In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabit 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 contains a comprehensive list of Germanic deities outside the numerous Germanic Matres and Matronae inscriptions from the 1st to 5th century CE.
| Name | Name meaning | Attested consorts and sexual partners | Attested children | Attestations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcis (Latinized Germanic) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Germania |
| Baldr (Old Norse), Bældæg (Old English) | Old Norse form is contested. Old English form directly translates as "shining day". [1] | Nanna | Forseti | Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum, Chronicon Lethrense , Annales Lundenses , possibly Beowulf |
| Bragi (Old Norse) | Connected with Bragr ("poetry") [2] | Iðunn | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Dellingr (Old Norse) | Possibly "the dayspring" [3] or "shining one" [4] | Nótt | Dagr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Forseti (Old Norse) | "Chairman" [5] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Freyr (Old Norse), Frea (Old English), Yngvi (Old Norse), Ing (Old English) | "Lord" [6] | Gerðr | Fjölnir (Heimskringla) | Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum , Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Ögmundar þáttr dytts , Gesta Danorum, various others |
| Heimdallr (Old Norse) | "World-brightener" [7] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda, Poetic Edda |
| Hermóðr (Old Norse), Heremod (Old English) | "War-spirit" [8] | None attested | Sceaf (Old English only) | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Beowulf, Old English royal genealogies |
| Höðr (Old Norse) | "Warrior" [9] | 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 Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Lóðurr (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Loki (Old Norse) | Contested | Sigyn, Svadilfari, Angrboda | Nari/Narfi, Váli, Fenrir, Hel, Jormungandr, and Sleipnir | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, Loka Táttur , Norwegian rune poem, Danish folk tales |
| Móði and Magni (Old Norse) | "Courage" and "Strength" | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Máni (Old Norse) | "Moon" (Gives his name to Monday). | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Mímir (Old Norse) | "Rememberer" | None attested | Sons, unnamed | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Meili (Old Norse) | "the lovely one" [10] | 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), *Wōðanaz (Proto-Germanic) (see List of names of Odin for more) | "Frenzy" [11] (Gives his name to Wednesday). | Frigg (consort), Skaði (Heimskringla only), Gunnlöð, Jörð, Rindr | See Sons of Odin | Most attestations of Germanic paganism |
| Óðr (Old Norse) | "The frenzied one" [12] | 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 *ÞunraR [13] (Gives his name to Thursday). | Sif (consort), Járnsaxa | Móði and Magni, Þrúðr | Most attestations of Germanic paganism |
| Tuisto (Latinized Germanic) | "double", from the Proto-Germanic root *twai – "two"; "a god, born of the earth" (deum terra editum) | None attested | Mannus | Germania |
| Týr (Old Norse), Tīw, Tīg (both Old English), Ziu (Old High German) | "God", derived from Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz [14] (Gives his name to Tuesday). | Unnamed, possibly Zisa | None Attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Hadrian's Wall altar |
| Ullr (Old Norse) | Something like "Glory" [15] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry, Gesta Danorum, Thorsberg chape, toponyms in Norway and Sweden |
| Váli (Old Norse) | "Chosen" | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum (as Bous) |
| Viðarr (Old Norse) | Possibly "wide ruler" [16] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Vé (Old Norse) | Vé [17] | Possibly Frigg | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Vili (Old Norse) | "Will" [18] | Possibly Frigg | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| 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. [1] | None attested | None attested | Tacitus's Annals |
| Bil (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Beyla (Old Norse) | Proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee." [19] | Byggvir | None attested | Poetic Edda |
| Dís (Old Norse) | "goddess" [20] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda |
| Eir (Old Norse) | "Peace, clemency" [21] or "help, mercy" [22] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Ēostre (Old English) | "East" [23] (Gives her name to Easter according to Bede). | None attested | None attested | De temporum ratione |
