Norse stuff

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Warning this is going to be HUGE

COURAGE

By facing life's struggles with courage, we constantly extend our capabilities. Without courage, nothing else can be done!

TRUTH

Blind faith has no place in Asatru. No pie-in-the-sky; we must act in this world as we see it and as it really is rather than calmly wait for the next.

HONOR

We must be true to what we are, and we insist on acting with nobility rather than baseness. Our standards must be banners held high in our hearts.

FIDELITY

We stand true to our faith and our values. Loyalty is the basis for all enduring human activity, and we hold it in the highest esteem.

HOSPITALITY

The isolation and loneliness of modern life is not necessary. The willingness to share what one has with ones' fellows, especially travelers, is a vital part of our way of life.

DISCIPLINE

We hold to the discipline necessary to fulfill our purpose. We stand willing to exercise the self-control and steadfastness necessary in these difficult times.

INDUSTRIOUSNESS

Let us dare to be all that we can be! Let us take risks and taste the richness of life. Passivity is for sheep. We refuse to be mere spectators in life.

SELF-RELIANCE

We depend on our own strength and character to achieve our goals. We seek only the freedom necessary to our quest, whatever it may be.

PERSEVERANCEWe hold to our path until its completion and are not ashamed to be strong. The cult of the anti-hero will find no support in us, and the gods we follow are not for the weak.

[Jwoad]

The Nine Worlds

of the Norse Cosmology



The realms of the Norse deities were seperated into the Nine Worlds, nine different dimensions of reality which the deities utilized as their stomping grounds. The Nine Worlds of Norse mythology included:

Asgard, home of the gods, and original home of the Aesir, ruled by Odin and Frigga.

Vanaheim, original home of the Vanir, ruled in the past by Freya and Frey.

Jotunheim, home of the giants, or Jotuns; the Frost Giants (who inhabit the frozen tundra of this reality, and who depend upon very cold temperatures to exist) are ruled by Utgard-Loki; the Storm Giants (who inhabit the mountainous regions of this realm) are ruled by Thrym.

Niflheim, former home of the frost giants and once ruled by Ymir, and now realm of the dishonored dead, ruled by Hela (the honored dead go to Valhalla, a special part of Asgard overseen jointly by Odin and Freya). The realm is guarded by the dragon Nidhogg.

Hel (not to be confused with the Christian afterlife realm of punishment known as "Hell"), land of the common dead, also ruled by Hela (and in which she obviously named after herself).

Muspelheim, land of the fire demons, or Muspeli (sometimes described as giants or elementals), ruled by Surtur.

Alfheim, land of the Light Elves (the Norse name for the faerie folk, or fays), ruled in ancient times by Frey but now guarded by the elf Delling (according to author Freya Aswynn).

Svartalfheim, land of the Dark Elves, ruled by the dark elf Modsognir (also according to Freya Aswynn).

Midgard (Earth), the material manifested world of humanity, whose official guardian is Thor, though he obviously doesn't rule this dimension of reality per se. Each of the Nine Worlds are connected to each other by the roots of the cosmic ash tree called Yggdrasil. Asgard itself is dimensionally connected to Earth by a rainbow hued bridge called Bifrost, which is guarded by the god Heimdall.

[Jwoad]

Following the War between the Æsir and Vanir the gods realized they needed to rebuild the wall that had surrounded Asgard, as it had been destroyed during the war. While the gods were talented and well skilled in building magnificent halls and buildings, they thought the task of building a fortress like wall beyond them. One day a tall man came across Bifrost and told Heimdall that he had a plan to bring before the gods. Odhinn gathered all the god and godesses to meet with the stranger and hear his plan. The stranger (who was the giant Hrimthurs in disguise) said he could rebuild the wall surrounding Asgard in 18 months. For payment he would take the sun and moon and also take Freya as his wife. Odhinn became angry and said the gods would never give up Freya, nor would they give up the sun and moon. He angrily bid the mason leave.

However, Loki begged the gods not to be so hasty and he asked the mason for some time to consider his offer. The mason left while all the gods and godesses gathered around Loki . Loki suggested they get the mason to agree that if he could build the wall in six months, starting on the winter solstice and completing the wall by the summer solstice then he would get the prize he desired. Loki explained there was no way the mason would be able to complete the task in the time alotted, but he would get a portion of the work done, thereby making it easier for the gods to finish the task and the gods wouldn't have to pay the mason at all.

