In Germanic paganism, a religion followed by the ancient Germanic peoples that inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. This article presents a comprehensive list of these deities.
| Name | Name meaning | Associations | Attested consorts and sexual partners | Attested children | Attestations | | Baldr (Old Norse), Bældæg (Old English) | Old Norse form is contested. Old English form directly translates as "shining day".[1] | Light, beauty | Nanna | Forseti | Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf | | Bragi (Old Norse) | Connected with Bragr ("poetry")[2] | Skaldship | Iðunn | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | | Dellingr (Old Norse) | Possibly "the dayspring"[3] or "shining one"[4] | Possibly the personified dawn | Nótt | Dagr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Forseti (Old Norse) | "Chairman"[5] | Glitnir, justice | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Freyr (Old Norse), Frea (Old English), Yngvi (Old Norse), Ing (Old English) | "Lord"[6] | Fertility, Gullinbursti, Skíðblaðnir, Álfheimr, his servants Skírnir, Byggvir, and Beyla | Gerðr | Fjölnir (Heimskringla) | Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Ögmundar þáttr dytts, Gesta Danorum, various others | | Heimdallr (Old Norse) | "World-brightener"[7] | Gjallarhorn | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda, Poetic Edda | | Hermóðr (Old Norse), Heremod (Old English) | "War-spirit"[8] | | None attested | Sceaf (Old English only) | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Beowulf, Old English royal genealogies | | Höðr (Old Norse) | "Warrior"[9] | Blindess (Prose Edda) | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf | | Hœnir (Old Norse) | Contested | Creation (Poetic Edda), indecision, swiftness, long-legs | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry | | Lóðurr (Old Norse) | Contested | Creation (Poetic Edda) | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry | | Loki (Old Norse) | Contested | Deception, air | Sigyn | Nari/Narfi, Váli, Fenrir, Hel, and Jormungandr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Loka Táttur, Norwegian rune poem, Danish folk tales | | Meili (Old Norse) | "the lovely one"[10] | None attested | Brother of Thor, son of Odin | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Njörðr (Old Norse) | Contested | The Vanir, the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility | Once unnamed sister, once Skaði | Freyr, Freyja | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Egils saga, Hauksbók ring oath, place names | | Odin: Óðinn (North Germanic), Wōden (West Germanic), *Wōdanaz (Proto-Germanic) (see List of names of Odin for more) | "Frenzy"[11] | Creation, death, Einherjar, Geri and Freki, Gungnir, Hugin and Munin, knowledge, place names, poetry, royalty, runic alphabet, sacrifice, the valkyries, Valhalla, warfare, Wednesday, Wild Hunt | Frigg (consort), Skaði (Heimskringla only), Gunnlöð, Jörð, Rindr | See Sons of Odin | Most attestations of Germanic paganism | | Óðr (Old Norse) | "The frenzied one"[12] | Extended absences | Freyja | Hnoss, Gersemi | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Saxnōt (Old Saxon), Seaxnet, Seaxnēat, Saxnat (Old English) | Contested | None attested | None attested | None attested | Old Saxon Baptismal Vow, Old English royal genealogies | | Thor: Þórr (North Germanic), Þunor (Old English), Thunaer (Old Saxon), Donar (Southern Germanic areas) | "Thunder", all names stem from Proto-Germanic *ÞunraR[13] | Lightning, Thunder, Mjöllnir, Járngreipr, Megingjörð, Bilskirnir, Þrúðheimr, Þrúðvangr, Thursday, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, Röskva, Þjálfi | Sif (consort), Járnsaxa | Móði and Magni, Þrúðr, Ullr | Most attestations of Germanic paganism | | Týr (Old Norse), Tīw, Tīg (both Old English), Ziu (Old High German) | "God", derived from Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz[14] | War, Thing (assembly), Fenrir, Tuesday, place names | Unnamed, possibly Zisa | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Hadrian's Wall altar | | Ullr (Old Norse) | Something like "Glory"[15] | Ydalir, skis, archery, ring oaths, hunting, shields | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Gesta Danorum, Thorsberg chape, toponyms in Norway and Sweden | | Váli (Old Norse) | Contested | Vengeance | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum (as Bous) | | Viðarr (Old Norse) | Possibly "wide ruler"[16] | Vengeance, silence | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Vé (Old Norse) | Vé (shrine)[17] | Creation, brother of Vili and Odin | Possibly Frigg | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Vili (Old Norse) | "Will"[18] | Creation, brother of Vé and Odin. | Possibly Frigg | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | [edit] Goddesses | Name | Name meaning | Associations | Attested consorts and sexual partners | Attested children | Attestations | | Baduhenna (Latinized Germanic) | Badu-, may be cognate to Proto-Germanic *badwa- meaning "battle." The second portion of the name -henna may be related to -henae, which appears commonly in the names of matrons.[1] | Frisia, Sacred grove | None attested | None attested | Tacitus' Annals | | Bil (Old Norse) | Possibly "moment"[19] | Moon | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Beyla (Old Norse) | Proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee."[20] | Freyr | Byggvir | None attested | Poetic Edda | | Eir (Old Norse) | "Peace, clemency"[21] or "help, mercy"[22] | Medical skill | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Eostre (Old English) | "East"[23] | Eostur-mónaþ, Dawn | None attested | None attested | De temporum ratione | | Freyja (Old Norse) | "Lady"[24] | Beauty, Brísingamen, death, Seid, cats | Óðr | Hnoss, Gersemi | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Sörla þáttr | | Frigg (Old Norse) | Derived from Indo-European root meaning "Love"[25] | Distaff, foreknowledge | Odin | Baldr, Höðr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Historia gentis Langobardorum | | Fulla (Old Norse) | Possibly "bountiful"[26] | Golden ribbon, chastity, eski | None attested | None attested | Merseburg Incantations, Prose Edda | | Gefjun (Old Norse) | Related to "giving"[27] | Chastity, plowing, Zealand, dead virgins | Skjöldr, unnamed jötunn | Four oxen | Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga, Völsa þáttr, | | Gersemi (Old Norse) | "Treasure, precious object"[28] | Beauty | None attested | None attested | Heimskringla | | Gerðr (Old Norse) | "Fenced in"[29] | Beauty | Freyr | Fjölnir (Heimskringla) | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla | | Gná (Old Norse) | Possibly related to Old Norse Gnæfa meaning "to project"[30] | Errands, sky travel, Hófvarpnir | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Gullveig (Old Norse) | Possibly "gold drink"[31] | Æsir-Vanir War, rebirth, seid | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda | | Hariasa | Possibly related to the valkyrie name Herja or meaning "goddess with lots of hair"[32] | Contested | None attested | None attested | Stone from Cologne, Germany (CIL XIII 8185) | | Hel (Old Norse) | Ultimately "one who covers up or hides something" | Hel, death | Dyggvi (Ynglingatal) | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglingatal | | Hlín (Old Norse) | Possibly related to the Old Norse term hleinir, itself possibly meaning "protects"[33] | Protective guardianship | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Hretha (Old English) | Possibly "the famous" or "the victorious"[34] | Hréð-mónaþ (modern month of March) | None attested | None attested | De temporum ratione | | Hnoss (Old Norse) | "Treasure"[33] | Beauty, treasure | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Ilmr | | None attested | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | | Iðunn (Old Norse) | Possibly "ever young"[35] | Apples, eternal youth | Bragi | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Irpa (Old Norse) | Possibly relating to "dark brown"[36] | Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr | None attested | None attested | Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga | | Lofn (Old Norse) | Potentially related to "Praise"[37] | Forbidden marriage, female kennings | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Nanna (Old Norse) | Possibly "mother" from nanna, or potentially related to nanþ-, meaning "the daring one"[38] | Death from grief | Baldr | Forseti | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Setre Comb | | Nerthus (Latinized Germanic) | Feminine, Latinized form of what Njörðr would have looked like around 1 CE.