[Asgard Hill] Index of Names and Terms in Norse Mythology

Norse Mythology

Norse Mythology is a fascinating subject that is often ignored in normal history classes. yet Norse Mythology has been quite influencial in both Scandinavia and Germany. Here, we have a list of names and terms that you can look up. You are free to use this information for study projects. Click on the letters of the alphabet to take you to the appropriate subject. Everything is in alphabetical order.

[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F]

[A]
[Aegir] [Aesir] [Alberich] [Alfheim] [Alfrodul] [Alvis] [Andhrimnir] [Andvaranaut] [Andvari] [Angrboda] [Asgard] [Ask] [Askefruer] [Asynia] [Audhumla]

[B]
[Baldr] [Balmung] [Beldegg] [Bergelmir] [Berserks] [Bestla] [Beyla] [Bifrost] [Billing] [Billow Maidens] [Bor] [Borghild] [Bragi] [Brisings] [Brokk & Eiti] [Brunhilde] [Brynhild] [Buri]

[C]
[No entries for this category yet]

[D]
[Dag] [Disir] [Durin] [Draupnir] [Dvalin] [Dwarves

[E]
[Edda] [Einherjar] [Eir] [Elli]

[F]
[Fafnir] [Fenrir] [Forseti] [Freya] [Freyr] [Frigg] [Fulla]

[G]

[Gangleri] [Garm] [Gefion] [

Aegir:
God of the Sea. He was married to the Goddess Ran and had nine daughters, called the Billow Maidens or Nine Waves. Aegir was feared by the seamen, who were afraid that if they angered him, he would swipe away the men and their cargo from their ships, and take them to his palace at the bottom of the sea. To please Aegir, sacrifices were made before setting out to sea. Usually this would mean sacrificing captives or slaves. Aegir was well known for his generosity towards the other Gods, and for the many banquets he held. It’s uncertain if he was an Aesir or a Vanir God, but his wife was mentioned in the list of Asynia (female Aesir). Aegir’s daughters eventually gave birth to the Aesir God Heimdall. [Index]

Aesir:
The name of the race of Gods that resided in Asgard. The other race of Gods were called the Vanir. The Aesir were a war–like race, whereas the Vanir were Gods of Nature and fertility. The Aesir once waged war against the Vanir, and later on they would be involved in Ragnarok, the End of the World. The main God of the Aesir was Odin, the All–Father. Other major Aesir Gods were: Ve, Vili, Thor, Tyr, Njord, Freyr, Heimdall, and Loki. Aesir Goddesses were called Asynia. [Index]

Alberich:
A dwarven King who lived in an underground palace, which was decorated with gems and precious metals. He only appears in German mythology. He was the guardian and magician of King Nibelungen and his two sons. To protect the Nibelungen treasure, Alberich wore a cloak that made him invisible (Tarnkappe). When Siegfried the Hero killed both of King Nibelungen’s sons, he claimed the land and the treasure for his own. After Siegfried was murdered by Hagen, Alberich knew that he could not protect the treasures against the new invaders, since he no longer had the magic cloak. He gave the treasures to Siegfried’s widow, Kriemhild, but it was stolen again by Hagen. [Index]

Alfheim:
One of the Nine Worlds, literally means Elf Home. It is in the highest level of the Nordic Universe, along with Asgard and Vanaheim. It is the home of the light elves, as well as the palace of the Aesir God Freyr. [Index]

Alfrodul:
Alfrodul is the Nordic sun, also called Sol and Ostara in Germanic mythology. Her father was Mundilfaeri, her brother was Moon (or Mani in Germanic), and she was married to Glen, but the Gods did not approve of their marriage. She rode a golden chariot, which was being pulled by two horse, Arvak and Alsvinn. She was being chased around the sky by a giant wolf called Skoll, and her brother Moon was being chased by the other wolf, Hati. One of the signs of Ragnarok would be that Sol and Moon are devoured by the two wolves, plunging the nine worlds of the Nordic Universe into a long winter. After Ragnarok, Alfrodul would be succeeded by her daugther.[Index]

Alvis:
A dwarf and weaponsmith for Odin. In return for all the weapons he made for the Gods, Odin promised him the hand of his daughter Thrud in marriage. However, Odin did regret his promise, so he devised a test for Alvis. The dwarf would have to show great knowledge in order to make up for his small size. However, Odin kept stalling, and the test was not conducted untill sunrise. As the Ray of Light touched Alvis, he turned to stone. [Index]

Andhrimnir:
Andhrimnir was the official cook for both the Aesir and the Einherjar. Every night he would slaughter the boar Sahrimnir, and cook it in the magical cauldron called Eldhrimnir. Every night, the boar would be restored to life, so that it could be eaten again the next day. To make the mead that was drunk by the Aesir, Andhrimnir would take the milk from the goat Heidrun, which stands on the World Tree (Yggdrasil) and eats its leaves. [Index]

