The Aesir (Old Norse Æsir (pron. ['aiser], "Aye sir!"), singular Áss, feminine Ásynja, feminine plural Ásynjur) are the principal pantheon of gods in Norse mythology. They include many of the major figures, such as Odin, Frigg, Thor, Balder and Tyr. A second clan of gods, the Vanir, is also mentioned in the Norse mythos: the god Njord and his children, Freyr and Freya, are the most prominent Vanir gods who join the Aesir as hostages after a war between Aesir and Vanir. The Vanir were mainly connected with fertility, the Aesir with power and wars. Old Norse is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until the 13th century. ... Pantheon (Greek: παν, pan, all + θεόν, theon, of the gods), in one sense, is the set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Greek mythology, Norse mythology. ... Norse mythology, Viking mythology or Scandinavian mythology refer to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people. ... For other meanings of Odin and Wotan see Odin (disambiguation) Odin (Old Norse Óðinn, Swedish Oden) is usually considered the supreme god of Germanic and Norse mythology. ... In Norse mythology, Frigg or Frigga was said to be foremost among the goddesses, 1 the wife of Odin, queen of the Aesir, and goddess of the sky. ... Thors battle against the giants, by Marten Eskil Winge, 1872 Thor, Þór (ON), Þunor (OE), Donar or Donner (German) is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder and lightning in Germanic and Norse Mythology, the son of Odin and Jord. ... In Norse Mythology, Baldur (also Balder, ON Baldr), the god of innocence, beauty, joy, purity, and peace, is Odins second son. ... This article is about Tyr, the god. ... Vanir is the name of what is usually considered one of the two pantheons of gods in Norse mythology. ... Njord (Old Norse Njǫrðr) is one of the Vanir and the god of seamanship and sailing in Norse mythology. ... Freyr is a very important god in Old Norse religion; not so much in Norse mythology as one might suppose, for there he actually appears in only one surviving story, but very much in the cult. ... Freyja in Wagners operas See Freya radar for German World War II radar. ...

Ása is also a collective name given to an Aesir of the Norse pantheon. The term Ása tends to have a more religious connotation than Aesir, indicative of worship: it is the root of the name Ásatrú used of a contemporary re-implementation of pre-Christian Norse beliefs. (In comparison, the Vanir are each called Vana and their faith, would be called Vanatrú.) The form often appears as a prefix to indicate membership in the Aesir, for example, Ása-Thor or Ása-Loki. Ásatrú describes a variety of revivals of the indigenous, pre-Christian religions of the Teutonic tribes of Northern Europe. ...

These words appear to be derived from Proto-Indo-European *ansu- 'breath, god' related to Sanskrit asura and Avestan ahura with the same meaning; though in Sanskrit asura came to mean 'demon'. The cognate Old English form to áss is os 'god, deity' (as in the still-current surname Osgood). The word áss also means "beam" or "post" in Old Norse, but there has been no demonstration of etymological connection between the two words. Schefferus, a proto-ethnologist of the 17th century, held that aesir referred to 'Asian emperiors', that is, a pseudo-feudalic (shamanistic hereditary) leadership, emanating out from the Eurasian steppes into Europe in ancient time. No other scholar in the intervening centuries has found any evidence to back this contention. Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Proto-Indo-Europeans are the hypothetical speakers of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language, a prehistoric people of the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age. ... In Hindu mythology, the Asura are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ... Ahura is the Avestan Zoroastrian term for Lord, e. ... Johannes Schefferus (February 2, 1621 - March 26, 1679) was born in Strassburg, the present Strasbourg, in present-day France (at that time it was part of the Holy Roman Empire, and outside of France). ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ...

