Scandinavian Gods Family Tree

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27 Jan 2024

Scandinavian Gods Family Tree

I realize that it might be a bit peculiar to create a family tree for this, but, in my opinion, this is already an unusual family. Moreover, it is quite an unstable one. Most of these relationships have been narrated somewhat vaguely, and in some cases, the sources directly conflict with each other. The most priority and comprehensive source is "Norse Mythology – Snorri Sturluson," and it's also the closest one. However, it is partially accurate, with no direct quotations, some parts are fabricated, and distinguishing between them is uncertain. But given that my only option is either to write from Snorri or leave half of the explanations blank, I decided to write based on Snorri. (This part is in this form because it is translated from a foreign source. The bibliography is available at the end of the article.)

Now let's move on to individual explanations of all the gods mentioned above.
No, wait, first, there are some classifications (or things similar to the classification held by medieval Scandinavians).

Aesir: Gods.
Vanir: Also gods, but from a different tribe.

Jotnar: (singular jotünn): generally referred to as "giants," but probably much closer to the word "destroyers." If Aesir represents order and civilization, Jotnar probably represents primitive chaos and destruction.

Now we can move on to the individual explanations of the gods mentioned above.

Ymir Jötunn

According to Norse mythology, Ymir was the first being to take shape within the primordial chaos. Apparently, everyone is descended from him, and we can be sure that we all come from someone's lineage. Pre-Christian European societies were not very keen on classifying/rationalizing their gods. At some point, Odin and his brothers killed Ymir and created the universe from his corpse.

Fárbauti Jötunn

The first of many gods about whom we actually know nothing. In this case, we know that his name means something like "dangerous striker," he married Laufey, and they created Loki together. I can guess he must have been a nasty character based on just that.

Laufey Jötunn

I could find even less about Laufey. It is only mentioned in connection with her son Loki, and even that is not entirely clear. Indeed, at some point, Loki is referred to as "the son of Fárbauti and Laufey or Nal."

Aegir and Ran Jötunn

Aegir and Ran were sea monsters living in the depths of the ocean with their nine daughters. Aegir was responsible for the friendly, open seas, while Ran was responsible for the treacherous seas that drowned sailors. Sometimes, they hosted parties for other gods.
Himingleva, Dufa, Blodughadda, Hefring, Udr, Hronn, Bylgja, Drofn, and Kolga
These are spirits of various appearances of waves or the ocean. Bright, transparent, etc. I think this might be the Viking version of the sea journey of the North tribes, depicting how advanced they were in sailing. Although it was mentioned that this might be a racist mythology, who knows?

Angrboda Jötunn

We don't have much information other than her name meaning "foreboding of doom" and that she and Loki had monstrous children.

Loki Jötunn? Really not sure.

Finally, someone we know something about. When I started looking into this, I thought Loki might be a cunning plotter or at least an intelligent trickster. But that's not the case. He's just a jerk. Almost every story about him mentions him doing something nasty for no reason, getting into trouble, and then (maybe) fixing some things. He steals, whines, kidnaps, kills, and at one point shaves Sif's head. There's even a poem written by a folk poet in these pages telling the story of Loki attending a festival and insulting everyone. I don't know who put Tom Hiddleston in this part, but if it were up to me, I'd choose Danny DeVito.

Finally, Loki manages to annoy everyone enough, and they chain him to a cave with venom dripping on his face forever. His wife Sigyn (undepicted) stays with him and is loyal enough to stay with him as much as she can and block as much venom as she can with a bowl. Wikipedia says her name means "victorious lover" in Old Norse, which could be true. Loki either knew this or it could be ironic because the girl had to look at him in prison forever. But I'm not sure about either because when you translate something from thousand-year-old things, they can undergo some kind of distortion.

A Horse

The story here tells of someone making a solid dwelling for the gods in exchange for Freyja, the sun, and the moon. The gods set an unrealistic deadline hoping the builder would fail and the work would be free. However, Loki convinces them to let the builder use a horse. It turns out later that the horse (named Svaðilfari) has superpowers, so the work progresses super fast, and the gods get super angry. They order Loki to fix the problem, and Loki interprets this order as "having sex with the horse."