Odhinn called the mason back into the hall and put Loki's plan before him. The mason seemed hesitant, but said he would agree to the terms if he was allowed to use his horse, Svadilfari to help him. The gods agreed and the bargain was struck.

The mason quickly set to work and was making amazing progress on the construction. The mason cut huge blocks of stone and the horse hauled loads heavier than anything the gods had seen. Throughout the winter the wall began to take shape. As winter began to fade and spring was almost upon them the gods realized the wall would be completed and they would have to give up Freya along with the sun and moon. The gods shouted angrily at Loki as it was his idea that led to this. They demanded he use his cunning to insure that the wall would not be completed on time.

Three nights before the solsitce Svadilfari was hauling the last of the stones toward the wall when the stallion spied a beautiful mare. He broke free of his harness and began chasing the mare. The mason pursued Svadilfari but could not catch him. The mason chased his stallion all night but could not catch him. The next day not as much work was done as had been done before. When the mason realized he would not be able to complete his work on time, stormed into Asgard shouting and raving. Dawn soon came and with it, summer. The mason had failed to complete the task. Over the course of the winter the gods had realized the mason was a giant. When the giant flew into a rage and threatened to destroy everything in Asgard Thor struck him a single blow with Mjollnir thus the giant died.

Several months later Loki returned to Asgard leading a young colt that had eight legs. The colt was the offspring of Svadilfari and Loki, who had disguised himself as the mare. Odhinn took the colt for his own and named him Sleipnir.

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Various Races of Beings in the Norse Cosmology


The Giants, or Jotuns, are a humanoid race of beings similar to the gods who are constantly at war with the deities. It is believed by many modern scholars that the giants were probably worshipped by ancient humans as gods before their worship became supplanted by the Aesir and Vanir. Afterwards, the giants became symbols of chaos and destruction, and this is possibly the reason why most of the giants are against the gods and often at war with them (though a few of them have been on friendly terms with the deities, and a smaller few have even joined their ranks). Although they are of great size, they can attain normal human height while retaining their enormous strength, the latter of which is said to be so great that it can only be matched among the gods by Thor. They are as powerful as the gods in the arts of enchantment and shapeshifting. According to the myths, besides fighting with the giants, the gods' favorite pastime appears to be mating with them (underscoring the related heritage of the two races, which is clearly implied in the Norse creation myth), and in fact many of the gods are of giant stock, including Loki and Skadi (as stated above). The giants are often differentiated according to the type of environment they inhabit. For example, frost giants live in bitter cold regions and the storm giants live in the mountainous regions. Both groups of giants dwell in the otherdimensional realm of Jotunheim, where the frost giants are ruled by Utgard-Loki, who is a powerful enchanter, and the storm giants are ruled by the mighty and savage Thrym. Since the giants in general are of such a capricious and mercurial nature, I strongly advise against calling upon them for assistance in spellwork, despite their great power, particularly since they are not very friendly to humanity, and have had little to do with us even during the time of the Viking Era. This is especially true since Thrym is an avowed enemy of Thor, who is the sworn protector of humanity, and Utgard-Loki wouldn't be much friendlier. Individual giants who have joined the gods in Asgard may be called upon as the other gods can, and are described in the list of deities up above.

The Dwarves are diminuitive, swarthy subterranean beings who are excellent at the forge, and are credited with creating many of the magnificent items utilized by the gods, including Thor's hammer Mjolnir and Frey's ship Skipbladnir, and are known for collecting jewelry and other expensive items. They can be good or evil. They live underground in Asgard, as well as various sections of Alfheim and Svartalfeim. Brokk and Eitri are two very prominent dwarves mentioned in the myths, who helped forge many of the extraordinary weapons and parapharnelia of the deities, including Thor's aforementioned hammer Mjolnir and Odin's ring Draupnir. Although they shun contact with both humans and gods, they are very useful entities to work with, and the good dwarves can be called upon for spellwork in matters of material wealth, protection, weapons, consecration of items, and inventions.

