THE NINE WORLDS OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY.

1. ASGARD, the world of the Aesir tribe of gods and goddesses 2. ALFHEIM, the world of the elves 3. VANAHEIM, the world of
the Vanir tribe of gods and goddesses 4. SVARTALFHEIM, the world of the dwarves 5. MIDGARD, the world of humanity 6.
MUSPELHEIM, the primordial world of fire 7. NIFLHEIM, the primordial world of ice 8. JOTUNHEIM, the world of the giants
9. HEL, the world of the eponymous goddess Hel and the dead
NORSE MYTH VOCABULARY
 Aesir: Chief gods of Asgard.
 Andvari: Dwarf; robbed of gold and magic ring by Loki.
 Angerbotha (Angrbotha): Giantess; mother by Loki of Fenrir,
Hel, and Midgard serpent.
 Asgard (Asgarth): Abode of gods.
 Ask (Aske, Askr): First man; created by Odin, Hoenir, and
Lothur.
 Asynjur: Goddesses of Asgard.
 Atli: Second husband of Gudrun; invited Gunnar and Hogni to his
court, where they were slain; slain by Gudrun.
 Audhumia (Audhumbla): Cow that nourished Ymir; created
Buri by licking ice cliff.
 Balder (Baldr, Baldur): God of light, spring, peace, joy; son of
Odin; slain by Hoth at instigation of Loki.
 Bifrost: Rainbow bridge connecting Midgard and Asgard.
 Bragi (Brage): God of poetry; husband of Ithunn.
 Branstock: Great oak in hall of Volsungs; into it, Odin thrust
Gram, which only Sigmund could draw forth.
 Brynhild: Valkyrie; wakened from magic sleep by Sigurd;
married Gunnar; instigated death of Sigurd; killed herself and was
burned on pyre beside Sigurd.
 Bur (Bor): Son of Buri; father of Odin, Hoenir, and Lothur.
 Buri (Bori): Progenitor of gods; father of Bur; created by
Audhumla.
 Embla: First woman; created by Odin, Hoenir, and Lothur.
 Fafnir: Son of Rodmar, whom he slew for gold in Otter's skin; in
form of dragon, guarded gold; slain by Sigurd.
 Fenrir: Wolf; offspring of Loki; swallows Odin at Ragnarok and
is slain by Vitharr.
 Forseti: Son of Balder.
 Frey (Freyr): God of fertility and crops; son of Njorth; originally
one of Vanir.
 Freya (Freyja): Goddess of love and beauty; sister of Frey;
originally one of Vanir.
 Frigg (Frigga): Goddess of sky; wife of Odin.
 Garm: Watchdog of Hel; slays, and is slain by, Tyr at Ragnarok.
 Gimle: Home of blessed after Ragnarok.
 Giuki: King of Nibelungs; father of Gunnar, Hogni, Guttorm, and
Gudrun.
 Glathsehim (Gladsheim): Hall of gods in Asgard.
 Gram (meaning “Angry”): Sigmund's sword; rewelded by
Regin; used by Sigurd to slay Fafnir.
 Greyfell: Sigmund's horse; descended from Sleipnir.
 Grimhild: Mother of Gudrun; administered magic potion to
Sigurd which made him forget Brynhild.
 Gudrun: Daughter of Giuki; wife of Sigurd; later wife of Atli and
Jonakr.
 Gunnar: Son of Giuki; in his semblance Sigurd won Brynhild for
him; slain at hall of Atli.
 Guttorm: Son of Giuki; slew Sigurd at Brynhild's request.
 Heimdall (Heimdallr): Guardian of Asgard.
 Hel: Goddess of dead and queen of underworld; daughter of Loki.
 Hiordis: Wife of Sigmund; mother of Sigurd.
 Hoenir: One of creators of Ask and Embla; son of Bur.
 Hogni: Son of Giuki; slain at hall of Atli.
 Hoth (Hoder, Hodur): Blind god of night and darkness; slayer of
Balder at instigation of Loki.
