List of Germanic deities

In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples that inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, various chronicles, runic inscriptions, personal names, place names, and other sources. This article presents a comprehensive list of these deities.
__TOC__
==Gods==
Name 	Name meaning 	Attested consorts and sexual partners 	Attested children 	Attestations
Baldr (Old Norse), Bældæg (Old English) 	Old Norse form is contested. Old English form directly translates as "shining day".Simek (2007:26).	Nanna 	Forseti 	Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf
Bragi (Old Norse) 	Connected with Bragr ("poetry")Simek (2007:43). 	Iðunn 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Dellingr (Old Norse) 	Possibly "the dayspring"Bellows (1936:75). or "shining one"Orchard (1997:32). 	Nótt 	Dagr 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Forseti (Old Norse) 	"Chairman"Orchard (1997:46). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Freyr (Old Norse), Frea (Old English), Yngvi (Old Norse), Ing (Old English) 	"Lord"Orchard (1997:47). 	Gerðr 	Fjölnir (Heimskringla) 	Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Ögmundar þáttr dytts, Gesta Danorum, various others
Heimdallr (Old Norse) 	"World-brightener"Orchard (1997:78). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda, Poetic Edda
Hermóðr (Old Norse), Heremod (Old English) 	"War-spirit"Orchard (1997:83). 	None attested 	Sceaf (Old English only) 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Beowulf, Old English royal genealogies
Höðr (Old Norse) 	"Warrior"Orchard (1997:88). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf
Hœnir (Old Norse) 	Contested 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Eddasa, skaldic poetry
Lóður (Old Norse) 	Contested 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry
Loki (Old Norse) 	Contested 	Sigyn 	Nari/Narfi, Váli, Fenrir, Hel, Jormungandr, and Sleipnir	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Loka Táttur, Norwegian rune poem, Danish folk tales
Meili (Old Norse) 	"the lovely one"Simek (2007:210). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Njörðr (Old Norse) 	Contested 	Once unnamed sister, once Skaði 	Freyr, Freyja 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Egils saga, Hauksbók ring oath, place names
Odin: Óðinn (North Germanic), Wōden (West Germanic), *Wōdanaz (Proto-Germanic) 	"Frenzy"Orchard (1997:123). 	Frigg (consort), Skaði (Heimskringla only), Gunnlöð, Jörð, Rindr	 	Most attestations of Germanic paganism
Óðr (Old Norse) 	"The frenzied one"Orchard (1997:121). 	Freyja 	Hnoss, Gersemi 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Saxnōt (Old Saxon), Seaxnet, Seaxnēat, Saxnat (Old English) 	Contested 	None attested 	None attested 	Old Saxon Baptismal Vow, Old English royal genealogies
Thor: Þórr (North Germanic), Þunor (Old English), Thunaer (Old Saxon), Donar (Southern Germanic areas)	"Thunder", all names stem from Proto-Germanic *ÞunraRSimek (2007:322). 	Sif (consort), Járnsaxa 	Móði and Magni, Þrúðr 	Most attestations of Germanic paganism
Týr (Old Norse), Tīw, Tīg (both Old English), Ziu (Old High German) 	"God", derived from Proto-Germanic *TīwazSimek (2007:337). 	Unnamed, possibly Zisa 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Hadrian's Wall altar
Ullr (Old Norse) 	Something like "Glory"Lindow (2001:301). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Gesta Danorum, Thorsberg chape, toponyms in Norway and Sweden
Váli (Old Norse) 	Something like "battle-slain" 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum (as Bous)
Viðarr (Old Norse) 	Possibly "wide ruler"Orchard (1997:174—175). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Vé (Old Norse) 	Vé (shrine)Orchard (1997:173). 	Possibly Frigg 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Vili (Old Norse) 	"Will"Simek (2007:363). 	Possibly Frigg 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
==Goddesses==
Name 	Name meaning 	Attested consorts and sexual partners	Attested children 	Attestations
Baduhenna (Latinized Germanic) 	Badu-, may be cognate to Proto-Germanic *badwa- meaning "battle." The second portion of the name -henna may be related to -henae, which appears commonly in the names of matrons.Simek (2007:26).	None attested 	None attested 	Tacitus' Annals
Bil (Old Norse) 	Contested 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Beyla (Old Norse) 	Proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee."Lindow (2001:78). 	Byggvir 	None attested 	Poetic Edda
Eir (Old Norse) 	"Peace, clemency"Lindow (2001:105). or "help, mercy"Orchard (1997:36). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Eostre (Old English) 	"East"Barnhart (1995:229). 	None attested 	None attested 	De temporum ratione
Freyja (Old Norse) 	"Lady"Lindow (2001:126) 	Óðr 	Hnoss, Gersemi 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Sörla þáttr
Frigg (Old Norse) 	Derived from Indo-European root meaning "Love"Lindow (2001:129). 	Odin 	Baldr, Höðr 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Historia Langobardorum
Fulla (Old Norse) 	Possibly "bountiful"Orchard (1997:49). 	None attested 	None attested 	Merseburg Incantations, Prose Edda
Gefjun (Old Norse) 	Related to "giving"North (1997:71). 	Skjöldr, unnamed jötunn 	Four oxen] 	Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga, Völsa þáttr,
Gersemi (Old Norse) 	"Treasure, precious object"Simek (2007:106). 	None attested 	None attested 	Heimskringla
Gerðr (Old Norse) 	"Fenced in"Orchard (1997:54). 	Freyr 	Fjölnir (Heimskringla) 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla
Gná (Old Norse) 	Possibly related to Old Norse Gnæfa meaning "to project"Lindow (2001:147). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Gullveig (Old Norse) 	Possibly "gold drink"Lindow (2001:154). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda
