Category: Norse

Goddesses – Skadi

Norse Goddess Skadi from gods-and-goddesses.com

Skadi is the Norse giant goddess of winter, hunting, and skiing. Known as the snowshoe goddess, she rules over mountains, wildernesses, winter, revenge, knowledge, damage, justice, and independence. Passionate in her pursuits, especially in the pursuit of justice, Skadi is determined to live how she wants and not be told by the gods of Asgard.

Skadi lives in the highest part of the mountain where the snow never melts in her father’s grand hall, Thrymheim. Odin once described her home as the “ancient court” and described her as the shining bride of the Gods. Skadi, a giant, is the enemy of the gods of Asgard. Being a giant, she is associated with darkness, cold, and death, just like winter. However, Skadi is seen to be more benevolent than the rest of her giant kin.

Skadi Facts

Name(s): Skadi
Rules over: Winter, Hunting
Gender: Female
Symbols: Bow and Arrow
Linked Animals: Wolves
Parents: Thiazi (Father) and Njord (Mother)
Siblings: Many half-siblings
Greek Similar: Boreas
Roman Similar: Aquilo

Family

However, Skadi becomes welcomed by the gods of Asgard when she marries one of them. Her father, the giant Thiazi, kidnapped the goddess Idun, the beautiful goddess of youth, and, therefore, the gods’ apples of immortality. Odin killed him for doing so and rescued Idun. However, Skadi was furious and determined to avenge the death of her father. She took her weapons and stormed the citadel of Asgard claiming for either revenge or compensation—she gave them the choice of a harmful or benign consequence. The gods, scared of the ferociousness of Skadi, decided they’d rather give her gold. Skadi didn’t want gold, since she was already rich from her father and grandfather’s pillaging. Odin then offered her a husband from among the Asgardian gods, giving her the status of goddess. She agreed, but Odin said she could only look at the gods’ shoes to choose her husband. Skadi agreed, hoping that she’d pick handsome Baldur, whom she had a crush on, but she chose ugly Njord, the god of the sea, because he had the best shoes.

Njord and Skadi’s marriage didn’t last long—only half a month. Njord couldn’t stand the cold and isolated mountains and Skadi couldn’t stand the brightness and noise of the coastline. So, they got a divorce. There are different myths as with whom Skadi ended up afterwards. Some say she got together with Ullr, the god of winter and archery. But, some say she married Odin and gave birth to many sons with him.

Symbols

Her bows, skis, and snowshoes are her most mentioned attributes as she is very skilled at using them all to hunt and to engage in battle.

Powers & Duties

Skadi is the Norse goddess of winter. She is the personification of strength, courage, and endurance, but is also known for her revenge as well.

Facts About Skadi

  • Skadi is pronounced SKAHD-ee;
  • Her name means “harm” or “shadow”;
  • Skadi’s name also relates to “Scandinavia,” which is said to be “Skadi’s Isle”;
  • One of Saturn’s moons, “Skathi,” is named after Skadi;
  • One of the reasons she is called the snow-shoe goddess is because she was forced to choose a husband from the gods by only looking at their shoes;
  • Skadi may not have even had snow-shoes. Some believe that the translation for snow-shoes is actually supposed to be skis;
  • After a feast, Loki started talking to Heimdall and Skadi interrupted, telling Loki he was too “light-hearted” and wouldn’t be having fun much longer because he would be bound to a sharp rock with the ice-cold entrails of his dead son;
  • Loki claimed that he got Skadi into his bed, which she denies. Loki was known to say the same about numerous goddesses;
  • When Loki was captured and bound, Skadi placed above his face a venomous snake that dripped venom onto him, causing him so much pain that it earthquakes result.

Gods – Baldur

Norse God Baldur from gods-and-goddesses.com

Baldur is the Norse god of innocence, beauty and goodness. He is known as “The Shining One.” He is the most handsome god of Asgard and known for his invulnerability. Ironically, he is most known for his death.

