The Norse Pantheon is a rich and wonderful world of divine beings who are both awe inspiring and unfailingly human, complete with strengths, flaws, good and bad decisions, emotions and desires, everything that represents our folk. I remind the reader that there are many facets to our Gods and they are such incredibly complex beings that a quick summary is simply inadequate for a complete understanding. All that we seek to accomplish here is to give a quick overview with some basic information about each deity. We, as a tribe greatly enjoy enhancing our learning with face to face discussion and debate, and invite anyone local to join us in this practice so that all may learn an grow in the light of the Gods of the Northlands...
​
Odin
The Allfather Odin was the Patriarch of the Norse Gods, He is known as the God of Wisdom, The Giver of the Runes to man, and the one who gave his eye for a drink from Mimir's well of knowledge. It is Odin that takes half of the slain warriors to Valhalla, where they will feast and fight until the coming of Ragnarok, when they will take the field of honor and fight for all of the Folk!
Frigga
Frigga is the Wife of Odin, she is often depicted with a spinning wheel, as she is one who along with the Norns weaves the fabric of the lives of the folk together in the great tapestry that is Life!
in Lokasenna, Odin states that Frigga knows the Orlog of all men. She is often referred to as the Goddess of motherhood and the Household. Her followers often carry keys as a symbol of her mastery over the household. In the society of our ancestors, the women were the ones to manage their estates, while the husband is off raiding or to war!
Freyr
Freyr, of the Vanir, is the God of prosperity and abundance. Like all Norse Gods he takes part in war when necessary, but he is primarily a god of Frith. He is also a fertility God, and as such is oftencalled upon to increase the fertility of livestock or crops. His symbols include the boar "gullinbursti", and his fabled magical sword that was so enchanted that it could leap from his hand and continue to fight by itself. he traded the sword away in a mad effort to woo gerdr in the myths. This is what seals his doom during ragnarok for without his sword he falls.
Freya
Freya, the twin sister of Freyr, is the goddess that brought Seidr to Asgard and taught it to Odin. She is said to have worn a magical coat of feathers that allowed her to transform into a falcon and travel in flight. she is said to travel in a chariot pulled by cats, as the cat is sacred to her. She is the first chooser of the slain, and receives half of the battle dead. She is also first among the Disir (female ancestors), and presides in matters of Love and Human eroticism. Amber is referred to as Freya's tears. She is among the most complex and multi faceted gods of the Norse Pantheon and is featured in many of the myths and legends therein.
Thor
Thor, Son of Odin, Thunder God of the Aesir, is perhaps the most widely worshipped God of the pantheon. The God of the common man, the protector of midgard, the slayer of the Midgard Serpent, and the bringer of the rain that makes the crops grow. He carries the hammer Mjolnir,which is indestructible, and returns to his hand whenever thrown. He is the bane of Jotuns, and with his enormous strength he is the ideal protector of mankind. In his role as the protector of mankind he is also called upon for Hallowing, which is why many asatruar use a hammer hallowing to guard their sacred spaces. Calling upon Thor and his mighty Mjolnir to hallow the sacred space.
Sif
Very little reference to Sif exists within the Lore. She is the Wife of Thor, and her Golden hair is beautiful like the fields of grain that bring life to the folk by feeding them. The story of Loki cutting off her hair and then having the dwarves fashion her replacement magical hair forged from Gold illustrates the importance of crops to our ancestors as they are what literally keeps the folk alive.
Tyr
Tyr is the God of Law and Justice, he is most famed for being the only one with the courage and commitment to place his right hand in the mouth of Fenrir while they bound him with Gleipnir, causing Fenrir to bite off his hand in retaliation. He is the SkyFather and a War God, but his major focus is that of the Law. He is often called upon for Victory (The Tyr rune is the victory rune) both in war and in lawsuits.
Heimdall
Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, is the guardian of Asgard. He stands watchwith the Gjallarhorn, with which he will sound the alarm at the comin of Ragnarokk. He is seen as a link between men and Gods, and in Rigsthula, he is likend with Rig, who is said to be the father of all men. First he fathered a son called Thrael (from whom the class of thralls is descended), then he fathered a stout son named Karl (from whom the clas of ceorls is descended, until finally he fathered a son named Jarl with fair hair and flashing eyes (from whom is descended the class of Lords and Earls).
Baldur
Baldur was the most beautiful of the Gods, and the most loved. According to Snorri, Baldur was the most beautiful of all the Gods, so fair that a "brightness" shone about him. He was so beloved of the Gods that Frigga extracted an oath from all living things that they would never harm him. The only thing that she did not extract an oath from was a small mistletoe plant because it did not seem capable of harming anyone. As time went on, it became a game of the Aesir to throw weapons at Baldur which would of course not harm him. Until the fateful day when Loki makes a dart from the mistletoe plant and tricks Hod the blind God into throwing the dart at Baldur, killing him instantly!