List of Norse gods and goddesses facts for kids

This is a list of Norse gods and goddesses that are in Norse mythology. Divided between the Æsir and the Vanir, and sometimes including the jötnar (giants), the dividing line between these groups is less than clear. However, it is usually accepted that the Æsir (including Óðinn, Þór and Týr) were warrior gods, while the Vanir (mainly Njörður, Freyja and Freyr) were fertility gods. Various other groups of beings, including elves, dwarves and jötnar were probably minor gods, and might have had small cults and sacred places devoted to them.

The gods and their functions

Major gods and goddesses

• Baldr - God of beauty, innocence, peace, and rebirth. Consort: Nanna, Killed by Loki, who tricked his blind brother Hodr into killing him with a spear of mistletoe.
• Borr - Father of Odin, Vili and Ve. Consort: Bestla
• Bragi - God of poetry, music and the harp. Consort: Iðunn.
• Búri - Ruler of Prehistory, the first god and father of Borr.
• Dagr - God of the daytime, son of Delling and Nótt.
• Delling - God of dawn. Father of Dagr. Husband of Nótt.
• Eir - Goddess of healing.
• Ēostre - Goddess of spring.
• Elli - Goddess of old age.
• Forseti - God of justice, peace and truth. Son of Baldr and Nanna.
• Freyja - Goddess of love, fertility, and battle. Consort: Óðr.
• Freyr - God of fertility. Consort: Gerð.
• Frigg - Goddess of marriage and motherhood. Consort: Odin. Can also be pronounced "Frigga".
• Fulla - Frigg´s handmaid.
• Gefjun - Goddess of fertility and plough.
• Hel - Queen of Helheim, the Norse underworld.
• Heimdall - One of the Æsir and guardian of Asgard, their realm.
• Hermóðr - The heroic son of Odin.Tried to rescue Baldur.
• Hlín - Goddess of consolation and protection.
• Hodor - God of winter. Killed by Vali.
• Hœnir - The silent god.
• Iðunn - Goddess of youth. Consort: Bragi.
• Jörð - Goddess of the Earth. Mother of Thor by Odin.
• Kvasir - God of inspiration. Killed by Dwarves.
• Lofn - Goddess of forbidden loves.
• Loki - Trickster and god of mischief . Consort: Sigyn (also called Saeter).
• Magni - God of strength. Son of Thor.
• Máni - God of the Moon.
• Mímir - Odin's uncle. Decapitated by Vanir.
• Nanna - Goddess of joy and peace, an Ásynja married with Baldr and mother to Forseti. Died because of Baldur's death.
• Nerthus - A goddess mentioned by Tacitus. Her name is connected to that of Njörðr.
• Njörðr - God of sea, wind, fish, and wealth. Killed in Ragnarok.
• Nótt - Goddess of night, daughter of Narvi and mother of Auð, Jörð and Dagur by Naglfari, Annar and Delling, respectively.
• Odin - The "All Father" God of war, associated with wisdom, poetry, and magic (The Ruler of the gods).
• Rán - Goddess of the sea.
• Sága - An obscure goddess, possibly another name for Frigg.
• Sif - Wife of Thor. Goddess of harvest.
• Sjöfn - Goddess of love.
• Skaði - Goddess of winter; Njörðr's wife.
• Snotra - Goddess of prudence.
• Sol (Sunna) - Goddess of Sun. Swallowed by Skoll.
• Thor - son of Óðinn God of thunder and battle. Consort: Sif.
• Thruer - daughter of Thor and Sif.
• Tyr - God of war. Also the god of the skies.
• Ullr - God of ski/winter, hunt, and duel. Son of Sif.
• Váli - God of revenge.
• Vár - Goddess of contract.
• Vé - One of the three gods of creation. Brother of Óðinn and Vili.
• Vidar - God of the forest, revenge and silence.
• Vör - Goddess of wisdom.
• Yggdrasil - Tree of life. Connects the 9 worlds.

Lesser figures

• Ægir - Ruler of the sea. Consort: Rán.
• Andhrímnir - Cook of the gods.
• Aurvandil - A minor character in the Skáldskaparmál with cognates in other Germanic tales.

Lists of Norse gods and goddesses contained in the Prose Edda

Gods

Goddesses

Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses

Some characters sometimes presented as Norse deities do not occur in the ancient sources.

• Astrild (Actually a synonym for Amor and Cupid invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Freyja.)
• Jofur (Actually a synonym for Jupiter invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Thor.)

The following pseudo-deities are presented in Encyclopedia Mythica as Norse.

• Brono (Claimed to be the god of daylight and the son of Baldr. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Dagr or Forseti.)
• Geirrendour (Claimed to be the father of the billow maidens. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Ægir.)
• Glúm (Claimed to be an attendant of Frigg. Source unknown.)
• Laga (Claimed to be the goddess of wells and springs. May be the same as Laha, a Celtic goddess of wells and springs.)

Images for kids

• 

  A scene from one of the Merseburg Incantations: gods Wodan and Balder stand before the goddesses Sunna, Sinthgunt, Volla, and Friia (Emil Doepler, 1905)

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Dioses germánicos para niños