Heimdall Aesir

Heimdall is the god's watcher. He stands at the end of the magnificent rainbow bridge, watching and waiting for the Ragnarok (doomsday). When Ragnarok approaches, Heimdall's job is to blow his horn with all his might so that everyone is informed. I don't know what the horn looks like, but this is my favorite illustration.

Fenrir

Fenrir, a fearsome and enormous wolf who spends most of his time devouring things he shouldn't. The gods, claiming that he cannot be freed from a group of chains, deceived and tricked him into being bound forever, playing a cunning game. While these are significant and grand myths with deep importance for many people, sometimes I feel like I'm reading a third-grade book. Anyway, on the third attempt, they used unbreakable chains, but Fenrir suspected something was amiss and insisted that someone put their hand in his mouth as a guarantee. That's how Tyr lost his hand. During Ragnarok, Fenrir is set free, wreaks havoc, and kills Odin.

"Jormungand" (The Serpent)

Jormungand has one of the coolest explanations I've heard regarding the end of the world. None of that "pour water until nothing is left" stuff is present here. In the Norse world, a giant sea monster serpent wraps around it from all directions. Thor spends some of his time fishing for him and actually manages to catch him somewhere, but out of fear that the nearby giant would trigger Ragnarok, he lets him go.

"Hel"

Hel, or Helheim, also known as Niflheim, governs the Norse underworld. Portrayed with a half-dead appearance and bluish skin, she might seem like a terrifying corpse lady? Obsessed gothic? I've never heard anyone claim that Vikings used a ton of eyeliner before. But regardless of appearances, from what I've heard, Hel seems to be a quite cool lady. Her realm apparently provides enough beauty and sustenance for the dead. She has even offered a few times to bring people back to life, although there are some limitations, and to my knowledge, no one has succeeded.

"Sleipnir"

Loki's eight-legged son or Odin's eight-legged horse.

"Audumbla"

So, it turns out that Ymir wasn't the first existing being for sure. Before him, there was a primeval super cow named Audumbla. Ymir's first action was to drink Audumbla's milk (if you believe the illustrations, he drank it directly from the source), and Audumbla's first action was to lick a block of salt.

"Tyr"

One of the interesting ones. In stories, lyrics, and probably in place names because it was important at some point, there is enough mention of him. Maybe he could even be the leader of the gods, but these things changed as cultures and worship practices evolved. Tyr is fascinating; he's the god of justice, law, and oaths. Odin, too, but Odin's focus is on desire, inspiration, knowledge, while Tyr is more about the law, responsibility, and valuing what is beneath your power.

"Mimir"

The god of wisdom and knowledge, and he is important for two main reasons. First, Odin sacrificed one of his eyes in exchange for Mimir's well of wisdom. Second, at the end of the Aesir-Vanir War, he was sent with Hoenir as a hostage to live with the Vanir, and there his head was cut off. But no worries, Odin mummified his head with magical herbs, and now Mimir is there to advise him.

"Bestla"

I think she's a Jotunn. Odin, Vili, and Ve's mother. That's all.

"Borr"

Probably a Jotunn. Very little information is available, and the only place mentioned is in the ancestry list of Bestla or someone.

"Buri"

Jotunn? Okay. Buri has a cool thing about him. Remember the salt block that Audumbla licked? Buri was inside it. I'm not sure if it makes her his mother, but it's enough to connect them on the family tree.

"Fjorgynn"

Aesir. Frigg's father. I wish I could say more, but I can't.

"Vili and Ve"

Here are two people we know very, very little about. They are mentioned as Odin's brothers, and a long trace of history at some point shows that they were quite important, but there are not many primary sources mentioning them. We know Odin, Vili, and Ve are interested in inspiration, consciousness, intent, and sacred things. We also know they gathered to beat Ymir at the beginning of everything. Although this might also be an invention by Snorri Sturluson.

