! Assembly of The Elder Troth

Contacts Database

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Giants of the Troth

Angrboda

Loki's giant-wife, mother of the Wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent (Jormungand), and Hel.

Baugi

The brother of Suttung. This giant employed Oðinn as a labourer when teh god was on his way to Suttung's hall intent on stealing the mead of poetry.

Beli

One of the descendants of Kari. The same name was given to the brother of Gerda who lost his life in an attack on Frey.

Bergelmir

(Farbauti)

The only giant who survived the deluge caused by the blood of the slain giant Ymir. Accourding to some sources, Bergelmir was the father of Loki, the mother being Laufeia.

Bestla

The wife of Börr and mother of Odin, Vili and Ve.

Bolthorn

The father of Bestla.

Earth

(Old Norse Jorth)

Identified as a giantess, mother of Thor by Odin, she is often referred to in poetry as "Odin's bride". The traces that have survived of the worship of the personified Earth herself show that she was honoured by the Germanic people, though not active in tales.

Etins

Giants. "Etin-kin" is used as a general term for giants of various sorts and trolls. Usually seen as the foes of the gods, although many of them are quite helpful, and etins and gods often interbreed. In fact, at least two of the goddesses, Skadi and Gerd, are etins; and there are none of the gods who do not have quite a lot of giantish ancestry. Some true folk today see the etin-kin as the largest of the land-wights, who now need to be helped to restore the balance of being rather than battled against; others stick to the traditional view of the giants as, in general, the embodiment of destruction. Old Norse Jotunn (plural jotnar); Anglo-Saxon Eoten.

Fenia

A giantess who, along with Menia, was unlucky enough to be enslaved by Frodi, king of Denmark.

Fenrir

The great Wolf, son of Loki and his giant-wife Angrboda, who will swallow Odin at Ragnarok. The commonly seen form "Fenris" is a grammatical error based on a misunderstood old Norse poetic convention of identifying things by their type and a possessive: "the ash of Yggdrasill", Askr Yggdrasils; "the wolf of Fenrir", Ulfr Fenris.

Geirrod

A would-be vanquisher of Thor. Geirrod captured Loki (who was in the guise of a Falcon) and forced him to promise to deliver Thor to his hall.

Gerda

A frost giantess of spectacular beauty often associated with the Aurora Borealis; she became the wife of Frey.

Gialp

The name of one of the Wave Maidens and also a daughter of Geirrod.

Gilling

A victim of the murderous dwarfs Fiala and Falar. Gilling was drowned, but there are different accounts as to how the pair effected this. One version has it that they came across him sleeping on a riverside and simply rolled him into the water; another says taht they sent him fishing in a leaky vessel; a third says that they took him fishing, capsized the boat in the knowledge that he couldn't swim, and rowed home with a merry song on their lips. Gilling's wife was understandably a bit upset by all this, so the dwarfs dropped a millstone on her head, to fatal effect. Gilling's son was Suttung.

Greip

The name of both a daughter of Geirrod and one of the Wave Maidens.

Grendel

According to some sourcees, a sea giant desceded from Ymir. Grendel is also known by the Old English mythic tale of Beowulf.

Grid

A giantess hwo gave a night's lodging to Thor and Loki as they travelled towards the hall of the giant Geirrod. After Loki had fallen asleep, Grid told a drunken Thor that Geirrod was planning to kill him and that he was foolish to make the journey without his hammer and his girdle of strength. She gave him gloves made of iron, a replacement girdle of strength, and an unbreakable staff. On another occassion she seem to have given her son Vida, a massive shoe made out of either leather or iron.

Mimir

A giant, perhaps the brother of Odin's etin-mother Bestla. Keeper of the Well of Mimir, in which all wisdom lies - the spring where Odin gave up his eye to drink. Mimir was sent to the Vanir as a hostage with Hoenir, but when Hoenir's slowness of speech was discovered, the Vanir became angry. Unwilling to harm Odin's brother, they lopped off Mimir's head instead and sent it back. Odin preserved it with herbs and spells, and gains much wisdom from talking with the head. According to the Eddic poem Sigrdrifumal, Odin learned the runes from Mimir's head.

Muspilli

The meaning of the name is not certain; it may be "destruction of the world through fire". The Muspilli are fire-giants, led by Surt, who will break through to fight against the gods at Ragnarok. The belief in the fiery destruction of the cosmos, and the association of it with the name "Muspilli", is probably very early. Other than this, we know little of them; they hardly appear in the Norse sources.

Surt

(Old Norse Surtr)

"The Black one", chief of the Muspilli, or fire-giants, who will lead the battle against the gods and slay Frey at Ragnarok. His name appears attached to several sources of Icelandic volcanic activities, from the Viking Age to the modern era (the volcanic island flung up off the coast of Iceland in 1963 is called "Surtsey", Surt's Island). The fire that burns the cosmos at Ragnarok is called "Surt's fire".

Thurse

Another term for a giant, especially used for ill--willing giants.

Ymir

The first giant, born from the meeting of primal ice and primal fire (according to the Prose Edda) or from the mists rising from the rivers that flow from Niflheim (according to the Eddic poem Vafthrudnismal). Slain by Odin and his brothers (or aspects) Vili and Ve. They made the sky from his skull, the earth from his body; his blood became the sea and the waters of the earth, his bones the rocks, and his hair trees and bushes.

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Last Update: Friday, February 9, 2007