List of Germanic deities From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A scene from one of the Merseburg Incantations: the gods Wodan and Balderstand before the goddesses Sunna,Sinthgunt, Volla and Friia (Emil Doepler, 1905) 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. Gods Name meaning Old Norse form is Baldr (Old Norse), Bldg (Old English) contested. Old English form directly translates as "shining day".[1] Bragi (Old Norse) Connected with Bragr ("p Iunn oetry")[2] Possibly "the Dellingr (Old Norse) Forseti (Old Norse) Freyr (Old Norse), Frea (Old English), Yngvi "Lord"[6] Gerr Fjlnir (Heimskringla) dayspring"[3] or "shining one"[4] "Chairman"[5] None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, Poetic Ntt Dagr Poetic Edda, Prose Edda None attested Nanna Forseti Attested consorts and sexual partners

Name

Attested children

Attestations Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronico n Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possiblyBeowulf Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry

(Old Norse), Ing (Old English)

Edda,Prose Edda, Heimskringla, gmundar ttr dytts, Gesta Danorum, various others

Heimdallr (Old Norse) Hermr (Old Norse), Heremod (Old English)

"Worldbrightener"[7]

None attested

None attested

Prose Edda, Poetic Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Beowulf, Old English royal genealogies Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronico

"War-spirit"[8] None attested

Sceaf (Old English only)

Hr (Old Norse)

"Warrior"[9]

None attested

None attested

n Lethrense, Annales Lundenses, possibly Beowulf

Hnir (Old Norse) Lurr (Old Norse)

Contested Contested

None attested None attested

None attested None attested

Poetic Eddasa, skaldic poetry Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Loka Tttur, Norwegian rune poem, Danish folk tales Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla,

Loki (Old Norse)

Nari/Narfi, Vli, Fenrir,Hel Contested Sigyn , Jormungandr, andSleipnir

Meili (Old Norse)

"the lovely one"[10]

None attested

None attested

Njrr (Old Norse)

Contested

Once unnamed sister, onceSkai

Freyr, Freyja

Egils saga, Hauksbkring oath, place names

Odin: inn (North Germanic), W den (West Germanic), *Wdanaz (Prot o-Germanic) (see List of names of Odin for more) r (Old "The frenzied Freyja Hnoss, Gersemi Poetic Edda, Prose "Frenzy"[11] Frigg (consort), Skai(Heimskringla onl y),Gunnl, Jr, Rindr See Sons of Odin Most attestations of Germanic paganism

Norse) Saxnt (Old Saxon), Seaxnet, Seaxnat, Saxnat (Old English) Thor: rr (North Germanic), unor (Old English), Thunaer (Old Saxon), Donar (Southern Germanic areas) Tr (Old Norse), Tw, Tg (both Old English), Ziu (Old High German)

one"[12]

Edda Old Saxon

Contested

None attested

None attested

Baptismal Vow, Old English royal genealogies

"Thunder", all names stem from ProtoGermanic *unraR[13] Sif (consort), Jrnsaxa Mi and Magni, rr Most attestations of Germanic paganism

"God", derived from ProtoGermanic*Tw az[14] Unnamed, possibly Zisa None attested

Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Hadrian's Wall altar Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Gesta None attested None attested Danorum,Thorsber g chape, toponyms in Norway and Sweden

Ullr (Old Norse)

Something like "Glory"[15]

Vli (Old Norse) Viarr (Old Norse) V (Old Norse)

Something like "battleslain" Possibly "wide ruler"[16] V (shrine)[17] Possibly Frigg Possibly Frigg None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested

Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum (as Bous) Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda

Vili (Old Norse) "Will"[18] Goddesses

Attested consorts Name Name meaning and sexual partners Baduhenna (Latinized Badu-, may be cognate Germanic) to ProtoNone attested None attested Tacitus' Annals Attested children Attestations

