Courses

The Norse Gods

Since the modern attitude to religion and deity tends to be somewhat different, it may not initially be apparent how important an understanding is of Norse mythology to the study and practice of the runes. The Norse gods were not seen as "on-high" entirely remote creatures. No, everything they did had an influence on the world. Even the entrance to heaven was sometimes visible as a reminder of their existence. Neither were they the faultless creatures most people today expect their deities to be. No, they were prone to jealousy, lust, greed and all the same flaws as humans. Individual gods had their own agendas and were capable of betraying each other. Moreover the gods were subject to many of the same universal laws as humanity. They could not escape Wyrd, the force of cosmic justice, similar to Karma, which forced them to face the consequence of their deeds. Nor could they escape death which came to them all in the end, particularly at the dreaded Ragnarok (Twilight of the Gods). The people who first used the runes felt a closeness to their gods which we may struggle to understand. The farmer grateful for the rain which fell on his fields and the lightning of the storm which it was believed brought fertility to the ground, would thank Thor. The Norse gods then were a part of their every day existence.

It is no surprise then to learn that the runes are tied up with the gods as indeed everything else in their lives was. In Lesson 2 we will be learning how Odin, chief of the gods, first discovered the runes and in the third and fourth Lessons we will be looking at the Eddas and the references to the runes found in this Norse literature and mythology. Many individual runes are directly linked with Norse deities, for example Thurisaz (Thorn) with Thor, and the runes as a whole are divided up into three groups each overseen by a god. The qualities and meanings of individual runes are themselves linked to parts of the mythology. The Fehu (Feoh) rune representing cattle links to the story of Audhumla the cow who nourished Ymir which is part of the creation myth.

In this first Lesson then we are going to be looking briefly at the main gods in the Norse pantheon and considering the role they play in the mythology. We will also be considering how they link with specific runes so though while at this stage of your training you don't need to understand these runes and their meaning, you can see first hand how the associations matter. There are two groups of god, the Aesir and the Vanir. The Aesir originate from Odin and are those normally meant when the term "gods" is used. The Vanir are from Njord and are more closely linked with nature than the Aesir are.

ODIN

He is the All-Father, or principle god. Before him in the creation myth everyone seems to have been the result of asexual reproduction. He is the father of the Aesir, the gods and also the father of mankind, in as much he found two trees, Ash (Man) and woman (Elm) and gave them life. However he did not start out in this exalted position. His name means "wind" and his Germanic name "Wotan/Woden" means "Fury" both betraying his origins as a minor deity of night storms who used to ride across the night sky with a troop of dead warriors. As the mythology developed Odin took on a more pivotal role however.

Even in his later incarnation he is a fairly sinister figure, dressed in an old blue cloak, a tall man with tangled gray hair and a pointed wide brimmed hat pulled down over one eye. He gave up this eye in return for a drink from Mimir's Well which gave him wisdom and eloquence. In Anglo-Saxon England he is known as "Grim", meaning "Hooded" and this name is frequently found in place names such as Grimsdyke. Odin is accompanied by two ravens, Thought and Memory, who he can send forth to spy for him, and two wolves who consume any food he is offered since he lives only on wine. He rides an 8-legged horse called Sleipnir. His wife is the goddess Frigga.

Odin is a god of the dead, of warriors, of weather, of war and of magic. He is also a healer, shaman and teacher. When the dead witch he raises to interpret Baldur's dream calls him "Odhinn the wily, unaging magician" she summarizes him well. He is cunning and pragmatic, certainly not above cheating to get what he wants. Odin is a shape-shifter and seems to take great delight in turning up in places in disguise.

The One-Eyed god is renound for his wisdom and poetic ability and it is therefore appropriate he should be the narrator of the Havamal which is essentially a collection of good advice

"a kind word need not cost much
The price of praise can be cheap:
With half a loaf and an empty cup
I found myself a friend"

It is this aspect of Odin, the great communicator, sometimes appearing in unlikely forms but always a source of wisdom and information, which is reflected in the rune Ansuz (Os). It has been suggested that the shape of its glyph represents Odin's hat and cloak

Like all the gods though Odin has many all-too-human traits. He has strong sexual lusts which can cause trouble. He can be quickly angered and is sometimes impetuous, as when he ignores Frigga's advice and rushes to pit his wits against the giant Vafthrudnir, a contest he wins only by dubious means. While the favor of Odin was a good thing for a warrior to have, it could not be relied upon for Odin was prone to desert people, as Geirrod found to his cost when Frigga tricked Odin into killing him.

