blind god. He killed his brother Balder at the behest of Loki.
Vidar- the son of Odin. God of War.
Khenir- Odin's simple-minded brother.
Ull- stepson of Thor and Siv. God of hunting and archery.
Forseti- son of Balder. God of justice and justice.
Vali- the son of Odin. Avenger.
Welund- a blacksmith. Patron saint of travelers. It is also considered the supreme god of zwergs, dwarfs who forge beautiful things.
Frigga- Odin's wife. Patroness of marriage and marital fidelity.
Saga- the goddess of divination.
Eyre in charge of healing.
Gevion- the goddess of chastity.
Fulla- the goddess of abundance. Symbolizes virginity.
Sevn- The goddess of love.
Lovn- the goddess of mercy.
Var- the goddess of fidelity and love vows.
Hlin- patron goddess.
Snotra- the goddess of restraint-prudence.
Gna- the messenger goddess.
Salt- the goddess of the sun.
Biel- goddess of the moon.
Jord (Fjergün) - the goddess of the earth, the mother of Thor.
Rind- Vali's mother.
Skadi- the goddess of the hunt. Best skiing.
Idunn- Braga's wife. Keeps rejuvenating apples.
Nanna- Baliur's wife.
Sigryun- Loki's wife.
Hermot- Balder's brother.
Willie and Ve- Odin's brothers. Together with my brother, they created the world.
Od- Freya's husband.
Find out more about the ancient pagan religion of the ancient Scandinavians on the pages:, and.
Valkyrie Leads the Gods to Battle
Below is the pantheon of the Scandinavian gods, a list of their names, family ties and some events from the traditions of the Viking gods.
One
God One sits on the throne
Bolverk, Valtam, Vecha, Vak, Wodan, Woden, Wotan, Gangrad, Grimnir: these are all the pseudonyms he used during his travels to Midgard. Odin: Son of Björr and Bestla, father of Thor, Baldr, Höd, Thür, Bragi, Heimdall, Ull, Vidar, Hermod and Vali. Fjorgin, Frigg and Rind were his wives. The supreme god of Scandinavian mythology. One was in the habit of traveling around Midgard in human form, seducing women and rewarding them with children; therefore, many mortals trace their ancestry from the head of the Aesir - Odin.
- Saga: Odin's beloved, whom he visited daily at Sokwabek Castle.
- Rind(Rinda): A goddess who is referred to as Odin's third wife. She gave birth to his son Vali. She was absolutely cold with men, was considered the goddess of permafrost. There is some confusion about the goddess and mortal woman Rind, daughter of King Billing; it is possible that both the woman and the goddess were the same character.
Frigga
Frigga rides on Hlidskjalve
(Berta, Frigga, Holda, Nerthus, Waters): one of the most important goddesses of Asgard; one of Odin's three wives and the mother of Balder and Hod. She was the main goddess of fertility. She had so much in common with Freya that in Germanic mythology they were considered a single deity. Nerthus(Chlodin): Njord's wife a goddess often identified with Frigg. Frigga's Companions and Messengers:
Gevion
Gevion harnesses bulls to a giant plow
Gevion(Gevion): Goddess, one of Frigg's companions. Gulfi, the king of Sweden, during the night spent with him, gave her as much land in his domain as she could plow in 24 hours. She harnessed four huge oxen, which were her sons, born of a giant, and began to plow. The plow cut so deeply into the ground that in the time allotted to her, she plowed a huge tract of Swedish land, which her sons dragged into the sea. This island was named Zealand. And where the land was before, Lake Malaren arose.
Balder
Balder: a beautiful and noble god, unintentionally killed by his brother Hyoud as a result of Loki's unfortunate joke.
- Head: Balder's twin brother. As a result of Loki's tricks, Höd inadvertently killed Balder and was sentenced to death for this. God was killed by Vali, who was specially sent to carry out this task.
Bragi with harp
: god of music, poetry and harmony, son of Odin and the giantess Gunnlod, seduced by Odin. Bragi married Idunn. One carved runes in his language and suggested composing songs glorifying the gods and fallen warriors who are in Valhalla.
Vali
Vali searches for Balder's killer
Vali: son of Odin and Rind. It is believed that it was this god who deliberately avenged Balder's death. (Do not confuse him with another Vali, the son of Loki and Sigyn).
Ve and Vili
Odin, Ve and Vili create the world
Be: one of the three sons of Bjorr and the grandchildren of the giant Ymir. (The other two were Odin and Vili). The three of them killed their grandfather and created from his body, the land of mortals. According to some legends, Odin was out of Asgard for so long, traveling the mortal world that Be and Wili seized the throne and removed Frigga (apparently without any objection from her).
Vidar
Vidar fights Fenrir
Vidar: son of Odin and the giantess Grid. He will kill Fenrir, survive and avenge Odin's death.
Vasud: Windsall's father and Winter's grandfather. By all accounts, Vasud was a very malevolent god.
Winter: the worst enemy of the god Summer; son of Windsall and grandson of Vasud.
Idunn
: goddess of spring and eternal youth. She was the daughter of the dwarf Ivald and the wife of the god Braga.
Kari
Illustration
Kari: according to some versions of the creation myth, the sons of the giant Ymir were Hler (sea), Kari (air) and Loki or Lodur (fire). These gods, in turn, gave birth to giants or monsters named Beli, Fenrir, Grendel, Gyumir, Hel, Mimir, Tiassi and Trum.
Kvasir
Death of Kvasir
Kvasir: a very mysterious figure, since it is not known whether he was a god or a supernatural being. If he was a god, then perhaps he was one of the Vanir, in which the blood and ases flowed. He was born at the very end of the war between the Aesir and the Vanir; as a sign of reconciliation, all the gods spat into a ritual vessel, and Kvasir appeared from their saliva. He became known for his wisdom and virtue, and therefore was killed in a dream by two dwarfs Fialar and Galar, who longed to take possession of his wisdom for the benefit of all dwarfs. Having filled three vessels with blood (a cauldron called Odrörir and two cups - Boden and Sleep), they mixed it with honey, they got a honey drink that turns anyone who drinks into a skald or a scientist.
Lodur
Odin, Lodur and Hjoneer create Asuka and Embla
Lodur: according to one of the versions about the creation of the world, the brothers of Odin were Khenir and Lodur; the three of them gave life to humanity. Lodur gave people blood and a strong body. Lodur is often compared to Loki.
Loki
Loki in a medieval engraving
: "Cunning liar" and, without a doubt, one of the most notable gods in Asgard. Loki was a relative of Odin, but the relationship between them was ruined. He came to Asgard by right, since Odin was his blood brother. Then this god was banished from Asgard and vowed to take revenge. Saeter: the god of agriculture, possibly one of the incarnations of Loki.