Andvaranaut:
A treasure from the Völsunga Saga (the Islandic version of the Nibelungen Saga). It was owned by the dwarf Andvari, and it could help him make or find gold. When Loki killed Otter, he was forced to find a great treasure for Otter’s father Hreidmar as compensation for the loss. Loki stole the Andvaranaut ring from Andvari, however, before he let Loki get away, Andvari put a curse on the ring, so that it would bring great grief to whomever would wear it. Loki presented the ring to Hreidmar, and in return Hreidmar set free Loki’s friends Odin and Hoenir. Later on, Fafnir, Hreidmar’s other son stole the ring, killed his father, and deposed his brother Regin. The curse of Andvari turned Fafnir into a great dragon, and the Andvaranaut stayed with him untill it was taken by Sigurd. [Index]

Andvari:
Andvari was a dwarf who appeared in the Völsunga Saga. He lived behind a waterfall, and was able turn himself into a salmon if needed. With his magical ring Andvaranaut, he was able to collect great amounts of gold. Loki needed a great ransom as compensation for killing Otter, so he tried to steal the gold that Andvari collected. Andvari then turned into a salmon and tried to get away from Loki. However, the latter captured him using a net that he got from the Goddess Ran. Loki stole Andvari’s ring, but before he could get away with it, Andvari put a terrible curse on it. From then on, the ring would bring great grief and sadness to whomever would wear it. [Index]

Angrboda:
A frost Giantess and lover of the God Loki. She gave birth to Hel, the Goddess of the Dead and ruler of Niflheim, the giant serpent Jörmungand, and Fenrir, the giant wolf. Her name literally means “Herald of Anger”.[Index]

Asgard:
One of the nine worlds of Norse Mythology, and the home of the Aesir. It was surrounded by a great wall, which was built by the giant Hrimthurs, with the help of his great steed Svadilfari. In return for building the walls, Hrimthurs wanted the hand of Freya in marriage, along with the sun and the moon. Odin agreed, but he said that the giant had to finish within six month or he will not get paid. When Odin saw that Hrimthurs was doing a great job, he came to regret his decision, and asked Loki to devise a scheme. Hrimthurs was eventually killed by Thor, so Asgard had its wall, and Odin did not have to give anything in return. Asgard can be found at the heighest level of the Universe, along with Alfheim and Vanaheim. Within Asgard is also the great hall, Valhalla, the place where slain warriors from Midgard would go, to await their final battle at Ragnarok. In the center of Asgard lies Idavoll, the plains where the Aesir gods would come to discuss important matters. The Aesir Gods would go to the hall called Gladsheim, whereas the Asynia would gather at Vingolf. Both Aesir and Asynia Gods gathered daily around the Well of Urd located at the Asgard root of the Yggdrasil tree. Ther was only one entrance to Asgard, which was Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, which was guarded by the God Heimdall. [Index]

Ask:
Literally means Ash. Ask was the first male human made by Odin and his brothers. When Odin, Ve, and Vili where walking on the beach, they came across some driftwood that had washed ashore. They picked them up, and shaped them into two humans. Odin gave them the breath of life, Ve gave them feelings and brainpower, and Vili gave them their senses, speech, and the ability to express themselves through any means. After they gave them clothes, they named the male Ask, and the female Embla. They were given the task to expand the human race on a new world called Midgard. [Index]

Askefruer:
The Askefruer were the Norse version of Dryads: female spirits living inside trees. The Askefruer inhabited the forest of the World Tree Yggdrasil. [Index]

Asynia:
The Goddesses that belonged to the Aesir and resided in Asgard. Their chief was the Goddess Frigg. Other Asynia were Freya, Sif, Idun, Jörd, Geflon, Fulla, Thrud and Alfrodul. [Index]

Audhumla:
The primevil cow who fed the giant Ymir with her milk. She was created at the beginning of time by the melting ice of the world. She fed herself on the salt and ice crystals that grew in Niflheim. [Index]

