By the Gods!
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Týr
The original Germanic god of war and the patron god of justice, the precursor of Odin. At the time of the Vikings, Tyr had to make way for Odin, who became the god of war himself. Tyr was by then regarded as Odin’s son (or possibly of the giant Hymir). He is the boldest of the gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle. Tyr is represented as a man with one hand, because his right hand was bitten off by the gigantic wolf Fenrir (in old-Norse, the wrist was called ‘wolf-joint’). His attribute is a spear; the symbol of justice, as well as a weapon.
At the day of Ragnarok, Tyr will kill the hound Garm, the guardian of the hell, but will die from the wounds inflicted by the animal. In later mythology, “Tyr” became to mean “god”. He is also known as Tîwaz, Tiw and Ziu.
This is definitely a blog worth following if Norse/Germanic myth is your thing. Lots of updates, great information! We’ve talked about Tyr here before, but a refresher couldn’t hurt, seeing as he is a tremendous badass.
Bragi
The son of Odin and Gunnlod, (a giantess) Bragi was the Germanic god of poetry and eloquence. Fancy. He was married to Idun, the goddess who kept the magic apples of youth.
When Loki returned to Asgard after masterminding the death of Baldr, Bragi, who was never at a loss for words, told the trickster that he was unwelcome company at the godly feast. Enraged, Loki called Bragi “the bragger,” whereupon Bragi threatened to twist off Loki’s head as the only sure method of stopping his lies. That’s Bragi-Justice. Odin tried to cool everyone down, but Loki was already ultra-pissed, and prophesied the destruction of the gods at Ragnarok before fleeing Asgard in a huff.
Bragi might’ve been a late addition to the Germanic pantheon, and it’s not unlikely that he was the addition of a poet, (skald) since in Germanic courts, poets were venerated second only to kings. Bragi was portrayed as an old, bearded man carrying a harp, and when oaths were sworn they were solemnized by speaking over a vessel called the Cup of Bragi.
Skoll
In Germanic mythology, Skoll was a wolf that pursued the sun in her flight across the sky. At Ragnarok, the event that signals the end of the world and the doom of the Aesir, Skoll was destined to finally catch that pesky sun in its big ol’ jaws and swallow it. You devious, sky-wolf! However, just before the swallowing, the sun would give birth to a daughter as beautiful as herself, and this shiny new sun would warm and illuminate the new earth, fresh ‘n green, risen from the sea after the catastrophe.
Another wolf, Hati, chased after the moon, and both Skoll and Hati were said to be the sons of a giantess.
Ravenous dogs often threatened to eat the heavenly bodies in the myths of northern parts of both Europe and Asia. Chinese families today still bang cooking utensils to frighten “the dog of heaven” during the lunar eclipse. The sun and move needed a reason to haul-ass across the sky, I suppose, and what better reason is there than being chased by a hungry mega-dog?
The evil Wolf Fenrir bounded, prior to the beginning of the Ragnarok, according to the Icelandic manuscript AM 738, Árni Magnússon Institute, Iceland.
You guys remember FENRIR, right? He was one of the three children of Loki and Angrboda, along with Jormungandr and Hel. Come Ragnarok, the Aesir best watch they backs.
Interested in Norse culture specifically? I definitely recommend giving fuckyeahnorsemen a look!
Surt and Muspellsheim
In Norse mythology, the first land that existed was known as Muspellsheim. It was a place of fire and heat that existed in the south of the world, and the sparks and fire of this land would eventually mix with other elements to create Ymir, (the frost giant from whose body the world was formed) the sun, the stars, and life as we know it. All that creation was wrought by the work of Odin and the Aesir, and the fire of Muspellsheim was merely the material they used. It was, altogether, seen as an evil place, and horrible things dwelt there.
The worlds of Asgard, Midgard, and other regions the Aesir regularly travel in Germanic myth are located far away from Muspellsheim, and with good reason. Surt, an immensely powerful giant associated with fire and death, is the lord of that place. During the events of Ragnarok (the great battle that will end the world) he will lead the Sons of Muspell (most likely similar fire giants and evil creatures) to Asgard and Midgard, destroying the rainbow bridge, Bifrost, and waging war on the gods. Surt carries an enormous flaming sword, and during Ragnarok will do battle with Frey, (son of Njord and brother of Freyja) and slay him. Frey lost his sword in an earlier story in an effort to get the woman he loved, and this will cost him his life in battle with Surt. Following this, he will cover all the world in a flame of destruction.
Surt and the Sons of Muspellsheim sit and wait until the rage of the captive Loki breaks the bonds that hold their ships trapped among the fire, beginning Ragnarok.