 Ithunn (Ithun, Iduna): Keeper of golden apples of youth; wife of
Bragi.
 Jonakr: Third husband of Gudrun.
 Jormunrek: Slayer of Swanhild; slain by sons of Gudrun.
 Jotunnheim (Jotunheim): Abode of giants.
 Lif and Lifthrasir: First man and woman after Ragnarok.
 Loki: God of evil and mischief; instigator of Balder's death.
 Lothur (Lodur): One of creators of Ask and Embla.
 Midgard (Midgarth): Abode of mankind; the earth.
 Midgard Serpent: Sea monster; offspring of Loki; slays, and is
slain by, Thor at Ragnarok.
 Mimir: Giant; guardian of well in Jotunnheim at root of
Yggdrasill; knower of past and future.
 Mjollnir: Magic hammer of Thor.
 Nagifar: Ship to be used by giants in attacking Asgard at
Ragnarok; built from nails of dead men.
 Nanna: Wife of Balder.
 Nibelungs: Dwellers in northern kingdom ruled by Giuki.
 Niflheim (Nifelheim): Outer region of cold and darkness; abode
of Hel.
 Njorth: Father of Frey and Freya; originally one of Vanir.
 Norns: Demigoddesses of fate: Urth (Urdur) (past), Verthandi
(Verdandi) (present), Skuld (future).
 Odin (Othin): Head of Aesir; creator of world with Vili and Ve;
equivalent to Woden (Wodan, Wotan) in Teutonic mythology.
 Otter: Son of Rodmar; slain by Loki; his skin filled with gold
hoard of Andvari to appease Rodmar.
 Ragnarok: Final destruction of present world in battle between
gods and giants; some minor gods will survive, and Lif and Lifthrasir
will repeople world.
 Regin: Blacksmith; son of Rodmar; foster-father of Sigurd.
 Rerir: King of Huns; son of Sigi.
 Rodmar: Father of Regin, Otter, and Fafnir; demanded Otter's
skin be filled with gold; slain by Fafnir, who stole gold.
 Sif: Wife of Thor.
 Siggeir: King of Goths; husband of Signy; he and his sons slew
Volsung and his sons, except Sigmund; slain by Sigmund and
Sinflotli.
 Sigi: King of Huns; son of Odin.
 Sigmund: Son of Volsung; brother of Signy, who bore him
Sinflotli; husband of Hiordis, who bore him Sigurd.
 Signy: Daughter of Volsung; sister of Sigmund; wife of Siggeir;
mother by Sigmund of Sinflotli.
 Sigurd: Son of Sigmund and Hiordis; wakened Brynhild from
magic sleep; married Gudrun; slain by Guttorm at instigation of
Brynhild.
 Sigyn: Wife of Loki.
 Sinflotli: Son of Sigmund and Signy.
 Skuld: One of several Norns.
 Sleipnir (Sleipner): Eight-legged horse of Odin.
 Surt (Surtr): Fire demon; slays Frey at Ragnarok.
 Svartalfaheim: Abode of dwarfs.
 Swanhild: Daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun; slain by Jormunrek.
 Thor: God of thunder; oldest son of Odin; equivalent to Germanic
deity Donar.
 Tyr: God of war; son of Odin; equivalent to Tiu in Teutonic
mythology.
 Ull (Ullr): Son of Sif; stepson of Thor.
 Urth: One of several Norns.
 Valhalla (Valhall): Great hall in Asgard where Odin received
souls of heroes killed in battle.
 Vali: Odin's son: Ragnarok survivor.
 Valkyries: Virgins, messengers of Odin, who selected heroes to
die in battle and took them to Valhalla; generally considered as nine
in number.
 Vanir: Early race of gods; three survivors, Njorth, Frey, and
Freya, are associated with Aesir.
 Ve: Brother of Odin; one of creators of world.
 Verthandi: One of several Norns.
 Vili: Brother of Odin; one of creators of world.
 Vingolf: Abode of goddesses in Asgard.
 Vitharr (Vithar): Son of Odin; survivor of Ragnarok.
