Showing posts with label Aesir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aesir. Show all posts
Sif is a Norse goddess associated with the earth. She is also Thor's wife. She belongs to the class of newer gods known as the Aesir.
There is not much known about Sif, except for an incident when Loki sneaked into her bedroom and lopped off her beautiful golden locks while she was sleeping.
Thor was furious and threatened to smash him unless Loki managed to replace the hair. Loki asked the dwarfs to create a golden headpiece as a replacement. The dwarfs agreed and made a long wave of fine golden strands which Loki gave to Sif.
Along with the headpiece, Loki had the dwarfs produce other gifts to appease the gods: Odin's spear, Freyr's ship Skidbladnir (that can shrink to fit in his pocket), Freyr's golden bristled boar, and the mighty hammer for Thor.
Scholars have proposed that Sif's hair may represent fields of golden wheat and that she may be associated with fertility, family, and wedlock.
Next Thor's Day: another son of Odin, Vidar
Hodur (HOH-der) is the Norse god of winter and darkness. He is the blind son of Odin and Baldur's twin brother, therefore he belongs to the newer class of gods known as the Aesir.
The sources do not say why Hodur is blind, but scholars suspect it may simply be a representation of darkness and winter.
In the
previous post, you learned how Hodur was tricked by Loki into killing
his brother by shooting him with an arrow made of mistletoe.
http://salemsmoon.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/hr-and-baldr/
As a reaction to the murder, Odin fathered a son, the god of vengeance, Vali (pronounced like the English word valley). Vali grew to adulthood in one day for the sole purpose of slaying Hodur.
So Hodur joined Baldur in the underworld, which is ruled by the death goddess, Hel.
Interestingly, all three of the gods in this tragic story (Baldur, Hodur, and Vali) are among the few predicted to survive Ragnarok (the end of the world).
Next Thor's Day: Sif, goddess of the earth and wife of Thor
The Norse god, Baldur (BALD-er) was so handsome, gracious, and cheerful that he actually gave off light. Baldur is the son of Odin and Frigg, therefore he belongs to the newer class of gods known as the Aesir.
Unlike the immortal Greek gods, Norse gods could and did die. The story of Baldur's death is one of the most famous and one of the most complete in Norse mythology. Here is a condensed version:
When Baldur began to have dreams of his death, Frigg went around to every living thing in the world and secured from each of them an oath not to harm her son.
Confident in Baldur’s invincibility, the gods amused themselves by throwing weapons and any random thing they could find at Baldur and watching them bounce off of him, leaving him utterly unscathed.
Loki straightaway made a spear from the mistletoe and convinced the blind god, Hodur, to throw it at Baldur. The projectile, guided by Loki's aim, pierced the god and he fell down dead.
The anguished Odin sent another one of his sons, Hermod, to the underworld to see if there was any way Baldur could be retrieved from the clutches of the death goddess, Hel.
And so the bright god lay in the grave until Ragnarok (the end of the world) when he will be returned at last to the land of the living, gladdening the hearts of the creatures who fill the new world.
By the way, the engineering of Baldur's death was the final straw for Loki, but that is a story for another day.
Next Thor's Day: The blind god, Hodur
It's Thor's Day once again and that means some more trivia about the Norse pantheon.
Forseti (FOR-set-tee) is the Norse god of justice and mediation. Forseti is a grandson of Odin so he is a member of the newer class of gods known as the Aesir.
Forseti is one of the “younger” gods of the Norse pantheon, and it is telling that he is the son of one of the most famous murder victims in its history (Forseti's father, Baldur, was killed in a plot orchestrated by the trickster god, Loki).
Unlike the older gods, who embraced vengeance, Forseti turned to fair mediation in spite of his family history.
As a lawmaker, he approaches wrongdoing as a complex, multilayered problem that requires humane solutions based on established laws rather than lashing out emotionally.
Folk of all kinds would come to him for mediation of their problems, and it was said that no one came away dissatisfied by Forseti’s judgments.
Next Thor's Day: Forseti's father, Baldur
Happy Thor's Day from the windy city.
Sadly this is NOT the view from my hotel, but I am staying only a few blocks away from the pier.
But on to the trivia.....
Bragi (pronounced BRA-gee) is the Norse god of poetry. Bragi is Odin's son and a member of the newer class of gods known as the Aesir.
He has runes carved on his tongue and regales renowned heroes upon their entrance to Valhalla (a great hall in Asgard for fallen warriors).
Bragi is married to Idun (EE-dun), the goddess of spring and rejuvenation.
Idun grows the magic apples of immortality which the gods must eat to preserve their youth.
Idun and her apples were once abducted by a giant, Thiazi. The gods began to suffer the effects of old age. They soon began to suspect that Loki was the mastermind. The gods threatened Loki with death so he returned Idun and her apples to Asgard.
Next Thor's Day: Forseti, the god of justice
Heimdall (pronounced HAME-doll) is the Norse god of light. He stands guard at the rainbow bridge, Bifrost, which connects Asgard (the home of the gods) to the world of humans. Heimdall is Odin's son and belongs to the newer class of gods known as the Aesir.
Heimdall requires less sleep than a bird and has incredibly sharp senses that allow him to see great distances even at night and to hear sounds as soft as wool growing on sheep.
First, he visited some serfs, then some peasants, and finally a noble couple. Nine months after each visit, a child was born to each.
- The first was a strong boy named Thrall, who became the ancestor of all serfs.