His name is spelled in several different ways, including Baldur, Baldr or Balder.

Baldur Facts

Name(s): Baldur
Rules over: Light, Joy, Summer.
Gender: Male
Symbols: Ringhorn (Greatest of all ships)
Linked Animals:
Parents: Odin (Father) and Frigg (Mother)
Siblings: Hod, Hermod; Thor, Vidar, and Vali are half-siblings
Greek Similar: Apollo
Roman Similar: Apollo

Appearance

The key physical attribute of Baldur is that he exuded beauty, and was possibly the most beautiful of the Aesir gods. He was said to be so beautiful that light shined from him. This can be found in the ancient Norse manuscript called the Prose Edda, from which a substantial amount of what is known about Norse mythology is derived from. The Prose Edda contains four main sections.

In the second section, called Gylfaginning, it states “Hann er svá fagr álitum ok bjartr svá at lýsir af honum, ok eitt gras er svá hvítt at jafnat er til Baldrs brár”. This passage can be roughly translated to “He is so beautiful in appearance and so bright that he shines, and one grass is so white that it is even to Baldr’s brow.”

Family

He is the son of Odin (father) and Frigg (mother). His siblings include Hod and Hermod, and his half-siblings include Vidar, and Vali.

Symbols

The greatest ship ever built was the Ringhorn, or Hringhorni, and belonged to Baldur. It a symbol commonly associated with the god.

Upon Baldur’s death, a giant fire was made on the deck of the Ringhorn, and his body was laid on top of it to be cremated.

Powers & Duties

Baldur is the god and champion of goodness, innocence, and forgiveness. His twin brother, Hod, is the god of darkness.

Myths

Baldur started to have dreams the night after some sort of grave misfortune happened to him. His mother and the other gods were nervous for Baldur because he was one of the most beloved gods in Asgard. They asked Odin what the dream meant, and Odin embarked on a quest to the underworld. There he met a dead seeress who told Odin that Baldur would soon die. When Odin got back and let everyone know, Frigg was desperate to try and save her son.

Frigg was able to get every living thing to promise not to harm him. Therefore, Baldur became invincible and he was even more beloved by everyone in Asgard. However, Loki was jealous of Baldur and tried to discover any weakness he may have. When he asked Frigg if she made sure that everything promised not to harm Baldur, she said she forgot to ask mistletoe, but that it was too small, weak, and innocent to harm him anyway.

During a party, Baldur told everyone to throw sharp objects at him as entertainment since he couldn’t be harmed. Everyone was having a good time. Loki then gave blind Hod (who was unknowingly Baldur’s twin brother) a dart made of mistletoe and told him to throw it at Baldur. When it struck Baldur, he died.

Frigg then asked everyone to travel to the land of the dead and offer Hel, the death-goddess, a ransom for Baldur’s release. Hermod, a son of Odin agreed. When he finally got to the throne room of Hel, he saw a distraught Baldur sitting next to her in a seat of honor. Hermod tried to convince Hel to let Baldur go, explaining that everyone was mourning his death. She said that she’ll let him go if everyone in the world wept for him. However, an old hag called Thokk refused to weep saying that he never did anything for her. But the hag turned out to be Loki, who was caught and chained up for eternal punishment.

But, Baldur won’t be dead forever. Although his death signaled the beginning of the events that would eventually lead to Ragnarok, his resurrection signaled the end of Ragnarok and the beginning of the new world. Once the cosmos was destroyed and recreated and all the gods had served their purposes and fallen to their prophesied fates, Baldur will return to the land of the living. He will bless the land and its inhabitants and bring with him light, happiness, and hope to fill the new world.