 Volsung: Descendant of Odin, and father of Signy, Sigmund; his
descendants were called Volsungs.
 Yggdrasill: Giant ash tree springing from body of Ymir and
supporting universe; its roots extended to Asgard, Jotunnheim, and
Niffheim.
 Ymir (Ymer): Primeval frost giant killed by Odin, Vili, and Ve;
world created from his body; also, from his body sprang Yggdrasill.
THE NORSE CREATION MYTH
The Norse creation myth or cosmogony (a view on the origins
of the cosmos) is perhaps one of the richest of such accounts
in all of world literature. Not only is it an exceptionally
colorful and entertaining story – it’s also bursting with subtle
meanings. Some of these meanings will be discussed below.
First, here’s the tale itself:
The Origin of the Cosmos
Before there was soil, or sky, or any green thing, there was
only the gaping abyss of Ginnungagap. This chaos
of perfect silence and darkness lay between the

homeland of elemental fire, Muspelheim, and the homeland of
elemental ice, Niflheim. Frost from Niflheim and billowing
flames from Muspelheim crept toward each other until they
met in Ginnungagap. Amid the hissing and sputtering, the fire
melted the ice, and the drops formed themselves intoYmir, the
first of the godlike giants. Ymir was a hermaphrodite and
could reproduce asexually; when he sweated, more giants
were born.
As the frost continued to melt, a cow, Audhumbla, emerged
from it. She nourished Ymir with her milk, and she, in turn,
was nourished by salt-licks in the ice. Her licks slowly
uncovered Buri, the first of the Aesir tribe of gods. Buri had a
son named Bor, who married Bestla, the daughter of the giant
Bolthorn. The half-god, half-giant children of Bor and Bestla
were Odin, who became the chief of the Aesir gods, and his
two brothers, Vili and Ve.
Odin and his brothers slew Ymir and set about constructing
the world from his corpse. They fashioned the oceans from his
blood, the soil from his skin and muscles, vegetation from his
hair, clouds from his brains, and the sky from his skull.
Four dwarves, corresponding to the four cardinal points, held
Ymir’s skull aloft above the earth.
The gods eventually formed the first man and woman,Ask and
Embla, from two tree trunks, and built a fence around their
dwelling-place, Midgard, to protect them from the giants.
NORSE GODS AND GODDESSES
The Aesir
In old Norse Mythology the Aesir are the principal gods of the
pantheon. They include many of the major figures, Odin,
Frigg, Thor, Balder and Tyr.
A second clan of gods, the Vanir, is also mentioned in the
Norse mythos. The god Njord and his children, Freyr and
Freyja, are the most prominent Vanir gods who join the Aesir
as hostages after a war between Aesir and Vanir. The Vanir
appear to have mainly been connected with cultivation and
fertility, the Aesir with power and war in the duality of
mythology.
Mythology follows the patterns of birth, death, and rebirth in
the alchemy of time and consciousness created by the patterns
of Sacred Geometry - the Golden Ratio.
1. Odin
Odin is the chief divinity of the Norse pantheon, the foremost
of the Aesir. Odin is a son of Bor and Bestla. He is called
Alfadir, Allfather, for he is indeed father of the gods. With
Frigg he is the father of Balder, Hod, and Hermod. He
fathered Thor on the goddess Jord; and the giantess Grid
became the mother of Vidar.
Odin is a god of war and death, but also the god of poetry and
wisdom. He hung for nine days, pierced by his own spear, on
the world tree. Here he learned nine powerful songs, and
eighteen runes. Odin can make the dead speak to question the
wisest amongst them. His hall in Asgard is Valaskjalf ("shelf
of the slain") where his throne Hlidskjalf is located.
From this throne he observes all that happens in the nine
worlds.
The tidings are brought to him by his two raven Huginn and
Muninn. He also resides in Valhalla, where the slain warriors
are taken.