Mimir
One heads to Mimir's deck
Mimir: the wisest of all gods; he, or at least his head, guarded the source (Well of Mimir), which originates from the roots of Yggdrasil. There are different versions of how he lost his head, but as it turns out, he and Hoenir were sent by the Aesir to the Vans as hostages in order to seal the peace established between the two families of gods. The Vanir didn't like Hoenir, so they killed Mimir. It is possible that he created the Miming sword. One made it a habit to consult Mimir's head when he needed help. According to some versions, Odin lost an eye, for he had to give it to Mimir's head as payment for wise advice.
Norns
Norns Skuld, Urd and Verdandi
Norns: the three goddesses of fate - Skuld("Life is existence"), Urd("Destiny is destiny") and Verdandi("Necessity"). Obviously, their images are directly related to the moiraes - the goddesses of fate from Greek mythology. They poured holy water every day to keep the tree growing. They are also passionate weavers who create a huge canvas. Two sisters, Urd (who is very old) and Verdandi (who is young and beautiful) were very friendly with mortals, but Skuld was too touchy; she was offended by any trifle or because of the indifferent attitude towards her. Skuld had a terrible habit of cutting the linen woven by the three sisters just as the work was nearly finished. Wyrd: mother of the Norns.
Knott
Painting "Night at Hrimfaxi" by Arbo
Knott: goddess of the night; daughter of the giant Norvi. She had three lovers-husbands: Naglfari, from whom she bore a son, Aud; Annar, who gave her daughter Erdu; and Dellinger, whose son was named Day.
- Dellinger(Delling): The god of the dawn and third husband of the Night, Nott. Their son was Doug (Day).
Njord
God Njord and his wife Skadi
Njord: father and Freyja; one of the Vans of the sea, who gradually supplanted the cult of the god of the sea Aesir Aegir and took over its functions. At the same time he was the husband of the giantess Skadi and the goddess Nerthus.
Ran
Run (1901) by Johann Gerts. The sea goddess Rana pulls people into the sea, where they meet their doom among bones and corpses.
Ran: Aegir's wife. She, too, is associated with the sea. Ran had a net with which she caught all the people who drowned in the sea.
Sigyn
Chained Loki, courted by his faithful wife Sigyn
Sigyn: Loki's third wife, who was infinitely devoted to him. She raised his mortal sons Narva and Vali. Even after Loki was banished from Asgard for his crimes, Sigyn remained loyal to him.
Siv
Golden-haired Sif raises the horn
Siv, Sif: goddess, wife. She was very proud of her golden hair, and Loki cut it off when she slept.
Tyr
God of warriors - Tyr is one-armed
Tyr- according to the stories of myths, he was the god of war (in other versions, the harbinger of victories). He was portrayed as one-armed - the wolf Fenrir bit off his other hand. Tyur owns the Teivaz rune.
Thor
Thor holds the hammer of Mjellnir in his hand.
Like Odin and Loki, Thor is the god of thunder in Asgard. He is considered one of the most important gods in Scandinavian mythology. Thor was in charge of weather, crops, and sea travel. The Old Norse rune Turisaz contains the power of the god Thor.
- Magni: son of Thor and the giantess Yarnsaxa. He saved his father after his duel with the giant Hryungnir. After Ragnarok, Magni and his brother Modi will receive Thor's hammer.
Ull
Ull on a medieval engraving
Ull- in German-Scandinavian mythology, the adopted son of the god Thor. An excellent archer. All of his arrows hit the target, from which distance he does not shoot and how far away the target is. Ull is also the fastest skier. People also learned this art from him. Deputy Athletes and Healthy Lifestyles. Ull is also the god of the hunt and is adept at both sword and bow. He is also the god of all gambling (god of fortune).
Skadi
Skadi - frost giantess, patroness of the hunt
As well as the god Ull, the attributes Skadi- bow and skis. She was probably originally a fertility goddess in her winter form. Skadi represents winter and ice, is the wife of Njord. Mentioned in the Elder Edda, the Lesser Edda, and the Yngling Saga.
Freya
Goddess of love Freya
: goddess of love, and later of war and death. One of the Vanir, she came to Asgard as a hostage, accompanied by her father Njord and brother Freyr. She married the god Oda, who went on a long journey; after that she spent her time, either mourning his absence, or playing with various men. In Germanic mythology, she is identified with Frigg.
- Od(Odur): Freya's first husband, (presumably one of Odin's mortal images)... She was madly in love with him, but he was possessed by a "wanderlust" and he left to wander in search of a mortal woman. Freya spent the rest of her life, sometimes bitterly mourning his departure, then playing with other men.
- Gersemi andHnoss d Freya and Oda's eyes
Freyr
Freya and Freyr
Friedleef: one of the pseudonyms he used while traveling to Midgard.
Fiorgin(Erda, Yord): Goddess of the Earth; one of the three wives of Odin and mother of Thor.
Medieval image
: a rather strange character, born of nine giantesses (Sea Maidens) at the same time. Under the name of Riger, he wandered around Midgard, seducing women, and thus laid the foundation for an estate of servants, peasants and warriors. He guarded the rainbow bridge leading to. Rieger: one of Heimdall's pseudonyms, which he, like Odin, used during his travels to Midgard.
Hel
Illustration from 1889
Hel: goddess or monster, daughter of Loki and Angrboda, who ruled Niflheim. It is not known for certain whether she was alive or dead. After the death of the god Balder, Hermod asked her to let everyone beloved god leave her kingdom. She replied that she did not believe that Balder was really loved so much. She reacted in the same way when Bragi returned in the hope of finding Idunn. Ull, being the god of winter, spent several months of the year sharing a bed with Hel. Together with the army of ghosts, she will help the gods during the battle at the hour of Ragnarok, after which her kingdom will be consumed by fire.
Khenir
Hoenir. Illustration in a 17th century manuscript
Khenir: there are two versions of the story of the very first gods. According to the first of them, Odin and his brothers Vili and Be gave gifts to mankind, which people still use today. According to the other, the first brothers of Odin were Hoenir and Loki. According to this version, Hoenir has endowed people with emotions and feelings.
Hermod
Hermod - the messenger of Odin
Hermod(Irmin): son and Frigg. He meets heroes in Valhalla and performs the same functions as the Greek god Hermes. His most important and famous assignment was to travel to Hel in an attempt to free the god Balder from the realm of the dead.
Aegir
God Egir and his wife Ran
Aegir (Hler, Gyumir): the god of the sea, a creature from the most ancient dynasty of gods who came into the world long before the Aesir and Vanir. His power in maritime domains truly has no boundaries.
Ostara
Ostara (1901) by Johannes Gerts.
Ostara, or Eostra- according to the reconstructions of mythologists, an ancient Germanic deity, presumably associated with the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. The name Eostra (Ostara), within the framework of this concept, was worn by the month of April in the Old English and Old Germanic traditions.
Hler: according to the version of the creation myth, one of the first gods.
Swasud: beautiful and noble god, whose son was Leto.
Summer: one of the first gods. Everyone loved him except Winter.
