Facts about the Gods
Who are the Gods?
The Norse gods are divided into 2 major groups, the Aesir and Vanir, plus the giants, who came first. Some believe the Vanir gods represent an older pantheon of the indigenous people whom the invading Indo-Europeans encountered. In the end, the Aesir, the newcomers, overcame and assimilated the Vanir.
Odin- The father and ruler of all gods and men. Half of dead soldiers go to him in Valhalla. He lost his eye in exchange for a drink from a sacred well full of knowledge and learned about runes and their powers by hanging onto Yggdrasil for nine days. He later went back home and taught the goods the magic of runes.
Freya (Freyja)- The poetry-loving goddess of love and fertility. The othe half of the dead soldiers go to her hall Sessrumnir in Folkvangr. She is also the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses. She practices a different kind of magic, sorcery. In addition to magic, she can shape-shift and magically creates fire. She is the patroness of women who attain wisdom, status, and power, and the leader of the Valkyries.
Frigg- Wife of Odin, she is the patron of marriage and otherhood, Frigg was also the mother of Balder.m
Thor - The hammer weilding god of thunder, and Odin's son. Thor had a famous weapon, his hammer, named Mjolnir, and a belt of strength, named Megingjardir. He is the protector of mankind.
Tyr- Tyr is a brave, martial, Norse sky god . He is the god of war.
Loki- He is part god and part Jotunn (giant). Loki sometimes assists the gods and sometimes causes problems for them. Loki is a shape-shifter and a trickster
Balder- Balder was an Aesir god, son of Odin and Frigg, he was the god of the summers sun.
Forseti- The Norse god of justice, and the son of Balder and Nanna.
Freyr- Vanir fertility god, son of Njord and Skadi. His wife was the giantess Gerd.
Njord- The god of sea and fertility and was the father of Freyr and Freya.
The Gods and the days of the week
Sunday-Sun's Day
Monday-Moon's Day
Tuesday-Tiu's or Tiw's Day. Tiw is the old English name for Tyr, the Norse God of War
Wednesday-Woden's Day. Woden is the English form of Odin. So Wednesday is Odin's Day.
Thursday-Thor's Day after Thor, Norse God of Thunder
Friday-Freya's day, after Goddess Freya is Norse god of Beauty, Love, Lust.
Saturday-Saturn Day...NOT NORSE GOD...Saturn is a Roman god Saturn.