Odin's attributes are the spear Gungnir, which never misses its
target, the ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight
new rings appear, and his eight-footed steed Sleipnir. He is
accompanied by the wolves Freki and Geri, to whom he gives
his food for he himself consumes nothing but wine. Odin has
only one eye, which blazes like the sun. His other eye he
traded for a drink from the Well of Wisdom, and gained
immense knowledge. On the day of the final battle, Odin will
be killed by the wolf Fenrir.
He is also called Wodan and Wotan. Some of the aliases he
uses to travel icognito among mortals are Vak and Valtam.
Wednesday is named after him (Wodan).
Amongst his gifts to us, his children, was the greatest of all:
the gift of writing. To accomplish this Odin hung himself
upside down upon the World Tree, [Tree of Life] the gigantic
ash Yggdrasil (a compound meaning "terrible horse").
After nine days of fasting and agony, in which "he made of
himself a sacrifice to himself", he "fell screaming" from the
tree, having had revealed to him in a flash of insight the secret
of the runes. Their initial manifestation took the form of
eighteen powerful charms for protection, increase, success in
battle and love-making, healing, and mastery over natural
causes.
This story illustrates an important dynamic of the Northern
pantheon, which did not allow for omnipotence - even Odin
must pay his due. At Mimir's well, which lay deep under the
roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, the god had earlier chosen
to undergo an important forfeit. Odin paid with one eye for a
single drink of the enchanted water. His mouthful granted him
wisdom and fore-sight. It is due to this sacrifice that Odin's
face is depicted with a straight line indicating an empty eye, or
alternately, in a wide-brimmed hat pulled down low over the
missing orb.
His quest for knowledge was never-ending. Upon his
shoulders perched two ravens, Hugin ("Thought"), and Munin
("Memory"). These circled the Earth each day, seeing all, and
then at night reported to Odin what they had learnt. He
cherished them both, but particularly Munin, which seems to
underscore the importance he placed on rune writing, record
keeping, and honouring the heroic deeds of the past. There is
another bird associated with Odin, the eagle. The god often
transformed himself into this canny raptor, both to view the
workings of the world and to intervene when an avian form
was better suited to his ends.
Odin's fabulous grey horse Sleipnir was like no other. This is
the eight-legged horse depicted so beautifully on the painted
stones of Gotland, a now-Swedish island in the Baltic. Sleipnir
was the offspring of a giant's magical stallion and the
"trickster" god, Loki, who disguised himself as an alluring
mare to distract the stallion from the task of building a wall
around Asgard, home of the Gods.  If the wall had been
completed by a certain date, Freyja, the goddess of beauty,
war and sexuality would have been forfeit to the giant as
payment for his labors. (The gods also stood to lose the Sun
and the Moon, but did not seem particularly concerned about
their impending loss!)
Loki was successful, but vanished for a few seasons as he had
to bear the fruit of his trickery. He returned to Odin leading his
equine offspring, which he presented as a gift. With his eight
legs, Sleipnir could run twice as fast as ordinary steeds, and it
is he who carries the valiant dead from the battle field to
Valhalla.
2.Balder
The god of light, joy, purity, beauty, innocence, and
reconciliation. Son of Odin and Frigg, he was loved by both
gods and men and was considered to be the best of the gods.
He had a good character, was friendly, wise and eloquent,
although he had little power.
His wife was Nanna daughter of Nep, and their son was
Forseti, the god of justice. Balder's hall was Breidablik
("broad splendor"). Nanna is linked with the Sumerian
goddess Inanna.
Most of the stories about Balder concern his death. He had
been dreaming about his death, so Frigg extracted an oath
from every creature, object and force in nature (snakes,
metals, diseases, poisons, fire, etc.) that they would never
harm Balder. All agreed that none of their kind would ever
hurt or assist in hurting Balder. Thinking him invincible, the
gods enjoyed themselves thereafter by using Balder as a target
for knife-throwing and archery.
The malicious trickster, Loki, was jealous of Balder. He
changed his appearance and asked Frigg if there was
absolutely nothing that could harm the god of light. Frigg,
suspecting nothing, answered that there was just one thing: a
small tree in the west that was called mistletoe. She had
thought it was too small to ask for an oath.