Illustrations for the history and mythology of the Vikings
Scandinavia traditionally refers to vast territories located in the north of Europe, and including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, as well as a number of islands closest to them. The historical features of their development gave rise to a kind of culture, one of the facets of which was myth-making, the characters of which, in turn, were the original and inimitable gods of Scandinavia. Undaunted and daring, they were somewhat akin to the Vikings themselves.
Where did they come to our world?
The gods, whose list contains the names of characters less known than their ancient Egyptian and Greek counterparts, are part of the culture of the ancient Germanic tribes. Information about them reached our days mainly in the texts of two monuments of medieval literature. This "Elder Edda" - a collection of poetry containing Old Icelandic songs, as well as "Younger Edda" - the creation of the Icelandic writer of the XII century Snorri Sturluson.
In addition, a number of myths became known from the work of the medieval Danish chronicler Saxon Grammar, which he called "The Acts of the Danes". It is curious that one of his plots formed the basis of Shakespeare's Hamlet, written four centuries later.
Referring to the plots of any myths, regardless of whether they were born in Scandinavia, Greece or Egypt, it should be borne in mind that over the centuries they have been repeatedly edited, which today inevitably leads to many discrepancies and contradictions that have crept into them. Therefore, one should not be surprised when the same events, and the gods of Scandinavia themselves, are described in different sources in different ways.
Scandinavian version of the origin of the world
The picture of the birth of the world presented in it is colored with an extraordinary originality of Scandinavian mythology. According to the ancient epic, it all began with a huge black abyss, on one side of which was the kingdom of ice - Niflheim, and on the other side of fire - Muspellheim.
12 streams originated from the kingdom of ice, which immediately froze, but since they beat incessantly, the blocks of ice gradually approached the kingdom of fire. When these two elements were completely close, then from sheaves of sparks mixed with ice crumbs, the giant Ymir and a cow of the same size named Audumla were born.
The following are completely incredible events. According to the "Elder Edda", once the giant Ymir sweated a lot, which is not surprising, because there was a kingdom of fire nearby, and from his sweat two giants appeared - a man and a woman. It would be no matter where it went, but it goes on to say that one of his legs conceived from the other and gave birth to a son. Since this is difficult to imagine, let's take it on faith without going into details.
As for the cow Audumla, she is also assigned a very important role in Scandinavian myths. First, she fed Ymir and those who descended from him in such a miraculous way with her milk. She herself ate the fact that she licked the salt from the stones. Secondly, from the warmth of her tongue, another giant was born, who received So its first inhabitants appeared on earth, from which the gods of Scandinavia were then born, and even later people.
Ases, Vans and other mythical characters
It is known that all the Scandinavian gods and goddesses were subdivided into several groups, the main one among which were the ases, headed by their leader Odin. Their life was by no means easy and cloudless, since they constantly had to come into conflict with other representatives of the Old Norse pantheon.
The Vans, a group of fertility gods that claimed to own the world, got them most of all trouble, but they got it from the giants-Jotuns, as well as from the dwarf-miniatures. And the female deities - Diss, Norns and Valkyries - very mercilessly spoiled the blood of the Aesir.
One of the main plots of Scandinavian mythology is the war between the Aesir and the Vanir. It began with the fact that the Vanir, offended by the fact that people glorified not them, but the Ases in their songs, sent the evil sorceress Gulveig to them into the world (it was called Midgard). Since it was made of gold, then, according to the calculations of the Vanir, its appearance was supposed to spoil the morals of people, sowing greed and greed in their souls. The Ases prevented this and killed the witch. From this a war began, in which the gods of Scandinavia tried to forcefully resolve the issue of primacy. Since neither side could gain the upper hand, peace was eventually concluded between them, sealed by an exchange of hostages.
Supreme god of the Aesir
The leader and father of the Ases was the supreme god Odin. In Scandinavian mythology, a number of characteristics correspond to it. He is represented as a king-priest, shaman-expert in runes, prince-sorcerer and, in addition, the Scandinavian god of war and victory. was revered as the patron saint of the military aristocracy and the conqueror of the Valkyries (they will be discussed below). He is in charge of Valhalla - the heavenly palace, where the fallen hero-warriors whiled away eternity in paradise bliss.
Odin was portrayed as a one-eyed, but full of vital energy, an old man. He once gave his missing eye to the giant Mimir so that he would allow him to drink water from the source of wisdom he guarded. A laudable thirst for knowledge, in general, was peculiar to Odin. For example, once, in order to comprehend the power contained in ancient runes - ancient Germanic writings, he agreed to sacrifice himself and hang for 9 days, nailed to a tree with his own spear.
Among other qualities of Odin, the ability to reincarnate is especially emphasized in myths. He usually wanders the earth in the guise of an old man, dressed in a blue cloak and a felt hat. His constant companions are two wolves or a crow. But sometimes Odin can turn into a poor wanderer or an ugly dwarf. In any case, woe to the one who, violating the laws of hospitality, closes the doors of his house for him.
Sons of Odin
The son of Odin was the god Heimdall, who was considered the guardian of the world tree of life. He was usually portrayed in the guise of a warrior trumpeting. According to legend, this is how he will have to announce the approach of the end of the world, and gather all the gods for the last battle with the forces of darkness. Heimdall lives in a fairytale house called Himinbjörg, which means “heavenly mountains”. It is located near the bridge that connects heaven and earth.
Another son of Odin is widely known - the one-armed god Tyr, who was the embodiment of military valor. He lost his hand, however, not on the battlefield. The poor fellow got his injury while trying to chain a giant wolf named Fenrir with a magic chain. Once upon a time, this monster was taken by the Aesir to their country of Asgard as a harmless puppy. Over time, the cub grew up, turning into a strong and aggressive monster that terrified others.
No matter how the gods tried to shackle him, each time he easily tore the shackles. Finally, the elves came to the rescue, forging a magic chain from the noise of cat footsteps, bird saliva, fish breath and the roots of the mountains. It remained only to throw it on the wolf. To convince the beast of the absence of bad intentions, the god Tyr put his own hand in his mouth, which was bitten off as soon as Fenrir realized that he had fallen for a trick. Since then, the god of military prowess has smashed enemies with only one hand left.
God Tormented by Bad Dreams
It should be noted that the god of spring Balder the Beautiful - as everyone called him for his extraordinary beauty, was also the son of Odin, whom the supreme goddess of the Aesir Frigg gave birth to. Legend has it that he once shared with his mother that he often had bad dreams. To keep her son safe, Frigga took an oath from water, fire, abusive metals, trees, stones, poisons, diseases, animals and birds that they would not harm him. As a result, the god of spring became invulnerable.
Knowing this, the other gods, for the sake of amusement, threw stones, spears and arrows at him, which greatly annoyed Balder. And then one day their evil jokes ended very badly. The god of cunning Loki deceived Frigga that she had not taken an oath from the mistletoe - a bush that at that moment barely appeared from the earth.