[39] | Earth, wagon | None attested | None attested | Germania | | Njörun (Old Norse) | Possibly related to the Norse god Njörðr and the Roman goddess Nerio[40] | None attested | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | | Nótt (Old Norse) | "Night"[41] | Night | Naglfari, once Annar, Delling | Auðr, Jörð, Dagr | Prose Edda | | Rán (Old Norse) | "Theft, robbery"[42] | Sea, net, death at sea | Ægir | Nine daughters | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna | | Rindr (Old Norse) | Possibly related to *Vrindr[43] | Rape, vengeance | Odin | Váli | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum | | Sága (Old Norse) | Possibly "to see"[44] | Sökkvabekkr | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | | Sandraudiga (Latinized Germanic) | "She who dyes the sand red."[45] | None attested | None attested | None attested | North Brabant stone | | Sif (Old Norse) | "In-law-relationship"[46] | Golden hair | Thor | Þrúðr, Ullr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Sigyn (Old Norse) | "Victorious girl-friend"[47] | Assisting the bound Loki | Loki | Nari, Narfi and/or Váli | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Sinthgunt (Old High German) | Contested | Sunna, healing charms | None attested | None attested | Merseburg Incantations | | Sjöfn (Old Norse) | "Love"[46] | Love | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Skaði (Old Norse) | Possibly related to Scandia.[48] | Snowshoes, snow, mountains | Sæmingr | Ullr, Odin, once Njörðr. | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga | | Snotra (Old Norse) | "The clever one"[49] | Wisdom, grace | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Sól (Old Norse), Sunna (Old High German) | "Sun"[50] | Hrímfaxi, chariot | Glen | | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Merseburg Incantations | | Syn (Old Norse) | "Refusal"[51] | Locked doors, court defense | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Tanfana (Latinized Gemanic) | Unknown | Autumn | None attested | None attested | Germania, Tamfanae sacrum inscription | | Þrúðr (Old Norse) | "Power"[52] | Strength, chieftain kennings | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Karlevi Runestone | | Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr (Old Norse) | Literally "Þorgerðr Hölgi's Bride"[53] | Haakon Sigurdsson, Irpa, Hålogaland | None attested | Hölgi, possibly others | Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga, Skáldskaparmál, Færeyinga Saga | | Vár (Old Norse) | "Beloved"[54] | Hearings on oaths and agreements, vengeance upon violation of agreements | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | | Vör (Old Norse) | Possibly "the careful one"[55] | Wisdom, care | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | | Zisa | Related to *Tiwaz | Augsburg, victory, September, Suevi | None attested | Possibly Tyr | | [edit] Heroes [edit] Prose Edda deity lists The Prose Edda contains three lists of Norse deities within the books Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál. Gylfaginning features a list of fourteen æsir (chapters 20 to 33) and ásynjur (chapter 35) each: - æsir : Odin, Thor, Baldr, Njord, Freyr, Tyr, Bragi, Heimdall, Höðr, Víðarr, Váli, Ullr, Forseti, and Loki.[56]
- ásynjur: Frigg, Sága, Eir, Gefjon, Fulla, Freyja, Sjöfn, Lofn, Vár, Vör, Syn, Hlín, Snotra, Gná; additionally, Sól and Bil. The list is followed by an enumeration of valkyries.[57]
Skáldskaparmál (chapter 1) lists twelve æsir (apart from Odin) and eight ásynjur: - æsir: Thor, Njörðr, Freyr, Tyr, Heimdall, Bragi, Víðarr, Váli, Ullr, Hœnir, Forseti, Loki.
- ásynjur: Frigg, Freyja, Gefjon, Iðunn, Gerðr, Sigyn, Fulla, Nanna.