"Hoenir"

Aesir. Depending on the source you look at, Hoenir is either a fearsome war leader or a complete fool. The most famous story about him is when he and Mimir were given as hostages to the Vanir during the Aesir-Vanir war. Vanir thought Hoenir looked like a leader, and they began asking him questions to make decisions for them. Unfortunately, when everyone got involved, it turned out that Hoenir refused to make any decisions without Mimir around to give advice. So, the Vanir beheaded Mimir, and poor Hoenir can't even breathe without him.

"Frigg"

Aesir. Frigg is a kind of mother spirit and the renowned advocate of Seidr, a traditional form of Norse prophecy that involves weaving. Frigg seems to resemble Freya quite a bit. In fact, people believe they were the same goddess in ancient traditions and split into two with the arrival of Christianity. If they are right, then Frigg and Freya are some kind of born gods.

"Odin"

Aesir. Odin blows my mind. The sole definite leader of the gods, which gives him this image of being powerful, serious, or, you know, a leader with leadership qualities. But that's not the case, or at least not as expected. Odin is sometimes associated with war, but more so with wisdom, intellect, learning, and magic. The stories about him mostly portray him wandering alone, sacrificing his eye for wisdom, or hanging himself for knowledge, kind of like he's preparing for a post-modern showdown in the realm of gods.

"Jord"

The personified version of Earth. Apparently used as a more general concept of the Earth. I'm not sure what it means in relation to Odin, but while Thor was born, don't ask me to judge who I am, right?

"Nanna"

Aesir. The goddess of taste. Died of grief after her husband Baldr's death. Or, according to another version of the story, didn't die and never married him because she loved Hodr more.

"Baldr"

Aesir. Poor Baldr. I've heard him called the Norse Icarus, but only because he died. He was definitely the god of brightness, love, and beauty, and everyone loved this guy. Everything was perfect until one night when his mother Frigg dreamed of his death. Like any worried mother, she goes to every existing thing and asks them not to harm Baldr, and everything promises not to harm him. Except mistletoe, because it's small and seemingly harmless, Frigg doesn't bother to ask about it. Maybe you can already guess how the story ends.

One night the gods decide to play a game with Baldr where they throw things at him, and nothing hurts him, a game everyone plays to boost Baldr's ego, except for the blind Hodr and the idiot Loki. Loki convinces Hodr to throw an arrow at Baldr, but not just any arrow – an arrow made of mistletoe. Baldr dies this way, Hodr is killed in retaliation, and Loki finally manages to do something evil enough to be chained forever.

"Hodr"

Aesir. The blind god who came to play in the mentioned game and accidentally killed his brother Baldr. Or, according to another story, the winner of the race for Nanna's love against Baldr. Or, as my friend said, "This really turned into a Game of Thrones. Just missing Hodor's beard."

"Bragi"

Aesir. The god of poetry. I've drawn him so poetic that there are runes in his language.

"Idunn"

Aesir. Idunn is responsible for looking after the fruits the gods eat to uplift their spirits. But that's not what I want to talk about. Instead, here's my favorite Idunn story:

Odin, Loki, and Hoenir encounter a giant named Thjazi and decide to share their food with him. Loki, being Loki, gets into a fight with Thjazi over who gets the best meat cuts. Thjazi turns into an eagle and grabs Loki with his claws. He flies upward, threatening Loki until he promises to bring Idunn and her fruits to him. After everyone returns home, Loki realizes Idunn is missing, and when the other gods notice, they threaten Loki with all sorts of horrible things until he agrees to bring Idunn back. He waits for Thjazi to take her by hiding in the forest when she comes out. When the other gods find out what Loki did, they catch him and threaten him with all sorts of nasty things again. This time, Loki turns into a falcon, with Idunn turned into a nut, and he flies away with Thjazi's eagle chasing him. In short, Loki kidnaps a goddess to save his own skin, then turns around to save that goddess to save his own skin again, and as a result, someone else dies instead of Loki.