Baldr:
Literally means “The Dying God”. Baldr was the son of Odin and Frigg, and brother to Hod. Baldr was married to Nanna, the daughter of Nep. They had a child named Forseti, the later God of Justice. They lived in the Breidablik (Hall of Broad Splendor) in Asgard. Baldr was the God of beauty, light, joy, purity, innocence and reconciliation, hence he was loved by all the other Gods. He was friendly, wise, and eloquent, but he was not as powerful as most Aesir, who were all warlike Gods.
The prophecies that he received through his dreams foretold his death. Frightened Baldr spoke of his prophecies to his mother, who upon the news ventured out to take the oaths of all the living creatures, plants and nonliving things in the world, to do no harm to her son. Unfortunately, due to her perception of the mistletoe’s harmlessness towards her son, she did not request for its oath. Disguised as an old woman, Loki discovered Frigg’s carelessness and devised a plan to kill Baldr. As a form of amusement, the Gods would throw rocks, spears and swords at Baldr, since none of them could do him any harm. Due to Hod’s blindness, he was never a part of this form of amusement. Convinced by Loki, Hod unknowingly threw a mistletoe at Baldr, instead of a rock. He threw with all his might, and the Gods watched in horror as the mistletoe pierced Baldr’s heart and killed him. His soul fled to the underworld. Outraged, Odin demanded that one of the Aesir would go there to return him. Daringly the God Hermod took Odin’s steed Sleiphnir to get an audience with Hel the Goddess of Nifleheim. Hel promised to release Baldr from the underworld, if only every creature would shed at least one tear for the young God. To stop Baldr’a retutn, Loki quickly transformed himself into a Giantess named Thokk, who refused to weep for Baldr upon Frigg’s plea. Due to this, Hel kept Baldr in the underworld. At Baldr’s funeral, his wife, Nanna, devastated from the lost of her husband collapsed and died at the pyre. After her death, she went to Niflheim to join her husband. When the Aesir found out that it was Loki who caused Baldr’s death, they punished him severely. Hod was killed by his half–brother Vali as punishment for his crime. The death of Baldr was one of the signs of Ragnarok. After Ragnarok, Baldr is to be reborn, and lead the world into a new era. [Index]

Balmung:
A Magical sword from the Völsunga Saga. It was made by the weaponsmith Volund (or Wayland the Smith in Anglo–Saxon myths), and owned by Odin. In the beginning of the Völsunga Saga, disguised as an old seer, Odin went to a feast organized by King Volsung and stuck the Balmung into the Branstock tree. He then challenged anyone to take out the sword. Whomever would take it out, could win any battle. All of Volsung’s sons tried to pull it out, but none of them succeeded, except the youngest son, Sigmund. The sword was later destoyed again by Odin himself. It was reassembled by Siegfried, who also renamed the sword Gram, and used it to fight the Dragon Fafnir. [Index]

Beldegg:
One of the mortal sons of Odin. He ruled West Saxony. [Index]

Bergelmir:
A frost giant, the son of Thrudgelmir and the grandson of Aurgelmir (Ymir). When the Gods killed his grandfather, Ymir, there was so much blood spill that it drowned all the frost giants. However, Bergelmir and his wife fled and hid in a hollow tree. They were the only survivors, and they were the progenitors of a new race of frost giants. [Index]

Berserks:
Human warriors who lived in Midgard. They were ferocious fighters who dressed themselves in wolf or bear skin, and carried huge wooden shields. They normally carried axes, and were known to have blood–thirsty frenzies. They often bit their shields and howled like the wild animals. People would be scared to death of their howling, and believed that the warriors were possessed. They were also called Ulfheônar. They were the supposed source of the myth of the werewolves: normal men and women who turned into vicious animals at night. [Index]

Bestla:
Literally means (tree) bark. She was a giantess and the daughter of the frost giant Bolthor. She was the wife of Bor, and she became the mother of the first three Aesir Gods: Odin, Ve, and Vili. [Index]

Beyla:
One of the three servants of Freyr. Her husband was Byggvir, another of Fryr’s servants. She and her husband appear in the poem Lokasenna. It is unknown wether Beyla is the patron of either the cows or bees. [Index]

Bifrost:
The only entrance to Asgard from the mortal world of Midgard. It is made out of three magical colours, and is often called the Rainbow Bridge. It is also referred to as Asbru (Bridge of the As or Aesir). In order to keep the giants from entering Asgard, the God Heimdall was assigned to guard it. The bridge is said to collapse at the end of the universe. [Index]

Billing:
King Billing was the father of a beautiful woman called Rind. Odin was able to impress Rind enough to seduce her, and she later bore his son Vali. Their son later killed his half–brother Hod, in order to avenge Baldr. [Index]

Billow Maidens::
Also known as the Nine Waves, they are the nine daughters of Aegir and Ran. They later became the nine mothers of the God Heimdall. Their names were: Himinglaeva (heaven reacher), Dufa (dipping), Blodughadd (bloody hair), Hefring (goat), Unn (wave), Hronn (wave), Bylgia (billow), Drofn (foaming sea), and Kolga (cool water). [Index]

Bor:
The son of Buri and the primordial norse man in the creation myth. He married the giantess Bestla, the daughter of the frost giant Bolthorn. They had three children, the first three Aesir: Odin, Ve, and Vili. [Index]

Borghild:
The second wife of Sigmund in the Völsunga Saga. She was the mother of Helgi and Hamund, and the step–mother of Sinfjotli. She grew jealous of Sinfjotli, and prepared three cups of poison for him to drink. Sigmund drank the first two, but he was immune to the poison. Sinfjotli drunk the thrid cup, and the poison killed him. Borghild was then banished from Hunland. [Index]