Nafnaþulur lists thirteen æsir and 27 ásynjur (both in chapter 75): - æsir: Yggr (Odin), Thor, Freyr, Víðarr, Baldr, Váli, Heimdall, Týr Njörð, Braga, Höðr, Forseti, Loki.
- ásynjur: Frigg, Freyja, Fulla, Snotra, Gerðr, Gefjon, Gná, Lofn, Skaði, Jörð, Iðunn, Ilmr, Bil, Njörun, Hlín, Nanna, Hnoss, Rindr, Sjöfn, Sól, Sága, Sigyn, Vör, Vár, Syn, Þrúð, Rán.[58]
[edit] Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses Some figures sometimes presented as Norse deities do not occur in the ancient sources: - Astrild (Actually a synonym for Amor and Cupid invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Freyja.)
- Jofur (Actually a synonym for Jupiter invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Thor.)
The following pseudo-deities are presented in Encyclopedia Mythica as Norse: - Brono (Claimed to be the god of daylight and the son of Baldr. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Dagr or Forseti.)
- Geirrendour (Claimed to be the father of the billow maidens. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Ægir.)
- Glaur (Claimed to be the wife of Mundilfari. Original source unknown.)
- Glúm (Claimed to be an attendant of Frigg. Source unknown.)
- Laga (Claimed to be the goddess of wells and springs. May be the same as Laha, a Celtic goddess of wells and springs.)
- ^ a b Simek (2007:26).
- ^ Simek (2007:43).
- ^ Bellows (1936:75).
- ^ Orchard (1997:32).
- ^ Orchard (1997:46).
- ^ Orchard (1997:47).
- ^ Orchard (1997:78).
- ^ Orchard (1997:83).
- ^ Orchard (1997:88).
- ^ Simek (2007:210).
- ^ Orchard (1997:123).
- ^ Orchard (1997:121).
- ^ Simek (2007:322).
- ^ Simek (2007:337).
- ^ Lindow (2001:301).
- ^ Orchard (1997:174—175).
- ^ Orchard (1997:173).
- ^ Simek (2007:363).
- ^ Orchard (1997:19).
- ^ Lindow (2001:78).
- ^ Lindow (2001:105).
- ^ Orchard (1997:36).
- ^ Barnhart (1995:229).
- ^ Lindow (2001:126)
- ^ Lindow (2001:129).
- ^ Orchard (1997:49).
- ^ North (1997:71).
- ^ Simek (2007:106).
- ^ Orchard (1997:54).
- ^ Lindow (2001:147).
- ^ Lindow (2001:154).
- ^ Simek (2007:131).
- ^ a b Lindow (2001:177).
- ^ Simek (2007:159).
- ^ Lindow (2001:199).
- ^ Simek (2007:176).
- ^ Lindow (2001:213).
- ^ Simek (2007:227).
- ^ Lindow (2001:237-238)
- ^ Finnur Jónsson (1913:110) suggests a Njörðr connection, Magnússon (1989:671) suggests Njörðr and Nerio.
- ^ Orchard (1997:120).
- ^ Simek (2007:260).
- ^ Simek (2007:266).
- ^ Lindow (2001:265).
- ^ Nordisk Familjebok (1916:665).
- ^ a b Lindow (2001:266).
- ^ Orchard (1997:146).
- ^ Simek (2007:287).
- ^ Simek (2007:296).
- ^ Orchard (1997:152).
- ^ Orchard (1997:157).
- ^ Orchard (1997:165).
- ^ Simek (2007:326-327).
- ^ Simek (2007:353).
- ^ Simek (2007:368).
- ^ Faulkes (1995:21–26).
- ^ Faulkes (1995:29–31).
- ^ Faulkes (1995:156–157).
[edit] References | Anglo-Saxon paganism and mythology | | | Gods and divine figures | |  | | | Heroic figures | | | | Other beings | | | | Locations | | | | Sources | | | | Origins | | | | Society and culture | | | | Neopagan revival | | | |