| Freyja (Old Norse) (See List of names of Freyja for more) | "Lady" [24] | Freyr, Óðr | Hnoss, Gersemi | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla , Sörla þáttr |
| Frigg (Old Norse) | Derived from an Indo-European root meaning "Love" [25] (Gives her name to Friday, as the Germanic equivalent of Venus). | Odin (consort), Vili, Vé | Baldr, Höðr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum , Historia Langobardorum , Second Merseburg Incantation |
| Fulla (Old Norse) | Possibly "bountiful" [26] | None attested | None attested | Second Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Gefjun (Old Norse) | Related to "giving" [27] | Skjöldr, unnamed jötunn | Four oxen | Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga, Völsa þáttr , |
| Gersemi (Old Norse) | "Treasure, precious object" [28] | None attested | None attested | Heimskringla |
| Gerðr (Old Norse) | "Fenced in" [29] | Freyr | Fjölnir (Heimskringla) | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla |
| Gná (Old Norse) | Possibly related to Old Norse Gnæfa, meaning "to project" [30] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Gullveig (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda |
| Haeva (Latinized Germanic) | Possibly "marriage" [31] | Possibly Hercules Magusanus | None attested | Votive stone from the Netherlands (CIL XIII 8705) |
| Hariasa | Possibly related to the valkyrie name Herja or meaning "goddess with lots of hair" [32] | None attested | None attested | Stone from Cologne, Germany (CIL XIII 8185) |
| Hlín (Old Norse) | Possibly related to the Old Norse term hleinir, itself possibly meaning "protects" [33] [34] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Hludana (Latinized Germanic) | "The famous" [31] | None attested | None attested | Votive stones from the Netherlands and Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany |
| Hnoss (Old Norse) | "Treasure" [33] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Hretha (Old English) | Possibly "the famous" or "the victorious" [35] | None attested | None attested | De temporum ratione |
| Idis (Old Norse) | well-respected and dignified woman | None attested | None attested | Merseburg charms |
| Ilmr (Old Norse) | Potentially related to Old Norse ilmr, a masculine noun meaning "pleasant scent" [36] [37] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Iðunn (Old Norse) | Possibly "ever young" [38] | Bragi | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Irpa (Old Norse) | Possibly relating to "dark brown" [39] | None attested | None attested | Jómsvíkinga saga , Njáls saga |
| Lofn (Old Norse) | Potentially related to "Praise" [40] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Nanna (Old Norse) | Possibly "mother" from nanna, or potentially related to nanþ-, meaning "the daring one" [41] | Baldr | Forseti | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum , Chronicon Lethrense , Setre Comb |
| Nehalennia (Latinized Germanic) | Possibly "she who is at the sea" | None attested | None attested | Votive altars discovered around what is now the province of Zeeland, the Netherlands |
| Nerthus (Latinized Germanic, from Proto-Germanic *Nerthuz) | Latinized form of what Old Norse Njörðr would have looked like around 1 CE. [42] | None attested | None attested | Germania |
| Njörun (Old Norse) | Possibly related to the Norse god Njörðr and the Roman goddess Nerio [43] [44] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Norns (Old Norse) (Urðr, Verðandi, Skuld) | Unknown | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Rán (Old Norse) | "Theft, robbery" [45] | Ægir | Nine daughters | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna |
| Rindr (Old Norse) | Possibly related to *Vrindr [46] | Odin | Váli | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Gesta Danorum |
| Sága (Old Norse) | Possibly "to see" [47] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, skaldic poetry |
| Sandraudiga (Latinized Germanic) | "She who dyes the sand red." [48] | None attested | None attested | North Brabant stone |
| Sif (Old Norse) | "In-law-relationship" [49] | Thor | Þrúðr, Ullr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Sigyn (Old Norse) | "Victorious girl-friend" [50] | Loki | Nari, Narfi and/or Váli | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Sinthgunt (Old High German) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Second Merseburg Incantation |
| Sjöfn (Old Norse) | "Love" [51] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Skaði (Old Norse) | Possibly related to Scandia . [52] | Ullr, Odin, once Njörðr. | Sæmingr | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Ynglinga saga |