Taking advantage of her blunder, the insidious Loki tore off a branch of this plant, and, putting it in the hand of the god of fate, blind by nature, Höda, made him throw it at Balder who was passing by. A sharp cane pierced the handsome young man and he died, becoming the prey of the kingdom of the dead and its terrible ruler, the sorceress Hel.
Next to the supreme god of the ases, another popular mythical character is often depicted - Hermod the Brave. He was Odin's messenger to the land of the dead, where he had to ransom his son, the god of spring, Balder, from its ruler. This good intention brought fame to Hermod, despite the fact that the mission itself failed as a result of the next intrigues of the same god of cunning and deception Loki.
Competition at Utgarde Castle
It should be noted that the tricks of this rogue and deceiver often defame the name of his namesake - quite respectable and respected ace Utgard Loki, famous for the fact that very unusual competitions were once organized in his ancestral castle Utgard. The Younger Edda tells about them. It tells, in particular, how one of his guests - the god of thunder and storm Thor, in the heat of sports excitement fought with the evil old woman Ellie, who embodied old age, and his friend Loki, the very deceiving god, competed in gluttony with fire itself ...
The culmination of all was the attempt of the local peasant Tjalfi to outstrip the thought of the owner of the castle with the speed of running. And although neither the god of thunder, nor his friends achieved success, the holiday was a success. Many songs were composed about him later. The impression was not even spoiled by the fact that both the fire and the old woman Ellie, and the owner of Utgard Loki himself, pretty much cheated, thanks to which they won victories.
The female deities of the ancient Scandinavians
The most directly related to Odin are the Valkyries, whose ruler (and according to some sources - the father) he was. According to Scandinavian myths, these warrior maidens, riding on flying horses, soared invisibly over the battlefields. Sent by Odin, they picked up the killed soldiers from the earth, and then carried them to the heavenly palace of Valhalla. There they served them, serving honey at the tables. Sometimes the Valkyries also received the right to decide the outcome of battles, and make the warriors they liked most (killed, of course) as their beloved.
In addition to the Valkyries, the female part of the pantheon was also represented by norns - three sorceresses endowed with the gift of clairvoyance. They were able to easily predict the fate of not only people and gods, but the entire world as a whole. These sorceresses lived in the land of Midgard, inhabited by people. Their main duty was to water the world tree Yggdrasil, on whose well-being depended on the longevity of mankind.
Another group of supernatural inhabitants of the ancient world were the Diss. Obeying the changeability of female nature, they were either the guardians of the people, or the forces hostile to them. Among the monuments of ancient Germanic culture, part of which, as indicated above, is Scandinavian mythology, the texts of spells have survived, in which the power is attributed to the disam to hold back the onslaught of enemy troops and decide the outcome of battles.
Golden-haired goddess
In addition to the representatives of the female part of the pantheon, which were discussed above, the goddess Sif, who was the wife of the god of storms and thunder Thor, deserves attention. As the patroness of fertility, this lady, second in beauty only to the goddess of love Freya, gained fame for her extraordinary golden hair, the history of which deserves special attention.
Once, the beauty of Sif made the god of deception Loki fill with envy of her husband Thor. Seizing the moment when he was not at home, Loki crept into the bedchamber to his sleeping wife and ..., no, no, don't think anything - he just shaved her head. Nevertheless, there was no end to the poor thing's despair, and the angry husband was ready to kill the villain, but he vowed to fix the situation.
To this end, Loki went to the gnome blacksmiths who lived in a fairyland and told them about what had happened. They gladly volunteered to help, demonstrating their skills. The dwarfs forged hair of pure gold for Sif, making them unusually long, thin and fluffy, with the property of immediately growing to the head and looking like real. So the goddess Seth became the owner of golden hair.
Gods - Lords of the Seas
Another prominent representative of the Scandinavian pantheon is the lord of the seas, Aegir. It is generally accepted that Egir personifies, first of all, a calm and serene sea, as evidenced by its character. He is a hospitable host, willingly receiving guests and then visiting them at home. The ruler of the seas is always peaceful, and never participates in disputes, and even more so in wars. However, the expression “hitting Aegir’s teeth” widespread in the old days, which has the meaning of drowning, suggests that he is sometimes characterized by moments of anger.
It should be noted that a number of sources as the ruler of the seas calls another Scandinavian god - Njord, and he is credited with a quiet and friendly disposition, while Aegir is portrayed as a troublemaker of the sea and the creator of storms, which Njord has to humble and save ships in distress. One should not be surprised, since this is just one example of the discrepancies that have arisen in the Scandinavian epic over the past centuries.
The blacksmith who made the wings
The Scandinavian pantheon also had its own blacksmith god named Velund. This hard worker is a character in the epic of almost all Germanic peoples. His fate was difficult and dramatic in its own way. Being one of the three sons of the Finnish king (supreme ruler), he, nevertheless, lived by the labor of his hands. In family life, the guy was clearly unlucky. Herver's beloved wife, a maiden who sometimes took the form of a swan, abandoned him, leaving behind only a wedding ring. Suffering from separation, Welund forged 700 copies of it.
But his misadventures did not end there. Once during the time he was captured by the Swedish king Nidud. The villain not only deprived the master of his freedom, but also crippled him, leaving him lame for life. Having imprisoned Velund in a dungeon, the king forced him to work day and night, forging weapons for himself, and precious jewelry for his wife and daughter. It was only through chance and his own cunning that the prisoner managed to regain his freedom.
Legend tells that once the sons of Nidud came to the dungeon to Velund, who, like their father, wanted to have swords of his manufacture. Seizing the moment, the blacksmith killed them, then making goblets from the skulls, which he sent to their father, and from the eyes of jewelry for the queen, and from the teeth of the brooches for the princess. To top it off, he lured an unsuspecting girl to him, raped her. Taking revenge in this way, very pleased with himself, the blacksmith god flew away on the wings of his own making.
New times - new characters
With the spread of Christianity in the countries of Scandinavia, all the former mythical deities underwent a certain transformation, taking the form of saints, or, in general, disappearing. Welund also changed beyond recognition, turning from a divine character into a demonic one. This is due, first of all, to his profession. It is known that in ancient times blacksmiths were treated with a certain degree of suspicion, attributing them to a connection with evil spirits.
It is not surprising after this that Goethe, having slightly changed this name, endowed it with his hero Mephistopheles in one of the scenes of the tragedy "Faust", who introduced himself as Woland. Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov borrowed the find from the genius German, immortalizing it in The Master and Margarita, and giving the old Velund a new life in the image of the professor of black magic Woland.
A small list of the gods of Scandinavia that were not included in our review:
- Bragi is the son of Odin.
- Vidar is the deity of war.
- Khenir is Odin's brother.
- Forseti is the son of Balder.
- Fulla is the goddess of abundance.
- Eir is the goddess of healing.
- Lovn is the goddess of mercy.
- Ver is the goddess of knowledge.