Loki immediately left for the west and returned with the
mistletoe. He tricked Balder's blind twin brother Hod into
throwing a mistletoe fig (dart) at Balder. Not knowing what he
did, Hod threw the fig, guided by Loki's aim. Pierced through
the heart, Balder fell dead.
While the gods were lamenting Balder's death, Odin sent his
other son Hermod to Hel, the goddess of death, to plead for
Balder's return. Hel agreed to send Balder back to the land of
the living on one condition: everything in the world, dead or
alive, must weep for him. And everything wept, except for
Loki, who had disguised himself as the witch Thokk. And so
Balder had to remain in the underworld.
The others took the dead god, dressed him in crimson cloth,
and placed him on a funeral pyre aboard his ship Ringhorn,
which passed for the largest in the world. Beside him they lay
the body of his wife Nanna, who had died of a broken heart.
Balder's horse and his treasures were also placed on the ship.
The pyre was set on fire and the ship was sent to sea by the
giantess Hyrrokin. Loki did not escape punishment for his
crime and Hod was put to death by Vali, son of Odin and
Rind. Vali had been born for just that purpose.
After the final conflict (Ragnarok), when a new world arises
from its ashes, both Balder and Hod will be reborn. Rising
from the ashes goes to Egyptian mythos about
the Phoenix, she who rises from the ashes - resurrection and
rebirth.
3. Frigg
As the wife of Odin, Frigg is one of the foremost goddesses of
Norse mythology. She is the patron of marriage and
motherhood, and the goddess of love and fertility. In that
aspect she shows many similarities with Freya, of whom she
possibly is a different form.
She has a reputation of knowing every person's destiny, but
never unveils it. As the mother of Balder, she tried to prevent
his death by extracting oaths from every object in nature, but
forgot the mistletoe. And by a fig made from mistletoe Balder
4. Thor
Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is
generally depicted as red-headed and
bearded.
He is a son of Odin and Jord, and one of the
most powerful gods. He is married to Sif, a
fertility goddess. His mistress is the giantess
Jarnsaxa ("iron cutlass"), and their sons are Magni and Modi
and his daughter is Thrud.
Thor is helped by Thialfi, his servant and the messenger of the
gods who is Hermes in Greek Mythology and Mercury in
Roman Mythology.
Thor was usually portrayed as a large, powerful man with a
red beard and eyes of lighting. Despite his ferocious
appearance, he was very popular as the protector of both gods
and humans against the forces of evil. He even surpassed his
father Odin in popularity because, contrary to Odin, he did not
require human sacrifices.
The Norse believed that during a thunderstorm, Thor rode
through the heavens on his chariot pulled by the goats
Tanngrisni ("gap-tooth") and Tanngnost ("tooth grinder").
Lightning flashed whenever he threw his hammer Mjollnir
(hammer).
Thor wears the belt Megingjard which doubles his already
considerable strength.
His hall is Bilskirnir, which is located in the region Thrudheim
("place of might").
His greatest enemy is Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent.
At the day of Ragnarok, Thor will kill this serpent but will die
from its poison. His sons will inherit his hammer after his
death.
Thursday is named after him.
5. Tyr
The original Germanic god of war and the patron god of
justice, the precursor of Odin. At the time of the Vikings, Tyr
had to make way for Odin, who became the god of war
himself.
Tyr was by then regarded as Odin's son (or possibly of the
giant Hymir). He is the boldest of the gods, who inspires
courage and heroism in battle.
Tyr is represented as a man with one hand, because his right
hand was bitten off by the gigantic wolf Fenrir (in old-Norse,
the wrist was called 'wolf-joint').
His attribute is a spear; the symbol of justice, as well as a
weapon.
At the day of Ragnarok, Tyr will kill the hound Garm, the
guardian of the hell, but will die from the wounds inflicted by
the animal. In later mythology, "Tyr" became to mean "god".