Bragi:
The God of Poetry and patron of the Skald (poets). He was the son of Odin and the giantess Gunnlod. However, Frigg claimed him as her own son. He had runes inscribed on his tongue, and he would teach people the art of poetry by letting them drink his mead. He was married to the Goddess of Eternal Youth, Idun. He appears along with Aegir in the dialog of Skaldskaparmal (The Language of Poetry), in one of Snorri Sturluson’s Eddas. When oats where sworn between humans, they would do it over a Bragarfull (Cup of Bragi), and whenever a new King was crowned, he would also drink from that cup. Some sources say that he was added to the Norse Pantheon much later on, and that he really was the Islandic poet Bragi Boddason. Poets of later eras made him into a God of poetry. [Index]

Brisings:
Four dwarven brothers, they were named Alfrigg, Berling, Dvalin and Grer. Together, they made the beautiful golden necklace called the Brisingamen. It was so beautiful, that the Goddess Freya would do anything to possess it. At this time, Freya was the favourite mistress of Odin. She was already considered the most beautiful Goddess, but she wanted the necklace anyways. One night, she was wandering around the woods and heard the dwarves work on the necklace. The god Loki secretly followed her to the dwarves’ caves. Freya tried to buy the necklace from the dwarves, but they would not accept her gold or silver. Instead, they wanted her to have sex with each of them. Obessed with obtaining the necklace, Freya agreed to their price, and for the next four nights, she would be in bed with one of the dwarves. Loki immediately told Odin, who was disgusted with Freya’s sexual promiscuity. He ordered Loki to steal the Brisingamen from Freya. One day, when she was sleeping in her great Hall Sessrumnir, Loki transformed himself into a flea to get past the guards and into Freya’s bedroom. While she was sleeping, he bit her arm so that she would turn around. He then unlocked the necklace and stole it. The Prose Edda says that when Loki tried to leave with the stolen necklace, the God Heimdall, the guardian of Bifrost, caught on to the crime. He arrested Loki and took the necklace back. He then gave it back to Freya. Later on, Odin’s son Thor borrowed the Brisingamen when he disguised himself as Freya in order to fool the giant Thrym. [Index]

Brokk & Eiti:
Two dwarven brothers. They were master craftsmen who created the Gullinbursti (golden bristles) for Freyr, the Draupnir (Ring of Power) for Odin, and the Mjollnir (Magic war hammer) for Thor. Aware of the rivalry between the two brothers and the sons of Ivaldi, Loki made a wager with them. If Brokk and Eiti could make something better than the sons of Ivaldi, they could have his head. While they were working on their gifts for the Gods, Loki tried to distract the dwarves by transforming into a fly and stinging them many times. Regardless of the distraction, the dwarves constructed their gifts in time. Loki presented the gifts made by the sons of Ivaldi, and Brokk presented those made by him and his brother. Odin, Thor and Freyr were to judge which was the best gift. They all decided that it was Mjollnir, because it would increase their chance of defeating the giants at Ragnarok. Thus Loki lost his bet, but Odin thought it was too harsh for him to lose his head. Brokk instead agreed to sew Loki’s mouth shut with iron thread. [Index]