The interaction between the Aesir and the Vanir is an interesting aspect of Norse mythology. While other cultures have had "elder" and "younger" families of gods, as with the Titans versus the Olympians of ancient Greece, the Aesir and Vanir were portrayed as contemporary. The two clans of gods fought battles, concluded treaties, and exchanged hostages (Frey and Freya are mentioned as such hostages). It is tempting to speculate that the interactions described as occurring between Aesir and Vanir reflect the types of interaction common to various Norse clans at the time. According to another theory, the cult of the Vanir (who are mainly connected with fertility and relatively peaceful) may be of an older date, and that of the more warlike Aesir of later origin, so the mythical war may perhaps mirror a religious conflict. On the other hand this may be a parallel to the historicized conflict between the Romans and the Sabines. The noted comparative religion scholar Mircea Eliade speculated that both conflicts are actually different versions of an older Indo-European myth of conflict and integration between deities of sky and rulership vs. deities of earth and fertility, with no strict historical antecedents. In Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek Τιτάν, plural Τιτᾶνες) are among a series of gods who oppose Zeus and the Olympian gods in their ascent to power. ... This article refers to a mountain in Greece. ... There were seven traditional Kings of Rome before the establishment of the Roman Republic. ... Sabine (in Latin and in Italian, Sabina) is a sub-region of Latium, Italy, on the North-East of Rome toward Rieti. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The existence of similarities among the gods and religious practices of the Indo-European peoples suggests that whatever population they actually formed had some form of polytheistic religion. ...

The chronology of the cults would in that case not be pictured in the myths. However, only Odin and Thor were important in both myth and cult; an áss like Ull is almost unknown in the myths, but his name is seen in a lot of geographical names, especially in Sweden, so his cult was probably quite wide-spread.

The Aesir stayed forever young by eating the golden apples of Idun, although they could be slain, as it was predicted that nearly all will die at Ragnarok. Species Malus domestica Malus sieversii Apple is the fruit (pome) of the genus Malus belonging to the family Rosaceae, and is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. ... Idun (Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1910) In Norse mythology, Idun (also Iduna, Idunn, Ithun, or Idunnor, Old Norse Iðunn) was the goddess of youth, fertility, and death. ... This article is about Ragnarok, the mythological battle. ...

The Ass rune

The ass-rune ᚨ was probably named after the Aesir. The name survives only in the Icelandic rune poem as Óss, however, referring to Odin, identified with Jupiter: Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... The rune poems list the letters of a runic alphabet with a short verse characterizing each one. ... For other meanings of Odin and Wotan see Odin (disambiguation) Odin (Old Norse Óðinn, Swedish Oden) is usually considered the supreme god of Germanic and Norse mythology. ... Jupiter may refer to: Jupiter (god) – a Roman god Jupiter (planet) – a planet Jupiter Symphony – a symphony by Mozart, (Symphony No. ...

ᚨ Óss er algingautr

ok ásgarðs jöfurr,

ok valhallar vísi.

Jupiter oddviti.

Óss is aged Gautr

and prince of Ásgardr

and lord of Vallhalla.

The name of 𐌰 a in the Gothic alphabet is ahsa. The common Germanic name of the rune may thus have either been ansuz "God, one of the Aesir", or ahsam "ear (of corn)". Gaut, or Gautr, commonly assumed to mean father or ruler, is one of the names used for Odin, the god of ancient northern mythology. ... Representation of the Gothic alphabet surrounding its inventor Ulfilas The Gothic alphabet is an alphabetic writing system attributed to Wulfila used exclusively for writing the ancient Gothic language. ...

List of Aesir and Vanir

• Andhrimnir -- the hunter and cook
• Baldur -- god of innocence and beauty
• Bragi -- the bard (skald)
• Forseti -- god of justice
• Freya (a Vanir hostage) -- goddess of love and sex
• Freyr (a Vanir hostage) -- god of fertility and love
• Frigg -- chief goddess
• Heimdall -- the watchman and guardian
• Hod -- blind god of darkness and winter
• Honir -- the indecisive god
• Idun -- goddess of youth, fertility and death
• Loki -- the trickster
• Nanna -- wife of Baldur
• Njord (a Vanir hostage) -- god of seamanship and sailing
• Odin (also called Wotan) -- chief god, of wisdom and war
• Sif -- golden-haired wife of Thor
• Thor (also called Donar) -- god of thunder and battle
• Tyr -- one-handed god of war
• Ull -- the hunter, tracker and archer
• Vali -- the avenger
• Ve -- brother of Odin, who gave men speech
• Vidar -- god of silence, stealth, and revenge
• Vili -- brother of Odin, who gave men feeling and thought