6. Loki - The Trickster
The most unpredictable and certainly the
most dangerous god in the Northern
pantheon was Loki. His activities ran
from the merely mischievous to the
blatantly malicious. Supremely clever,
Loki ensnared everyone in complicated
problems, to which he always supplied a
remedy - through his solution often engendered even greater
troubles.
His parents were both giants (the perpetual enemies of the
gods.)
Loki is an immensely powerful magician, and shares with
Odin the ability to sex and shape shift at will.
Loki was fair of face, and took many lovers, despite his
constant criticism of goddesses who did the same.
His wife is Sigyn, who stayed loyal to him, even when the
gods punished him for the death of Balder.
Loki's mistress is the giantess Angrboda. With her he is the
father of three monsters.
He had some unusual children, including the huge wolf borne
from Loki's brief dalliance with a giantess. Loki was the father
(and in few instances the mother) of many creatures, men and
monsters. Having liaisons with giantesses was nothing unusual
for gods in Norse mythology - both Odin and Freyr are good
examples; and since Loki was actually a giant himself, there is
nothing unusual about this activity.
It is Loki who begins the chain of events that leads to the
destruction of the gods. He does this by causing the death of
the beautiful Baldr, Frigg's son, who in his goodness and
perfection embodies the attainment of every desirable quality.
Baldr's death plunges all of Asgard into mourning. Yet Loki
feels no remorse, and in fact relishes every opportunity to
exert his contrary nature.
Loki was chained to three large boulders; one under his
shoulders, one under his loins and one under his knees. A
poisonous snake was placed above his head. The dripping
venom that lands on him is caught by Sigyn in a bowl. But
every now and then, when the bowl is filled to the brim, she
has to leave him to empty it. Then the poison that falls on
Loki's face makes him twist in pain, causing earthquakes.
After Frigg had gone to great lengths to bring Balder back to
the land of the living by asking all beings to weep for his
return, Loki (in the guise of an old female giant) steadfastly
refused to shed a single tear for the slain god. Thus Baldr was
consigned to the realms of the dead, under the governance of
Lady Hel.
This loss of innocence represented by Baldr's death is the act
that triggers Ragnarok, the end of all things. Ragnarok begins
with famine and darkness and bitter cold - a winter lasting
three entire years.
It ends with all creation becoming a flaming furnace. In the
middle is staged the disastrous final battle in which the gods
are arrayed against the powers of evil represented by the
giants. Nearly everything and everybody, in all realms, is
destroyed. Loki fights against the gods, and is killed, as is
Odin, Tyr, Freyr, and Thor.
Even the elves, dwarfs, Sun and Moon are destroyed. Out of
this a new Earth arises, and a single man and woman,
Lifthrasir and Lif, who had hidden themselves in Yggdrasil
the World Tree, emerge. Baldr comes forth, and a few sons
and daughters of the gods survive, and begin a fresh cycle of
life.
This final lesson reminds us that nothing can remain static,
even the gods and stories evolve into new.
7. Freya
In Norse mythology, Freya is a goddess of love and fertility,
and the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses. She is
the patron goddess of crops and birth, the symbol of sensuality
and was called upon in matters of love. She loves music,
spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves
(fairies). Freya is one of the foremost goddesses of the Vanir.
Goddess of sex, battle, and pleasure, most beautiful and
desirable of white-armed women, Freyja was sister to the male
fertility god Freyr. Freyja had unusual parity with Odin, for
they divided the heroic dead amongst themselves. Half went to
live eternally in Odin's hall, and half in Freyja's hall
Sessrumnir- and the goddess got first pick.
As befits a goddess, Freyja owned potent magical equipment.
Like Frigg, she possessed a falcon skin, which when pulled
over her shoulders, allowed her to take the form of that
raptor.This also provided a useful disguise when needed -
important to a goddess whose personage made her instantly
recognisable.
Freyja's most wonderful adornment was her necklace (or
possibly a jewelled belt), Brisingamen.It was crafted by four
dwarfs, and was of exceptional beauty.Freyja so longed for it
that she consented to spend one night each in the arms of its
makers as her payment.This was a just recompense in the eyes
of the goddess, for as the necklace was the finest of all things
the dwarfs could produce, the utter summation of their skill,
why not repay them with an equally precious example of her
love-art?