"Forseti"

Aesir. Seems like a god of justice, law, and government, but there's so little written about him that all we know is this.

"Sif"

Aesir. Sif had flowing golden hair that she loved dearly. But then Loki, being the jerk that he is, cut it all off while she slept. Did I mention he's a jerk? Anyway, the god Thor goes berserk, and Loki has to go to great lengths to save his own skin. He promises to get Sif better hair and ends up with a wig made of gold.

"Thor"

Aesir. Thor has a pretty powerful personality. The god of thunder, lightning, oak trees, healing, and blessings, he might seem like a god of good things. But he's more of a god of causing trouble. Angry and honorable. However, not very wise, and when faced with a problem, his go-to solution is to keep hitting until the problem is resolved. He also has a famous hammer called Mjolnir.

There's also a story where someone steals Thor's hammer, and the thief says they'll only give it back if Freya marries Thor. Thor has to act like a bride until the thief reveals themselves and then goes on a rampage, hitting everyone mercilessly with the hammer.

"Jarnsaxa"

Jotunn. The only thing known about her is that she and Thor had sex.

"Skadi"

Jotunn. The goddess of mountains and winter activities like skiing. Did you know they skied in medieval Scandinavia? I didn't either, but after a few Google searches, I felt like the last person who learned this.

Anyway, after the gods killed Thjazi, his daughter Skadi appears, demanding compensation. There are parts of the story where Loki plays a game by tying one end of the rope to his testicles and the other to a live goat. But the main part is when Skadi takes Njord as her husband, and they go to live together. The problem is Njord lives on a sunny beach, and Skadi lives in a dark and cold place in the mountains. Since they can't stand living in each other's places, they part ways. I don't know if you call it divorce, because I don't know how Viking marriages work. But still, I decided to call Skadi the goddess of divorce.

"Njord"

Vanir. The god of wealth, prosperity, and a dignified presence. Apparently very wealthy and had the most beautiful legs. Married Skadi and later divorced her because they couldn't tolerate living in each other's places.

"Ullr"

Aesir? I have no idea what Ullr is. He was important at some point, but we're not told how he survived until now. It's like saying, "all these things were happening, and Ullr was there, you know, the Ullr we all know."

And that's all I know about him. Also, I found someone who mentioned a lost story about him crossing the ocean on a shield.

"Modi, Thrud, Magni"

Aesir? Their names mean "Angry," "Power," and "Strong," so I've drawn them as bodybuilders.
I hope you find this translation helpful! If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.

"Gerdr"

Jotunn

The only thing I know about Gerdr is that Freyr found her really, I mean really, hot. She was so attractive that when he went to propose to her, he gave away his sword, which he had to fight with.

"Freyr"

Vanir

Freyr was the god of fertility, harvest, wealth, and peace. Often depicted with a golden boar, a collapsible ship, or a raging erection. While reading about him, I came across some descriptions of Freyr and his prophetesses traveling from city to city in godly chariots like medieval party buses, hosting parties filled with statues of him.

"Freya"

Vanir

The beautiful goddess of love and fertility (the anthropologist of sex). She was also a seer and weaver, and she ruled over warrior virgins (Valkyries). It's likely that she and Frigg were the same goddess, but I've already gone into too much detail about her, so I won't repeat that here.

"Odr"

Vanir

Some people have theorized that Odr is the same as Odin, but he has another name. Others suggest that the two gods were split by their followers. I don't know anything for sure.
Alright, there you have it! Mostly covered, I'd say. I didn't include everyone, but if the explanations I provided seem insufficient, you can research those I left out. For example, Loki's two brothers, Byleistr and Helblindi. Who were they? What did they represent? Were they important? Did they have any connection with each other? Were they the result of a lover's failure to remember the people's song? Intriguing, isn't it? But that's possible, right?
I don't know what else I can do. Maybe I'll delve into women's history a bit. I just learned about Nancy Wake, and she's become something like my hero.

References:
The Norse God Family Tree

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