Brunhilde:
A powerful Queen of Iceland, who appears in the Nibelungen Saga. She is often confused with Brynhild from the Völsunga Saga. Reputed for her great beauty and strength, any man who would set out to court her for marriage, would end up dead after a duel. Upon this knowledge, Gunther, a King of Burgundy, spoke to his friend Siegfried of his interest.Siegfried advised against it, but since Gunther was so determined, he devised a plan in order to help Gunther win the Queen’s heart. When they arrived at Isenstein (Brunhilde’s stronghold in Iceland), Brunhilde came out and assumed that it was Siegfried who came to court her. She was willing to marry him, because Siegfried was the strongest man in the world. She was not very happy when he proclaimed to be Gunther’s vassal, and that Gunther was here for her hand in marriage. She told him that she would only marry him if he could best her in a competition. This competition meant that he would have to survive an attack from Brunhilde’s spear, and throw a boulder further than that of hers. After throwing the boulder, he would have to leap as far as the boulder to which he has thrown. Gunther knew he could not do it, but Siegfried helped him out. Siegfried wore a cloak of invisibility and so Gunther pretended to do all the things Brunhilde did, but it was actually Siegfried that did it. Brunhilde was angry at losing her challenge, but she kept her promise, and gathered her following to go to her new home. Brunhilde married Gunther on the same day as Siegfried married Kriemhild. However Brunhilde was still in love Siegfried. During their wedding night, Brunhilde resisted Gunther, overpowered him, and hung him up by the wall after strapping him in her girdle. She slept in their bed, and Gunther was very mad that he was being mistreated like this. In the morning, Brunhilde took him down and told him that if he tried to make love to her again, she would do the same. Gunther told this to Siegfried, and he agreed to help his friend again. The next night, when it was dark, Siegfried used his magical cloak to become invisible, and he pretended to be Gunther again. He overpowered the Queen at night, and the shocked Brunhilde gave in. Then Gunther came back and tried to make love to her. She still resisted, but when Gunther had taken her virginity, she lost all the power and strength she had as a maiden. Siegfried secretly took the ring and girdle that belonged to Brunhilde and gave them to his own wife. Brunhilde was still unhappy with her marriage, and she did not understand why her husband would let one of his vassals marry his own sister, because she was unaware that Siegfried was King in the Netherlands. Ten years later, she persuaded her husband to invite Siegfried and Kriemhild to a festival, so that she could find out the truth. After arguing with Kriemhild, it was revealed that Siegfried was of the same rank as Gunther. To further humiliated the already insulted Brunhilde, Kriemhild told her that it was Siegfried and not Gunther who bested her with his strength. She also said that it was Siegfried that took her virginity, and not Gunther. To prove that, she showed the ring and girdle that Siegfried had stolen that night. Brunhilde was very angry, and demanded that Gunther would punish both Siegfried and Kriemhild for this humiliation. Gunther had no motive nor the guts to punish Siegfried, so Brunhilde sought the help of Hagen. Together with Hagen, she and Gunther plotted the death of Siegfried in an ambush. [Index]

Brynhild:
One of the Valkyrie. She was the daughter of Budli, and the sister of Atli and Bekkhild. Her foster father was Heimir. She was a beautiful maiden, but she was punished by Odin because she had slain King Hjalmgunnar without permission. As punishment, Odin told her that she had to marry. However, she made a vow that she would only marry a man who had no fear. Thus Odin locked her in a ring of fire, on top of the mountain Hindarfell. She would sleep there untill a hero would come for her. It was the hero Sigurd who rode through the flames to meet her. Prior to that, he had killed the dragon Fafnir, and taken its cursed ring, Andvaranaut. They fell in love, but Sigurd had to return to the normal world because he had many things to do. Brynhil swore to wait for him, and she would only marry the man who would come back through the ring of fire. To make their engagement official, Sigurd gave her the golden ring before he left. During that time, Brynhild bore a daughter called Aslaug. Sigurd was involved in many things, and he had lost his memory due to a potion given to him by the witch Grimhild. He now wanted to help his friend Gunnar to find and marry Brynhild, not remembering the promise that Brynhild had made to marry the man who would come through the flames. Gunnar, however, was too scared to go through the flames, so Sigurd shapeshifted into Gunnar, and rode through the flames. Brynhild was disappointed because it was not Sigurd, however she kept her promise, and agreed to marry Gunnar. Sigurd took back the cursed ring, and brought Brynhild to Gunnar’s palace. He returned to his normal self, and he wed Gunnar’s sister Gudrun. After Brynhild married Gunnar, she left her daughte with Heimir, a chieftain and husband to her sister Bekkhild. Later on, Brynhild argued with Gudrun about who had the bravest husband. Gudrun made fun of Brynhild, and told her that it was her Sigurd who disguised himself as Gunnar and rode through the flames to get Brynhild the second time. To prove it, she showed her the cursed ring that Brynhild had given back to Sigurd when he was disguised as Gunnar. Brynhild was shocked, and she swore to avenge her honor and make Sigurd pay. She tricked her husband, and told him that Sigurd had betrayed their oath of brotherhood, and that Sigurd had slept with Brynhild before he took her to Gunnar’s palace. Gunnar was enraged at this betrayal, but he could not hurt Sigurd because of their brotherhood oath. Thus he pursuaded his brother Guttorm to kill Sigurd for him. Brynhild laughed at Gudrun as Sigurd died, and told her husband that she lied about Sigurd’s betrayal. She also told him that her brother Atli would avenge her own death and that he would kill Gunnar and his brother Hogni. At Sigurd’s funeral, Brynhild told her husband that she had always loved Sigurd and not him. She also ordered her husband to kill Sigurd’s three year old son Sigmund, and burn his body along with hers and Sigurds. She then killed herself, and the three were burned in the funeral pyre. Brynhild had the ability to foretell the future through he dreams. She foretold all of the events that would lead up to her death, and also the death of Gunnar and Hogni, and her own brother Atli. [Index]

Buri:
The primeval man from the creation myth. He was created by the cow Audhumla when it licked the salt blocks of Ginnagagap into the shape of a man. Buri was the father of Bor, and the grandfather of the first three gods: Odin, Ve, and Vili. [Index]