- Jord is the goddess of the earth.
- Skadi is the patroness of hunting.
- Ull is the god of the hunt.
Alvis - ("know-it-all"), in Scandinavian mythology, a wise zwerg (dwarf), wooing Trud, the daughter of Thor; Thor pretends to test his wisdom, forces Alvis. wait for the dawn, disastrous for the miniatures, turning them to stone. ("The Elder Edda", "Speeches of Alvis").
Alves - in Scandinavian mythology, the lower nature spirits (originally, possibly, the souls of the dead), related to fertility.
A special cult was dedicated to them. In the "Elder Edda" the Alvas are opposed to the highest gods - the Ases (the formula "Ases and Alves" is often repeated), sometimes they are mixed with zwergs on the one hand, and with Vans on the other. In the "Younger Edda" it is said about the division of the Alves into dark (living in the earth) and light (white). In the heroic Song of Völund (The Elder Edda), the wonderful blacksmith Völund is called the prince of the Alves.
Angrboda (Old Norse promising grief) (sometimes - Angbroda) - in Scandinavian mythology, a giantess who gave birth to three chthonic monsters from Loki in the Yarnvid forest: the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jormungand and the ruler of the kingdom of the dead - Hel.
Andvari ("caution"), in Scandinavian mythology, a dwarf, owner of fatal gold. Loki catches Andvari swimming in the water like a pike and takes away his gold treasure to pay ransom to Hreidmar for his murdered son.
Asgard - ("fence of the Ases"), the heavenly fortress where the Ases live.
Ask and Emblya ("ash" and "willow"), in Scandinavian mythology, the first people who, in the form of tree prototypes, lifeless and "deprived of fate", were found on the seashore by the gods (in the "Elder Edda" - in the song " "- these are three asas - Odin, Lodur, Hoenir, and in the" Younger Edda "- the" sons of Bor ", that is, Odin, Vili and Be). The gods revived them (completed them as people).
Ases, Azy (Old Norse aesir) - in Scand. mythology, the main group of gods, headed by Odin (the father of most Aesir), sometimes - the designation of gods in general. Ases are opposed to the Van, a small group of fertility gods, giants (jotuns), dwarfs (miniatures) and lower female deities - dis, norns, Valkyries; in the "Elder Edda" the formula "Ases and Alves" is often found, as opposing the Ases - the higher gods of a lower category - to the spirits (Alvas). Ases live in the heavenly village of Asgard. In the "Younger Edda" 12 aces are listed: Odin, Thor, Njord, Tyr, Bragi (god of poetry), Heimdall (heavenly guardian of the gods), Hod, Vidar (god of the forests), Ali (or Vali), Ull (god of the hunt), Forseti (Keeper of Truth), Loki. In addition to them, Balder and Freyr are named as the sons of Odin and Njord, but the sons of Thor Magni and Modi are not mentioned, Hoenir is omitted, who in the "Elder Edda" is invariably present in the wandering trinity of Ases (Odin - Loki - Hoenir). The presence in this list of Njord and Freyr, who are of Van origin, and the absence of Hoenir, is possibly explained by the fact that, according to the myth of the war between the Aesir and the Van, Njord and Freyr were taken hostage by the Aesir after the conclusion of peace, and Hoenir went to Vanam as a hostage from the Aesir. "The Younger Edda" also lists 14 goddesses ("asin"): Frigg, Saga (goddess of legends), Eyr, Gevion, Fulla, Freya, Syevn, Lovn, Var, Ver, Xiong, Khlin, Snotra, Gna, and then also mentions Salt and Biel, and in conclusion also reckons Erd and Rind as goddesses. Frigg and Freyja figure mainly in myths, very rarely Gevion and Fulla. But, in addition, among the wives of the Ases, Siv is very often mentioned - the wife of Thor and Idunn (the goddess of youth) - the wife of Braga, as well as Skadi (the daughter of a giant) - the wife of Nyord, who entered the community of the Ases after the death of her father. After the war of the Ases and the Vans (see about it in the article of Vana), the Ases assimilate the Vans.
The inclusion of the word "As" in the proper names of various Germanic tribes and the mention by Jordan of the cult of the Ases among the Goths testifies to the general Germanic spread of the idea of the Ases before the adoption of Christianity by the Germans.
A number of medieval sources (in the "Prologue" to the "Younger Edda", in the "Saga of the Ynglings") tells about the origin of the Aesir from Asia. The etymology of the word "Asy" apparently goes back to mythological ideas about some kind of spirits or souls in the body (especially at the moment of unconsciousness and death) and about the souls of the dead. The indicated etymology is most suitable for the characterization of Odin, who is really regarded as the main ace.
Audumla - in Scandinavian mythology, a cow that originated from frost that filled the world's abyss, and fed the first anthropomorphic creature with her milk - the giant Ymir. She herself ate the fact that she licked the salty stones covered with frost. From these stones, licked by Audumla, the ancestor of the storm gods arose.
Balder ("lord"), in Scandinavian mythology, the young god of the Aesir. Balder is the beloved son of Odin and Frigg, brother of Hermod, husband of Nanna, father of Forseti. Balder is beautiful, light, benevolent; his eyelashes are compared to snow-white plants. He lives in Asgard, in the palace of Breidablik, where evil deeds are not allowed. Balder is called wise and brave, but in fact he is a passive, suffering deity, apparently a cult victim.
According to myths ("The Elder Edda" - "Velva's Divination" and "Balder's Dreams"), young Balder began to have ominous dreams that foreshadowed a threat to his life. Having learned about this, the gods gather for a council and decide to protect Balder from all dangers. One goes to hel (the kingdom of the dead) to learn the fate of Balder from the völva (seer); The Völwa, awakened by Odin from a mortal sleep, predicts that Balder will die at the hands of the blind god Höda. Frigga took an oath from all things and creatures - from fire and water, iron and other metals, stones, earth, trees, diseases, animals, birds, snake venom - that they would not harm Balder; The only thing she didn’t take was the insignificant sprout of the mistletoe. Once, when the gods were amused by shooting at Balder, who had become invulnerable, the malicious Loki (who learned by cunning from Frigga that the mistletoe did not swear an oath) shoves a mistletoe rod to the blind god Hyud, and he kills Balder ("Younger Edda"). The gods raise Balder's body, carry it to the sea and put it on a boat called Hrznghorni (only the giantess Hurrokkin can push it into the water); Balder is burned in the boat. Nanna dies of grief, and she is placed in Balder's funeral pyre, as well as Balder's horse and Odin's gold ring Draupnir. Vali ("one-day" son of Odin and Rind) takes revenge on Hödu for killing Balder, and Hermod, Balder's brother, rides on Odin Sleipnir's horse to the kingdom of the dead with the aim of freeing Balder ("Younger Edda"). Mistress Hel agrees to let Balder go on condition that all living and dead in the world mourn him. Everyone is crying, except for the giantess Tyokk, whose guise has taken on the same Loki, and Balder remains in Hel. The gods punish Loki, the culprit in the death of Balder.
