Common Germanic deities
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The article lists gods and goddesses (*Ansewez, *Wanizaz) that may be reconstructed for Proto-Germanic or Common Germanic Migration period paganism, or which figure in both West and North Germanic mythology; See Norse deities, Anglo-Saxon deities and German deities for deities particular to one of these traditions.
Deities:
- *Wōdanaz, "lord of poetic/mantic inspiration", "Germanic Mercury", Norse Odin, West Germanic Woden, Saxon Wotan.
- Frija, wife of Wodanaz, Norse Frigg
- *Þunraz, "thunder", Norse Thor, West Germanic Donar, Saxon Thunor, East Germanic Thunrs, Germanic Hercules or Jupiter".
- *Tiwaz, god of war, "Germanic Mars", Norse Tyr, West Germanic Tiw, continues Indo-European Dyeus.
- *Lohho "trickster", Norse Loki
- *Nerþuz, described by Tacitus
- *Frījō, Norse Freyja, "Germanic Venus, ="wife", c.f. Sanskrit priyā "mistress, wife"
- *Fullō goddess, or *Fullaz god of riches, plenty
- *Ermunaz, Saxon war god (speculative, based on Nennius' Armenon)
- *Wulþuz, "glorious one", possibly originally an epitheton, mentioned on the Thorsberg chape, continued in Norse Ullr
- *Wurdiz, destiny
- *Sōwilō, the Sun
Semi-gods or mythical heroes:
- *Auzawandilaz, the morning star(?)
- *Gautaz, mythical ancestor of royal houses
- *Wēlanduz, mythical or elfish smith
- *Agilaz, mythical archer
Mythical races: *þurisaz (giants), *dwergaz (dwarfs), *albaz (elves), *nikwuz (water spirits).
Cosmology
- *Medjanagardaz inhabited world
- *erþo anþi uppahemenaz Germanic formula[citation needed] for "heaven and earth", notably naming earth first (see Skarpåker Stone)
- *Haljō Underworld
- *Muþspell Disastrous world-ending (c.f. Ragnarok)