Dag:
Literally means Day. The son of Nott (Night) and the Aesir Delling. He has a half brother named Aud, and a half sister named Jörd. He was given a golden chariot by Odin which he and his mother rode through the sky. His chariot was pulled by the steed Skinfaxi, whose shining manes brought daylight to the world. His mother’s steed has a breath that drips dew, and causes the world to enter the night. They chase each other across the sky, just as day and night chase each other. [Index]

Disir:
A group of goddesses that belonged to both the Aesir and the Vanir. They were considered the Goddesses of fate and fertility. The Valkyrie, although not counted as Goddesses, were part of this group, because they decided the fate of slain warriors. The Disir would bless the crops of farmers, and also help women in childbirth. The song Sigrdrifumal from the poetic Edda, tells us about the Valkyrie Sigrdrifa (Brynhild) and quotes one of her spells:
Helping-runes you must know if you want to assist
and release children from women;
they shall be cut on the palms and clasped on the joints,
and then the disir asked for help.
[Translated by Carolyne Larrington, from the Poetic Edda, Sigrdrifumal 9]
Feasts or offerings were held at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter to honour the disir. They were called the disablot (Sacrifice of the Disir) and the disfest (Feast of the Disir). [Index]

Draupnir:
Literally means Ring of Power. It was made by the dwarven weaponsmiths Brokk & Eiti. When the God Loki challenged them to make a treasure better than those made by the sons of Ivaldi, they made Draupnir as a gift for Odin. Every ninth night, the ring would make eight copies of itself. It is unknown what other powers this ring had. [Index]

Durin:
Literally means sleepy. Durin was one of the first two dwarves, the other was Modsognir. Originally, they were maggots that fed off the flesh of the dead frost giant Ymir. Eventually the Gods turned them into the first two dwarves. The poetic Edda mentions that they were created from the flesh and bones of Blair (where Blair is another name for Ymir). Together they created the two dwarven races. It is most likely that Durin was the female dwarf. [Index]

Dvalin:
A Chieftain or leader of the dwarves in the Prose and Poetic Eddas. The Voluspa (poetic Edda), indicates that Dvalin and his daughters were the ancestors of all the other dwarves in that tale. Dvalin himself was said to be a descendant of Lofar. [Index]

Dwarves:
A special race of humanoid. Dwarves appear frequently in different legends and stories. They inhabited one of the nine worlds: Nidavellir, but they also appear in the human world Midgard. According to the Poetic Edda, the first two dwarves were created from maggots that fed off the flesh of the frost giant Ymir. The first two dwarves were called Durin and Modsognir. The so called rock–dwarves could only live underground, because sunlight would turn them into solid rock, as we can read in the story of Alvis. The dwarves were excellent smiths, and some of them were powerful magicians or even shapeshifters. They often aided the gods by making enchanted weapons and items. Because of their disadvantage in height, dwarves were often bullied by the Gods and the Giants. Later on in history, people feared dwarves and gave them a reputation of being thieves and assassins. Some of the more famous dwarves in norse mythology are Lofar, the sons of Ivaldi, the Brising brothers, and Andvari. [Index]

Edda:
A collection of icelandic poems that describe the creation of the world, the adventures of the Gods, and the end of the world. It is devided in two parts, the Poetic Edda from the 9th century, and the Prose Edda from the 12th century. Together, they contain 34 poems. They are the work of the poet Snorri Sturluson (1179 - 1241). The Eddas were used by skalds (court poets) to form or create new poems. It also forms a guideline for prosody (the study of poetic meter and the art of versification). A lot of the poems are narrated by Gods, or dialogues between characters. Other things such as the Völsunga Saga are based on the Eddas, but written by different poets and writers. [Index]

Einherjar:
Whenever a human warrior would die, a Valkyrie would decide its fate after death. If he was brave enough, the Valkyrie would send him to Valhalla, where he would become an Einherjar. Through an agreement with Freya, half of the warriors sent to Valhalla would go to her palace Folkvangar instead. Women would automatically go to Freya’s palace. The chosen ones for Valhalla wake up every morning by the crowing of the cock Gullinkambi. During the day they would fight each other and gain experience in battle. In the evenings, they would feast together with their leader Odin, and their wounds would be healed miraculously. When Ragnarok begins, the God Heimdall will blows his horn Gjallahorn, which is the sign for the Einherjar to gather around Odin to begin their attack on the giants. [Index]

Eir:
A minor Asynia Goddess and a companion of Frigg. She was the Goddess of healing and medicine, as well as the patron Goddess of physicians. She knew all the secret powers of the herbs, and could heal any wound or resurrect the dead. She taught her craft only to women, who in ancient times, were the only physicians in Scandinavia. She was one of the Goddesses of Lyfia mountain. Shamanic healing and healing through psychic powers was one of her main practises, and worshippers in Scandinavia would call upon her powers for healings. [Index]