The Light Elves are essentially the same beings known to the Celts as the fairie folk, or fays, and they come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and temperments. The elves inhabit the realm of Alfheim, which is the same as the Fairie Realm. They are masters of enchantments and of shapeshifting. Their contact with humanity was considerably more frequent in ancient times, but human contact with this elusive race was on the decline even during the Viking Era, and dropped dramatically during the ascendency of Christianity, which all but eliminated belief of these beings from the collective mindset, and during which both the practice of magick and humanity's close rapport with nature dwindled immensely. However, with the resurgence of nature-friendly Pagan religions on the world scene today, contacts with the elvin race has begun to slowly increase, but still remain quite fleeting. They can be called upon in spellwork for the arts, healing, wisdom, enchantments, creativity, and protection.

The Dark Elves are the Norse equivalent of what are commonly referred to in the folklore of various Western cultures as goblins and kobolds, and are darker of skin and mood than their close cousins, the Light Elves, but are otherwise very similar in magickal abilities. They live in the realm of Svartalfheim. As with their Light cousins, contact with this offshoot of the latter race by humanity was much more frequent in ancient times, before the dominance of monotheistic religions nearly wiped belief in them from the collective human psyche, along with the practice of magick and closeness with nature among human societies. The return of polytheistic and pantheistic religions to the world arena has insured at least a small increase between humanity and this "hidden" race of beings. Some of these entities may be contacted by witches for assistance in spellwork, but they generally prefer to avoid contact with humanity.

The Trolls are large, physically powerful, ill-tempered beings who are enemies of the gods, particularly Thor. They dislike all other races of beings, including gods, elves, and human beings, but fortunately they very rarely manifest on the material plane today. Though dangerous fighters, they are rather slow-witted and cowardly. They inhabit the outer reaches of Asgard, Alfheim, and Svartalfheim. It is not advisable to call on them for assistance in spellwork, and most of them aren't very adept at magick anyways.
The Fire Demons, sometimes referred to as the Muspeli, are warrior beings who are also enemies of the gods, and they live in the fiery realm of Muspelheim, where they are ruled by the vastly powerful demon Surtur, whose ultimate goal is the destruction of all of the Nine Worlds in a long prophesised event called Ragnarok, which Odin continually struggles to avert. The fire demons generally have nothing to do with humanity, and even during ancient times they almost never interacted directly with the human race, which is quite fortunate given their hostile nature, and even contact with the gods are rarely mentioned in Nordic legend. Their level of magickal power and special attributes (with the exception of Surtur) are unknown since they are mentioned so infrequently in all the surviving Northern myths, though it is implied that they are a great warrior race. It is quite obviously not advisable to invoke Surtur or the other fire demons for assistance in spellwork

[Jwoad]

Descriptions of some of the Gods and Goddesses
We have over 172 of them


Aegir

Vana-God of the sea, who was the official alebrewer of the gods. He has been variously depicted as both good and evil. He is married to the evil goddess Ran, and they have nine daughters, which are undines named for the waves. Spellwork: Matters of brewing, sunken treasure, sailing, and controlling the weather over the water.

Audhumla

The ancient cow goddess who bore the earliest deities out of the seeds of life. Spellwork: Motherhood, matters of childbirth and child-rearing.

Balder

Asa-God of light. Balder was the Norse equivalent of the great archetypal Pagan Sun God who is the most kind and beloved of the deities, and who dies and is subsequently resurrected. When the Christians re-recorded the myths of the Norse Gods, they interpreted Balder as a Christ-like figure or martyr. Balder brought nothing but happiness to the deities, and was so beloved that his mother, Frigga, the Queen of the Gods, cast a powerful spell in which almost no object in existence could cause him any harm, particularly since she received a prophesy that the kindly god's death would precipitate the coming of Ragnarok. However, Balder's death was orchestrated by a jealous Loki, who tricked the blind god Hodur into killing Balder with an arrow made of mistletoe wood, the one substance that the god was vulnerable to. According to some sources, Balder's spirit, calling upon his great warrior skills, fought his way out of Hel and rejoined his body, thus returning to physical life; other sources have claimed that Balder and his wife Nanna will be resurrected in the new universe that results after the destruction of the current cosmos following Ragnarok. Spellwork: Light, matters of harmony and happiness, reincarnation, wise advice.

