Odin
- Known as
- the Allfather
- Ruled over
- Wisdom, war, poetry, death, the runes
- Symbol
- Valknut, Gungnir, the ravens Huginn and Muninn
Gave an eye at Mimir's well and hung nine nights on Yggdrasil to win the runes.
Read their story →Norse Gods and Goddesses
Who they were, what they ruled, and the symbols that still carry their names
The Norse gods were never distant or perfect. They argued, made bargains they regretted, gave up an eye or a hand for something they valued more, and knew exactly how their world would end. That is why their stories still feel human a thousand years later.
This guide covers the major gods and goddesses of the Norse pantheon: the Aesir of Asgard, the Vanir, and the giant-born figures who sit between them. Each card gives you what the god ruled, the symbol linked to them, and where to read their full story in the Rune Library.
Written by Sonya · Halden, Norway
The Aesir
Frigg
- Known as
- Queen of Asgard
- Ruled over
- Marriage, motherhood, foresight
- Symbol
- Spindle and distaff
Knows every fate, including Ragnarök, but speaks none of them.
Thor
- Known as
- god of thunder
- Ruled over
- Storms, strength, protection of Midgard
- Symbol
- Mjölnir
The god ordinary people trusted to guard their homes, harvests and families.
Read their story →Sif
- Known as
- the golden-haired
- Ruled over
- Family, the ripening field
- Symbol
- Golden hair
Thor's wife, whose stolen hair led to the making of Mjölnir.
Tyr
- Known as
- the one-handed god
- Ruled over
- Justice, law, single combat
- Symbol
- Tiwaz rune ᛏ
Put his hand in Fenrir's jaws as a pledge, knowing he would lose it.
Read their story →Baldur
- Known as
- the shining god
- Ruled over
- Light, beauty, goodness
- Symbol
- Mistletoe
The most loved of the gods, killed by the one thing that swore no oath.
Read their story →Heimdall
- Known as
- watchman of the gods
- Ruled over
- Bifröst, vigilance
- Symbol
- Gjallarhorn
Hears grass grow and will sound the horn when Ragnarök begins.
Bragi
- Known as
- the skald of Asgard
- Ruled over
- Poetry, eloquence
- Symbol
- Runes carved on his tongue
Welcomes the fallen to Valhalla with verse.
Idun
- Known as
- keeper of the apples
- Ruled over
- Youth, renewal
- Symbol
- Golden apples
Without her apples, the gods would grow old and die.
Vidar
- Known as
- the silent god
- Ruled over
- Vengeance, endurance
- Symbol
- His thick shoe
Avenges Odin by tearing Fenrir's jaws apart at Ragnarök.
The Vanir
Freya
- Known as
- goddess of love, war and magic
- Ruled over
- Love, beauty, gold, war, seiðr
- Symbol
- Brísingamen necklace, falcon cloak
Takes half the battle-slain to her hall, Fólkvangr, before Odin chooses.
Read their story →Freyr
- Known as
- lord of the harvest
- Ruled over
- Fertility, sun and rain, prosperity
- Symbol
- The boar Gullinbursti, Ingwaz rune ᛜ
Gave away his sword for love, and faces Ragnarök without it.
Read their story →Njord
- Known as
- god of the sea
- Ruled over
- Sea, wind, fishing, coastal wealth
- Symbol
- Ship
Father of Freya and Freyr, the god sailors and fishers called on.
Read their story →Giant-born
Loki
- Known as
- the trickster
- Ruled over
- Change, cunning, chaos
- Symbol
- His children: Fenrir, the World Serpent, Hel
Solves the gods' problems by causing worse ones, until Baldur's death.
Read their story →Hel
- Known as
- ruler of the dead
- Ruled over
- Helheim, those who die of age or illness
- Symbol
- Half living, half dead
Loki's daughter, who receives everyone not taken by Odin or Freya.
Read their story →Skadi
- Known as
- goddess of winter
- Ruled over
- Mountains, hunting, skiing
- Symbol
- Skis and bow
A giantess who came to Asgard for vengeance and left with a husband.
Aesir and Vanir: the two families of gods
Norse mythology has two families of gods, not one. Most of the gods people know (Odin, Thor, Tyr, Frigg) are Aesir, the gods of Asgard who rule over war, law and fate. The Vanir are linked to the sea, the harvest and wealth.
