Æsir
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Æsir are the main gods of Norse mythology. They include Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldur and Tyr. A second family of gods, the Vanir, is also a part in the Norse mythology. This group includes the god Njord and his children, Freyr and Freyja. These gods joined the Æsir as hostages after a war between Æsir and Vanir. The Æsir gods are usually connected with power and war.
[edit] Norse mythology
The things that happened between the Æsir and the Vanir is an interesting part of Norse mythology. Most mythologies have "older" and "younger" families of gods. The Æsir and Vanir were shown as near the same age as each other. The two groups of gods fought each other, made treaties, and traded hostages. Freyr and Freyja are were said to be hostages. Some think that things that happened between the Æsir and Vanir are the same things which were common to different Norse clans at the time.
The Æsir stayed did not grow old. They stayed young by eating the apples of Iðunn. While they did not age, they could be killed. It was said that most of them will die at Ragnarök.
[edit] List of Æsir
- Baldur — god of innocence and beauty
- Freyja (a Vanir hostage) — goddess of love and mating
- Freyr (a Vanir hostage) — god of fertility and love
- Frigg — chief goddess
- Heimdall — the watchman and guardian
- Höðr — blind god of darkness and winter
- Iðunn — goddess of youth, fertility and death
- Loki (a jotun) — the trickster, foster-brother of Odin
- Njörðr (a Vanir hostage) — god of the sea
- Odin — leader, god of wisdom and war
- Sif — golden-haired wife of Thor
- Thor — god of thunder and battle
- Týr — one-handed god of battles and bravery
- Ull — the hunter, tracker and archer
- Viðarr — god of silence, stealth, and revenge
| Norse Mythology |
| Gods and Goddesses: Odin | Frigg | Freyja | Thor | Loki | Tyr | Vidar | Sif | Móði and Magni | Thrud | Ull | Baldur | Heimdall | Jord |
| Locations: Asgard | Midgard | Niflheim | Hel | Valhalla | Jotunheim | Muspelheim | Bifröst | Yggdrasil | Niðavellir |
| Races and groups: Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Dwarves | Valkyrie | Norns |
| Other: Jörmungandr | Fenrir | Hel |Ragnarök | Hugin and Munin | Mjolnir | Runestones |