Germanic *badwameaning "battle." The second portion of the name -henna may be related to -henae, which appears commonly in the names of matrons.[1] Bil (Old Norse) Beyla (Old Norse) Contested Proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee."[19] Eir (Old Norse) Eostre (Old English) Freyja (Old Norse) "Peace, clemency"[20] or "help, mercy"[21] "East"[22] "Lady"[23] Derived from IndoFrigg (Old Norse) European root meaning Odin "Love"[24] Fulla (Old Norse) Gefjun (Old Norse) Gersemi (Old Norse) Gerr (Old Norse) Possibly "bountiful"[25] Related to "giving"[26] "Treasure, precious object"[27] "Fenced in"[28] Possibly related to Old Gn (Old Norse) Gullveig (Old Norse) Norse Gnfa meaning "to project"[29] Possibly "gold drink"[30] None attested Possibly related to the Hariasa valkyrie name Herja or meaning "goddess with lots of hair"[31] Ultimately "one who Hel (Old Norse) covers up or hides something" Possibly related to the Hln (Old Norse) Old Norse term hleinir, itself possibly meaning "protects"[32] Hretha (Old English) Possibly "the famous" None attested None attested De temporum ratione None attested None attested Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Dyggvi (Ynglingata l) None attested None attested None attested None attested Poetic Edda Stone from Cologne, Germany (CIL XI II 8185) Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglingatal None attested None attested Prose Edda None attested Skjldr, unnamedjtunn None attested Freyr None attested Four oxen None attested Baldr, Hr None attested None attested r None attested None attested Hnoss,Gersemi Poetic Edda, Prose Edda De temporum ratione Poetic Edda, Prose Edda,Heimskringla, Srla ttr Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Historia Langobardorum Merseburg Incantations, Prose Edda Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga, Vlsa ttr, Heimskringla Byggvir None attested Poetic Edda None attested None attested Prose Edda

Fjlnir(Heimskringl Poetic Edda, Prose a) Edda, Heimskringla

or "the victorious"[33] Hnoss (Old Norse) Ilmr Iunn (Old Norse) Irpa (Old Norse) Lofn (Old Norse) "Treasure"[32] Possibly connected to pleasant scents None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested Prose Edda Prose Edda, skaldic poetry Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Jmsvkinga saga, Njls saga Prose Edda

Possibly "ever young"[34] Bragi Possibly relating to "dark brown"[35] Potentially related to "Praise"[36] Possibly "mother" from nanna, or None attested None attested

Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Baldr Forseti Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense, Setre Comb

Nanna (Old Norse)

potentially related to nan-, meaning "the daring one"[37] Feminine, Latinized for

Nerthus (Latinized Germanic)

m of what Njrr would have looked like around 1 CE.[38] Possibly related to the Norse god Njrr and the Roman goddess Nerio[39]

None attested

None attested

Germania

Njrun (Old Norse)

None attested

None attested

Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry

Ntt (Old Norse)

"Night"[40]

Naglfari, once Annar,Delling gir

Aur, Jr,Dagr

Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose

Rn (Old Norse)

"Theft, robbery"[41] Possibly related to *Vrindr[42] Possibly "to see"[43]

Nine daughters

Edda, Frijfs saga hins frkna Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry North Brabant stone Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Merseburg Incantations Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga Prose Edda Poetic Edda, Prose Edda,

Rindr (Old Norse) Sga (Old Norse)

Odin None attested None attested

Vli None attested None attested rr, Ullr Nari, Narfiand/or Vli None attested None attested Smingr None attested

Sandraudiga (Latinize "She who dyes the sand d Germanic) Sif (Old Norse) Sigyn (Old Norse) Sinthgunt (Old High German) Sjfn (Old Norse) Skai (Old Norse) Snotra (Old Norse) Sl (Old red."[44]

"In-law-relationship"[45] Thor "Victorious girlfriend"[46] Contested "Love"[45] Possibly related to Scandia.[47] "The clever one"[48] "Sun"[49] Loki None attested None attested Ullr, Odin, once Njrr. None attested Glen

Norse), Sunna(Old High German) Syn (Old Norse) Tanfana (Latinized Gemanic) rr (Old Norse) orgerr Hlgabrr(Old Norse) Vr (Old Norse) Vr (Old Norse) Zisa "Refusal"[50] Unknown "Power"[51] Literally "orgerr Hlgi's Bride"[52] "Beloved"[53] Possibly "the careful one"[54] Related to *Tiwaz None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested None attested Hlgi, possibly others None attested None attested Possibly Tyr

Merseburg Incantations Prose Edda Germania, Tamfanae sacruminscription Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Karlevi Runestone Jmsvkinga saga, Njls saga,Skldskaparml, Freyin ga Saga Poetic Edda, Prose Edda Prose Edda

None attested None attested None attested None attested

Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses Some figures sometimes presented as Norse deities do not occur in the ancient sources:

Astrild (Actually a synonym for Amor 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 gir.)

Glaur (Claimed to be the wife of Mundilfari. Original source unknown.) Glm (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.)