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FRIGG
Frigg is Odin's wife, co-wife of Jord, Rindr, Gunnlod and Gridr. She gave
birth to most of Odin's sons, therefore she is the mother of the Elder
Asgard, the ancestors of the races of Aesir. Thor's mother is Jord or
Erda - Earth. Vali is son of Odin and Rindr, Vidarr of Gridr. Frigg is
mother of Tyr, Bragi, Hodr, Hoenir and Baldr.
Her abode is Fensalir. She is the protector of domestic order. While Freya
is the patroness of sensual love, Frigg is the goddess of devoted wives
and mothers' love. She is also attributed with prophetic knowledge, which
she rarely shares. The goddess Saga (which means 'Speaker of Prophecy')
might be an aspect of Frigga because of her great prophetic knowledge.
FULLA
Goddess Fulla is known as Frigg's loyal supporter and attendant. Sometimes
she's called Maid, because she helps Frigg with preparations for any job,
and she knows all her secrets.
IDUNN
Idunn is wife of Bragi. Her most important quest is to be keeper of the
apples. To remain young, Gods need to eat these apples. When giant Thjazi
kidnapped Idunn, the Aesir grew old. Therefore, she is the goddess of
renewal.
GEFJUN
Gefjun is a virgin - goddess. All maidens that die attend her after death.
She might be an aspect of Freya.
SIGYN
Sigyn is Loki's wife. She represents unquestionable devotion. Since Loki
has been putting up with his punishment for Baldr's death, she has been
taking care of him, helping him as much as possible not to get hurt by
the venom of a serpent above him.
NANNA
Nanna, daughter of Nep, is the wife of Baldr the Beautiful. She was so
devastated with the sight of his funeral pyre, that she herself died of
grief and joined him in Hel.
SKADI
Skadi, daughter of giant Thjazi, gained her place among the Aesir when
they killed her father. They offered her any of the Gods for a husband
judging by their feet. She had chosen Njord. Two other conditions for
reconciliation were making stars of Thjazi's eyes and making her laugh.
The later was a job for Loki: he fastened a cord to the beard of a goat
and to his own genitals and each screeched loudly when pulled until Loki
fell onto Skadi's knees. It was hilarious even for sad Skadi.
Njord's abode is by the sea. Skadi's abode Thrymheim is in the mountains,
and she couldn't live without them, so she agreed with Njord to spend
nine days in mountains, and the next nine days in Noatun with him.
Skadi is known as the Lady of Snowshoes and the goddess of hunt because
she hunts beasts on snowshoes with bow and arrow.
SIF
Sif is Thor's wife, known by her beautiful hair. When Loki stole her hair,
he was forced by the Gods to ask the dwarves to replace it. Hey made the
hair of pure gold, but it could grow like normal hair does. This is why
the gold was often poetically called 'Sif's hair'.
Sif is the patroness of grain and harvest. She is the mother of Ull and
Trud.
VALKYRS
Valkyrs are half-goddesses that choose the bravest and most honorable
men slain in battles and take them to the Valfather. At the feasts that
occur each night in the Hall of the Slain, they pour the mead to their
favourite warriors. They are sometimes called the shield-maidens. They
are depicted as ladies in armour on flying horses. In some parts of northern
Europe, they were thought of as able to take shape of a raven, and in
others, of a swan, or even both.
The most famous Valkyr is Brynhild, who did not obey Odin's will, but
did what she thought was righteous, and her punishment was to fall in
love with the first man she would see. She begged Odin to change this
punishment, and he finally decided to condemn her to sleep in the castle
surrounded by fire until a hero wakes her up, and that would be her love.
This was a great comfort to her, because she knew that only a brave man
could come and rescue her, no matter how long it would take. A Valkyr
could not bear to fall in love with an unworthy person. This is where
the story of Sleeping Beauty derives. And it is a part of the famous Niebelungen
saga.
The duty of Valkyrs was also to decide fights. To see a raven before the
battle was considered to be a bad sign.
Some of the Valkyrs are: the youngest of the three Norns - Skuld; Gudr,
Rota, Hrist, Mist, Hilda, Hlokk, Goll, Thrudr… Two Valkyrs are Goddesses
- Jord, mother of Thor, and Rindr, mother of Vali. Goddess Freya, the
Lady of the slain, might be the chief Valkyr.
It is interesting to mention that the phenomenon of Aurora Borealis, the
Northern Light, was prescribed to Valkyrs. It was believed that it happened
when the Valkyrs rode to fights and their shields glowed.
HEL
Hel is a daughter of Loki and giantess Angrboda. As his other children,
the Gods sent her away, too. They sent her into Niflheim, where she now
has her own realm called Hel. She rules over those who died of sickness
or old-age. She is pale and her world is probably not as pleasant as Valhall.
In the teutonic lore, she was very well known as Frau Holda, or Dame Holda.
She represents the dark side of goddess Freya, as a witch-goddess.
There are many descriptions of this deity in Teutonic mythology, which
considered her much more important than the Nordic myths do: she was fair
and beautiful in front, but old and dark from behind. Or half woman, half
tree. She is also known in some regions as the Birch Goddess, Perchta
and The Lady of Birth.
She is often thought of as goddess of snow-tempests.
Hel is the guardian of Hel Apples that renew the souls of the dead
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