Bragi

Asa-God of poetry and eloquence. This god is a symbol of literature, music, and all the liberal and fine arts, and is married to Idunn. Spellwork: Writing, music, poetic verse, creativity, education, liberal and fine arts.

Eostre

Vana-Goddess (?) of spring. The modern holiday of Easter is named after her, and the Pagan holiday of Ostara is in her honor; "Ostara" is actually an alternate name for Eostre. Spellwork: Spring spells, fertility, new beginnings.

Erce

Alternate name of the earth goddess Nerthus. See: Nerthus.

Forseti

Asa-God of justice. He is the son of Balder and Nanna, and he symbolized matters of law for the deities. Spellwork: Law, justice, matters of equity.

Freya

Great Vana-Goddess of magick, Witchcraft, love, beauty, and wisdom. She is the offical Goddess-form of the Norse Wiccans. Twin sister of Frey and daughter of the sea god Njord. Despite her being a peaceful fertility goddess, she was also an extremely formidable warrior (in her aspect as Freya of the Black Swordhand), and perhaps the most powerful enchantress among the deities. She was leader of the Valkyries, a sage, and a mistress of cats. Possesses the enchanted necklace Brisingamen that she earned by sleeping with the four Dwarves who crafted it. Mistress of a type of feminine magick called the seidrh (which she taught to Odin), as well as having knowledge of the runes which, unlike Odin, she did not have to earn through a rigorous trial, but was self-taught. Her chariot was pulled by two large male cats called Brygun and Trejgun. She represents the Mother aspect of the Wiccan Triple Goddess (though this role was given to Frigga in other sources, who is sometimes confused with Freya by modern scholars; I personally believe that Frigga is the more appropriate holder of the role of the Mother aspect of the Wiccan Triple Goddess). Freya also rules over half of the honored dead in Valhalla, and she actually get's first pick of these fallen warriors over that of Odin. Spellwork: Magick, spells, enchantments, cats, physical love/sex, wisdom, protection, combat skills, fertility, death, luck, wealth, the runes, psychic abilities, jewelry, poetry, creativity.

Frey

Vana-God of fertility, love, and sex, who is the official God-form of the Norse Wiccans. Freya's twin brother and the son of the Vanir sea god Njord. Also known as the Lover, as he is a fertility deity who is the Norse equivalent of the Pagan Horned God (and is therefore very similar to the Celtic god Cernnunos and the Greco-Roman god Pan in his mystical attributes). He was the leader of the Light Elves in his youth, and ruler of the enchanted realm of Alfiem (known to the Celtics as the land of Fairie, or 'Otherworld'). He also has a magick sword that fights by itself, which he sacrificed to win the hand of the beautiful giantess called Gerda. His chariot is pulled by two mystical boars. One of them is Gullinbursti (Golden Bristles), a golden boar which he can ride on its back through the heavens at great speed, and was created by the dwarves. Spellwork: Love, sex, fertility, wealth, luck, joy, happiness, protection, weather, abundance.

Frigga

Asa-Goddess and wife of Odin, as well as Queen of the Gods of Asgard. She was a mistress of magick who ruled over marriages, as well as being a powerful prophet who kept silent about her visions of the future. Sometimes she is considered the Mother aspect of the Wiccan Triple Goddess, though this role is more often given to Freya (who she is sometimes mistaken with by modern scholars) by Norse Wiccans, though I personally believe that Frigga is more suited to this role by far. Frigga is exceedingly wise, and was well known for her wily ability to get her way over Odin whenever a disagreement ensued between the two, and she had much influence over her husband's decisions. Spellwork: Independence, destiny, marriage, childbirth, magick, motherhood.

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Gullveig

Vana-Goddess and powerful sorceress who was the first contact between the Aesir and the Vanir. Some sources consider her to be Freya in a different guise, but I question this considering her somewhat different mystical attributes. She was burned three times by the Aesir, and returned to life each time, after which Odin renamed her Heid. This incident precipitated the war between the Aesir and the Vanir. Spellwork: Magick, prophecy, healing.

Heid

Alternate aspect of Gullveig following her resurrection. See: Gullveig.

