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The Assembly of The Elder Troth would like to welcome you to our website. Please click on the links to the left to enter the relevant area of our site. Just as with any other faith, and historical tradition, the Troth has its' own group of gods whom are given honour by the folk. The entries below give some information on them. Gods of the Troth Aegir (Norse - Ægir) The giant who embodies the sea. Aegir brews ale for the gods and hosts some of their feasts. His wife is Ran, a less friendly personification of the sea; their daughters are the waves. Balder (Old Norse Baldr, old English Bealdor) Son of Odin and Frigga, he is shown in the Prose Edda as a rather pallid Heathen imitation of Christ, but other sources, notably the Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, portray him as a doughty and aggressive warrior. Today we often think of him as the shining young hero who embodies the hope of an age. After his death was foretold, Frigga got everything in the Nine Worlds to swear not to harm him, but neglected the mistletoe, which she thought was too small and weak to harm him. Making a game of his invulnerability, the gods cast weapons at him; meanwhile, Loki made an arrow of mistletoe and put it in the hand of Balder's blind brother Hod (a.k.a. Hoder), aiming it for him. After
Balder's death, Frigga sent a messenger to Hel to ask for him back. Hel
answered that if everything would weep for Balder, she would return him.
Only one old hag, who some think was Loki and others identify as Hel herself,
refused to shed atear; and so Balder stays in Hel's realm yet. After Ragnarok,
he and Hod will come back to inherit Odin's seat. Balder is seldom called
on, but is remembered as the hidden seed of the new world to come after
the final battle. Bragi Husband of Idunna, sometimes identified as the best of poets or the god of poetry. Here his function overlaps with Odin's, since Odin is the keeper and giver of the mead of poetry. Bragi is sometimes thought to be an historical poet of the early Viking Age who was taken up among the ranks of the gods. It is also said that Odin carved runes on his tongue and gave him the job of composing songs to honour the gods and the dead hearoes in Valhalla. He is the son of Odin and Gunnlod. Dellinger (Delling) The god of dawn and the third husband of Night. Their son was Dag. Forseti (Frisian - Fosite, Foseti) Patron god of the Frisians and giver of their laws. Silence had to be kept while drinking from the spring on his holy island, which he had brought forth from the rock with his axe, and beasts on the island could not be harmed. In the old Norse sources, he appears as the son of Balder, whose hall Glitnir, "Glistening", is pillared with gold and thatched with silver; he is also a settler of lawsuits and quarrels. As soon as he was known to the other gods of Asgardr he was honoured. Frey (Old
Norse Freyr or Yngvi-Freyr, Ingunar-Freyr; Anglo-Saxon Ing or Frea; old
High German Fro; Modern German (Wagnerian) Froh; Proto-Germanic *Ingwaz,
also called Fro Ing (Lord Ing).) Son of Njord, twin brother of Freya. "Frey" is a title simply meaning "Lord"; his original name was apparently some form of Yngvi/Ing. Together with Thor, Frey was one of the best-loved gods of the Viking Age. Frey was the main god of kingship among the Swedes, whose royal family, the Ynglings, was descended from him. His holy animal was the boar, which appears several times on richly decorated English helmets from the sixth century through the eighth. In Beowulf; it is said that the boar--image was put on the helm to protect warriors in battle. Frey was called on for protection in battle, for frith (fruitful peace) at home, and for good weather and gentle rains. He was, and is, often thought of as a giver of riches, whose blessing is called on for fruitfulness and growth in all fields of endeavour. His priests at Uppsala were said to ring bells and clap their hands with effeminate gestures, and it has been suggested that this cryptic reference hints at a tradition involving shamanic cross-dressing. Frey is the lord of the elves (see below), and is especially connected with the blessings and worship given to the ancestral spirits and possibly land-spirits. His image was often shown with an enlarged phallus; like his twin sister, he is sometimes seen today as a deity of love and pleasure. Frey owns a gold boar called Gullinbursti (Gold--Bristled) on which he can ride over air and water. He once had a horse named Bloody-Hoofed (perhaps having to do with his role as battle-god) and a sword, but these he gave to his manservant Skirnir (the Shining one) for winning the giant - maiden Gerd for him. At Ragnarok, he will fight Surt with a stag's antler. Like Odin, Frey has
some alter egos such as Fridleef. Heimdall Watcher at the gates of Asgard, he can hear the grass growing on the ground and the wool on a sheep's back, and needs no sleep. He is the son of nine etin-maids, perhaps the nine waves. His hall is called Himinbjorg (Heaven-Mountain). He owns the Gjallarhorn (the Horn Resounding) which he shall blow at the beginning of Ragnarok to gather the hosts of the gods. Some see this horn as a cowhorn (Turville-Petre suggests, through linguistic association that it is a Rams' horn), others as one of the sousaphone-like lurhorns used in Bronze Age rituals. Under the name of Rig ("King"), he came to Midgard in order to father the three tribes of humans - thralls, freemen, and rulers - and to teach runes and lore to the last. Heimdall is described as very fair, with golden teeth. His horse is called Gulltoppr ("Golden-Mane"). He is a great foe of Loki: according to one tale, when Loki had stolen Freya's necklace, Heimdall changed into a seal and fought with him in that shape, winning it back. Heimdall and Loki will slay each other at Ragnarok. Heimdall is sometimes seen as a rather aloof god and lacking in humour; however, he is a great teacher, and an especially good god to call on for those who work in subjects calling for cool intellect rather than the furious inspiration given by Odin.