Within Asgard (his heaven) Odin has a mighty hall/palace, Valhalla, where the Valkyries take the brave warriors who fall in battle. There they spend their time in laughter and feasting, waiting for the day they are needed again, at Ragnarok. Thus there is a tragic side too to Odin. He has lost one of his sons, the beloved Baldur and his wisdom and magical insight have given him the knowledge that he will not survive the final battle. When Odin comes forth at Ragnarok with his army to confront the wolf Fenris, it will swallow him

THOR

He is the husband of the goddess Sif and the son of Odin. Like his father he is linked with weather and storms. Thor is a god of sailors, and farmers, controlling thunder, lightning, wind and rain - weather vital to the health and success of these groups. He is also a god of war and as such appealed heavily to the warlike Germanic tribes, particularly in his earlier incarnation as Donar. In some countries Thor was considered a more important god therefore than Odin.

Thor has suffered though from the fact that a much debased version of him has survived in popular culture. The original Thor was little like the Marvel Comics character for example. He was a huge red-haired man with a red beard and blazing eyes. Thor wore a magic belt which could double his strength and a pair of gauntlets which allowed him to wield his mighty hammer "Mjolnir". He travelled the heavens in a chariot drawn by two sacred goats, defending Asgard and Midgard from the Frost Giants. In a storm, the thunder was the sound of his chariot, and the lightning was caused by blows from his hammer.

The Thunderer, as Thor is sometimes referred to, was the great protector - the defender of men and gods who both would turn to in times of trouble. His major activity was the slaying of giants. He thus acted as a balance to them, mirroring them in size and strength. This is reflected in the rune Thurisaz (Thorn). Thor is the force of order that keeps chaos at bay and this rune symbolizes the power of defense, and also the force of destruction, that is the god's hammer. A storm brings life-giving and refreshing rain along with disruption. Hence Thurisaz (Thorn) reminds us that a destructive force is not necessarily a bad thing, if viewed in the longer term. The rune represents the positive application of power. There is debate over its glyph, some think it depicts a giant, others Mjolnir as well as a thorn.

Thor was resourceful, noble, brave and powerful. His great strength coming from his parentage as the son of Odin and the earth -

"the earth was his daughter and his wife; by her he had his first son Asa-Thor. Might and strength were Thor's characteristics, by these he dominates every living creature"

Thor takes an obvious delight in combat and slaying. His killing of giants seems not so much a role as a hobby and he kicks a passing dwarf into Baldur's pyre. He has an obvious temper which can easily cause him problems. However it also buys him respect. When Loki gatecrashes the gods' party, Thor is the only god he does not insult, preferring instead to flee

"But now I shall go, for I know your rages,
With Thor I'm afraid to fight"

Sometimes Thor is accused of having rough manners and dull wits. It is certainly true there are a number of stories of him being deceived. For example Utgard-Loki uses magic to deceive him during a drinking contest. Thor does not realize the drinking horn is connected to the sea and so refills each time he drains it. However it would be a mistake to regard Thor as stupid, he may be thought a god more inclined to action than to thought, but he can be cunning as is seen in the Alvismal. He turns the dwarf's intelligence against him, so that Alvis becomes so focussed on answering the questions and demonstrating his knowledge that he fails to notice the sunrise, turning to stone.

At Ragnarok Thor will be slain in battle with the Midgard Serpent. Though he will kill it, the effects of its poisonous breath will almost immediately cause him to fall to the ground dead.

BALDUR

The son of Odin and Frigga, Baldur has a unique place and role amongst the Norse gods. In some ways he is a god better known by reputation than deeds since the stories of him are limited and his popularity is due in part to the parallels which later generations drew between him and Christ.

