Norse Pantheon

Freyja

Mímir

Sif

Idunn

Baldr

Kvasir

Forseti

Heimdallr

Týr

Sith

Bragi

Ullr

Skaði

Höðr

Vili & Vé

Víðarr

Hel

Freyr

Njörðr

Gullveig

Fjölnir

Lýtir

Ægir

Rán

Nótt

Dagr

Dellingr

Hel (Formerly)

Norse Ascension

Abel

Einherjars

Elves

Dwarves

**The Norse Pantheon** is the group of Nordic Gods who were widely worshipped during 13th century.

## **History**

### **In Mythology**

There existed a void in the middle of everything, called Gunnungigap, next to a realm called Muspell, and also beyond Gunnungagap, was a realm called Nifl. As the icy waters from Nifl met the hot coals of Muspell, Ymir, The first Jotunn emerged. As Ymir entered his first sleep, he began to sweat from Muspell, and under his arm became a man and a woman, the first frost giants. Thawing frost formed a cow near Ymir, called Audhulma. She began to feed the giant. The cow licked salty, ice blocks on the edge of Nifl, and licked out a man. Buri he sired a son named Bor, and he married Ymir's daughter, Bestla. Bestla gave birth to three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. Eventually, Odin and his brothers killed the giant Ymir, his blood caused the a flood which killed most of his children, and contributed to the flood for the Universal Reset. They carried Ymir's body to the middle of this gap, and from his blood they made the sea and the lakes, from his flesh the earth, from his hair the trees, and from his bones the mountains. Using their grandfathers eyebrows, the three sons fashioned Midgard, the 'middle realm'. Really, they just fashioned the Nordic lands they were worshipped. Bor created two humans on Midgard, Ask and Embla, named after the wood he fashioned them from (Ash and Elm). Odin gave them spirit and life, Vili movement, and Ve clothing. Bor eventually created Asgard, and let Odin rule over it. Odin married Frigga and had many children. A tree began to sprint from the remains of Ymir's corpse, called Yggsdrasil, where all the realms resided.

When Odin hung and killed himself for infinite knowledge, it was prophesied the world would end in a blaze known as Ragnarök. The first signs being the murder of the god Baldr, the birthing of Loki's children (Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungand), Tyr losing his hand binding Fenrir, Jormungand becoming the sea-serpent, Hel becoming the ruler of Helheim, Freyr giving away his sword, which came to fruition. It was also said Thor would bear two sons, Modi and Magni. During the beginning of Ragnarök, Skoll and Hati will eat the sun and moon, the three roosters shall hatch and crow, and Garm will roar. After this, Loki and Fenrir will sail on Naglfar toward Asgard. The Bifrost will be destroyed by Surtr and his army. During the final battle, Odin will be swallowed by Fenrir wolf, but his son, Vidar, will avenge him. Thor will slay the world serpent, but succumb to it's poison after taking a few steps. Loki and Heimdallr will kill each other in battle, while Tyr and Garm kill each other. After the deaths of the gods as they know it, the Einherjar will fight the monsters until Surtr kills Freyr with his own sword, obliterating The Nine Realms.

After Ragnarök it was said that the waters would rise and destroy the world tree, but from it's roots, a new world, Gimle, The New Asgard, will emerge, and Hodr and Baldr will be revived by Hel.

Eventually the Æsir had infighting, causing a split into two tribes, The Vanir, and The Æsir. The Vanir, led by Freyja, retreated to Vanaheimr, her realm. The Æsir stayed on Asgard. The two would remain split until they were forced to come together to discuss the possibility of Successors.

### **Gods Rising:**

During the summer of 2018, The Norse Gods transported their successors to their respective homelands of Asgard and Vanaheimr. The Asgardian Successors soon fought Surtr attempting to begin Ragnarök by invading Asgard. The Vanir, however, faced Draugr, zombie-like monsters. Eventually, Simon Reinhardt, Successor of Odin, visited the Elder Vanir temporarily. The two groups merged during the raid on Jötunnheim, where they fought side by side for the first time in years to save Briar Kennedy and Aviva Joy. They resided together indefinitely on Asgard. Sometime here, Idunn's apple orchard was attacked the goddess was killed. The Successors to Modi and Magni, the children of Thor and a sign of Ragnarök came with Thrud and her successor to Asgard. The Successors proved useful, capturing the rogue Henry, Successor of Tyr. The Vanir returned to Vanaheimr, only to be attacked by the former ally, Freyja. They retreated back to Asgard, where they were subsequently thrown into a battle against the forces of Surtr in Nidavellir, where the gods Thor and Freyr died.

Surtr then ransacked Asgard immediately following the battle, which put Simon Reinhardt in a coma. During this battle, The Three Roosters cawed, signaling the beginning of Ragnarök. The Successor had managed to change prophecy itself,and change Ragnarök. No one knew if this meant they would succeed, however, or if they would die differently than predicted. Surtr. managed to capture Asgard, but did not manage to kill the Gods. He claimed Asgard for his own, knowing the mostly alone successors would be forced to return to either succeed in their goal or die trying. After a few days, The Successors returned to Asgard to face their fears. Here, they managed to push back to the castle...until Surtr appeared again. He almost wiped the successors out, weakening them greatly, here the final live god, Loki, sacrificed himself for the successors, this was the apparent end of the elder gods.