Heimdall

Asa-God who guards the rainbow bridge Bifrost, which connects Earth to Asgard, and one of the mightiest warriors among the deities. He has a great mystical horn called Gjall, which he will use at the coming of Ragnarok to summon his fellow gods to their final battle. His senses are so acute that he can hear grass growing or detect a fly hundreds of miles away, and he requires very little sleep, thus making him extremely well-suited to his role as a guardian. Spellwork: Guardianship, protection from evil, beginnings and endings.

Hela

Goddess of death. Her Germanic aspect was Holda, where she took on the added attributes of a goddess of wyrd (fate). Rules over the spirits of the dishonored dead in Niflheim and the spirits of the common dead in Hel (the spirits of the honored dead go to Valhalla, a special section of Asgard, half of which is ruled by Odin, and the other half by Freya, and are hence outside of Hela's jurisdiction). She has a great palace known as Sleet-Den, which is located in the frozen wastes of Niflheim. The daugther of Loki and the giantess Angrboda (and thus a full sibling to the Midgard Serpent and the Fenris Wolf), this goddess is said to have been born with half of her body physically dead and decayed, while the other half of her is alive and healthy, a condition she attempts to hide, and which has contributed to her bitterness. Her disposition is said to be made all the worse by the lonliness she suffers as ruler of the underworld, as she has little regular contact with the other deities. She is among the most powerful of the Norse goddesses, as her role as empress of the dead requires her to be, and she has complete control over the will of every spirit within her two domains, and uses the spirits of the dead to create a huge army for herself. Ill-spirited and avaricious, but also very wise. Her Germanic aspect of Holda was seen a bit differently, as her control over destiny and fate was played up, as were her psychic powers. Either of her incarnations represents the Crone aspect of the Wiccan Triple Goddess by Norse Wiccans. Spellwork: Death, dark magick, revenge; (additionally, in her aspect of Holda) karma, fate.

Hermod

Asa-God who is the herald of the gods, and is similar to the Greek god Hermes in both function and special powers: he can run at super-speed. Curiously, their names are also etymologically similar. He is a very brave god whose most celebrated task was his trip to Hel to see how Balder might be revived. Spellwork: Matters of bravery and honor.

Hodur

Blind Asa-God of winter, who was tricked into killing Balder by Loki. He was a highly skilled archer before losing his sight. Spellwork: Winter spells, passiveness.

Hoenir

Asa-God who is a very skilled warrior. He was described in the myths as speaking very little, and he was not renowned for his intelligence. Spellwork: Bravery, fighting skills, aggressiveness.

Holda

Germanic aspect of Hela. See: Hela.

Idhunn

Asa-Goddess of youth, youth-lovers, and immortality. The wife of Bragi, she is a keeper of a tree where enchanted golden apples grew that could only be harvested or given to others by her. These apples gave the deities their extraordinarily long lifespans (unlike the Greco-Roman deities of Olympus, the Gods of Asgard were not truly immortal in that they did age, albeit very slowly, and would age far faster without regularly consuming the apples). According to myth, no human being has ever been allowed to partake of these apples. She represents the Maiden aspect of the Wiccan Triple Goddess by Norse Wiccans, and she is the sacred protectress of both youths and those who love them. Spellwork: Matters of youth and long life.

Loki

The Norse equivalent of the Native American Trickster (the Coyote), Loki was neither an Asa-God nor a Vana-God, but was born of the race of Jotuns, i.e., the giants, and was the master of trickery and lies whose cunning ways of deception both aided and caused immense trouble for the deities. When the Christians re-recorded the Norse myths, they interpreted this popular god as a Satanic figure of evil, which was not entirely accurate (there is at least one modern day cult, not related to Asatru or Norse Wicca, which worships Loki in his original Norse guise of a devious and deceptive, though not entirely evil, god). He was alternately described as Odin's "blood brother" or stepson (the latter being more accurate in my opinion, though he is much more often described as the former), as he was adopted by the King of the Gods after his giant parents, Laufey and Farbauti, were slain by the gods in battle. Loki is an extremely powerful enchanter and sorceror, as well as a masterful shape-shifter who was also considered a god of fire (an attribute that was allegedly added much later in modern re-tellings of the myths). Spellwork: Fire, mischief, cunning, deception, death, seduction/sexual conquests, lies, revenge, retrieval of stolen items, matters of treachery and thievery. It is advised that Loki be called upon with caution, as his responses to invocation in spellwork are very unpredictable.