Hermod (Irmin) The son of Odin and Frigga. He welcomed the heroes to Valhalla. His most spectacular errand was to Hel in an effort to recover the god Baldr. Hler According to a version of the creation myth, one of the first gods. Hod (Old Norse - Hothr) Blind brother of Balder, who unknowingly (at Loki's direction) cast the mistletoe to slay him. Slain in turn by Vali. According to the rather different version of the story told by Saxo, Hod was not blind, nor related to Baldr; he was a doughty warrior, who fought with Baldr over the woman Nanna. Hoenir Brother of Odin, long-legged and handsome, but slow of speech. Sent to the Vanir as a hostage after the war between Aesir and Vanir. After Ragnarok, he will take the role of priest among the gods. Little more is known of him, although he appears travelling beside Odin and Lodurr (or Loki) in several tales. Kari According to some versions of the creation myth the sons of the giant Ymir were Hler (the sea), Kari (the air) and Loki or Lodur (fire). These three gods gave birth tot he giants or monsters Beli, Fenris, Grendel, Gymir, Hel, Mimir, Thiassi and Thrym. Loki An Etin brought among the Aesir by Odin, who swore blood-brotherhood with him, Loki wavers between a weal-bringing culture-hero/Trickster and a woe-bringing destroyer. He is responsible for getting the gods most of their good, but only after he has led them to the edge of destruction. He often travels with Thor, sometimes leading him into trouble and sometimes getting him out of it. Loki also brings a surprising amount of humour into the Norse tales (and into the practice of the Northern religion today). The need for this function of his appears explicitly in the tale of how the giantess Skadi was reconciled to accepting weregild from the gods instead of insisting on revenge: one of her conditions is that they must make her laugh, and it is only Loki who can accomplish this. Loki may have appeared in cultic dramas as a ritual Lord of Misrule: inversion and reversal of all sorts are typical for him. As well as being the father of the Wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent, and, allegedly, Hel, he is also the mother of Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and cross-dresses in the typically feminine falcon-hides of Frigga and Freyja when he needs to fly between the worlds. Bad nineteenth-century etymology associated Loki with Logi (fire) and, helped along by Wagner, the image of Loki as a fire-being seems to be with us to stay. Modern thought also associates Loki especially with computers, for a number of reasons. After the death of Balder, the gods bound Loki in an underground cave, and Skadi hung a venom dripping snake over his face. The venom is caught in a cup by his Aesir--wife Sigyn; supposedly, when she turns away to empty it, his writhings cause earthquakes. There is much debate among true folk as to whether Loki is really bound, or just how bound he is, however. Not surprisingly, views on Loki range from those who think of him as a merry friend to those who see him almost as a Nordic Satan. Although he plays a key role in many of our holy tales, it is fairly safe to guess that he was not worshipped in quite the same manner that the other gods and goddesses were - but whenever a drink is given to Odin, according to the terms of their oath, Loki also gets one; and though he can cause trouble in our lives, he can also be helpful when called on with due respect. Kennings and Other Names for Loki:
Lodur (Old Norses - Lothurr) Possibly another name for the brightest aspects of Loki, though this is not certain. The third god of the Odin--Hoenir-Lodurr trio which shaped humankind. Moon (Old Norse Mani -used
only as a personal name or poetic term, not usually applied to the simple
heavenly body.) The Moon is always masculine in Germanic language and culture, just as the Sun is always feminine. This is one of the most difficult things in Northern religion for those brought up on the Greco-Roman Diana and Apollo to get used to; but traces of our original way of thinking of these two survive even in English (cf. "the Man in the Moon"). The Moon is the brother of the Sun: he is seen as dressed in a gray sark (long shirt), driving a wagon drawn by a horse called Hrimfaxi (Ice-Mane) and chased by a troll in wolf-shape who will devour him at Ragnarok. Njord Father of Frey and Freya, he is not active in the Northern tales. However, he was seen as god of the sea and of ships, and also thought of as a giver of riches and good harvest. He was usually blessed together with his son. Odin (Old Norse Othinn;
Anglo-Saxon Woden; old High German Wodan; Modern German Wotan; Proto-Germanic