Nidhogg
Nidhogg, in Germanic mythology, was the dragon living at one of the three roots of the cosmic tree Yggdrasil. The freezing mist and darkness of Niflheim (the lowest of the nine worlds, one of primordial ice) was where the dragon lived, ripping corpses apart and eating them. Not exactly sure where he got the corpses, but sure as shootin’ he had ‘em.
Between mouthfuls he would send his squirrel buddy, Ratatosk, up the cosmic tree to hurl insults at an eagle and hawk who were perched at the very top. Trash talkin’ ancient squirrels under the employ of dragons: Norse myth has it all! When he grew tired of eating corpses, Nidhogg would take a break and gnaw at the root of Yggdrasil itself, presumably hoping to inflict damage on the cosmos in some way. Both Yggdrasil and Nidhogg were destined to survive the final catastrophe of Ragnarok.
Heimdall
The son of nine mothers (don’t ask me how that works) and the watchman of the Germanic gods is Heimdall. He has associations with the sky, and boasts incredible sight and hearing which he used constantly, as it was his duty to stand watch on the rainbow bridge, Bifrost, that connects the realm of the gods (Asgard) to the world of mortals (Midgard). He stands upon the bridge, ever-watchful, ready to blow his horn, Gjall, at the onset of Ragnarok, during which he is to be the last to fall in single combat with Loki.
One of Heimdall’s biggest exploits was creating the three social groups in humans. He disguised himself as a normal dude named Rig, and started three family lines with three different women. The descendants of one union were the nobility, another the peasants, the last the enslaved. He fathered handsome children for the nobility, sturdy children for the peasants, and ill-favoured children for the slaves. Thanks for setting us straight, Heimdall!
Baldr
Baldr is the second son of Odin in Norse mythology, and is renowned for his wisdom and beauty. He was “so fair of feature, and so bright, that light shines from him” (from the Gylfaginning Edda). He was the the fairest-spoken and most gracious of the Aesir, and was universally loved. That setup is just too obvious, isn’t it? You guessed it: pretty boy’s gonna die.
Baldr is primarily known for the story of his death. He had a string of nightmares suggesting his imminent death. He told his family, prompting Odin and Frigg (Odin’s wife and Baldr’s mother) to take action. Odin rode to the land of the dead and found out that Baldr was going to be killed by Hodr, his blind brother, but Frigg had a real plan.. She travelled through all the nine worlds and got each and every thing (rocks, trees, animals) to swear an oath never to harm Baldr. It worked, sort of. The gods tested Baldr’s new invulnerability by throwing stuff at him, and he was indeed impervious to harm.
Loki, however, found out that Frigg had neglected to get Mistletoe to swear the oath, and so Loki supplied Hodr, Baldr’s blind brother, with some mistletoe to throw at Baldr and join the sport of the gods in testing Baldr’s invulnerability. Hodr threw the plant, and it passed through Baldr, killing him. Damn you, Loki!
The Germanic peoples believed that the wise, beautiful Baldr would return in a new perfect, clean world after Ragnarok. Much like the prophecy of Christ’s return after the Rapture, or King Arthur’s return after a cleansing catastrophe.
Jörmungandr
The Norse beast known as the World Serpent or Midgard Serpent, Jörmungandr was another of the three children of Loki and Angrboda. When Odin and the Aesir noticed how fast the serpent was growing, they threw it into the ocean that surrounds the Earth. There, it grew to such an enormous size that its length easily spanned the entire world (Midgard), giving it the name of the Midgard Serpent.
It grasps its own tail, and when it lets go the world will end. At the time of Ragnorok, Jörmungandr will emerge from the ocean and poison the sky, and then fight and be slain by Thor, his arch-nemesis, but fatally poison the God of Thunder in the battle.
Fenrir
A great and terrible monster in the form of a wolf, Fenrir is the eldest child of Loki and the Angrboda, the Giantess. A prophecy warned the Aesir that the wolf and his family would one day bring about the destruction of the world. Fenrir was caged, and only Tyr, the boldest of the Gods, dared to feed and take care of the wolf.
Fenrir was bound with Gleipnir, a magic ribbon that was incredibly strong, and while bound had a series of diplomatic exchanges with the Gods, and eventually bit off the hand of Tyr. Fenrir was then kept a mile below the surface of the Earth with a sword in his mouth.
It is said on the day of Ragnarok, the last battle, that Fenrir will break his chains and join the Giants in their battle against the Gods. He will seek out and devour Odin, and then, in turn, be killed by Odin’s son, Vidar.
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