Facts About Baldur

  • Skadi had a crush on Baldur and had hoped to choose him based off his shoes, but instead accidentally chose Njord.
  • The name Baldur may mean “brave” or “Bold”, but it may also stem from Norse terms for “white” or “shining”.
  • Baldur’s wife is called Nanna, and they have a son named Forseti, the God of Justice.
  • Baldur’s great hall is called Breidablik.
  • After Baldur’s death, his wife, Nanna, was so distraught, that she herself died.
  • Odin placed the golden ring, Draupnir, on Baldur when he died, but later sent it back to Helheim.
  • Baldur and Hod will rule Asgard together in place of Odin after Ragnarok.
  • When Baldur died, he was placed on his ship Hringhorni for a funeral pyre. But, it was too large to launch the ship out to sea. So, the gods asked Hyrrokkin, the strongest giantess, to push it into the sea. She was successful.
  • Thor hallowed Baldur’s funeral pyre flames by holding his hammer over them.

Goddesses – Freya

Norse Goddess Feyra from wytchymystique.com

Her Story:

Freya is the Norse goddess of love and war, “Queen of the Valkyries” and “Mistress of Cats”, a divine escort for the souls of the dead and especially for fallen warriors, taking them through to the afterlife.

This goddess is considered a poet’s muse and inspiration.  She’s invoked for issues involving relationships, particularly in matters of love and family.  Freya is also a potent goddess in matters of sensuality and sexuality, igniting passion.  She is considered the most beautiful of the goddesses and totally irresistable to mortal males.

In honor of Freya, Mistress of the Cats, here’s a wee bit of herbal cat magick.  Use the correspondences for this goddess, as well as the correspondences for this herb, to cast some wild wicked cat magick.

Catnip is commonly used in sleeping potions. The easiest and most pleasant way I can think of to use catnip for this purpose is to make a delicious pot of tea. Catnip is one of the herbs that I grow in my own garden, so all I have to do when I want to brew a pot of catnip tea is to step outside and snatch a handful of the fresh herb. I usually use both the flowers and the leaves. How much you use is going to depend upon how strong you like your tea and the size of your pot. You can sweeten it with honey or sugar. Since catnip is a member of the mint family, I’m guessing that if you like mint in your tea, you’ll like catnip, though to me it is more pungent.

Catnip has an absolutely intoxicating effect on cats, and it was actually hard getting the catnip started in my garden because my cats wouldn’t leave it alone. I’d plant a nice lush bunch of catnip, and the next morning I’d go out to find nothing but bare stems.  I can’t tell you how many times we’ve looked out the kitchen windows to watch one of our cats, or a stray cat, rolling around our garden in drunken bliss.

Catnip is sacred to all pagan gods/goddesses who manifest as a cat or feline creature, including: Sekhmet, Bast, Mau, Tefnut, Mafdet, and Freya.

Correspondences for Catnip:

Energy: Feminine (Receptive)
Planet:  Venus
Element: Water
Magick:  cat magick, love, beauty, well-being

It’s believed that a gift of catnip from you to your cat will create a magickal and psychic bond between the two of you. Since I’ve experienced this myself, I have to say that it truly works in beautiful ways. If you make a catnip talisman for your kitty, keep this in mind. Remember that concentrating on your intentions when crafting magickal items imbues that object with the magick. Catnip is also used in love spells, often as an ingredient in mojo bags or candle magick. Just as the cat finds this herb intoxicating and irresistable, so will the one you target in love magick, using catnip to draw them to you. Hang a bunch of dried catnip over the threshold of your home to draw good spirits and good luck, as well as to draw the blessings of cat goddesses. Catnip is also used in beauty spells, either as a tincture you can use to bathe your face, or with candle magic. It’s believed that this herb will mesmerize those targeted in such spells to see you as youthful and beautiful. This type of enchantment is considered a glamoury.

Embracing the Goddess:

Freya is the goddess for all of us “Crazy Cat Ladies”, and I’m proud to count myself in this company.  Call upon this goddess when working cat magic, to call upon the cat as a totem animal, or just to honor this magical creature.