The myth of Balder's death is a kind of introduction to the Scandinavian eschatological cycle - his death serves as a foreshadowing of the death of the gods and the whole world (see Ragnarok). In the renewed world that will arise after the death of the old one, Balder who has returned to life is reconciled with his murderer Höd, who has also come to life.
A peculiar echo of the myth of Balder in the form of a heroic legend is found in the "Acts of the Danes" by Saxon Grammar. He has Balder as a demigod. Seeing Nanna, Hyoda's half-sister while swimming, Balder falls in love with her. Höd himself loves Nanna and marries her, but Balder pursues him. To kill Balder, Höd draws out the sword Mimming and, on the advice of the forest maiden, wonderful food from snake venom and a belt that gives victory. Höd mortally wounds Balder; he is buried in the hill. The prophet Finn prophesies to Odin that the son of the goddess Rind, whom she will give birth to from Odin, will avenge Balder; the prophecy is coming true.
Bivrest, Billrest ("trembling road"), in Scandinavian mythology, a rainbow-bridge connecting earth and sky. At Bivrest there is Himinbjörg - the home of Odin's son Heimdall. Before the end of the world (see Ragnarok), the sons of Muspell cross this bridge to fight the gods, and at the same time it collapses.
Bor ("born"), in Scandinavian mythology, the son of the Storm, the father of the god Odin and his brothers - Vili and Be, born to him with Bestla, the daughter of the giant Bölthorn. In the "Elder Edda" the "sons of Bor" are mentioned as the organizers of the earth (they killed the giant Ymir and created the world from his body).
Brisingamen ("Brising's necklace"), in Scandinavian mythology, a wonderful necklace made, like other treasures of the Aesir, by Brisings (dwarfs, zwergs); one of the main attributes of the goddess Freya. Brisingamen is also called the "Brising Belt", which apparently corresponds to the original function of helping with childbirth, hence the name Freyi disoy vanov ("Younger Edda"), and the most important function of the dis is connected with this. Loki reproaches Freya for paying the miniatures for Brisingamen with her love. On the initiative of Odin, Loki kidnaps Brisingamen, and then returns under certain conditions. Singastein Loki and Heimdall, who took on the guise of seals, are fighting for Brisingamen at the stone. Brisingamen is also mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf.
Buri (literally "parent"), in Scandinavian mythology, the ancestor of the gods, Bohr's father and Odin's grandfather. Storms originated from salt stones licked by the cow Audumla
Vali, in Norse mythology, the son of Odin and Rind (Frigg's stepson); the child avenger who, at the age of one day, took revenge on Hödu for killing Balder. After the death of the world and the gods (see Ragnarok), Vali, along with other representatives of the "younger generation" of the gods, will live in a renewed world.
Valhalla - "Chambers of Odin, where heroes who fell in battle enter". - The roots of Yggdrasil. M., Terra, 1997.
Valkyries - literally "choosing the dead" - in Old German. mythology of the warrior maiden, the priestess of Odin, to-rye selected the warriors destined for death and on magic flying horses carried the souls of the fallen to the heavenly palace of Odin - Valhalla.
Vanir (Old Norse vanir) - in Scand. mythology group of gods of fertility, moisture, navigation. Among the Vanir are Ch. arr. Njord (god of the sea) and his children - Freyr and Freyja, endowed with magic. prophet. for nothing. There is reason to believe that the cult of the Vanir penetrated into Scandinavia from Germany and initially met with resistance from the locals. the cult of the aces. Hence the myth of the war between the Aesir and the Vani, which ended with their unification.
Volva is a soothsayer, a sorceress, a prophetess who, at the request of Odin, predicted Ragnarok and many other equally interesting events. The Divination of the Völwa is the most famous of the Elder Edda songs. It contains a picture of the history of the world from creation and the "golden age" to its tragic end - the so-called "day of the fate of the gods" - and the second birth. - Elder Edda. M., Fiction, 1975.
Vidar is the son of Odin. The Völwa prophesied that he would kill the wolf Fenrir on the day of the Last Battle.
Vidur is one of the thousand names of Odin.
Willie and Ve are Odin's siblings, Bohr's children.
Vis is a kind of literary work, this genre was perfectly mastered by the medieval Scandinavians. Vis is characterized by an unnatural word order, complex meter, the inevitable presence of alliterations and internal rhymes - in a word, it is so difficult that even the best translations can give only a very faint idea of what a real vis is. - Max Fry, My Ragnarok, S.-P., ABC, 1998.
Wotan is one of the names of Odin.
Garm - literally: "greedy". A monstrous dog who, according to the prophecy of the Völva, should "devour the sun."
Gaut is one of the names of Odin.
Yormugand - literally "giant staff", in Scandinavian mythology of the world serpent, one of the three monsters, begotten by the giantess Angrboda from Loki. Yormugand lives in the World Ocean, which surrounds the inhabited land. "When ... the gods found out from the prophetess that they should expect great troubles from those children ... the All-Father sent the gods to take those children and bring them to him. And ... he threw that Serpent into the deep sea surrounding the whole earth, and so a serpent has grown, lying in the middle of the sea, girding the whole earth and biting its own tail ... "- Younger Edda. L., Science, 1970.
Ygg is one of Odin's names.
Yggdrasil - in Scandinavian mythology, the world tree, a giant ash tree. "Its branches are spread over the whole world and put a limit to it in space." - Elder Edda. M., Fiction, 1975. - Once One sacrificed himself on this tree and hung there for nine days, as a result of which he gained access to some "secret knowledge", thus he discovered the runes.
Kenning is a conventional poetic figure characteristic of skaldic poetry, consisting of two or more nouns. Kenning serves not to call a spade a spade and at the same time to denote them somehow. Typical examples: "a feather bed of a dragon" - gold, "an ice floe of a palm" - silver, "a quarrel of the fires of Odin" - a battle, "a raven comforter" - a warrior, etc.
"Blood of Kvasir" is the so-called "honey of poetry". Kvasir - in Scandinavian mythology, a little wise man made from the saliva of the gods. The Younger Edda says that the "honey of poetry" was made from the blood of Kvasir, who was killed by the dwarfs. - Myths of the peoples of the world. M., Soviet Encyclopedia, 1991.
Lodur is one of the names of Loki.
Loki - in Scandinavian mythology, a god from among the ases, sometimes helping the gods, sometimes harming and mocking them ("The Elder Edda", "Loki's Bickering"). According to the "Younger Edda", during the last battle of the gods, Loki will side with the chthonic forces and take part in the destruction of the world.
Naglfar is a ship that should be built before the "day of the fate of the gods" from the nails of the dead. It is curious that in Iceland there is still a widespread belief that the dead need to have their nails cut off so that evil forces do not use them. - Elder Edda. M., Fiction, 1975.
