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.
It's Thor's Day once again and I know I previously promised you some trivia on Heimdall, but I'm going to postpone that until next time.
And here's a LEGO Thor just because everything (LEGO) ....is... awesome!
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