Freya’s Correspondences:

Herbs: catnip, geranium, willow, goldenrod, magnolia
Animal: cat
Color: green, pink
Planet: Venus
Day: Friday
Element: Water
Feminine Face: Maiden
Symbol: cats, the number 13

Gods – Heimdall

Norse God Hemidall from gods-and-goddesses.com

Heimdall (or Heimdallr in Old Norse) is the Watchman of the Norse Gods. He guards the entryway of Asgard, the realm of the gods and stands firm at the edge of the Bifrost, the rainbow bridge that connects Asgard to Midgard (the realm of humans). Heimdall’s home near the Bifrost is called Himinbjorg (“sky cliffs”), where he keeps a vigil on the Bifrost and drinks heavenly mead.

Heimdall Facts

Name(s): Heimdall
Rules over: Watchmen of the Norse gods
Gender: Male
Symbols: Gjallarhorn
Linked Animals: Ram, Gulltoppr the Horse
Parents: Odin (Father), Nine Sisters (Mothers)
Siblings: Sif
Greek Similar: None
Roman Similar: None

Family

Heimdall is said to be a son of Odin, born from 9 mothers who were all sisters; the theory is that he is the son of the 9 daughters of the sea god, Aegir.

In Norse mythology, Heimdall is also known as the Father of Humankind because he helped establish the hierarchical structure of Norse society. In the Norse poem Rigsthula, Heimdall slept with three different human couples from different social classes for three nights. In the poem, these couples are named “Great-Grandparents,” “Grandparents,” and “Parents.” The social classes were serfs, peasants, and nobles.

The first born was an ugly, but strong boy named Thrall—ancestor of all serfs. Then came Karl, the ancestor of all peasants and skilled farm worker. Finally, Jarl, the ancestor of all warriors and nobles, was born with great intellect and the skills of hunting and combat. The names of the three sons became the words that denoted the three social classes in the Norse language.

Symbols

The most common symbol affiliated with Heimdall is the Gjallarhorn, or Resounding Horn. Heimdall would blow the horn to warn Asgard of impending attacks.

In the book Gylfaginning of Prose Edda, Heimdall is said to possess a horse named Gulltoppr, which means “golden mane” or “golden top”.

Powers & Duties

He is known to have great powers of the senses. Heimdall can hear grass grow and even the wool grow on sheep. He can also see more than 100 leagues and needs less sleep than a bird. These powers make him the perfect watchman for Asgard.

Heimdall’s most important duty, besides being Watchman of the Bifrost, is warning. He owns the Gjallarhon, the Resounding Horn, and will blow it when the giants attack; the giants are the enemies of the gods of Asgard. Legend has it that Ragnarok will begin when they attack Asgard and Heimdall blows his horn. Loki will lead the giants to Asgard, while Heimdall will try to stop Loki and they will end up slaying each other.

Many believed that Heimdall sometimes liked to escape his duties of watchman and would go on adventures using the name Rig, which meant king. A very famous story of one of these adventures is how he found and returned Freya’s treasure, the Brisingamen (an amber necklace) after doing battle with Loki who was in the shape of a seal. Loki had stolen the Brisingamen and hid himself amongst seals to avoid detection. But Heimdall, who had been sitting quietly disguised as a seal for hours, watched. He then immediately got down from his rock and punched Loki in the face and retrieved the necklace for Freya.