Odin is the supreme deity of the skandas. mythology, the head of the Aesir, the spouse of Frigg, the father of Baldor, Thor and many others. other gods. Odin is the creator of the Universe and the first people, the god of wind and storms, later - the god of war, the patron saint of the military squad, trade and navigation. He lives in the palace Valhalle (Old Scandal. Valholl - the palace of the dead), where the Valkyries transfer the souls of the heroes who fell in battle and where the latter continue their former heroism. a life. Have a continent. Wodan (Wotan) corresponded to Odin in the Germans.
Oskopnir - in Scandinavian mythology, one of the versions of the name of the place of the Last Battle of the Gods (in the speeches of Vaftrundir, for example, this place is called Vigrid).
Ragnarok - the fate (death) of the gods, the apocalypse of Scandinavian mythology, predicted in detail by the Völva.
Sleipnir is Odin's eight-legged horse in Scandinavian mythology. - Myths of the peoples of the world. M., Soviet Encyclopedia, 1991.
Surt is a fire giant in Scandinavian mythology. In the "Divination of the Volva" it is said that he will come from the south before the end of the world and will burn the world (according to some versions - the sun) with his fiery sword. - Myths of the peoples of the world. M., Soviet Encyclopedia, 1991; Elder Edda, M., Fiction, 1975.
Twaggi is one of the names of Odin.
Thor - in scand. mythology - the god of thunder, storm and fertility, the son of Odin and the goddess of the earth Yord, one of Ch. aces. He was portrayed as a red-bearded man, armed with Mjöllnir's thunder hammer, to-ry constantly hitting the target and returning by itself, with a belt of strength and iron gloves. Thor - ch. protector of gods and people from giants and monsters. Have a continent. For the Germans, the Torah corresponded to Donar, among the Anglo-Saxons - Tumor (Tonar).
Turs or Yotuns - in Scandinavian mythology, giants, they are usually hostile to both gods and people.
Utgarde - in Scandinavian mythology, the outskirts of the earth, where demons and giants live. There are many disputes over the identity of Utgard-Loki, the mysterious ruler of Utgard: some experts believe that he has nothing to do with Loki, who quarreled with the Aesir, others believe that this is the same person.
Fenrir is a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology, one of the offspring of Loki and Angrboda. According to the prediction of the Völwa, he should have swallowed Odin on the day of the Last Battle.
Freyr - in scand. mythology - the god of fertility, marriage, abundance and peace from among the Vanir, the son of Nyord, the brother of Freya. After the war, the Vanir with the Aesir fell to the Aesir as a hostage, took root and became one of them. According to the prediction of the Völwa, he was to die in the battle with the giant Surt. Freyr's cult was especially widespread in Sweden.
Freya - in scandal. mythology - the goddess of fertility, love and beauty, the daughter of the god of the sea Njord, the sister of Freyr, the wife of the god of the wind Oda, who left her, she searches all over the earth, shedding golden tears (grain grains).
Frigg (Old Scandal frigg, Old Gothic Frija - beloved, mistress) - in Scand. mythology - the wife of Odin, the mother of Balder, the goddess of marriage, love, family hearth. The fusion of the cults of the Aesir and the Vanir contributed to the Fusion of the images of Frigg and Freya, to which Frigg's attributes were transferred.
Heimdall - in Scandinavian mythology, a god from among the Aesir, is considered the son of Odin. Heimdall is the guardian of the gods, he is accompanied by the epithet "the most luminous of the Aesir." According to the Völwa's prophecy, in the Last Battle he was supposed to fight Loki, according to some sources, the two are killing each other.
Hel - in Scandinavian mythology: 1) the underworld, the kingdom of the dead, where the souls of those who did not die in battle and are not worthy of Valhalla, the palaces of Odin, go. 2) the goddess-mistress of the underworld, the product of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, the personification of the kingdom of the dead.
In scand. mythology Hel is considered an analogue of the Christian underworld (Sturulson Snorri in "The Younger Edda" says that this place is intended for "bad people") and is opposed to Valhalla - the heavenly palace for the elect. According to the prediction of the Völva, in the Last Battle, the dead from Hel are on the side of the chthonic "evil" forces, and the inhabitants of Valhalla are on the side of the Aesir.
Moody is the name of a giant who, according to some sources, was supposed to rule the ship Naglfar (according to other versions, this ship should have been ruled by Loki himself).
Chroft is one of the names of Odin.
"Edda" - two monuments of Icelandic literature are known under this name: "The Younger Edda", to the creation of which Snorri Sturulson had a hand, and "The Elder Edda", or "Edda Samund the Wise", the parchments with the texts of which were found in 1643 by the Icelandic bishop Brignolve Sveinsson. However, later it turned out that Samund the Wise had nothing to do with these parchments.
Einherria - this is the name of the heroes who died in the battle in Valhalla.
Jormungand
Jormungand ("giant staff"), in Scandinavian mythology, the world serpent, a symbol of darkness and destruction, a monster generated by the giantess Angrboda from the god Loki.
At birth, Jormungand was thrown into the ocean by Odin, where he grew and reached such dimensions that he could gird Midgard, the land of people, with his giant rings.
A giant serpent that lived in the world's oceans was slain by the thunder god Thor on the day of Ragnarok.
Once the serpent Jormungand fell on the hook of Thor, who went fishing and used the head of a black bull as bait. However, Thor's companion, the giant Hyumir, frightened for his life, cut off the rope tackle, and Jormungand remained free. But on the day of Ragnarok, the god Thor took off the ugly head of the monster and, having managed to retreat from the dead carcass only nine steps away, drowned in a stream of poison spewing from the open mouth of the lifeless creature.
Fenrir, a giant wolf in Norse mythology. He was one of the three monsters that the giantess Angrboda from Loki gave birth to in the Yarnvid forest.
The texts of the "Younger Edda" tell that for some time Fenrir lived with the gods, but he was so great and terrible that only the brave Thor dared to approach him. The prophets warned the celestials that Fenrir was born to perdition to the gods, but no one could even just put him on a chain.
Leading's first chain thrown around his neck, Fenrir tore like a thin thread. Dromie's second chain shattered into small pieces. And only the third, the magic chain Gleipnir, chained at the request of the gods by black dwarfs-zwergs from the noise of cat steps, the breath of fish, bird saliva, the roots of mountains, the veins of a bear and a woman's beard, was able to keep the terrible beast. By throwing a chain around Fernir's neck, the gods wanted to prove that she would not harm him in any way.
For this Thor put his right hand in Fernir's mouth. The wolf bit off Thoru's brush, but the gods managed to chain the monster to the rock. The prophets predicted to the gods that before the end of the world, Fernir would break the shackles, break free and swallow the solar disk, and in the last battle of the gods with monsters and giants, he would swallow Odin. After a while, Vidar will avenge his father. The son of Odin will tear the hated monster's mouth and free the gods from the horror that the monstrous wolf instilled in them.
