Æsir
The primary pantheon of the Norse religions
The Æsir (lit. "gods") are the principal pantheon of Norse religion. The second pantheon, the Vanir waged war against the Æsir, resulting in a unified Æsir pantheon. While most mythologies portray a conflict between a "younger" and "elder" pantheon, the Vanir and the Æsir are portrayed as contemporaries and peers.
A member of the Æsir may be referred to as an áss, as Æsir is a plural noun. A female god may be called ásynja, with the plural ásynjur. There are several commonly known Æsir, such as Loki, Oðinn, and Þórr. Even less commonly known Æsir, such as Ullr, are frequently referenced in place names throughout Scandinavia.
Many of the stories of the Æsir are told in the Eddas, and they are frequently referenced both Icelandic Sagas and more modern Skaldic works.
Members of the Æsir, in no particular order:
- Oðinn
- Frigg
- Sif
- Syn
- Váli
- Heimdallr
- Gefjon
- Höðr
- Sjöfn
- Lofn
- Forseti
- Eir
- Bragi
- Var
- Hlín
- Vör
- Nanna
- Þórr
- Týr
- Víðarr
- Sága
- Ullr
- Snotra
- Baldr
- Gna
- Fulla
- Eir
- Loki
- Sól
- Bil
Sources:
- "Aesir | Scandinavian mythology". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- Hellquist, Elof (1922). Svensk etymologisk ordbok [Swedish etymological dictionary] (in Swedish). Lund: Gleerup. p. 1202.
- Swedish etymological dictionary, by Elof Hellquist (1922), p. XXIX
- Grimm, Jacob (1882–83). Teutonic Mythology. 4 vols. Trans. James Steven Stallybrass. London: Bell.
- Incorporated, Facts On File (2009). Norse Mythology A to Z. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1438128016.
- Dumézil, Georges (1973). Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Edited by Einar Haugen; Introduction by C. Scott Littleton and Udo Strutynski. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 0520020448
Type
Religious, Divine Host
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