Facts about Heimdall

  • Heimdall’s name is pronounced “HAME-doll”;
  • He is known as the shining god—the whitest of all the gods. He has golden armor and golden teeth;
  • The horn, Gjallarhon, is thought to be hidden under the world tree Yggdrasil;
  • Heimdall owns a golden horse named Gulltoppr;
  • Not only does Heimdall have super senses, but he also has foreknowledge;
  • In Old Norse, Heimdallr means “the one who illuminates the world”;
  • He is known to be the wisest and most handsome of the gods of Asgard;
  • Not much is known about Heimdall, as there aren’t a lot of surviving poems or artifacts that mention him;
  • Some other names of Heimdall are Hallinskidi, which means “ram,” and Gullintanni, which means “golden-teeth”;
  • He is sometimes associated with sheep and rams. Some believe this to be due to his “golden teeth” because older rams’ teeth have a yellow sheen;
  • Heimdall’s sword is called “Head”;
  • Sometimes, Heimdall is equated with the Vedic deity Dyaus;
  • He is also sometimes equated with the Christian archangel Michael because he is the link between the realms of the humans and gods and his horn will signal the end of the world;
  • The three main sources of knowledge about Heimdall are the medieval epic poems, Poetica Edda, Prose Edda, and Heimskringia.  There is also an earlier poem called the Heimdalargaldr, in which only two lines survive.

Goddess – Hel

Norse Goddess of Death from gods-and-goddesses.com

Hel is the Norse goddess of the dead. She ruled over the underworld, Niflheim, where she received the dead. Her name means “one that hides.”

In general, Hel is only mentioned in passing in Old Norse literature. It means her character is ill-defined and her personality little-developed. Some historians even suggest that she is a figment of the imagination of the Norse poets.

Facts About Hel

Name(s): Hel
Rules over: The Underworld
Gender: Female
Symbols: Hagalaz Rune
Linked Animals: Hellhound (named Garmr), Crows
Parents: Loki and Angrboda
Siblings: Fenrir and Jörmungandr
Greek Similar: Hades
Roman Similar: Pluto

Family

In Norse mythology, Hel’s father was the trickster god Loki and her mother the giantess Angrboda. Loki and Angrboda had three children: the wolf Fenrir; the serpent Jörmungandr; and Hel, their only daughter.

Hel was born with the bones on one half of her body fully exposed and, thus, is often depicted as a half-black and half-white monster. She grew up with Fenrir and Jörmungandr in Jotunheim, land of the giants, until Odin, ruler of the Aesir, decided they should live in Asgard where their father came from.

Symbols

Hel is associated with a hellhound named Garmr as well as crows. She is also sometimes affiliated with the Hagalaz Rune stone.

Powers & Duties

In Asgard, the other Norse gods were uncomfortable with Hel’s appearance. For this reason, Odin agreed to send her away, and gave her the World of Niflheim – one of the Nine Realms. There she became queen of the dead.

The Norse believed that most people went to Niflheim when they died. Only warriors who were killed on the battlefield did not go to Niflheim. Instead, half of the warriors who died on the battlefield went to live with Odin in his palatial home Valhalla and the other half with Freya in her afterlife realm Folkvang.

Niflheim was divided into sections, including one called the shore of corpses. Here, a castle filled with venomous serpents stood facing north. It was full of murderers, perjurers, and adulterers who suffered while their blood was sucked by a dragon named Nidhogg.

When Odin’s son Baldur died because of a trick by Loki, his soul was also received in Niflheim. Hermod, another son of Odin’s, agreed to go to Hel to convince her to send Baldur home. But Loki played another trick to make it impossible for Baldur to return to the real world. The eventual exposure of his trickery led to the end of the world, a battle between good and evil known as Ragnarok.

In Niflheim, Hel was waited upon by two servants called Ganglati and Ganglot. It is said they moved so slowly that they appeared to be standing still. They served her meals in a dish named “hunger” and with a knife named “famine.”