The two families fought the first war in the world. It ended in a truce and an exchange of hostages, which is how Njord, Freya and Freyr came to live in Asgard. A third group sits between them: Loki, Hel and Skadi were born of giants but lived among, or alongside, the gods.
The Aesir
Children of Odin: Thor, Vidar, Baldur
Baldur is Odin and Frigg's son
Odin — Tyr
parentage varies by source
Heimdall (son of nine mothers)
Which Norse god of…?
| Domain | God or goddess |
|---|---|
| War | Odin (and Tyr for single combat; Freya takes half the slain) |
| Thunder | Thor |
| Death | Hel rules the dead; Odin receives the battle-slain in Valhalla |
| Love | Freya |
| The sea | Njord |
| Wisdom | Odin |
| Justice | Tyr |
| Mischief | Loki |
| Poetry | Bragi (and Odin, who won the mead of poetry) |
| Winter and hunting | Skadi |
| Harvest and prosperity | Freyr |
| Youth | Idun |
Ragnarök: how the gods end
The Norse gods know how their story ends. At Ragnarök, Odin is swallowed by Fenrir and avenged by Vidar. Thor kills the World Serpent, walks nine steps, and falls to its venom. Tyr and the hound Garm kill each other, and so do Heimdall and Loki. Freyr, without his sword, falls to the fire giant Surtr.
They fight anyway. Afterwards a green world rises from the sea, Baldur returns from Hel, and a few gods (Vidar, Vali, and Thor's sons Modi and Magni) survive to begin again.
FREE TOOL
Odin hung nine nights on Yggdrasil to win the runes.
Draw one yourself and read what it means for you.
Draw a rune →Frequently asked questions
Who are the main Norse gods?
Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, Frigg, Tyr, Baldur and Heimdall are the best known. Freyr, Njord, Skadi, Idun, Bragi and Hel complete the core pantheon.
What is the difference between the Aesir and the Vanir?
The Aesir are the gods of Asgard, tied to war, law and fate. The Vanir are tied to fertility, the sea and wealth. After a war they made peace, and Njord, Freya and Freyr joined the Aesir.
Who is the most powerful Norse god?
Odin is king of the gods. Thor was the most widely worshipped in the Viking Age, as the protector of ordinary people.
How many Norse gods are there?
The surviving sources name a few dozen gods and goddesses. Around 15 to 20 have stories you can follow in any detail.
Is Loki a god?
Loki was born of giants but lived among the Aesir as Odin's blood-brother, so he is usually counted among the gods.
Did the Vikings really worship these gods?
Yes. Place names, runestones, amulets such as Thor's hammer pendants, and written accounts all show they were worshipped across Scandinavia into the Viking Age. Most of the myths we read today were written down later, in 13th-century Iceland.
Where do the Norse myths come from?
Mainly from the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, written down in Iceland in the 1200s, plus skaldic poetry and the sagas.
Wear the gods
MugViking Christmas Mug – By Odin, It's Yule
$37.00
Home DecorMjolnir Christmas Ornament – Thor's Hammer Wood Decoration
$25.00
SweatshirtHuginn and Muninn Yule Sweatshirt – Odin's Ravens Design
$73.00
HoodieHuginn and Muninn Hoodie – The Allfather Sees
$65.00
T-ShirtHuginn and Muninn Shirt – The Allfather Sees
$31.00
Home DecorHuginn and Muninn Blanket – Odin's Ravens on the World Tree
$77.00
CanvasNorse Gods Canvas – Odin, The Allfather
$104.00
CanvasFreya Goddess Canvas – Love, War and Magic in Norse Mythology
$104.00
Related reading
- The Valkyries: What Norse Mythology Actually Says About the Choosers of the Slain
- Valhalla: What It Really Means in Norse Mythology
- Yggdrasil: The World Tree and the Nine Realms of Norse Mythology
- Jotunn: Who Are the Giants of Norse Mythology?
- Huginn and Muninn: Odin's Ravens and What They Really Mean
- Mjolnir: The Real Meaning of Thor's Hammer
- Gungnir: The Meaning of Odin's Spear in Norse Mythology
- Loki's Web: His Children, His Lovers, and the Family Built for Ragnarök
- Which Norse God Should You Work With? A Practical Guide
- Viking Symbols
ᚠ · ᚱᚢᚾᛖ · ᚲᛁᚱᚲᛚᛖ
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