*Wothanaz. "The Furious (or Mad) one".) Originally a god of death, whose range later came to encompass magic (especially runic magic and chanted charms), battle (giving victory by choosing who should die), poetry (closely tied to his magical skills), the fury of the berserk-warrior, and, at least in part, the authority of the ruler descended from the gods (he is the most frequent father of royal lines - induding, according to Anglo-Saxon genealogies, the current royal house of England). In the Prose Edda (written two hundred years after the conversion of Iceland), he is shown as the chief of the gods, but historical accounts of Germanic religion do not necessarily support this; it is likelier that Snorri was modelling the Norse pantheon somewhat on the Classical. As patron of poets, he was one of the gods most often mentioned in holy tales and skaldic poetry; since his name was hailed so often by his word-skilled fosterlings, we know more about him today than about the other deities. Odin won the runes by hanging on a tree for nine days and nights, wounded with his own spear. He gave up one of his eyes for a drink from the Well of Mimir ("Memory"). He won the mead of poetry by seducing the giant-maid Gunnlod who had been set to keep it, then asking for a drink and draining all three cauldrons. To his chosen ones, he gives victory, inspiration, magic, madness, and death when he sees fit. He is seen as especially a god of wisdom, a patron of poets, thinkers, and singers. Of all the gods, Odin is the one who seems to take the most active part in the affairs of humans, and the one who appears most often in the writings of the Germanic peoples. His German incarnation, Wotan, is the chief figure shaping the action of Wagner's Ring Cycle. Odin usually appears as a gray-bearded man, tall and thin, with a blue-black cloak and an eyepatch or wide-brimmed hat tilted to hide his missing eye. His weapon is the casting spear Gungnir, with which he dooms his chosen ones to die in battle. He has two wolves, Geri and Freki (both names mean "the Greedy"); two ravens, Huginn ("the Thoughtful" or "the Bold") and Muninn ("the Mindful" or "the Desirous"); and a gray, eight-legged horse called Sleipnir ("Slipper"). He is the husband of Frigga and the father of many gods and human heroes. As the leader of the Wild Hunt, he also brings fruitfulness to the fields. Odin is assisted by the valkyries ("Choosers of the Slain") who work his will on the battlefield, bringing the bravest warriors to Valhall ("Hall of the Slain"), where they ready their strength against the coming of Ragnarok. It is said that "Odin will help you if he feels like it", and it is true that he is a stern tester of his children, and often seems rather capricious. However, even when he seems cruel, his purpose is always clear: to strengthen the hosts of the gods for the last battle so that life and knowledge can be preserved and the new world born after the old is destroyed. In the late Viking Age poem Eiriksmall, Bragi asks Odin, "Why did you take victory from him (Erik Bloodaxe), if he seemed the bravest to you?" and Odin answers, "Because of that which no one knows (that is, the time of Ragnarok): the Gray Wolf gapes ever at the dwellings of the gods." Odin is a god of foresight, careful weaving of plots, and long-term agendas. Odin appears in many guises when he travels and is known by other names such as Bolwerk (Bolverkr), Gangrad, Grimnir, Vak, Valtam, Vecha. The nature of the term "All-Father" is interesting and the following quotes from Simek may be of use in this regards for some:
Odr Said to be Freya's husband, but the name is either the same as the root-word on which Odin's name is based, "fury", or that from which Odroerir is derived, "inspiration". It is most oflen thought that Odr is the same god as Odin, perhaps in an earlier form. Sataere The Teutonic god of agriculture, possibly a persona of Loki. Saxnot A patron god of the Saxons; since he was apparently not known to the Norse, no tales of him have survived. However, we know that when Charlemagne was carrying out his war of cultural destruction against the Heathen Saxons, those forcibly converted were made to swear an oath forsaking Woden (Odin), Thunaer (Thor), and Saxnot. In the slightly variant form Seaxnet, he is also recorded as the father of the East Saxon dynasty in England. The first element of his name is probably related to the word sax (a type of knife). Summer One of the early gods. Beloved by all but Winter. Svasud A beautiful and gentle god whose son was Summer. Thor (Old Norse Thorr;
Anglo-Saxon Thunar (from which "Thursday"); old German Thonar;