Facts About Hel

  • Holland, Helvetia, Helsinki, and Holstein are well-known places that were probably named after Hel;
  • Hel’s appearance could be the inspiration of the masked harlequin who appeared in Commedia dell’ Arte;
  • No-one could hide anything from Hel. She had an eye of fire, which could only see the truth;
  • The Vikings feared Hel’s appearance, and they were wary of Niflheim;
  • Niflheim was an icy cold place rather than a place of fire and brimstone most associated with the modern idea of hell;
  • In the Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13 th century, Niflheim is described as a place where a constant wail can be heard from the residents. It is damp with sleet and the walls are built with worms and the bones of humans;
  • In the Gylfaginning, the first part of the Prose Edda, Hel is described as “rather downcast and fierce-looking”;
  • Hel was feared by the Vikings, but the Gauls, Dutch, and Germanic peoples were more sympathetic towards her. They did not see Niflheim as a place of punishment and had a kinder approach to death;
  • The expression “go to hell” originated with Hel and Niflheim;
  • Niflheim existed beneath the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil;
  • Jacob Grimm, a scholar of Norse mythology, had a theory that Hel was only a “half-goddess.” He argued that because Loki made the giantess Angrboda pregnant, there was no proof that Hel was of full divine blood;
  • Some scholars have suggested that several of the imitation medallions and bracteates which remain from the Migration Period depicts Hel;
  • Hela, the fictional villainess in Marvel Comics’ American comic books, is based on Hel. She is also featured in the webcomic The Order of the Stick, in which she is an antagonist who wants to destroy the world.

Gods – Loki

Loki Norse God of Mischief from .gods-and-goddesses.com

Loki is known as the trickster god and deity of mayhem and mischief in Norse mythology. He is one of the most well-known gods of Norse mythology. He is at least half-giant; however, some think he is full-giant but sneaked his way to becoming a god.

Loki Facts

Name(s): Loki
Rules over: Chaos, Mischief
Gender: Male
Symbols: Mistletoe, Horned Helmet (modern depictions)
Linked Animals: Two Intertwined Snakes
Parents: Fárbauti and Laufey
Siblings: Helblindi and Býleistr
Greek Similar: Atë
Roman Similar: Laverna

Family

Loki’s father was Fárbauti and his mother was Laufey. It is unknown whether his mother was a lesser known goddess or a giant, and his father definitely was a giant.

This duplicity may have attributed to Loki’s split feelings about the gods of Asgard. Sometimes he is helpful to them, but other times he insults them, causes trouble, and during Ragnarok leads the giants into battle against Asgard.

Symbols

Loki has been associated with mistletoe, two intertwined snakes, and also a helmet with two horns.

Powers & Duties

Loki had the power to shape-shift in Norse legends. In various stories, he turned into a salmon, mare, seal, fly, and elderly woman. He also used a combination of masterful trickery and cunning to achieve his objectives.

Stories

The first time Loki helped the gods was when they were building Asgard. The gods had run out of funds and all they had built was a wall. Loki came up with the idea that a giant should finish the job for them. The gods agreed, as did the giant. But, the giant asked for the Sun, the Moon, and the goddess Freya as payment if he completed the job on time. The gods weren’t sure, but Loki assured them that the giant would never finish on time. The giant had a huge stallion called Svadilfari to help him, and the gods got nervous. Loki changed shape into a mare and seduced the giant’s horse. As a result of Loki’s trickery, the giant wasn’t able to finish on schedule and tried to kidnap Freya. Before the giant could, Thor cracked his skull with a hammer. However, Loki, as the female horse, got pregnant and gave birth to an eight-legged stallion named Sleipnir, which he gave to Odin.

Another time he helps the gods of Asgard is when Thor lost his hammer, Mjolnir. Thor asks Loki for help and they work together to find where the hammer is located. Thrymr, the giant, had stolen the weapon and taken it to the home of the giants. He would only return it if Freya would agree to marry him. Loki came up with a plan that included his and Thor’s cross-dressing to get the hammer back. It succeeded, and Thrymr was punished.

During a great feast in Asgard, Loki wasn’t invited and was upset. He asked the guard what the gods were talking about, and the guard told him they were talking about war, weapons, and saying negative things about Loki. Loki burst in, and the gods became silent. Loki then asks for a seat, and Odin finally agrees to let him sit. Loki gives a toast to all the gods except for Bragi, whom he insults instead. They start arguing and other gods and goddesses get involved.

