The Aesir are a family of gods led by Odin and living in Asgard. In the world, there is also another family of gods, the Vanir, who live in Vanaheim and are less known and less numerous than the Aesir.
The Aesir are the "good" gods since they are regularly opposed to the giants who spread terror across the different worlds. By misuse of language, the Aesir are all considered Norse gods, but this is actually not the case. Indeed, the example of Loki is the most well-known: he actively participates in the life of the Aesir gods but is actually a giant, Odin’s adopted son.
Centuries ago, a war broke out between the Aesir and the Vanir. This war ended with a hostage exchange as well as the marriage between Njord and Skadi. This war also led to the coexistence of the two families, with the Vanir making the journey to Asgard.
An interesting anecdote arose from this coexistence: the creation of the gods’ alcohol. Indeed, the mixture of the saliva of the Aesir and that of the Vanir created a very intelligent giant who studied the sciences. According to legends, the blood of this giant mixed with honey created Mead: the alcohol of the gods (this drink also appears in the Netflix series Ragnarok).
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THE AESIR GODS
The Aesir family was very large, including many gods, among whom were mainly:
- Odin, chief of the Aesir gods, creator of the Earth with his brothers, god of the dead, victory, and knowledge. He is often depicted as an old man with a long beard. He lives in Valaskjálf, in Asgard, and possesses a magical spear as well as his famous mount, Sleipnir.
- Thor, the most famous god and master of thunder. He is known today mainly thanks to the famous film adaptations about him, especially the Marvel movies. He is the most powerful god, mainly because of his magical weapon: Mjolnir. He symbolizes strength, agility, courage, and victory. He also has a chariot pulled by two goats that allows him to travel between worlds.
- Baldur, god of light, beauty, and love. He is also known as Baldr or Balder. He was the most beloved god; proof of this is that his name is still used to refer to a flower, the matricaria (I have never seen it either, it is an Icelandic flower).
- Tyr, the judge of the gods. In addition to being the god of the sky, war, and justice, he is also the god of oaths, legal procedures, and law. He is also known as the one-handed god, from a famous scene where he had to sacrifice his hand by placing it in Fenrir’s mouth to help capture him.
- Bragi, god and inventor of poetry. He stood out because of his eloquence. His name actually means poetry in Old Norse.
- Heimdall, guardian of the Bifröst (the bridge allowing travel between worlds). He is also the god of light and the moon. He appears frequently in the Thor movies; he is the one who can watch over all nine worlds with his eye.
- Höd, the blind god. This handicap caused him to kill Baldur. Yes, it’s strange, but it was another trick by Loki who enchanted Höd to force him to shoot Baldur. This anecdote should be taken with caution: no one agrees on the real circumstances of the murder. This version is the most well-known.
- Vidar, god of vengeance and silence. He is one of the strongest gods after Thor. During Ragnarok, he will avenge Odin by piercing and tearing out Fenrir’s heart with his magical shoe.
- Vali, the dirty god. He will avenge Baldur’s death by killing Höd (even though Höd was not really to blame, poor guy). Legends say that Vali neither washed nor combed himself from the day of the murder until the day of vengeance.
- Ull, god of hunting and winter. He mainly gets out of bed thanks to his shield, which he can use to protect others but also to make them walk on water. He is also Thor’s adopted son. Later, he will marry the goddess Skadi.
- Foresti, goddess of humor (related to the comedian). This is not true; she was the goddess of justice and reconciliation.
- Loki, a god extremely hated by the gods because of the sneaky tricks he played on them. He is the god of discord, mischief, and illusions. He is the father of the worst threats the gods have known: Fenrir and Jormungand, and also the mother of Odin’s horse (you read that right). Because of the prank he played on Höd, he will be imprisoned until Ragnarok.
THE WAR BETWEEN THE AESIR AND THE VANIR
The Aesir gave several women living in Midgard powers to help poor families. They gave them powers of clairvoyance, divination, magic, healing, and communication (that’s a lot).
One of them, Gullveig, guided by the Vanir, strayed from the path she was supposed to follow and began to help the Vanir. The Aesir realized this problem and captured her to kill her. However, Gullveig had received spells from the Vanir that revived her after each death.
A war then broke out between the Aesir, led by Odin, and the Vanir, led by Njord. After centuries of battles, the gods stopped, finding no winner. The truce was symbolized by a hostage exchange. The Vanir gave Njord, Freyr, and Kvasir. In exchange, the Aesir sent Mimir and Hoenir.
The war between the Aesir and the Vanir
The Vanir, not satisfied with this exchange, beheaded Mimir and sent his head to Asgard. Odin, needing Mimir’s wisdom, resurrected his head (yes, it’s possible). Odin, furious at this provocation, wanted to play their game and was ready to resume the war. Mimir calmed him and suggested instead finding a way to create lasting peace.
The gods then arranged things: temples were built so the Vanir could settle in Asgard. Cultures were shared: Njord and Freyr taught the Vanir’s knowledge to the Aesir gods while Freya taught them Vanir magic. As a sign of eternal peace, all the gods spat into a basin, thus forming the wisest being.
Two evil dwarves killed this giant. The gods realized that the blood of this giant, mixed with honey, formed mead, the alcohol of the gods. It was used to transmit the gods’ wisdom to humans.
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