In Norse mythology, the demonic wolf Fernir is a very popular character. In addition, many legends are dedicated to other wolves, such as Odin's companions, Geri and Freka. An analogue of Fernir can be considered Garm, a demonic dog that guards the Gnipachellir cave.
Alves, in Scandinavian mythology, the lower nature spirits. Initially, the alves personified the souls of the dead, but gradually their role in the hierarchy of divine beings underwent changes.
In early Scandinavian-Germanic mythology, the alves are an ageless, magical, beautiful race that lives like humans, either on Earth or in the world of alves (elves), which was also described as existing quite realistically. This idea of the alves, partially preserved, reached the Middle Ages, remaining forever in the languages, names, culture and genealogy of European countries.
In later myths, the alves are represented as spirits of the earth and fertility. There was a special ritual for honoring these spirits. The word "alv" (elf) during this period began to generalize in essence completely different creatures - in fact, alves and dwarves.
Alves began to have some similarities with both miniature dwarfs and vanes. In the "Elder Edda" there are references to the wonderful blacksmith Velund, who was called the prince of the Alves. The "Younger Edda" mentions the division into dark (living underground) and light alves (living in the heavenly palace). In the late Germanic-Scandinavian sagas about the creation of the world, it is said that the alves were created by the first aesir (Odin, Vili and Ve) from the worms that appeared in the meat of Ymir.
The kingdom of Alfheim was given to the light alves (elves), the kingdom of Svartalfheim was given to the dark alves (dwarves), and the land of Nidavellir was given to the dwarfs-zwergs.
Elves were presented as anthropomorphic creatures of small stature, dexterous and agile, with long arms and short legs. Their occupations were determined primarily by their habitat. Elves living in the mountains were considered excellent gunsmiths and blacksmiths; and the elves who settled by the water were great musicians. In general, all these creatures were very fond of music and dancing.
According to legend, the elves were a whole mythical people, divided into rich and poor. They could be good and bad. Like people, they were heterosexual and could bear children. There are legends about marriages between elves and humans. Like all spirits, elves were considered endowed with considerable supernatural powers.
List of alves in the Younger Edda
Light alves (elves) are skilled blacksmiths, wizards and musicians.
Völund - Lord of the Alves, a fine blacksmith.
Beila, Biggweer, Dökkalfar, Svartalfar
Dark alves (dwarves) are also skilled blacksmiths and sorcerers.
Hreidmar is a sorcerer, to whom, as a ransom for the murder of his son, the gods-ases handed over the treasures of the Nibelungs, cursed by the miniature Andvari.
The sons of Khreidmar are Otr, Regin, Fafnir.
Gandalf is a magician and sorcerer.
Vidfin is a dwarf who sent his sons to get honey from Mimir's honey source of wisdom.
Widfin's sons - Beale, Hewkie.
Brisings
Brisings, Bristlings, in Scandinavian mythology, are the mysterious owners of the wonderful gold necklace Brisingamen, which the goddess of fertility Freyja longed to have. To get it, she paid with her love to all four dwarfs - Alfrig, Dvalin, Berling and Greer, who made the jewelry. Outraged by this act, Odin reproached her for humiliating her divine dignity and, as punishment, forced her to unleash a war on the land of people, in Midgard. They divided the dead in the battles in half. An unambiguous interpretation of this myth is hampered primarily by the unclear origin of the Brisings. However, a more plausible version seems to be that "payment with love" symbolizes the bodily side of love, in particular, blind passion and lust. Nothing, not even the condemnation of Odin, could stop the beautiful goddess, who desired to receive the precious jewelry. Brisipgamen became so closely connected with the image of Freya that when Thor decided to change into her dress in order to take his hammer from Bilge, she lent him a necklace for greater persuasion.
Brisingamen, an exquisite necklace, looked like liquid fire. The goddess Freya, overwhelmed by the desire to receive the jewel, paid a dear price for it, but the graceful adornment enhanced her beauty so much that she did not take it off even at night. The Brisingamen necklace in myths was closely associated with the image of Freya and was one of the inalienable attributes of the goddess. On her pretty neck, it looked like a symbol of the fruits of the earth and heaven, sparkling like the stars of the night sky. Freya's tears, and she cried a lot during the search for the missing husband of Odur, turned into gold, and when they got into the sea, they turned into amber.
Valkyries
Valkyries ("choosing the slain"), in Scandinavian mythology, warlike maidens participating in the distribution of victories and deaths in battles, Odin's assistants. Originally, the Valkyries were ominous battle spirits, angels of death who relished the sight of bloody wounds. In horse ranks they swept over the battlefield like vultures, and in the name of Odin they decided the fate of the warriors. The chosen heroes of the Valkyries were taken to Valhalla - "the palace of the slain", the heavenly camp of Odin's warriors, where they improved their martial arts. In later Scandinavian myths, the images of the Valkyries were romanticized, and they turned into the shield-bearers of Odin, virgins with golden hair and snow-white skin, who served food and drinks to the chosen heroes in the banquet hall of Valhalla. They circled over the battlefield in the guise of adorable swan-maidens or horse-riders, galloping on magnificent pearl cloud horses, whose rain manes irrigated the land with fertile frost and dew.
According to Anglo-Saxon legends, some of the Valkyries descended from elves, but most of them were daughters of noble princes, who became Valkyries, chosen by the gods during their lifetime, and could turn into swans.
Valkyries became known to modern man thanks to the great monument of ancient literature, which remained in history under the name "Elder Edda". Here the warrior maidens had names corresponding to their essence - Gyondul, Hun, Rota, Skogul, Sigrdriva, Sigrun, Svava, Skuld and others. Many of them, the most ancient ones, cannot be translated. Among the later, the most famous are Khlekk ("noise of battle"), Trud ("strength"), Krist ("amazing"), Mist ("foggy"), Hild ("battle"). The images of Icelandic mythical warrior maidens served as the basis for the creation of the popular Germanic epic "The Song of the Nibelungs". One of the parts of the poem tells about the punishment that the Valkyrie Sigrdriva received, who dared to disobey the god Odin.
Ferdinand Leeke, 1870 Having given the victory in battle to King Agnar, and not to the courageous Hjalm-Gunnar, the Valkyrie was deprived of the right to take part in the battles. At Odin's orders, she fell into a long sleep, after which the former warrior maiden became an ordinary earthly woman.
Another Valkyrie, Brunhilde, after marriage with a mortal lost her superhuman strength, her descendants mingled with the goddesses of fate norns, spinning the thread of life at the well.
The Scandinavians believed that, influencing the victory, the warrior maidens held the fate of humanity in their hands.
Einheria
Eincheria, in Scandinavian mythology, "valiantly fallen" warriors, constantly after their heroic death living in the heavenly Valhalla and making up the squad of the god Odin.
Carried away from the battlefield by the Valkyries, they spent days in battles and nights in feasts, and the wounds they received in the daytime battle were miraculously healed by evening.