But, it was revealed Nott was on the moon, and Alex Thompson was not in fact dead, and that Ægir was at the bottom of the ocean, holding himself together. This teases some of the planned events for Sword of Freyr.

## **Major Events**

**Battle on the Bifrost**: The first battle of the series featuring the Norse Gods. This ended with no casualties.

**Idunn's Apple Orchard**: An unseen battle in which Eir and Idunn perished.

**Henry, Sith, and Tyr versus The Children of Thor**: One of the later battles, featuring Tyr and Sith. This ended with the capture of Henry.

**Trial by Norns**: Not a battle, but an event most gods attended.

**Jötunn Execution**: A quest lead by Lilith, Hariot, and Aliza. The casualties here were Heimdallr, Sigyn, Frigga, and Hel.

**Battle on Nidavellir:** A battle taking place in the dwarven home. Thor and Freyr died here.

**Sacking of Asgard:** A battle in which most of the living gods finally died. Survivors include Forseti, Loki, and Tyr.

**Twilight of The Gods:** Final battle of the Norse Gods, the final surviving Gods died here. Forseti and Bragi survived.

## **Deities**

### **Æsir**

Odin - Associated with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet, and is the husband of the goddess Frigg.

Thor - Associated with thunder, lightning, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of mankind and also hallowing and fertility.

Loki - Trickster god and born from the Jötunn

Mímir - Keeper of the well of wisdom Mímisbrunnr which is located deep beneath one of the roots of Yggdrasill

Frigg - Queen of Asgard and a goddess of marriage, fertility, foresight and wisdom

Sif - Associated with the Earth and wife of Thor, Sif may have ties with wheat and grain from her golden locks of hair

Baldr (Deceased) - God of light, joy, purity, and the summer sun, was killed by Loki in a prank and is destined to revive after Ragnarök

Kvasir (Deceased) - A god of intellect and the spread of knowledge, he was a great teacher born of both the Æsir and the Vanir before being killed by two dwarves

Forseti - A god of justice and reconciliation, he was both a warrior and a healer

Heimdallr - Known as the Gatekeeper, he watched over the Bifröst

Týr -Associated with law and heroic glory, he was the more warrior equivalent of Forseti, focused on the glory of battle and dying an honorable and heroic death

Bragi -A god of poetry, not much else is known other then he also is a god of music

Ullr - A god associated with hunting and archery, he is a handsome winter-god

Skaði (Or Skadi) - A Jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains

Höðr (Or Hod) - The god of winter and the blind son of Odin and Frigg who was tricked by Loki into killing his twin brother Baldr with a dart made of mistletoe

Vili & Vé - Odin's brothers and gods of creation. There isn't much separating them

Víðarr (Or Vidar) - A god among the Æsir associated with vengeance, said to kill Fenris wolf after the death of his father Odin

Hel -The goddess of death and is a being who presides over the realm of Niflheim

### **Vanir**

Freyr - A god associated with sacral kingship, virility and prosperity, with sunshine and fair weather, and pictured as a phallic fertility god

Freyja - A goddess associated with war, death, love, sex, beauty, fertility, gold, and seiðr

Njörðr (Or Njord) - Associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.

Gullveig - Gullveig is a being who was speared by the Æsir, burnt three times, and yet thrice reborn. Upon her third rebirth, Gullveig's name becomes Heiðr and she is described as a knowledgeable and skillful völva, or a powerful magic user

Fjölnir - Not a true Vanir, however Fjölnir was a legendary hero king whowas the son of Freyr and his consort Gerðr. He was a mighty warrior going toe to toe with Tyr

Lýtir - A god with very little known about him, Lýtir is most likely a god of fortune tellers

Ægir -A Vanir/Jötunn incarnation of the power of the ocean, Ægir hosts massive parties for all the Vanir and Æsir

Rán - Wife of Ægir  and a goddess of the ocean, Rán is known to capture sailors in her powerful net and drag them into the abyss of the sea to their deaths

Nótt - Goddess of the night, she rides upon a black horse named Hrimfaxi who's spit becomes dew

Dagr - The god and personification of day

Dellingr - The personification of the dawn

### **Unaligned**

Idunn - Goddess of apples and youth, her disappearance once caused all other gods to grow old and withered

Sith - Goddess of Chaos and Strife, born of Loki and Gullveig during the 1700's. She is said to be a personification of Ragnarök itself.

## **Trivia**

* In reality, The Norse Pantheon has a long history in Nordic Mythology, sadly, most of it was lost to time, due to the Catholic Crusaders. The only sources of Norse Mythology are the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda. Also sadly, the Poetic Edda was written with political agenda, and the Prose Edda was written long after most Norse myth were lost.