Freyja always wished to give her love freely.Her beauty and
desirability often attracted the attention of those she did not
want, such as the giant who offered to build an impregnable
defensive wall around Asgard, the dwelling of the gods, in
exchange for taking Freyja away as his wife. The goddess
knew nothing of this agreement, and her outraged indignation
at being so wagered grew the greater as the wall grew taller.
Never believing they would have to forfeit Freyja, the gods
grew more and more uneasy in their wager, until Loki, who
had urged the agreement, was forced to utilize his trickster
ability to the fullest.
11. Heimdall
Three animals are associated with Freyja. She is pulled about
Heimdall is the god of light, the son of nine mothers
in a cart to which two cats are harnessed. Their sinuous beauty
(variously given as the daughters of Geirrendour the Giant or
and comfort-loving nature recall one side of the goddess. The
of Aegir).
other two animals are direct symbols of sexuality and strength.
He was born at the end of the world and raised by the force of
Her golden-bristled boar is called Battle Swine (Hildisvini),
the earth, seawater and the blood of a boar.
and recalls her role as the receiver of heroic dead. Battle
helmets topped with iron and bronze images of boars have
been found throughout England and Scandinavia, for the Because of his shining, golden teeth he is also called
boar's savage and cunning nature was widely revered. The Gullintani ("gold tooth").
other animal is the mare, associated with night, unbridled
sexuality, and dangerous magical power. To "ride the night- His hall is Himinbjorg, The Cliffs of Heaven, and his horse is
mare" meant then, as now, to have bad dreams. Gulltop.

Heimdall carries the horn Gjallar.

8. Sif
The golden-haired wife of the god Thor. There is not much
known about her, except that she could originally have been a
fertility goddess. Neither does she appear often in the myths.
The best know myth, however, is when Loki the Trickster
sneaked into Sif's bedroom and lopped off her hair. Furious,
Thor threatened to smash him unless Loki managed to replace
the hair. He went to a great cave, the home of the sons of
Ivaldi, and told them the reason of his journey. He then asked
the dwarfs to spin gold as fine as Sif's hair and imbue it with
magic that it will grow on her head. The dwarfs agreed and
made a long wave of fine golden strands, which Loki gave to
Sif.
He is the watchman of the gods and guards Bifrost, the only
entrance to Asgard, the realm of the gods.
It is Heimdall's duty to prevent the giants from forcing their
way into Asgard. He requires less sleep than a bird and can see
a hundred miles around him, by night as well as by day.
His hearing is so accurate that no sound escapes him: he can
even hear the grass grow or the wool on a sheep's back. At the
final conflict of Ragnarok he will kill his age-old enemy, the
evil god Loki, but will die himself from his wounds.
As the god Rig ("ruler"), Heimdall created the three races of
mankind: the serfs, the peasants, and the warriors. It is
interesting to note why Heimdall fathered them, and not Odin
as might be expected. Furthermore, Heimdall is in many
attributes identical with Tyr.

9. Bragi

The god of eloquence and poetry, and the patron of skalds

(poets) in Norse mythology. He is regarded as a son of Odin
and Frigg. Runes were carved on his tongue and he inspired
poetry in humans by letting them drink from the mead of
poetry. Bragi is married to Idun, the goddess of eternal youth.
Oaths were sworn over the Bragarfull ("Cup of Bragi"), and
drinks were taken from it in honor of a dead king. Before a
king ascended the throne, he drank from such a cup.

10. Forseti

In Norse mythology, Forseti is the god of justice. He is the son

of the god Balder and his mother is Nanna. Forseti rules in the RUNIC ALPHABET
beautiful palace Glitnir, which serves as a court of justice and
where all legal disputes are settled. Glitnir has a roof of silver
that is supported by pillars of red gold. Forseti can be
compared with the Teutonic god Fosite, who was worshipped
on Helgoland.