Norse/Germanic
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Scandinavia
1200 BCE - 1100 CE
13 gods and goddesses
Norse mythology centers on Yggdrasil, the Ash Tree connecting the nine worlds. The Aesir (sky gods) and Vanir (earth gods) eventually unified after a war.
Unique among mythologies, the Norse gods know their end. Ragnarok is the prophesied twilight of the gods, where they will battle the frost giants and chaos monsters, resulting in the destruction and renewal of the world.
King of the Aesir and god of wisdom, war, and death. Odin sacrificed his eye at Mimir's well for wisdom and hung himself on Yggdrasil for nine days to learn the runes.
Son of Odin and the earth goddess Jord. God of thunder, lightning, and storms. Protector of mankind and the gods, wielding the mighty hammer Mjolnir.
A complex figure, blood brother to Odin but frequently causing trouble for the gods. A shape-shifter and trickster who fathers monstrous children including Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hel.
Queen of the Aesir and wife of Odin. Goddess of marriage, motherhood, and the home. She possesses the power of prophecy but chooses not to reveal what she knows.
Most renowned of the Vanir, goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, but also associated with war and death. She receives half of those who die in battle in her hall Folkvangr.
The most beloved of all gods, son of Odin and Frigg. God of light, purity, and beauty. His death, orchestrated by Loki using mistletoe, is one of the great tragedies leading to Ragnarok.
God of war, justice, and law. Bravest of the gods. Sacrificed his right hand to bind the wolf Fenrir, demonstrating his courage and willingness to uphold cosmic order.
Watchman of the gods who guards the rainbow bridge Bifrost connecting Asgard and Midgard. Possesses incredible hearing and eyesight, and will blow his horn Gjallarhorn to signal the onset of Ragnarok.
Vanir god of the sea, seafaring wealth, trade, and calm waters. Father of Freyja and Freyr.
One of the Vanir, god of fertility, prosperity, and fair weather. Owner of the magical ship Skidbladnir and the golden boar Gullinbursti.
Monstrous wolf, son of Loki. Bound by the gods but prophesied to break free at Ragnarok and devour Odin. Represents the inevitable forces of chaos and destruction.
Goddess and ruler of the underworld realm of the dead (also called Hel or Helheim). Daughter of Loki. Her realm receives those who die of sickness or old age.
Wife of Thor and goddess associated with earth and harvest. Famous for her beautiful golden hair, which was once cut by Loki as a prank.
The prophesied end of the world in Norse mythology. After a great winter called Fimbulvetr, the bound wolf Fenrir will break free, the Midgard Serpent will rise from the ocean, and the giants will sail to battle the gods.
In the beginning was the void Ginnungagap, with Muspelheim (fire) to the south and Niflheim (ice) to the north. When fire and ice met, they created the giant Ymir.
Baldur, the most beloved god, was troubled by dreams of his death. His mother Frigg extracted oaths from all things not to harm him, making him invulnerable - except she overlooked mistletoe.
The gods raised the wolf Fenrir in Asgard, but as he grew enormous and dangerous, they decided he must be bound. The dwarves crafted Gleipnir, a ribbon made from impossible things.
The immense ash tree that stands at the center of the cosmos and connects the Nine Worlds. Its roots extend into multiple realms, and its branches stretch over all existence.
Odin's cunning quest to obtain the mead of poetry from the giants, involving shapeshifting, seduction, and theft. This sacred drink grants the gift of poetic inspiration to gods and mortals alike.
Thor, Loki, and their companions travel to the castle of the giant king Utgard-Loki, where they face a series of humiliating challenges that prove to be elaborate illusions concealing cosmic forces.
Odin hangs himself on the World Tree Yggdrasil for nine nights, wounded by his own spear, neither eating nor drinking, in order to gain the wisdom of the runes and the power of sacred knowledge.