| Snotra (Old Norse) | "The clever one" [53] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Sól (Old Norse), Sunna (Old High German) | "Sun" [54] (Gives her name to Sunday). | Glenr | daughter, unnamed | Second Merseburg Incantation, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Syn (Old Norse) | "Refusal" [55] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda |
| Tamfana (Latinized Germanic) | Unknown | None attested | None attested | Germania, Tamfanae sacrum inscription |
| Þrúðr (Old Norse) | "Power" [56] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Karlevi Runestone |
| Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr (Old Norse) | Literally "Þorgerðr Hölgi's Bride" [57] | None attested | Hölgi, possibly others | Jómsvíkinga saga, Njáls saga, Skáldskaparmál, Færeyinga saga |
| Vár (Old Norse) | "Beloved" [58] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda |
| Vihansa (Latinized Germanic) | "War-goddess" [59] | None attested | None attested | Votive stone from Belgium (CIL XIII 3592) |
| Vör (Old Norse) | Possibly "the careful one" [60] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda, Poetic Edda Thrymsvitha |
| Zisa | Possibly related to *Tiwaz | None attested | Possibly Tyr via linguistic connection | Codex Monac, Codex Emmeran, and Suevicarum rerum scriptores |
In Norse mythology, Freyja is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr. Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chariot pulled by two cats, is accompanied by the boar Hildisvíni, and possesses a cloak of falcon feathers. By her husband Óðr, she is the mother of two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi. Along with her twin brother Freyr, her father Njörðr, and her mother, she is a member of the Vanir. Stemming from Old Norse Freyja, modern forms of the name include Freya, Freyia, and Freja.
Hel is a female being in Norse mythology who is said to preside over an underworld realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century. In addition, she is mentioned in poems recorded in Heimskringla and Egils saga that date from the 9th and 10th centuries, respectively. An episode in the Latin work Gesta Danorum, written in the 12th century by Saxo Grammaticus, is generally considered to refer to Hel, and Hel may appear on various Migration Period bracteates.
In Norse mythology, Njörðr is a god among the Vanir. Njörðr, father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún and is associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.
In Norse mythology, Gná is a goddess who runs errands in other worlds for the goddess Frigg and rides the flying, sea-treading horse Hófvarpnir. Gná and Hófvarpnir are attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Scholarly theories have been proposed about Gná as a "goddess of fullness" and as potentially cognate to Fama from Roman mythology. Hófvarpnir and the eight-legged steed Sleipnir have been cited examples of transcendent horses in Norse mythology.
In Norse mythology, Hlín is a goddess associated with the goddess Frigg. Hlín appears in a poem in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in kennings found in skaldic poetry. Scholars have debated whether the stanza referring to her in the Prose Edda refers to Frigg. Hlín serves as a given name in Iceland, and Hlín receives veneration in the modern era in Germanic paganism's modern extension, Heathenry.
In Norse mythology, Sif is a golden-haired goddess associated with earth. Sif is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the poetry of skalds. In both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, she is known for her golden hair and is married to the thunder god Thor.
In Norse mythology, Sæhrímnir is the creature killed and eaten every night by the Æsir and einherjar. The cook of the gods, Andhrímnir, is responsible for the slaughter of Sæhrímnir and its preparation in the cauldron Eldhrímnir. After Sæhrímnir is eaten, the beast is brought back to life again to provide sustenance for the following day. Sæhrímnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.
Jörð is the personification of earth and a goddess in Norse mythology. She is the mother of the thunder god Thor and a sexual partner of Odin. Jörð is attested in Danish history Gesta Danorum, composed in the 12th century by Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus; the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century by an unknown individual or individuals; and the Prose Edda, also composed in the 13th century. Her name is often employed in skaldic poetry and kennings as a poetic term for land or earth.