Hariasa 	Possibly related to the valkyrie name Herja or meaning "goddess with lots of hair"Simek (2007:131). 	None attested 	None attested 	Stone from Cologne, Germany (CIL XIII 8185)
Hel (Old Norse) 	Ultimately "one who covers up or hides something" 	Dyggvi (Ynglingatal) 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglingatal
Hlín (Old Norse) 	Possibly related to the Old Norse term hleinir, itself possibly meaning "protects"Lindow (2001:177). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Hretha (Old English) 	Possibly "the famous" or "the victorious"Simek (2007:159). 	None attested 	None attested 	De temporum ratione
Hnoss (Old Norse) 	"Treasure"Lindow (2001:177). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Ilmr 	Possibly connected to pleasant scents 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Iðunn (Old Norse) 	Possibly "ever young"Lindow (2001:199). 	Bragi 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Irpa (Old Norse) 	Possibly relating to "dark brown"Simek (2007:176). 	None attested 	None attested 	Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga
Lofn (Old Norse) 	Potentially related to "Praise"Lindow (2001:213). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Nanna (Old Norse) 	Possibly "mother" from nanna, or potentially related to nanþ-, meaning "the daring one"Simek (2007:227). 	Baldr 	Forseti 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Setre Comb
Nerthus (Latinized Germanic) 	Feminine, Latinized form of what Njörðr would have looked like around 1 CE.Lindow (2001:237-238) 	None attested 	None attested 	Germania
Njörun (Old Norse) 	Possibly related to the Norse god Njörðr and the Roman goddess NerioFinnur Jónsson (1913:110) suggests a Njörðr connection, Magnússon (1989:671) suggests Njörðr and Nerio. 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Nótt (Old Norse) 	"Night"Orchard (1997:120). 	Naglfari, once Annar, Delling 	Auðr, Jörð, Dagr 	Prose Edda
Rán (Old Norse) 	"Theft, robbery"Simek (2007:260). 	Ægir 	Nine daughters 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna
Rindr (Old Norse) 	Possibly related to *VrindrSimek (2007:266). 	Odin 	Váli 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum
Sága (Old Norse) 	Possibly "to see"Lindow (2001:265). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry
Sandraudiga (Latinized Germanic) 	"She who dyes the sand red."Nordisk Familjebok (1916:665). 	None attested 	None attested 	North Brabant stone
Sif (Old Norse) 	"In-law-relationship"Lindow (2001:266). 	Thor 	Þrúðr, Ullr 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Sigyn (Old Norse) 	"Victorious girl-friend"Orchard (1997:146). 	Loki 	Nari, Narfi and/or Váli	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Sinthgunt (Old High German) 	Contested 	None attested 	None attested 	Merseburg Incantations
Sjöfn (Old Norse) 	"Love"Lindow (2001:268). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Skaði (Old Norse) 	Possibly related to Scandia.Simek (2007:287). 	Ullr, Odin, once Njörðr. 	Sæmingr 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga
Snotra (Old Norse) 	"The clever one"Simek (2007:296). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Sol (Old Norse), Sunna (Old High German)	"Sun"Orchard (1997:152). 	Glen 	 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Merseburg Incantations
Syn (Old Norse) 	"Refusal"Orchard (1997:157). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Tanfana (Latinized Gemanic) 	Unknown 	None attested 	None attested 	Germania, Tamfanae sacrum inscription
Þrúðr (Old Norse) 	"Power"Orchard (1997:165). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Karlevi Runestone
Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr (Old Norse) 	Literally "Þorgerðr Hölgi's Bride"Simek (2007:326-327). 	None attested 	Hölgi, possibly others 	Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga, Skáldskaparmál, Færeyinga Saga
Vár (Old Norse) 	"Beloved"Simek (2007:353). 	None attested 	None attested 	Poetic Edda, Prose Edda
Vör (Old Norse) 	Possibly "the careful one"Simek (2007:368). 	None attested 	None attested 	Prose Edda
Zisa 	Related to *Tiwaz 	None attested 	Possibly Tyr 	
==Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses==
Some figures sometimes presented as Norse deities do not occur in the ancient sources:
* Astrild (Actually a synonym for Eros and Cupid invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Freyja.)
* Jofur (Actually a synonym for Jupiter invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Thor.)
The following pseudo-deities are presented in Encyclopedia Mythica as Norse:
* Brono (Claimed to be the god of daylight and the son of Baldr. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Dagr or Forseti.)
* Geirrendour (Claimed to be the father of the billow maidens. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Ægir.)
* Glaur (Claimed to be the wife of Mundilfari. Original source unknown.)
* Glúm (Claimed to be an attendant of Frigg. Source unknown.)
* Laga (Claimed to be the goddess of wells and springs. May be the same as Laha, a Celtic goddess of wells and springs.)
==Notes==
==References==
* Bellows, Henry Adams (Trans.) (1936). The Poetic Edda. Princeton University Press.
* Barnhart, Robert K (1995). The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology. Harper Collins ISBN 0-06-270084-7
* Lindow, John (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0
* Nordisk Familjebok (1916). Available online: 
* North, Richard (1997). Heathen Gods in Old English Literature. Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-55183-8
* Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0 304 34520 2
* Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer. ISBN 0-85991-513-1
Germanic deities and heroes
Category:Germanic paganism