[Jwoad]

Mimir

Asa-God of wisdom who was one of the hostages exchanged between the Aesir and the Vanir in order to preserve the peace between the two after their war had ended. He was killed and beheaded by the Vanir when his fellow hostage, Hoenir, proved disappointing to the Vana-Gods due to his lack of intellectual prowess. Mimir's head was preserved through herbal magick by Odin to maintain the god's great wisdom. His head now speaks at the Well of Mimir, where all of the god's enormous store of knowledge, wisdom, and advice can be acquired by those who visit it. Spellwork: Wisdom, advice, peace, the acquisition of knowledge, liberal and fine arts.

Nehellenia

Vana-Goddess (?) of plenty. Spellwork: Abundance and plenty, luck, fortunate turn of events.

Nanna

Gentle and beautiful Asa-Goddess who is married to Balder. She was considered the Great Mother to her worshippers in the past. Spellwork: Love, gentleness.

Nerthus

Also known as Erce. Vana-Goddess of the earth and fertility. Spellwork: Fertility, Witchcraft.

Njord

Extremely wise Vana-God of the sea. Wife of Skadi and father of the Lady and Lord, Freya and Frey. He lives in a great undersea kingdom called Noatun (Boat-Town). He rules the waves, and is similar to Aegir, only Njord is completely benevolent. Spellwork: Wind and waves, fishing, prosperity, matters of success, wisdom.

Norns, The

These three goddesses, known as Urd (the past, destiny), Verdnadi (the present) and Skuld (the future) are more than mere goddesses; they are apparently personifications of the vastly powerful universal force variously described as Fate, Wyrd, Kismet, and Karma. They may very well be the same beings known as the Fates in Greco-Roman mythology. They have each been depicted as very old women who hide their appearences underneath a hooded cloak, and are able to see the past, the present, and all possible futures with ease. They live around the Well of Urd in Asgard, and see to it that the fates of mortals and gods alike are weaved according to plan. Thus, the Norns are said to wield tremendous power that is respected even by Odin. Spellwork: Karma, fate; past, present, future (see respective goddesses for each).

Od

Mysterious presumed Vana-God who was married to Freya, and whom she subsequently lost when he vanished for inexplicable reasons, and which she mourned very deeply by shedding tears of gold (the tears that fell into the water are said to have become amber, but the symbolic significance of this was never explained in the surviving myths). Some consider him an aspect of Odin, but he is often described as a completely seperate entity, which I believe he was. His specific mystical attributes are unknown.

Odin

Asa-God who is King of the entire pantheon of Norse deities. Known as the All-Father and the Great Father, Odin is an extraordinary enchanter who is one of the most powerful beings in all of creation. He sacrificed one of his eyes to the Well of Mimir in exchange for acquiring all the knowledge in the universe, and he went through a famous debilitating and extremely grueling ritual of both physical and metaphysical self-sacrifice, during which he was hung from one of the branches of the world tree Yggrasil for nine days and nights without partaking of food or water, in order to gain complete knowledge of all aspects of the magickal runic alphabet (both for divination and their magickal power), and all of this was ultimately for the purpose of finding a way of averting Ragnarok, the "twilight of the gods." He rules over half the honored dead in Valhalla (the Viking equivalent of Heaven; the goddess Freya rules over the other half), he has two ravens, Huginn and Muninn ('thought' and 'memory', respectively) who fly throughout the Nine Worlds gathering information for him, which they then whisper in his ear, and he is often invoked by anyone, Pagan or not, who are utilizing the runes for divinitory purposes. He is the knower of all things, and is also attended by the Valkyries and two wolves, Geri and Frecki. He considers himself above human concepts of good and evil, for his main purpose is to avert the coming of Ragnarok, the destruction of both humanity and the deities (but which will reportedly lead to a new beginning, perhaps symbolic of the Wheel of the Year and the cycle of death and rebirth familiar to Wiccan theology). He has traditionally been considered the patron god of the ruling class of any given era (and as a result, he was and is far less popular as a figure of worship and/or reverence among Pagans than his son Thor, who is the god of the working class and protector of the common man, who have always been far more numerous in society than any ruling class). His motives are little understood by humans, and he often appears to betray his worshippers and allies if the situation, or the greater good as he sees it, calls for this. He also has the task in choosing the victors in any battle. Hence, he is unpredictable and untrusted by the average mortal, but was widely worshipped by rulers, poets, seers, mystics, and the berserkers (that ancient clan of brutal warriors, as he is a giver of "warrior madness" in combat). It is believed that at least some of his treacherous qualities were added by the Christians when they re-recorded the Norse epics, as well as after he became associated with the economic and political ruling classes of humanity. He is the giver of three types of "madness" to humans who call upon him for that purpose: the warrior in combat, the poet in writing and creativity, and the seer in trance. He would frequently travel among the human race in his mortal guise of the Wanderer (another archetypal symbol) where he was described wearing tattered clothing, a cloak, and a wide-brimmed hat, and he is often depicted wearing an eye patch to cover his missing eye. He is said to resemble a very large and robust man in his fifties, and has gray hair and a beard. He is also a master of medicine, and his magick has great ability to heal the sick and wounded. Spellwork: Runic magick, acquisition of knowledge, divination, poetry, the runes, healing, victory in war, acquisition of power, death, karma, wisdom, fate, psychic abilities. Note: Witches who call upon him for assistance should do so with caution, as he is rather unpredictable in how he responds to invocations in spellwork, and many have told of regretting calling upon him for magickal assistance, or following him as a worshipper, as his nature and reasoning are often quite inexplicable to the human race.