In Norse mythology, a dís is a female deity, ghost, or spirit associated with Fate who can be either benevolent or antagonistic toward mortals. Dísir may act as protective spirits of Norse clans. It is possible that their original function was that of fertility goddesses who were the object of both private and official worship called dísablót, and their veneration may derive from the worship of the spirits of the dead. The dísir, like the valkyries, norns, and vættir, are always referred collectively in surviving references. The North Germanic dísir and West Germanic Idisi are believed by some scholars to be related due to linguistic and mythological similarities, but the direct evidence of Anglo-Saxon and Continental German mythology is limited. The dísir play roles in Norse texts that resemble those of fylgjur, valkyries, and norns, so that some have suggested that dísir is a broad term including the other beings.
In Norse mythology, Óðr or Óð, sometimes anglicized as Odr or Od, is a figure associated with the major goddess Freyja. The Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, both describe Óðr as Freyja's husband and father of her daughter Hnoss. Heimskringla adds that the couple produced another daughter, Gersemi. A number of theories have been proposed about Óðr, generally that he is a hypostasis of the deity Odin due to their similarities.
In Germanic paganism, Nerthus is a goddess associated with a ceremonial wagon procession. Nerthus is attested by first century A.D. Roman historian Tacitus in his ethnographic work Germania as a "Mother Earth".
According to Tacitus's Germania, Tuisto is the legendary divine ancestor of the Germanic peoples. The figure remains the subject of some scholarly discussion, largely focused upon etymological connections and comparisons to figures in later Germanic mythology.
Sól or Sunna is the Sun personified in Germanic mythology. One of the two Old High German Merseburg Incantations, written in the 9th or 10th century CE, attests that Sunna is the sister of Sinthgunt. In Norse mythology, Sól is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.
In Norse mythology, Himinbjörg is the home of the god Heimdallr. Himinbjörg is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, both written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Himinbjörg is associated with Heimdallr in all sources. According to the Poetic Edda, Heimdallr dwells there as watchman for the gods and there drinks fine mead, whereas in the Prose Edda Himinbjörg is detailed as located where the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst meets heaven. Scholars have commented on the differences between the two attestations and linked the name of the mythical location to various place names.
In Norse mythology, Sága is a goddess associated with the location Sökkvabekkr. At Sökkvabekkr, Sága and the god Odin merrily drink as cool waves flow. Both Sága and Sökkvabekkr are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the goddess and her associated location, including that the location may be connected to the goddess Frigg's fen residence Fensalir and that Sága may be another name for Frigg.
Neorxnawang is an Old English noun used to translate the Christian concept of paradise in Anglo-Saxon literature. Scholars propose that the noun originally derives from Germanic mythology, referring to a "heavenly meadow" or place without toil or worries.
In Norse mythology, Hjúki and Bil are a brother and sister pair of children who follow the personified Moon, Máni, across the heavens. Both Hjúki and Bil are solely attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Scholarly theories that surround the two concern their nature, their role as potential personifications of the craters on the Moon or its phases, and their relation to later folklore in Germanic Europe. Bil has been identified with the Bilwis, an agriculture-associated figure that is frequently attested in the folklore of German-speaking areas of Europe.
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The northernmost extension of Germanic mythology and stemming from Proto-Germanic folklore, Norse mythology consists of tales of various deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and folk tradition. The source texts mention numerous gods such as the thunder-god Thor, the raven-flanked god Odin, the goddess Freyja, and numerous other deities.
In Norse mythology, the sister-wife of Njörðr is the unnamed wife and sister of the god Njörðr, with whom he is described as having had the twin children Freyr and Freyja. This shadowy goddess is attested to in the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna, recorded in the 13th century by an unknown source, and the Heimskringla book Ynglinga saga, a euhemerized account of the Norse gods composed by Snorri Sturluson also in the 13th century but based on earlier traditional material. The figure receives no further mention in Old Norse texts.
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