- The second, Karl, was skilled at farm work and became the ancestor of all peasants.
- Jarl, the last of the children, was intelligent and quick to learn the skills of hunting and combat. He became the ancestor of all warriors and nobles.
Heimdall is usually pictured with his golden horn, Gjallarhorn, which he will one day use to call the other gods to Ragnarok, the final battle that will result in the destruction of gods and humans. During the battle, Heimdall will kill the trickster god, Loki, then meet his own death.
Yes, yet another day of the week is named after a Norse god. Tyr (pronounced TEER) is the god of courage and justice. Tyr was originally known as Tiw (rhymes with ewe) and that's why the day is pronounced Tuesday.
That makes four days of the week named after Norse gods.
FYI: The modern Saturday is named after the Roman god, Saturn, but in Norse times it was washing day (apparently some things never change).
Back to Tyr - he is one of the oldest European gods and was originally the chief god, but was later overtaken in popularity and therefore in authority by Odin. The myth was modified so that Tyr later became Odin's son (so even though he is quite old, he belongs to the newer class of gods known as the Aesir).
picture from http://www.glogster.com/justincallicutt/norse-mythology-gods-godesses/g-6mgb6bd7r6icgsv36d50da0
As you can see from the picture above, Tyr is missing his right hand. That's because it was bitten off by Fenrir the Wolf.
It was predicted that Fenrir (son of the trickster god, Loki) would cause trouble for the gods so they endeavored to bind the giant wolf for their own safety. The wolf refused to allow the suspiciously innocent-looking cord to be put around him unless one of the deities put his or her hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith.
Only Tyr was brave and honorable enough to comply with the beast’s request, and, when Fenrir found himself unable to break free of his fetters, he accordingly helped himself to the god’s hand. (Fenrir plays a part in Ragnarok, the Norse prediction for the end of the world, but that's for another post.)
The rune that represents Tyr is one of the oldest known runes. It has been found inscribed on swords, shields, and helmets dating back to 600 B.C. Tyr's rune is shaped like a spear and represents victory.
Next Thor's Day: Heimdall, the watchman of the gods
**facts sourced from Myths of the Norsemen by H.A.
Frigg is the wife of Odin and the patron of marriage and motherhood. Frigg is not the mother of Thor (Norse gods were not known for their fidelity).
Frigg was the goddess of the atmosphere and used a marvelous jeweled spinning wheel to weave long webs of brightly colored clouds.
She was crowned with heron plumes, the symbol of silence because she can see the future, but never relates what she sees.
When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigg was banished to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches plus the devil (a gathering of thirteen) and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as the "Witches Sabbath." This may be one of the origins of the superstition about Friday the 13th.
Next Thor's Day: Freya, the goddess of love and war
Even if you don't know anything about Norse mythology, chances are you've at least heard of Odin.
Odin was the highest and holiest god of the Northern races. He was the principal member of the Aesir (newer and ruling gods of the Norse pantheon).
Odin, was the god of war and death, but also represented universal wisdom and victory, and he was the leader and protector of princes and heroes. He is also known as the Allfather because he did actually father many of the Aesir (e.g. Thor).
The picture above depicts:
- Odin's throne, where he can observe what happens in the nine realms.
- The ravens, Huginn and Muninn (translated as Thought and Memory), who spy on the world of humans and report back to Odin.
- Odin's spear, Gungnir, that is so well balanced it will strike any target and will never break.
- Odin's wolves, Geri and Freki (translated as Greedy and Ravenous).
Why is Odin sometimes depicted as wearing an eye-patch?
He sacrificed one of his eyes in order to drink from the Well of Wisdom. His other eye is described as blazing like the sun.
When Odin visited the world of men, he disguised himself by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and cloak and walked with a wooden staff.
Tolkien based his character, Gandalf, on the wandering form of Odin.
Many theorize that the wandering form of Odin heavily influenced the concept of Santa Claus. The modern image of Santa Claus (fat, jolly, and wearing a red suit with white trim) was crafted by Coca Cola in the twentieth century. The original Santa Claus looked more like this picture from the nineteenth century:
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The wandering Odin often gave gifts to children and Odin also rode through the sky on an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir (which was replaced by reindeer in the Santa myth).
Next Thor's Day: the goddess, Frigg (Odin's wife)
Thor is the Norse god of thunder and the origin of the weekday name Thursday. During the Roman Empire period, the Germanic peoples adopted the Roman weekly calendar, but replaced the names of Roman gods with their own. So the day of Jupiter became Thor's day.
If you are familiar with Thor, it may be due to the recent Marvel movies. This is their interpretation:
In Norse mythology:
- Thor actually had bristling red hair and a red beard, from which, in moments of anger, the sparks flew in showers.
- He was a fierce warrior with a violent temper, who seems to revel in the slaughter of any who would challenge him (and isn't quite as noble as the one portrayed in the Marvel universe).
- He also wore a crown, on each point of which was either a glittering star or a steadily burning flame, so that his head was ever surrounded by a kind of halo of fire (his own element).
Although Thor was not the chief god (that would be Odin), he was the most popular with the people and they associated Thor with strength and the protection of mankind. He was the patron god of the peasants and lower classes.
Warriors often wore pendants depicting Thor's hammer (like the one below) which was called Mjollnir (translation: that which smashes).
Next Thor's Day: some facts about the Allfather, Odin.
**facts sourced from Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber
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