Baldur is called "The Beautiful" and his physical beauty is unequalled amongst the gods. He has gold-colored hair and eyes as blue as the summer sky and he shines with a golden radiance. From his parents he has inherited wisdom and a love of nature. He practices herbal medicine. Odin engraved runes onto Baldur's tongue making him the most eloquent of the gods with unsurpassed diplomatic abilities including being able to persuade and reconcile. To see Baldur is to love him and he is popular amongst all the peoples of heaven and earth with the exception of Loki who resents him.

He is a god of light, eloquence and joy though the light aspect predominates. This is the light dispelling darkness, bringing health and energy and the wisdom which illuminates. He is thus sometimes associated with the Sowelu (Sigil) rune which has the same qualities though this rune directly represents the sun which in Norse mythology was feminine.

Baldur is however troubled by dark prophetic dreams of death and so Frigga goes to every possible source of harm and makes it swear not to injure Baldur. Only one plant, mistletoe, escapes the oath because Frigga considered it so weak and insignificant. Truly immortal now Baldur becomes a source of constant amusement for the gods who throw things at him, confident that he can come to no harm. Only Hodur, the blind god, cannot join in the games so Loki offers to guide his arm, putting into his hand a dart made from mistletoe. The dart hits and to everyone's horror Baldur is slain.

"When the Aesir did try to speak, weeping came first so that no one could tell the other of his grief in words. Odin, however, was the most affected by this disaster, since he understood what a loss and bereavement the death of Baldur was for the Aesir"

The gods hold a magnificent funeral for Baldur and build a pyre for him aboard his massive ship Ringhorn. His wife, Nanna, dies of shock and along with his horse Lettfet (Lightfoot) is added to the pyre.

Meanwhile Frigga dispatches another of Odin's sons to plead with Hel for the return of Baldur to the land of the living. Hel is tough but fair and recognizes the extent of the loss. She agrees to let Baldur free if every living thing will weep for him. This should be no problem since the world is filled with grief but one creature, what is apparently a giantess Thokk, refuses to shed a tear. Hence Baldur remains in Niflheim with Hel.

For him though things will be different at Ragnarok after the defeat of the gods and the burning of the world

"Unseen acres shall harvests bear,
Evil be abolished, Baldur return"

Hence after Ragnarok, Baldur will take his dead father's place in Asgard as the new chief of the gods.

TYR

Tyr is known for his courage and nobility. He was originally the principal god but was later eclipsed in this role by Odin, being relegated to a fairly minor War God position. His following was particularly strong in Denmark though. He is a fairly shadowy, though important, figure and we lack a detailed description of him though one aspect of his appearance is universally accepted, the fact he lacks a limb.

The "One-Handed god" is another name for Tyr who lost his hand in the chaining of the Fenris wolf. The gods wanted to contain Fenris who they, rightly, regarded as a threat. So they forged a fetter to hold him, inviting him to put it on as a test of strength. Fenris was not stupid though and he did not trust the gods. He would not accept the fetter unless a god would put his hand into the wolf's mouth. The gods hesitated, but Tyr stepped forward and calmly slipped his hand between the wolf's jaws as a pledge of the gods' good faith. Once Fenris found he could not break free of the fetter, the gods began to mock him, apart from Tyr who waited for the wolf to take its revenge, biting his hand off at the wrist.

Tyr is the god who maintains justice, order and cosmic law, overseeing and upholding contracts and oaths, and presiding over contests and trials. He represents bravery and willingness to take responsibility for one's actions. It says of him in the Prose Edda

"He is the boldest and most courageous and has power over victory in battle"

As this reminds us, Tyr is a god of war, but not of war for the sake of fighting but rather as an instrument of order and justice. He ensures that the side which is more deserving in terms of their Wyrd wins.

His rune is the Tiwaz (Tir) rune which represents concepts such as honor, truth, justice and authority. Its glyph is thought to represent either a spear or the Yrminsul column which holds the sky and earth apart. Its phallic shape also suggests the useful focussing of male energy and power. Tiwaz (Tir) is particularly applicable to all legal and contractual matters.

Tyr is slain at Ragnarok, killed by the hound Garm who guarded Hel. Garm and Tyr manage to slay each other.

You have completed the lesson. Read it as many times as you need to in order to feel you understand it. Then return here for:
Lesson 2 - Comprehension Tests, Reading and Further Exercises

Please ensure you complete these exercises before moving on to the next lesson.