The Aesir Balder
(Norse) Balder was the second son of Odin, chief of the gods, and Frigg. His mother took oaths from all plants, creatures, elements and metals that they would not harm him, all except the mistletoe plant for she felt it was too young and too small to harm him. He was therefore thought to be immune from harm and the other gods, in sport, would throw things at him. Loki, the god of mischief, deceived Hod (Hoder), a blind god and Balder's brother, into throwing a spear made from mistletoe at Balder, thereby killing him.
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Bragi
(Norse) The god of poetry and eloquence, son of Odin and Gunnlod, a female giant. He was married to Idun (Iduna) guardian of the "apples of immortality".
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Forseti or Forsetti (Forsite)
(Norse) God of justice. Son of Balder and Nanna.
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Frey (Freyr)
(Norse) A god of the Vanir race. Twin brother of Freyja. He was the god of peace, fertility and weather. He was married to Gerd (Gerda).
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Freyja (Freya)
(Norse)She was originally from the Vanir. Goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, sometimes identified as the goddess of battle and death. She was also quite accommodating in sexual matters. She is said to have traded sexual favors (by sleeping with the four dwarves who had fashioned the necklace) to possess the necklace of the Brisings. When it was taken from her by Loki, she started a war of retaliation. Her father was Njord, a fertility god. Blond, blue-eyed, and beautiful, Freyja traveled in a chariot drawn by cats. She resided in the celestial realm of Folkvang, where it was her privilege to receive half of all the warriors slain in battle and take their souls to her hall, Sessrumnir, in Folkvang; the god Odin received the other half at Valhalla. She loves music, spring and flowers, and spends much time with the fey. She is seen wearing a cloak of bird feathers, which allows the wearer to change into a falcon and the beautiful necklace of the Brisings given to her by dwarves, which the Norse still refer to as the Milky Way. In Germany, Freya was sometimes identified with Frigg, the wife of Odin. She was also the sister of the god Frey.
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Frigg (Frigga, Frija, Fricka)
(Norse)Goddess of the sky. Daughter of Fjorgyn, goddess of the earth. She was Odin's wife and mother of Balder and Hoth. Friday is named after her. Frigg is the patroness of marriage and motherhood. She assists women in labor and is associated with the naming of children. Frigg has the reputation of knowing everyone's destiny, but never reveals it. Being the wife of the god Odin, she was known as the Queen of the Heavens. She is the central diety in Asgard where her hall, Fensalir ("water halls")
is located.
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Heimdall (Heimdalr)
(Norse) He is said to be the son of nine mothers. He lived at the foot of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, and guarded it. He was known as the watchman of the gods. Heimdall was the keeper of the Gjallahorn, the "ringing" horn, which he was to sound when Ragnarök, the end of the world, was near. In an Irish myth he is called Rígr, and is considered the father of mankind. He consorted with three women, from whom descend the three classes of mankind: serf(thrall), freeman(karl), and nobleman(jarl).
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Hod (Hodr, Hodur)
(Norse) The blind brother of Balder, tricked by Loki, throws a mistletoe dart at his brother and kills him.
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Idun (Iduna, Idunnor)
(Norse) She was the goddess of spring and eternal youth. Wife of Bragi, and guardian of the golden apples of immortality which the gods ate whenever they wanted to renew their youth.
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Loki (Lopt)
(Norse) He was one of the Aesir (the principal gods), but a cause of dissension among the gods. Loki was a sometimes friend to the gods who admired his clever plans when he was helping them. But he was mischievous and evil too. He was responsible for the death of Balder, Odin's son. Loki had the ability to change his form and even to change his sex. He, through Angrboda, produced Hel, goddess of death, Jörmungand, the evil serpent who was Thor's mortal enemy, and Fenrir, the wolf. With his second wife, Sigyn, he fathered Vali and Narvi.
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Njörd
(Norse) Also Niord, Niordhr, or Njorthr. The god of the wind and the sea. He was the father of Frey and Freyja by his own sister. He was the protector of ships, who lived at Noatun by the sea-shore. His wife Skadi lives in the mountains because the cries of the gulls disturbs her sleep.
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Odin
Also Odhinn, Woden, Wodan, and Woutan. He is the supreme god and oldest of all in Norse mythology, god of wisdom, poetry, magic, and war. He belonged to the Aesir race of gods. Among his many names is All-father, for he is the father of all the gods. One story about him relates how he acquired great wisdom. Supposedly he gained this wisdom when he hanged himself on the world tree for nine days and nights and was pierced by a spear. This was a spiritual death in which he sacrificed himself to himself. Another story about his acquiring wisdom is that he sacrificed an eye for the privilege of drinking from Mimir's, fountain of wisdom. He had two black ravens, Huginn or Huninn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory), who flew forth each day to gather the news of the world to bring back to Odin. His greatest treasures were Sleipner (an eight-legged horse), Gunger (a spear), and Draupner (a ring).
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Sif
(Norse) Sif is the golden-haired wife of Thor and the goddess of crops and fertility. She was the mother, by a previous marriage, of Uu, god of archery and skiing.
A myth about her:
Loki, one night cut off her beautiful golden hair. Next morning Thor was beside himself with rage at Sif's distress. When Loki protested that it was only a joke, Thor demanded to know how he was going to rectify the situation, the fire god said he would get the dwarfs to weave a wig as a replacement. So Loki asked the sons of Ivaldi to make a wig from spun gold. The wig when finished was quite remarkable, for it was so light and realistic that even a slight breeze was enough to ruffle it and so real that it grew on her head like magic. Thinking to get the gods even more into their debt,the sons of Ivaldi constructed a collapsible boat named Skidbladnir for Freyr and a magic spear called Gungnir for Odin. On his way back to Asgard Loki met the dwarf brothers Brokk and Eiti. They were so jealous of the workmanship that had gone into the wig, the boat and the spear that Loki easily persuaded them to make something better; he even bet his own head on their inability to do so. As a result, the dwarf brothers fashioned the magic hammer known as Mjollnir. The gods were delighted with the treasures Loki and Brokk had brought back. However, Brokk demanded Loki's head. The gods would not agree, but they had no objection to Brokk sewing up Loki's lips with a thong when Thor dragged the god back home after he tried to flee, which caused Loki to plan revenge against Thor.
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Thor
(Norse) The god of thunder and lightning, eldest son of Odin, ruler of the gods, and Jord, the earth goddess. Thor was the strongest of the Aesir, the chief gods, whom he helped protect from their enemies, the giants. Thor owed three magical treasures. Mjollnir his hammer (thunderbolt) which when thrown at an enemy returns to Thor. He is able to handle Mjollnir with the second of his treasures, iron-clad gloves. The third treasure is his magic girdle, a belt that increases and replenishes his divine strength when he wears it. Thunder was supposed to be the sound of the rolling of his goat-driven chariot. Thursday is named for Thor.
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Tyr (Tiu, Tiw, Tiv, Tiwaz)
(Norse) Son of Odin and Frigg, and younger brother of Thor. A god of war and of justice. It was he who placed his hand in the mouth of the giant wolf, Fenris, to show good faith as the rest of the gods, pretending sport but intending a trap, chained the wolf. When Fenrir realized he had been tricked he bit off Tyr's hand. Tuesday is derived from Tyr's name.
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Vidar (Vithar)
(Norse) A son of Odin noted for his taciturnity, and his fearless destruction of Fenrir (Fenris).
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