In Norse mythology, Andhrimnir was the chef for the Aesir and Einherjar. ... In Norse Mythology, Baldur (also Balder, ON Baldr), the god of innocence, beauty, joy, purity, and peace, is Odins second son. ... Bragi, in Norse mythology, is the god of poetry. ... Forseti (which means the presiding one) is the Norse Aesir god of justice, peace and truth. ... Freyja in Wagners operas See Freya radar for German World War II radar. ... Freyr is a very important god in Old Norse religion; not so much in Norse mythology as one might suppose, for there he actually appears in only one surviving story, but very much in the cult. ... In Norse mythology, Frigg or Frigga was said to be foremost among the goddesses, 1 the wife of Odin, queen of the Aesir, and goddess of the sky. ... Heimdall returns Brisingamen to Freya Heimdall (ON Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means world, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin, perhaps it means pole, perhaps bright) is one of the gods in the Norse Mythology. ... Loki tricks Hod into shooting Baldur In Norse mythology, Hod (also Hodur, ON Hǫðr), was the god of darkness and winter, the blind brother of Baldur and son of Odin and Frigg. ... In Norse mythology, Hönir was a very indecisive god and a member of the Aesir. ... Idun (Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1910) In Norse mythology, Idun (also Iduna, Idunn, Ithun, or Idunnor, Old Norse Iðunn) was the goddess of youth, fertility, and death. ... This page is about the Norse god Loki. ... Nanna is a god in Sumerian mythology, god of the moon, son of Enlil and Ninlil. ... Njord (Old Norse Njǫrðr) is one of the Vanir and the god of seamanship and sailing in Norse mythology. ... For other meanings of Odin and Wotan see Odin (disambiguation) Odin (Old Norse Óðinn, Swedish Oden) is usually considered the supreme god of Germanic and Norse mythology. ... In Norse mythology, Sif (/siv/,relative) is a goddess of the Aesir, wife of Thor and mother of Thrud, Ull and Modi. ... Thors battle against the giants, by Marten Eskil Winge, 1872 Thor, Þór (ON), Þunor (OE), Donar or Donner (German) is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder and lightning in Germanic and Norse Mythology, the son of Odin and Jord. ... This article is about Tyr, the god. ... In Norse mythology, Ull (glory) was a son of Sif though not by her husband Thor. ... In Norse mythology, Vali (ON Váli) was a child born of Odin and Rind, a giantess. ... For other meanings of Ve, see Ve (disambiguation). ... In Norse mythology, Vidar is the son of Odin and the god of silence, stealth, and revenge. ... For the Gabonese people, see Vili (people). ...