Loki begins to insult them all, including Odin, and when Frigg, Odin’s wife, tries to stop Loki, he ends up insulting her as well. She tells Loki that if her son Baldur were still alive, Loki wouldn’t be able to escape the wrath of the gods. Loki then reminds her that he is responsible for Baldur’s death. The insults continue when Freya calls Loki mad – he retorts that she is a whore. Heimdall tells Loki he’s drunk and to stop, but Loki insults Heimdall. Skadi tells Loki to watch it or he’ll be bound up, and Loki insults her. Sif, the wife of Thor, gives him mead in a golden goblet saying she is blameless and he can’t insult her. Loki claims she is his lover. Thor finally arrives, threatens Loki to silence with Mjolmir, and Loki finally leaves after insulting Thor. He disguises himself as a salmon, but the gods find him and finally bind him until Ragnarok.

Facts About Loki

  • In Old Norse, Loki means “close”;
  • Loki typically cheated dwarves at any opportunity given to him. They finally were able to stitch his mouth shut to keep him quiet from insults;
  • Loki is the father of Hel, the goddess of the land of the dead. He is also father of Fenrir, the wolf demon that bites off Tyr’s hand and will eat Odin during Ragnarok. He is also the father of Jormungandr, the world serpent;
  • Loki steals Freya’s amber necklace, in which Heimdall fights him and retrieves it;
  • Loki tricked blind Hod to kill Baldur with mistletoe;
  • When bound until Ragnarok, Skadi places a venomous snake above him, which causes him terrible pain with the poison.

God of the Day – Odin

Odin Facts and Mythology from gods-and-goddesses.com

Odin is the Norse king of the Aesir, the principal race of Norse gods. He was considered the father of all the gods and was primarily associated with magic, wisdom, war, poetry, and the runic alphabet.

Mentioned frequently from the period of the Roman occupation to the Viking Age, Odin is a prominent figure in Norse mythology who continues to be acknowledged in modern popular culture. For instance, we are reminded of him every Wednesday, the weekday that was named after him; Odin is Woden in Old English, and Woden’s day became Wednesday.

Appearance

In most Norse texts, Odin is depicted as a long-bearded, one-eyed man wearing a broad hat and a cloak. Odin lost his eye upon visiting a Norse god named Mimir. Mimir was known as an extremely wise god, and he had also possessed a well called Mímisbrunnr. The waters in the well contained substantial wisdom and knowledge, and if someone drank from the well they would also gain wisdom.

However, Mimir required the drinker to sacrifice one of their eyes in order to take a drink. Odin decided to make the trade. Because of this trade, he is traditionally shown as having a dark eye or with a patch over one of his eyes.

Family

Odin had two brothers, named Vili and Ve. Myth has it that Odin created the universe after killing the primal frost giant Ymir with the help of his brothers. The three continued by making the first man and woman, Askr and Embla, from an ash tree and an elm tree.

Odin married Frigg, who is the mother of his sons Baldur, Hod, and Hermod.  With Jord, the earth goddess, he fathered Thor. He is believed to have had more sons by other wives, including Vidar from the giantess Grid.

Symbols

The most common symbol associated with Odin is the Valknut symbol, which is made of three linked or interlocked triangles. This symbol appears in a number of places along with Odin or ravens, including the Tängelgårda stone in Sweden.

There are a number of interpretations about the meaning of the Valknut. Some believe it represented slain warriors, many of which went to stay with Odin in Valhalla. In fact, the word Valknut is derived from the words valr, which means slain warriors, and knut, which means knot. Others think that it may symbolize the heart of Hrungnir.

Another common symbol affiliated with Odin is his spear, called Gungnir, which he acquired from the trickster god Loki after he stole it from the dwarfs who made it.

The ravens Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory) were Odin’s companions. They traveled across the Nine Worlds in Norse cosmology and returned to their master’s shoulder with tales of what they saw.

