My Top 5 All Time Favourite Norse Deities
My Top 5 All Time Favourite Norse Deities
5 Freyr The Name Freyr means “Lord.”Although born of the Vanir gods, Freyr is an honorary Aesir after being given to them as a hostage or a token of truce along with his sister Freyja after the Aesir-Vanir war. His father is Njordr, the God of the sea and his mother is the sister wife of Njordr, possibly Nerthus being that incest seemed to be big amongst the Vanir. His twin sister is Freyja the Goddess of love. He was gifted one of the nine realms, that of Ljosalfheimr where he resides as Lord of the Ljosalf.
4 Eir Little is known about the goddess Eir, what is known is that her name means ‘Help’ or ‘Mercy,’ and she is one of Frigg’s handmaidens. She is the Aesir goddess of health and healing with a great knowledge of medicine and surgery. Her powers are the ability to preside over life and death or ressurection. Her abode is the hill Lyfjaberg ‘Healing Hill,’ where along with her Jotun companion Menglod, they heal and treat the ill and injured. She would grant health to any woman who could climb up the Lyfjaberg. Also on the hill are helpers and maids, wights, named Hlif, Hlifthursa, Thiodvorta, Biort, Blid, Blidr, Frid and Orboda. She is also known as a companion of Var.
3 Thor Thor is described as a large, powerful, Aesir God with red flowing hair and beard. He is the Protector of Midgardr, defending the realm from the Jotuns and the Trolls. Legend has it that Scandinavia is free from trolls because Thor was so good at killing them he wiped them out of that region. There is a piece of whetstone lodged in his head never to be freed hailing from his battle with the Jotun Hrugnir. He is the son of the Aesir chief Odin and the goddess Jord. He is the brother of Baldr and Hodr, Bragi, Melli and Vidar and Vali. He is husband to the golden haired Sif who gave the stepson Ullr. He also keeps a mistress called Jarnsaxa who gave him his two sons Modi and Magni and his daughter Thrudr. His name means ‘Thunderer.’ He resides in his hall Bilskirnir meaning ‘Lightning crack,’ the largest of the halls with 540 rooms. It sits in the area of Asgardr called Thrudheimr, or ‘Place of Might
2 Mani Mani is the the god who guides the moon across the night sky . He is described as beautiful with raven black hair and silver eyes. He is the twin brother of Sol the goddess of the sun and son of Mundilfari the god of time. Together these three Aesir are the three gods of time. The name Mani means ‘Moon.’ He helps humankind tell the time and date through his actions and the day Monday is named after him, Mani’s Day or Moon Day.
1 Tyr Tyr is one of the most high ranking of the Aesir pantheon and commands great respect, his name means “Glory.” He is the son of the Jotun Hymir and Hrodr which means “ Famed,” Out of all the gods it is Tyr who is most trusted. His Rune Tiwaz was carved into the hilts of swords to bring glory in battle and honour him. Tuesday is the day named after him Tyr’s (Tiw) Day.
