Humanities › History & Culture Norse Mythology Part I - The Gods and Goddesses of Norse Mythology Share Flipboard Email Print Tonygers / Getty Images History & Culture Ancient History and Culture Mythology & Religion Figures & Events Ancient Languages Greece Egypt Asia Rome American History African American History African History Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By N.S. Gill N.S. Gill Ancient History and Latin Expert M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota B.A., Latin, University of Minnesota N.S. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on October 09, 2019 When Ymir lived long agoWas no sand or sea, no surging waves.Nowhere was there earth nor heaven above.Bur a grinning gap and grass nowhere.- Völuspá-The Song of the Sybil Although we know a little from observations made by Tacitus and Caesar, most of what we know of Norse mythology comes from Christian times, beginning with the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson (c.1179-1241). Not only does this mean the myths and legends were written after the period when they were routinely believed, but Snorri, as is to be expected, occasionally intrudes his non-pagan, Christian worldview. Types of Gods The Norse gods are divided into 2 major groups, the Aesir and Vanir, plus the giants, who came first. Some believe the Vanir gods represent an older pantheon of the indigenous people whom the invading Indo-Europeans encountered. In the end, the Aesir, the newcomers, overcame and assimilated the Vanir. Georges Dumezil (1898-1986) thought the pantheon reflected the typical pattern of Indo-European gods where different divine factions hold different societal functions: military,religious, andeconomic. Tyr is the warrior god; Odin and Thor divide the functions of the religious and secular leaders and the Vanir are the producers. Norse Gods and Goddesses - Vanir NjördFreyrFreyjaNannaSkadeSvipdag or HermoNorse Gods and Goddesses - Aesir Odin Frigg Thor Tyr Loki Heimdall Ull Sif Bragi Idun Balder Ve Vili Vidar Höd Mirmir Forseti Aegir Ran Hel The Gods' Home Norse gods don't live on Mt. Olympus, but their abode is separate from that of humans. The world is a circular disk, in the center of which is a concentric circle surrounded by sea. This central portion is Midgard (Miðgarðr), the home of mankind. Across the sea is the home of the giants, Jotunheim, also known as Utgard. The gods' home lies above Midgard in Asgard (Ásgarðr). Hel lies below Midgard in Niflheim. Snorri Sturluson says Asgard is in the middle of Midgard because, in his Christianization of the myths, he believed the gods were only ancient kings worshiped after the fact as gods. Other accounts place Asgard across a rainbow bridge from Midgard. 9 Worlds of Norse Mythology The Gods' Death The Norse gods are not immortal in the normal sense. In the end, they and the world will be destroyed because of the actions of the evil or mischievous god Loki who, for now, endures Promethean chains. Loki is the son or brother of Odin, but only through adoption. In reality, he is a giant (Jotnar), one of the sworn enemies of the Aesir. It is the Jotnar who will find the gods at Ragnarok and bring about the end of the world. Norse Mythology Resources Individual Norse Gods and Goddesses Next page > Creation of the World > Page 1, 2 Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Gill, N.S. "Norse Mythology." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/about-norse-mythology-120010. Gill, N.S. (2020, August 28). Norse Mythology. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/about-norse-mythology-120010 Gill, N.S. "Norse Mythology." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/about-norse-mythology-120010 (accessed March 24, 2023). copy citation Featured Video