Odin also had two pet wolves called Geri and Freki. He is said to have created them when he became lonely. Like ravens, they haunt battlefields and feast upon the dead. Odin, who only drinks wine, gave them all his food.

Powers & Duties

In Valhalla, Odin sat on his throne called Hlidskjalf from where he watched over the Nine Realms.

Odin sought further knowledge in the runes, the letters of the runic alphabet. To achieve this, he hung from a tree with a spear in his side for nine days and nights without food or drink. He often used runes to practice wizardry.

Together with Freya, the goddess of love and war, Odin possessed the souls of slain warriors. The half that belonged to him found a final resting place in Valhalla, his palatial home with 640 doors. They were brought here by Odin’s daughters, the Valkyries, who met them on the battlefield.

Odin had a never-ending quest for wisdom. Sometime after he sacrificed his eye, he also took possession of Mimir’s head when Mimir was decapitated by the Vanir, a rival tribe. The head would tell him secrets and give him advice.

Facts About Odin …

The Gods of Asgard c. 2018

Goddess of the Day – Frigg

Frigg

Areas of Influence: Frigg was the Norse Goddess of marriage, childbirth, motherhood, wisdom, household management and weaving and spinning.

She was the Queen of Aesir and the only one permitted to sit on the high seat other than her husband Odin.

This Goddess’s home was Fensalir (Marsh hall) in Asgard. All marshy and boggy ground was sacred to this Goddess.

As Goddess of weaving she was associated with weaving clouds and the threads of fate, known as Wyrd in the Nordic tradition. Despite this and the gift of prophecy she is unable to save her own son from his fate. The Goddess made him invincible to everything other than mistletoe but unfortunately Loki disguised himself and tricked her in to revealing this weakness.

She has more than ten handmaidens who assist her, the most well known of these are Hlin (Goddess of Protection), Gna (a messenger Goddess) and Fulla (a fertility Deity). Some academics have suggested that the attendants represent different faces of this particular Deity.

Barren women would invoke this Goddess and ask her to bless them with children.

Her name means “beloved one.” Other spellings of this Goddesses name include Frea, Fija, Friia, Frig and Friggja.

Origins and Genealogy: She was the daughter of Fjorgynn (the male personification of the earth) and was married to Odin with whom she had two sons, Balder and Hodr.

She was briefly married to Odin’s brother’s Vili and Ve as Odin had been away travelling a long time and was believed to be dead. When he finally returned, the marriage to Odin’s brothers was dissolved and she returned to her husband’s side.

Strengths: A loving mother and home maker.

Weaknesses: Unable to save her son.

Symbolism
Like Freya she wears a ravens clock.

She is associated with constellation the Orion’s Belt which was known as the Frig’s Distaff upon which she winds the threads of fate and weaves the clouds.

Sacred Birds: Ravens, hawks and falcons.

Sacred Plants: Frigg’s grass is a plant was traditionally used as a sedative during birth. Mistletoe is also sacred to her.

Frigg’s Archetype
The Mother
The Mother is a life-giver and the source of nurturing, devotion, patience and unconditional love. The ability to forgive and provide for her children and put them before herself is the essence of a good mother.
In its shadow aspect the Mother can be devouring, abusive and abandoning. The shadow Mother can also make her children feel guilty about becoming independent and leaving her. It is not necessary to be a biological Mother to have this stereotype. It can refer to anyone who has a lifelong pattern of nurturing and devotion to living things.

This Goddess was a devoted mother who was unable to prevent the death of her son. She is also a great domestic Goddess looking after the home.

How to Work With This Archetype
The Mother
You are exhibiting the features of the shadow Mother if you smother your children and are over protective. Encourage independence and allow children to make mistakes but be available to give care and advice when it’s needed.

The other shadow Mother is the one that abandons her children, or is so busy that she has no time for nurturing her young.

Source:

Goddess-Guide.com