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Ostara

Alternate name for the goddess Eostre, and is also the name of a Pagan holiday in her honor that is still celebrated by Pagans today, and by the Christians as Easter. See: Eostre.

Ran

Vana-Goddess who is the cruel and malicious wife of Aegir. She is often called the Ravager, for she is known to drown sailors with her power over the waves. She is very unpredictable, and she should be called upon in spellwork with great caution, if at all. Spellwork: Drowning, storms over water, terror.

Saga

Goddess of history, who is said to be of the race of giants. Sometimes described as an alternate aspect of Frigga, which I personally doubt since her attributes are so different. She is responsible for collecting facts about her fellow deities and writing them down for posterity. Spellwork: Historical research, writing, poetry.

Sif

Asa-Goddess of the harvest, warrior, and wife of Thor. She was famous for her beautiful golden hair. Spellwork: Matters of the harvest, plenty, generosity.

Sigyn

Goddess of fidelity who is the devoted wife of Loki. She is a gentle and faithful goddess who attempts to temper Loki's mischievious ways. Spellwork: Love, loyalty.

Sjofna

Asa-Goddess of love. Little info about her is to be found in the surviving myths, but she appears to be exclusively a love goddess. Spellwork: Love, beauty.

Skadi

Dangerous warrior-goddess and daughter of the giant Thiassi, the latter of whom was killed by the gods. During her attempt to aquire a weregild from the gods in reparation for the death of her father, she ended up marrying the sea god Njord, who she accidently selected for marriage due to his beautiful feet. The two seperated, however, when Skadi prefered her home in the mountains over that of Njord under the sea, and vice versa. Spellwork: The hunt, mountains, revenge, winter spells.

Thor

Asa-God of thunder and son of Odin and Gaea, the goddess of the earth, in her Nordic guise of Jord. Thor is the champion of the common man and the working class (in fact, his hammer is the modern political symbol of socialists for this reason), and the most powerful warrior in Asgard. He wields the hammer Mjolnir (Destroyer) that controls the tempest of the storm and always returns to his hand when thrown, and it's among the most powerful weapons ever wielded by any god of any pantheon. He is a great hero who protects the weak, he is the staunch defender of the human race of Midgard (Earth), and is a sworn enemy of the giants and the trolls. He also has iron gloves and a magick belt that doubles his already prodigious strength when he wears it (though he only does so in emergencies, since the usage of the belt allegedly leaves him physically drained for a time after using it). His chariot is pulled by two enchanted male goats, Tooth-Gnasher and Tooth-Grinder, who can be killed for food and then magickally revived. He has two brave and powerful sons, Magni and Modi, who he sired with the giantess Jarnsaxa. Spellwork: Protection, war, combat, courage, physical and inner strength, success, destruction of opposition, defense, thunder and lightening, weather, luck, crop fertility.