Modern German/Wagnerian Donner; Proto-Germanic *Thunraz.) "Thunder", son of Odin and Earth. The most beloved god of the Viking Age, perhaps seen as the chief god at that time, and often known now as "god of the common man", Thor is best-known for his ceaseless battle against the giants. He is not a bloody-minded reaver, however, but a warder who protects the folk of Midgard and Asgard against the menacing beings who would destroy the world; unlike Odin, he never involves himself in the battles of men, but the gods often seem to rely wholly on his protection. He is the only god that Loki seems to respect. Although Thor is sometimes shown as being slow--witted in comparison with Odin or Loki, he is a practical god whose solutions to problems are usually swift, effective, and show the common sense the other two sometimes lack. He is also called the "Deep-Thinker", and in one Eddic poem, outwits the clever dwarf Alviss ("All-Wise") by engaging him in a riddle contest until dawn turns the dwarf to stone. Thor's weapon is the Hammer Mjollnir, images of which are worn by true folk today as a sign of troth, as was also done towards the end of the Viking Age when Red Thor was called on to battle the White Christ. As well as fighting giants, Thor also uses his Hammer for hallowing both brides and funeral pyres, and several runic inscriptions from late Viking Age Denmark call on him to hallow the runes. Thor was worshipped most by the free farmers (who were also warriors at need) and by those who "trusted in their own might and main". Today, he is also seen as the warder of his mother Earth against those who would harm her for their own gain. He is able to raise great rages in himself, in which he summons up more strength than any being in the worlds can match. Thor appears as a big, muscular man with red hair and beard and huge fiery eyes. He drives a wagon which is drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir (Teeth-Barer or Teeth--Gnasher) and Tanngnjostr (Tooth-Gritter). When he travels to Jotunheim, Loki often goes with him; Thor is the only god that Loki really seems to respect. Thor is married to Sif, and had a daughter named Thrud (Strength) by her; he also has a giantess-concubine, who bore him his sons, Modi (Courage) and Magni (Main-strength). It is said that "Thor will help you if your prayer is sincere". Tyr (Old Norse & Northern Germanic - Tyr/Ty; Anglo-Saxon - Tiw (from whence "Tuesday") also Tiu, Tio, Tig; Gothic - Tius; Old High German - Ziu; Old Germanic - Tiew; Proto-Germanic - Tiwaz.) His name simply means "god"; at one time, he may have been the Germanic equivalent of Zeus or Jupiter, the "Sky-Father" of the Indo-Europeans. In old Norse, Tyr appears only in the myth in which he gives up his hand so that the gods can bind the Wolf Fenrir. However, there are hints associating him with the Thing (the judgement -assembly of the Germanic peoples) and suggesting strongly that he may originally have been a god of justice. Tyr's justice, however, is not that of calm Solomonic legislation, but that of the often lively wrangling of the Germanic legal process, which was effectively a battle sublimated into a form where the process of working out the problem could help, rather than harm, the community. Tyr will fight Garm, the hound of Hel, at Ragnarok. No images or descriptions of Tyr have survived, except that we know he is one-handed, and the Prose Edda portrays him as a warrior. It is said that "Tyr will help you if - and only if -your cause is just". A female deity named Cisa or Zisa (Upper German feminine form of the name Tyr) is also recorded near Augsburg, but we know even less of her, though it has been suggested in modern times that she may be paired with Tyr in some way, perhaps as either a twin with similar functions or as an Earth-Mother complementing the Sky-Father. Ull (Old Norse Ullr; Anglo-Saxon Wuldor; Primitive Norse Wultur.) God of the bow and the snowshoe, patron of hunters and single combat, little is known of Ull from the tales of the North. His name means "Glory", and has sometimes been thought to refer to the Northern Lights. His home is called "Yew-Dales", fitting to the bow-god. Since his name often appears twinned with that of Njord or Frey in place-names, it is possible that he may have alternated with one or the other as the Winter half of a Winter King/Summer King pair. Vali Fathered by Odin on the maiden Rind to avenge Balder's death. He is not to be confused with the Vali who was the sone of Loki and Sigyn. Vasud The father of Vindsval and grandfather of Winter. By all accounts Vasud was a very unfriendly god. Ve (Old Norse Ve, modern "Wih".) "Holiness". Probably an aspect of Odin. The "three brothers" Odin, Vili, and Ve slew the proto-giant Ymir and made the worlds out of his body. The third brother in the Voluspa (Poetic Edda) is given as Loður or Lodur. Vidar (Old Norse - Vitharr) Vidar: Called "the Silent God", Vidar was fathered by Odin on the giantess Grid. At Ragnarok, he will tear Fenrir's jaws apart, avenging Odin and freeing him (or at least some important part of his spirit) from the Wolfs belly. His name may mean "the Wide-Ruling one". Vili "Will". Probably an aspect of Odin. See Ve. In second brother in the Voluspa (Poetic Edda) is given as Hoenir. Winter The vile enemy of the god Summer; son of Vindsval and grandson of Vasud. Images and Contents Copyright © Assembly of The Elder Troth 2002 - 2007 or as specified. For communications regarding this website please e-mail webmaster@aetaustralia.org Page maintained by Schmitt Services Last Update: Friday, February 9, 2007
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