Before the advent of Christianity, the peoples of Northern Europe professed one polytheistic religionaccording to which the gods lived in Asgard (or Asgard), while men dwelt in the Middle Earth. The main deity of the Norse pantheon was Odin (also known as Wotan or Woden), a wise and warrior god, who “reigned” over the other gods somewhat like the Zeus/Jupiter of the Greeks and Romans. Other deities, protagonists of numerous myths and sagas, included Loki, Freyr and Thor, the latter equipped with a very powerful hammer. According to Norse religion, the gods were destined to succumb during the Ragnarokthe final battle between chaos and order, at the end of which a new cycle would begin. The Norse religion was supplanted in the Middle Ages by Christianity, but today its rediscovery is underway, both on a cultural-political level and in the pop world, through books, films, TV series, video games and much more.
The Norse religion
The Norse religion was widespread in the Scandinavian Peninsula and in other territories of Northern Europe before the affirmation of Christianity. It was a polytheistic religion, in which a plurality of deities were worshiped, and constituted a branch of the larger one Germanic religionwidespread throughout northern Europe.
According to the Norse religion, men live in the sensitive world, called Miðgarðrwhich constitutes Middle Earth, surrounded by waters. The abode of the gods is instead Asgardreachable from Middle Earth only through Bifrostthe rainbow bridge. The gods are divided into two ranks: Asy And Vani (also called Aesir and Vanir), described by the sources sometimes as rivals, sometimes as allies.
The Norse believed that the world was destined to end with Ragnarök, the final battle between the forces of chaos and the forces of order, who would destroy each other. In Ragnarök even the gods will die, but after the battle the Miðgarðr will be repopulated by a couple who managed to save themselves, who will thus begin a new cycle.
The Norse religion almost completely ceased to exist in the late Middle Ages. For some decades, however, a sort of rediscovery of the ancient Germanic religion has been underway and a form of neo-paganism known by the name of hetenism. However, it is a cultural-political phenomenon, as well as a religious one.
The main deities of the Norse pantheon
Let’s briefly see the main characteristics of the best-known Norse deities.
Odin
The father of the gods and ruler of Ásgarðr is Odin, whose position is roughly equivalent to that of the Zeus/Jupiter of Greco-Roman paganism. His name was Wotan in Old German, Woden in Old English. In the Norse sagas, he is described as a god gifted with infinite wisdomwho knows the destiny of men and the universe.
Odin, however, is also a warrior godwho fights armed with his spear, Gungnir, with which he started the war between Asi and Vani. He moves on the back of Sleipniran eight-legged horse: the fastest animal that exists. Odin is responsible for deciding which army will win the battles and is therefore also called by the epithets Sigfǫðr (father of victory) and Sighǫfundr (judge of victory). Odin is the father of other deities of the Norse pantheon, but, like the other gods, he is destined to perish during Ragnarok.
Thor
Thor is one of Odin’s sons and is the protagonist of numerous myths, in which he is involved in fights and battles. Thor is indeed a god with enormous strengthalso because he can benefit from some objects that make him invincible: the belt Megingjörðwhich doubles its power; the iron gloves Járngreipr and, above all, the hammer Mjöllnirwhich is his main symbol (it is often simply called Thor’s hammer). Mjöllnir is capable of knocking down any enemy and returning if thrown.
In battle, Thor rides in a chariot pulled by two magical goats, Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrisnir. During Ragnarök, the god will clash with Miðgarðsormr, the serpent so long that it can wrap around the Earth: he will manage to kill it, but will also fall dead from the miasmas emanating from the animal.
Loki
Loki he is a son of Odin and brother of Thor, but he has a ambivalent role. In some sagas he is a positive character, who fights alongside his father and brother; in others he is described as an evil figure, who questions the cosmic order. In all cases, he is a god cunning and deceitful. During Ragnarok he will clash with the guardian of the Bifrost bridge, Heimdallr, and will be killed.
Fenrir
Fenrir is a wolf of enormous dimensions and endowed with disproportionate strength. He will be the one to tear Odin to pieces during Ragnarök, but will be killed by a son of the god, Viðar.
Freyr
He is the god of beauty and fruitfulnesson which the climate and the abundance of crops depend. He travels on Gullinbursti, a golden boar, or on Skíðblaðnir, a ship that always has the wind in its favor and can be folded and put away when not in use. In Ragnarok he will have to face Surtr, leader of the fire giants, who will kill him.
The Jotnar
The jotnar (singular Jǫtunn) are semi-divine creaturescomparable in many respects to the giants or titans of Greco-Roman paganism. They are endowed with superhuman strength and are often opposed to deities, but in some sagas they are allied or even married to them. They are divided into two broad categories: Múspellsmegir or fire giants and Hrímþursar o ice giants.