Elli:
A giant and the personification of old age. During one of Thor’s adventures, he wrestled the old lady and lost. Thor wanted to kill the old woman, but he was stopped by Loki. [Index]

Fafnir:
A legendary dragon from the Völsunga Saga. He was originally a boy who could shape shift. He was the son of Hreidmar and the brother of Regin and Otter. When King Hreidmar obtained the Andvaranaut ring from Loki, Fafnir grew envious of its magical powers, and wanted it for himself. Fafnir killed his father, and drove away his older brother Regin. The magical ring, powered by the greed of the young man, transformed him into a dragon for all eternity. The hero Sigurd, an apprentice of Regin, heard about the story and traveled to Gnitaheath (Glittering Heat) where Fafnir kept his treasure. He dug a hole near one of the steamy rivers, and waited in ambush. When Fafnir finally showed up to drink water, Sigurd cut off his head with his magical sword Gram (or Balmung). To make sure that Fafnir was dead, Regin told Sigurd to cut out his heart and roast it for him. Sigurd agreed, while he was roasting the meat, he poked it with his finger to see if it was ready, and the hot blood from the heart poured on his hand. He instinctively put his fingers in his mouth, and the dragon’s blood gave him the ability to understand the language of birds. One of the birds told Sigurd that Regin was planning to betray him after he would eat the heart of Fafnir. Sigurd then killed Regin and ate the heart himself, which gave him tremendous powers. Sigurd took all of Fafnir’s treasures: the magical ring Andvaranaut, the sword Rotti, the Aegishjalmr (Helm of Awe) and the golden Bymie (cuirass). [Index]

Fenrir:
A giant wolf and the eldest child of Loki and the GiantessAngrboda. The Aesir knew that when Ragnarok would come, they would all die. However, to prevent or delay that, the monsters Fenrir, Jörmungand and Hel were confined.
When Fenrir was still a pup, he was quite playful and harmless, so they Gods did nothing to restrain him. Over time however, they saw that he was growing to enormous heights, and his strength was increasing daily. The Gods knew that no ordinary bounds would be able to keep Fenrir in place. A dwarf offered them an alternative: a magical shackle called Gleipnir. They tried to trick Fenrir into playing with him so that they could catch him. Fenrir knew better, so he told the gods that he would not approach them unless one of the Gods would put a hand in his mouth, as a promise that they would not try to bind him. The only God brave enough to do this was Tyr. He put his hand in Fenrir’s mouth, and the Wolf did nothing. The Gods then put the magical shackel on his paws and around his body. No matter how much he struggled, Fenrir could not move or get out. Angered by the Gods’ deception, he bit off Tyr’s hand.
The Gods then changed him to a rock called Giol. They put a sword between his jaws so that he could not bite. On the day of Ragnarok, Fenrir will break his chains and fight alongside his father against the Aesir. He will devour Odin and will subsequently be killed by the latter’s son Vidar. [Index]

Forseti:
The Aesir God of Justice and the son of Baldr and his wife Nanna. He was the god who made all laws, and he would be the judge of any dispute between the Gods or men. His name literally means chairman. He ruled in a great hall called Glitnir, which had a foundation of silver, and was supported by pillars of red gold. [Index]

Freya:
Her name literally means lady or woman. Originally, Freya was a Goddess of the Vanir. When peace was made between the Vanir and the Aesir, they had an exchange of Gods, to make sure that a war would never happen again. Hence, Freya, her twin brother Freyr and their father Njord were sent to Asgard.
Before this, Freya had a husband called Od, who misteriously disappeared one day. When that happened, Freya cried golden tears. Some believe that Od is actually Odin, and that he disappeared because of his marriage to Frigg. She had two daugthers by Od, they were named Nossa and Gersimi.
To the Aesir, Freya was the Goddess of love and fertility as well as the patron Goddess of women and a symbol of sensuality. As a Vanir, she was also the Goddess of witchcraft and a rather disreputable form of magic called Seidr.
She was the most beautiful of all Goddesses, with long blond hair and blue eyes. She had a great lust for sex, and she was promiscuous regarding her mates. Not only was she the lover of Odin, she also had sex with many different men, from Gods to humans, elves, and even dwarves. In order to obtain the Brisingamen, a beautiful golden necklace, she agreed to sleep with the four dwarven brothers who made it. Loki, a companion of Odin, was not very fond of her behaviour, and reported to Odin about his mistress’ antics. He even said in the Lokasenna (Poetic Edda) that Freya had slept with all the Gods in Asgard, all the elves in Alfheim, and that she was married to her own brother. Among the Vanir, incest was a common practise, and Freya’s father Njord was originally married to his own sister. Incest was not condoned by the Aesir, but Freya was too powerful to be punished. She had a human lover, Ottar, who was disguised as a battle boar with golden bristles, known as Hildesvini. She was courted by the two giants Hrimthurs and Thrym, but both were killed by Thor.
Apart from being a Goddess of love, Freya was also a Goddess of war and death like her lover Odin. She enjoyed going to war, and she was involved in the selection and training of the Einherjar. Half of the slain warriors would go to Odin’s hall Valhalla, and the other half would go to Freya’s hall Folkvangar (battlefield). Women would automatically go to her hall after death. Her private hall was Sessrumnir, which was not to be entered without permission from the guards that Freya posted.
Freya was fond of gold and trinkets, and she collected a good number of artifacts. Among which was the jeweled necklace of the Brising brothers, a cloak of bird feathers which allowed her to transform into a falcon, and a golden chariot drawn by two cats.
Freya loved the spring time, and she would aid women and animals when giving birth. She was called upon by men and women when there were issues with love. She enjoyed singing and dancing and loved to go to the realm of the Elves. She is also seen by some as the patron Goddess of the Elves, though her brother Freyr is the offical God of the elves, and also resides in Alfheim. Her personality seems to be two sided. On one said, she is the sweet, gentle Goddess of love and childbirth. On the other side, she is the Goddess of sesuality, sex, war and death. Although she is not the chief of the Asynia (Frigg already had that title), she is the most famous Goddess in norse and teutonic mythology. [Index]