Norse mythology, Viking mythology or Scandinavian mythology refer to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people. ... Yggdrasil (Beneath its roots are the nine worlds of the universe, plus three magic wells) Hvergelmir Mímisbrunnr Urdarbrunnr Highest level Álfheim Asgard Valhalla Vanaheim Middle level Jotunheim Gastropnir Thrymheim Utgard Midgard Nidavellir and Svartalfheim (may be the same) Lower level Helheim Muspelheim Ginnungagap (Former gap between Muspelheim and Niflheim... Places Asgard Bifrost Bridge Bilskirnir Breidablik Elivagar Fyris Wolds Gandvik Ginnungagap Helgardh Hlidskjalf Hvergelmir Jotunheim Leipter River Kormet Midgard Muspelheim Nastrond Nidavellir Niflheim Ormet Reidgotaland Slidr River Svartalfheim Utgard Valhalla Vanaheim Vimur Yggdrasil Events Fimbulwinter Ragnarok Artifacts Balmung Brisingamen Draupnir Dromi Skithblathnir Gram Gungnir Tyrfing Well of Urd Humans Adils... Norse gods Divided between the Æsir and the Vanir, and sometimes including Jotun, the dividing line between these groups is less than clear. ... In Norse mythology, Jotuns, Jötunn or Jotnar of Utgard, Jötunnheim were the race of Gods called giants (thurs), separated into categories such as frost giants (rime giants, hrimthurs), fire giants, sea giants and storm giants. ... The Norse dwarves or Duergar (ON Dvergar) are highly significant entities within Norse mythology. ... This article is about the Valkyries, figures of Norse mythology. ... The orthography of the Old Norse language since the introduction of the Latin alphabet in Iceland is a thorny subject. ... Numbers are significant in Norse mythology although not to the extent which they are in some traditions e. ... A rune stone Rune stones are standing stones with runic inscriptions dating from the Iron Age (Viking Age) and early Middle Ages. ... This article is about kenning as a poetic notion. ... The Poetic Edda or Elder Edda is a term applied to two things. ... The Younger Edda, known also as the Prose Edda or Snorris Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which also contains many mythological stories. ... Alternative meanings: See Skald (disambiguation) The skald was a member of a group of courtly poets, whose poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry. ... The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (Icelandic: Íslendingasögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... Norse mythology provides a rich and diverse source which many later writers have borrowed from or built upon. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... The rune poems list the letters of a runic alphabet with a short verse characterizing each one. ... The Elder Futhark (or Older Futhark, Old Futhark) are the oldest form of the runic alphabet, used by Germanic peoples of the 2nd to 7th centuries for inscriptions on artefacts (jewellery, amulets, tools, weapons) and rune stones. ... The Fe rune ᚠ represents the f-sound. ... The rune ᚢ representing the sound u is called Ur in all three rune poems, however with different meanings: Norwegian ᚢ er af illu jarne; Dross comes from bad iron; the reindeer often races over the frozen snow. ... In Norse mythology, Jotuns, Jötunn or Jotnar of Utgard, Jötunnheim were the race of Gods called giants (thurs), separated into categories such as frost giants (rime giants, hrimthurs), fire giants, sea giants and storm giants. ... Raidô ride, journey is the suggested Proto-Germanic name of the r-rune of the Elder Futhark ᚱ. ... The k-rune ᚲ (Younger Futhark ᚴ, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc ᚳ) is called Kaun in both the Norwegian and Icelandic rune poems, meaning ulcer. The reconstructed Proto-Germanic name is Kaunan. ... Gyfu is the name for the g-rune ᚷ in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, meaning gift or generosity: ᚷ Gyfu gumena byþ gleng and herenys, wraþu and wyrþscype and wræcna gehwam Generosity brings credit and honour, which support ones dignity; it furnishes help and subsistence to all broken... Categories: Language stubs | Old English language | Runes | Uncommon Latin letters ... Jāra or Jēra harvest, (good) year is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the j-rune ᛃ. ... Eihwaz (or Eiwaz, Îgwaz) is the Proto-Germanic word for yew, and the reconstructed name of the rune ᛇ. ... ᛈ is the rune denoting the sound p in the Old Futhark runic alphabet, with the tentatively reconstructed Proto-Germanic name perþô. ... Algiz is a reconstructed Proto-Germanic name for the ᛉ rune, representing Proto-Germanic final z. ... In Norse mythology, Sol was the goddess of the sun, a daughter of Mundilfari and Glaur and the wife of Glen. ... This article is about Tyr, the god. ... Ehwaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the e-rune Ɇ, meaning horse (cognate to Latin equus). ... Mannaz or Manwaz is the Proto-Germanic term for man, in the gender-neutral sense of person, human being. The word developed into Old English man, mann human being, person, (c. ... Yngvi, Ingui or Ing appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr, which meant lord. In Scandinavian mythology, Yngvi, alternatively Yngve, was the progenitor of the Yngling lineage, a legendary dynasty of Swedish kings from whom the earliest historical Norwegian kings in turn claimed to be descended... In Norse mythology, Dagr (modern Scandinavian: Dag, modern Icelandic: Dagur) was the god of the daytime, a son of Delling (god of twilight) and Nott (goddess of night). ... Odal rune Odal rune (with serifs) The Odal rune (ᛟ) is a Germanic rune representing the o sound. ...

External link

• Bartleby: American Heritage Dictionary: Indo-European roots: ansu (http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE19.html)