If Freya can’t find her chariot around, she can fly superhero style using a cloak of falcon feathers. She had a chariot that was pulled by cats but sometimes rode a wild boar. Imagine the gods have humanity’s true history and origins. Gerd, who was both a giantess and a goddess, rejected the magical rings and the apples that would keep her young. The Vanir mailed his head back to Odin, mafia-style. Called Gna, her ride is as odd as her name. 04 These were the first gods: Odin, Vili, and Ve — three brothers that created the world. Unfortunately, he was killed at Ragnarok while killing Loki, who arrived with the enemy. Frigg is more compassionate than her husband. The symbol of death in Nordic countries was referred to as The Valknut. "The counterpart to these deities of sky, air, water, and earth was the underworld, the realm of the dead, originally seen as ruled by the powerful Goddess Ereshkigal." The next day, Thor used his hammer’s resurrection powers to reverse the leftovers back into goats. And she’s not hesitant to punish anyone who breaks an agreement. Names: Bragi and AegirRealms: Bragi is the god of music and poetry. The supreme god of the Norse pantheon, the most worshipped among Viking gods. However, Saga is kind and regrets riling up the others. And the agonizing thing was that Hod had killed his own twin brother. In the manga and anime, Death Note, gods of death (shinigami) exist in their own realm and are owners of Death Notes, which are used to kill humans. In polytheistic religions which have a complex system of deities governing various natural phenomena and aspects of human life, it is common to have a deity who is assigned the function of presiding over death. The construction of such pyres could take hours to build, necessary to ensure the heat was located in s… The point is that, maybe, those UFO sightings reported back in the 1960s by astronauts were actually Mani, Bil, and Hjúki. An undignified scrap between gods in a human bar doesn’t fit with those values. Legend has it that the Moon god was born with his twin sister during the creation of the cosmos (we’ll meet her later on). In monotheistic religions, the one god governs both life and death (as well as everything else). Vali is a bit of a mystery, but he was conceived as the assassin of the god who was tricked by Loki to kill Balder. In the words of historian H.R. While Odin scares the general population and runs with the berserkers, Frigg is the one to approach when seeking a good marriage, plenty of babies, and protection for family. Kids are great but they’re also expensive. In order to deal with this spectacle, she had to leave Frigg’s palace where she guards the door against uninvited guests. Eir is a potent physician who heals the other gods with a white tanned flower. Etymology of his name points to poetic inspiration and shamanic ecstasy. They have some anger issues, sure, but that works in your favor as a client. As it happens, Snotra also inspires the best in people, using kindness to channel them to reach their full potential. A similar character is The Fallen, a member of the Thirteen Primes who is identified as the guardian of entropy. As you probably guessed by now, Hel is the goddess of the underworld, Helheim, within the Norse pantheon. Despite being a justice god and also owning the realm of reconciliation, some transgressions just hit a little too close to home. Exclusive secret message from Neil Armstrong to NASA: “Uhh, Mission Control, there’s this weird girl here sweeping up my tracks. This could leave parts of the body remaining and is of course not desirable. Names: Beyla, Gerd, Rinder, Ran, and SigynRealms: Respectively the goddesses of manure, fertility, drowned sailors and possibly victory. They are the king and queen of an entire world called Asgard. But every elite family has a goofball, and Honir holds that honor. However, he didn’t turn out to be a sour apple like Loki did. After the dust settled, the gods were reprimanded by their legal team. The importance of death rituals. Freyr’s servant then moved on to threats — he told Gerd that the wrath of the gods would fall on her, and that he also wanted to chop her head off. In Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands 5. This girl is most definitely not rooting for Thor. Their marriage faltered, though, because Njord shivered too much in the mountains and Skadi detested his seaside home. But this wasn’t the end for the long-suffering guardian of the well. All the delicious bits and bobs to have a great meal: check. Names: Tyr, Syn, Ullr, and ForsetiRealms: Respectively the god of duels, goddess of defense, and gods of justiceFamily: Odin is Tyr’s father and Forseti’s grandfather, Thor is Ullr’s stepfatherFun fact: Syn loves to guard doors. Magwayen - the goddess of afterlife and the first ocean deity, according to Visayan mythology. While Beyla received a smelly reputation and insect venom, Gerd, another goddess, was thrown into a terrible blackmail story. When Thor finally got released by his legal team, he left the bar. Names: Gefjun, Gullveig, and SagaRealms: Gefjun is the goddess of plouging and foreknowlege, Gullveig is the goddess of magic and Saga has psychic abilitiesFun fact: Gefjun once pretended to be a homeless woman and a generous king offered her some land. In fact, she’s so good at plowing, she used her skills in the past to create the island of Zealand in Denmark. But these troubles seem small in the presence of the third and final god. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Jana Louise Smit, "Norse Gods and Goddesses Pantheon: The Mythology of the Nordic Viking Deities", History Cooperative, February 26, 2020, https://historycooperative.org/norse-gods-and-goddesses/. Her twin brother was Freyr. The Gjöll bridge was guarded by a maiden named Móðguðr. Definitely too personal. The two made a great couple and soon welcomed a son, named Dagr. Odin has a spear, Grungir, that never misses. For this reason, he probably has no eyebrows for Loki. While she helps rejuvenate your toes back to their normal color and makes flowers pop up through the snow, you exchange small talk and realize that her husband is Bragi. While working through his emotional issues of having been born of nine mothers, the god’s skill at surveillance could track down any elusive business partner owing you money. The other? Nodding to this goddess is binding, because she commands the realms of oaths and contracts. You sob for a good thirty minutes, with your face buried in Hlin’s robes. So… space flight with the aim of shaking a Norse god’s hand is out. "MACARIA (Makaria) - Greek Goddess of Blessed Death", "Classical Mythology: Hades Takes a Wife: Persephone", "THANATOS - Greek God of Death (Roman Mors)", "KALMA - the Finnish Goddess of Death (Finnish mythology)", "TUONI - the Finnish God of the Underworld (Finnish mythology)", https://www.aswangproject.com/psychopomps-death-guides-philippines/, http://www.azteccalendar.com/god/Mictlantecuhtli.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_death_deities&oldid=1003449114, Articles needing expert attention with no reason or talk parameter, Articles needing expert attention from April 2018, Religion articles needing expert attention, Articles lacking reliable references from August 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Kvasir was said to be the wisest sage of them all. Just for some context, he’s also the father of Freyr and Freya (the ones who ride the boars). There are three different ways you can cite this article. But, just in case a customer boost is needed, his friend can help. Thor and Loki are likely to square off near the pool table, as the strongest god, Thor, is also the easiest to anger — especially when the giants make fun of him. Names: Odin and FriggRealms: King and Queen of Asgard. The sisters use a two-pronged strategy. But he’s also the deity presiding over courage, law, and justice. Forget the salon. Anubis is typically portrayed as half human, and half jackal or dog. Which gods did the Vikings worship and why? The winter goddess, Skadi, divorced him because she hated his beach house, and he was also one of the hostages sent by the Vanir to their rivals. Hel was one of the children of the trickster god Loki, and her kingdom was said to … Names: Thor and LokiRealms: Loki was the god of mischief, Thor was the god of ThunderFamily: Thor is the son of Odin, Loki fathered of Hel, Queen of the underworldFun fact: Most of Loki’s family were giants but he became a Norse god. Honir possesses a sparkling pedigree — he’s Odin’s brother and the uncle of Thor. In any case, she was regarded by the Vikings as the ruler of the underworld and in charge of those who died of either illness or old age. Why go all the way to another dimension or planet when you can send a minion? All except for one stubborn giantess — and although widely suspected to be Loki in disguise, this broke the “deal” and Balder was doomed to remain with Hel forever. The Transformers mythos features the character of Mortilus, a Cybertronian deity who represents death and who later betrayed his brethren and was destroyed, leading to the longevity of the Transformer race. Manila. Psychopomps, deities of the underworld, and resurrection deities are commonly called death deities in religious texts. Anubis is the one who decides whether or not one the deceased is worthy of entering the realm of the dead. Perhaps feeling poetic, Vali dispatched the blind god with another arrow. After all, how many chariots pulled by goats wait near a parking meter? In the CW TV show Supernatural, Death makes a crucial appearance. The Vaknut, also known as Hrungnir’s heart, heart of the slain, Heart of Vala, and borromean triangles is a mysterious Norse symbol. Balder, Old Norse Baldr, in Norse mythology, the son of the chief god Odin and his wife Frigg. Cayat, G. C. Manuscript on Kalanguya Cultural Communities. Names: Thor, Freya, Freyr, Gna and SolRealms: Respectively the god of thunder, goddess of love, god of fertility, messenger goddess and the sun goddessFamily: Freya and Freyr are twins, Sol’s twin is Mani, Odin is Thor’s fatherFun fact: Gna was just as fast as Hermod, the male messenger of the gods. The pair was confused about their destiny. Emperor(s) of Youdu (Capital City of the Underworld). In Norse mythology, Hel’s father was the trickster god Lokiand her mother the giantess Angrboda.