Freyr:
His name literally means lord in old norse. He was the son of Njord and the twin brother of Freya. He was a Vanir God untill peace was made with Aesir, and he and his family were sent to Asgard as voluntary hostages. This was done to prevent another war between the two races of Gods. He was originally married to his sister, as incest was common among the Vanir, however it was now allowed in Asgard, and thus Freyr went to Alfheim instead.
He became the God of rain, fertility, sunshine and light, and he resided as the patron god of the Elves. Just like his sister, he was responsible for animals and their procreation, and his sacred animal was the boar (pig). He was known as the most beautiful male Vanir, and only Baldr could match him in beauty.
Freyr was the strongest god among the Vanir, and he wielded a powerful blade. He wanted the marry the beautiful giantess Gerd, but she was not interested. One of his servants, Skirnir, offered to help him marry Gerd, but his price was the magical sword. Freyr agreed, and after marrying Gerd, he gave the sword to Skirnir. Gerd and Freyr later had a son named Fiolnir.
Like Freya, Freyr had a love for magical items and gadgets. He owned a wild boar with golden bristles called Gulinbursti, which drew his chariot. He also possesed a collapsible ship called Skidbladnir, which always sails directly to its target, and can be reduced to a size small enough to fit his pocket. The boar was given to him by the dwarves Brokk and Eiti, and the ship was made by the sons of Ivaldi when the dwarves were competing with each other.
Freyr is the first Aesir who will die at Ragnarok, because he will no longer have his sword, and will fall prey to an attack by the fire giant Surt.
Freyr was a popular deity in Sweden. One of his temples still exists in Uppsala, where he was portrayed with a gigantic phallus, confirming his status as God of fertility. [Index]

Frigg:
The chief Asynia, the wife of Odin and the daughter of Fjorgvin. She had three sons, named Baldr, Hod, and Hermod. She was Queen of the heavens, prophecies and marriage. She is not the same as Odin’s lover Freya, though their names both mean lady or woman in old norse, and they have similar powers.
Frigg lived in a great hall called Fensalir, which was guarded by her handmaiden Fulla. She knew the destiny of every God and man, but would never speak of it. When she learned about the coming death of her favourite son Baldr, she went out into the world, taking the oaths of all plants, animals and nonliving things, so that they would never harm her son. She believed however, that the mistletoe was too harmless, and she did not take its oath. The God Loki disguised himself as an old woman, and learned about the mistletoe from Frigg. He subsequently tricked Frigg’s blind son Hod into killing his younger brother with a mistletoe fig. Baldr died and Hod was executed for his crime. Her other son Hermod tried to get Baldr back from the underworld, but that plan was also thwarted by Loki. Frigg was devasted with the loss of her two sons and her daugther in law, Nanna, who died of grief at Baldr’s funeral.
Loki also accused Frigg of having sexual affairs with Odin’s brothers Vili and Ve. Odin himself had many affairs with other goddesses, giants, and mortal women. It could be that Odin arranged her his wife to be with his brothers as compensation for his adultery. The Romand and Germans named a day of the week, friday, after Frigg. [Index]

Fulla:
Her name literally means bountiful in old norse. She was possibly the younger sister of the Goddess Frigg. She served as handmaiden in Frigg’s hall Fensalir. No matter who came to see Frigg, none of them could pass without the permission of Fulla. She was mentioned as the deity Volla in the Merseburg Charm, a german manuscript found in Saxony around AD 900. [Index]