Tyr

Asa-God of war and justice. The bravest of the gods, he willingly sacrificed his right hand in order to fetter the dangerous Fenris Wolf. He is the overseer of the Thing, the legislative body of the Gods of Asgard, and also one of the most formidable warriors among the deities. It is believed by many historians of the Norse religion that Tyr was once worshipped as a sky god and held in a much higher place in the pantheon, even over Odin, only to later be devalued in status. Spellwork: War, victory over great odds, law, justice, bravery and honor, oaths.

Ull

Vana-God of archery and sports, who was so magnificent that Odin himself was jealous, and threw the athletic god out of Asgard as a result. Spellwork: Sporting events, contests, single combat, archery, matters of nobility.

Valkyries

Warrior-goddesses (some stories say there are thirteen of them in all) who ride winged horses and are known as the "Choosers of the Slain," as they fly over battlefields where they pick which fallen warriors will go to Valhalla. They carry enchanted spears with flaming points for weapons, and their horses' manes are said to drop dew or hail. The most well known was Brynnhilda, who allied herself with the Norse hero Sigurd and taught him runic magick. They are led by Freya and are attendants to Odin. Spellwork: Courage, war, combat, death.

Ymir Not truly a deity, but the primal frost giant whose evil and brutality were ended by Odin and his brothers Vili and Vey in the early days of the multiverse. He is said to have spawned the entire race that became known as the Jotuns, or giants, without a female mate. It is not advised to call upon him in matters of spellwork.

[Jwoad]

he Bad Guys



Surtur, sometimes called simply Surt, is the incredibly powerful leader of the fire demons in the infernal realm of Muspelheim. He was trapped in Muspelheim ages ago by Odin and his two brothers Vili and Vey, and at the apparent cost of the latter two deities' lives. He is enormous in size, though he can evidently assume the height of a normal human or god at will. He carries a flaming sword as a weapon, and according to legend, he aquires the magick sword of Frey, the only weapon that can withstand the giants, and uses it against the gods during the "twilight of the gods" following the onset of Ragnarok. Surtur is said to battle Frey himself at Ragnarok, who is forced to fight the powerful demon with a pair of antlers. Though vastly powerful, Surtur is evil and dangerous, and should not be called upon in spellworkings.

Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is the monstrous, dragon-like progeny of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, who is so huge that he encircles the entire Earth, where he exists in etheric form. Should he constrict his coils, he can cause massive devastation to the planet on a global scale. His venom is so deadly that not even the gods can survive contact with it. At Ragnarok, the Midgard Serpent will be set loose on Asgard, where he will battle to the death with Thor, his mortal enemy.

Nidhogg is a powerful dragon who dwells in Niflheim and continually gnaws at one of the roots of the world tree Yggrassil, which will eventually cause the tree to collapse. He constantly trades insults with an eagle that lives at the top of the tree, and the messages are carried up and down the tree by a squirrel.

The Fenris Wolf is another lethal offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, thus making him kin to the Midgard Serpent and the goddess Hela. He is a huge and fearsome lupine beast who was wreaking so much havoc on Asgard that the gods decided to permanently fetter the savage creature. However, Fenris broke every single chain he was entrapped with, so the gods had the dwarves forge a magickal fetter. In order to get Fenris to agree to be bound, Tyr, the courageous god of war, agreed to put his hand in the wolf's mouth; if the fetter held, Fenris would bite. The magickal fetter indeed held as the dwarves promised, and Tyr lost his hand as a result. It is said that at Ragnarok, Fenris will escape his fetter, and will devour Odin, only to be killed in turn by Odin's son Vidar. However, contemporary Pagan scholar Freya Aswynn has surmised that this may be an alteration made by the Christian scribes, as Tyr was the god who had earned the ire of the Fenris Wolf to the highest degree, not Odin. Hence, in the original version of the myth, Fenris may indeed have battled Tyr, and not Odin, to the death. Garm is a monstrous dog who guards the gateway into Hel, and keeps the souls of the dead from escaping the underworld. According to the myths handed down to us, Garm will break lose at Ragnarok and battle the god Tyr to the death. However, it has been proclaimed by contemporary Pagan scholar Freya Aswynn that this may be an alteration in the original myth made by the Christians, as Garm was in the service of the gods and had no reason to attack any of them. So, originally, it may have been the Fenris Wolf, and not Garm, who battles Tyr