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Norse Gods and Goddesses

By , About.com Guide

Nanna

In Norse mythology, Nanna is the daughter of Nef and Balder's wife. Nanna dies of grief at the death of Balder and is burnt with him on his funeral pyre. Nanna is the mother of Forseti.

Njord

Njord is a Vanir god of wind and sea. He is the father of Freya and Frey. Njord's wife is the giantess Skadi who selects him on the basis of his feet, which she thought belonged to Balder.

Norns

The Norns are the fates in Norse mythology. The Norns may once have guarded the fountain at the base of Yggdrasil.

Odin

Odin on Sleipnir the 8-legged HorseCC Flickr User mararie
Odin is the head of the Aesir gods. Odin is the Norse god of war, poetry, wisdom, and death. He gathers his portion of the slain warriors in Valhalla. Odin has a spear, Grungir, that never misses. He makes sacrifices, including his eye, for the sake of knowledge.

Thor

Thor With His Hammer and Belt18th century Icelandic manuscript SÁM 66 in the care of the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland.
Thor is the Norse thunder god, the main enemy of the giants, and the son of Odin. The common man calls upon Thor in preference to his father, Odin.

Tyr

Tyr and Fenrir18th century Icelandic manuscript "NKS 1867 4to", at the Danish Royal Library.
Tyr is the Norse god of war. He put his hand in the mouth of the Fenris wolf. Thereafter, Tyr is left-handed.

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