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Mightiest Gods of Norse Mythology (Edda): Odin, Thor, Loki, Freyja, Baldur, Tyr, Frigg, Heimdall, Njord, Hel, Freyr, Bragi, Idun, Vidar, Mimir, Forseti, Ullr, Vali, Sif | Mightiest Gods Series 5 | Norse Mythology 3
Featured Norse mythology stories:
1. Ymir, the first being and ancestor of the Jotnar (Ice/frost giants): The beginning and creation of the universe; The birth of the gods.
2. Odin, god of wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet: Odin and the runes; Odin and Mimir; The myths of Odin.
3. Thor, god of thunder, the sky, and agriculture: The Myths of Thor, Thor and Mjolnir; Thor and the Jotunn Hymir.
4. Loki, the trickster god: The myths of Loki; Loki and Thor, The Punishment of Loki.
5. Freyja, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr: The myths of Freyja; The Aesir & Vanir war.
6. Baldur (Baldr), god of light, joy, purity, and the summer sun: The myth of Baldr, Baldr and Loki, The death of Baldr.
7. Tyr, god of War and the Law: The myth of Tyr, Tyr and Fenrir, The binding of Fenrir.
8. Frigg, goddess of fertility, household, motherhood, love, marriage, and domestic arts: The myths of Frigg, Frigg and Loki, The Fate of Baldur.
9. Heimdall, the watchman of the gods: The myths of Heimdall, The coming of Ragnarok, Heimdall and Loki, the death of Heimdall, the death of Loki.
10. Njord, god of wealth, fertility, the sea, flames, and seafaring: The myths of Njord, Njord and Skadi.
11. Hel, goddess of the dead and the underworld: The myths of Hel, Hel and Baldr.
12. Freyr, god of sacral kingship, virility, peace and prosperity, sunshine, fair weather, and good harvest: The myths of Freyr, Freyr and the Aesir-Vanir war, The death of Freyr.
13. Bragi, the wise and learned bard: The myth of Bragi.
14. Idun, goddess of spring, apples and eternal youth: The myth of Idun, The myth of Thjazi and Loki and Thor; Loki and Thjazi; The Abduction (Kidnapping) of Idun, The death of Thjazi.
15. Vidar, the silent god of vengeance: The myths of Vidar; Vidar and the 3 trials of Thor, Vidar in Ragnarok, Vidar and Fenrir; the death of Odin.
16. Mimir, the god of wisdom: Odin and Mimir, the death of Mimir, The myths of Mimir.
17. Ullr, the oath-keeper of the gods and god of bow hunting and skiing: The Myths of Ullr.
18. Vali, the avenger: The myths of Vali, The binding and punishment of Loki.
19. Forseti, god of justice, arbitration and reconciliation; the Myths of Forseti.
20. Sif, goddess of marriage, wheat and family: The Myths of Sif, Loki and the Golden locks of Sif, Loki and the Dwarves, The Gift of Mjolnir .
* Prose Edda
* Poetic Edda
* Younger Edda
Featured Norse mythology stories:
1. Ymir, the first being and ancestor of the Jotnar (Ice/frost giants): The beginning and creation of the universe; The birth of the gods.
2. Odin, god of wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet: Odin and the runes; Odin and Mimir; The myths of Odin.
3. Thor, god of thunder, the sky, and agriculture: The Myths of Thor, Thor and Mjolnir; Thor and the Jotunn Hymir.
4. Loki, the trickster god: The myths of Loki; Loki and Thor, The Punishment of Loki.
5. Freyja, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr: The myths of Freyja; The Aesir & Vanir war.
6. Baldur (Baldr), god of light, joy, purity, and the summer sun: The myth of Baldr, Baldr and Loki, The death of Baldr.
7. Tyr, god of War and the Law: The myth of Tyr, Tyr and Fenrir, The binding of Fenrir.
8. Frigg, goddess of fertility, household, motherhood, love, marriage, and domestic arts: The myths of Frigg, Frigg and Loki, The Fate of Baldur.
9. Heimdall, the watchman of the gods: The myths of Heimdall, The coming of Ragnarok, Heimdall and Loki, the death of Heimdall, the death of Loki.
10. Njord, god of wealth, fertility, the sea, flames, and seafaring: The myths of Njord, Njord and Skadi.
11. Hel, goddess of the dead and the underworld: The myths of Hel, Hel and Baldr.
12. Freyr, god of sacral kingship, virility, peace and prosperity, sunshine, fair weather, and good harvest: The myths of Freyr, Freyr and the Aesir-Vanir war, The death of Freyr.
13. Bragi, the wise and learned bard: The myth of Bragi.
14. Idun, goddess of spring, apples and eternal youth: The myth of Idun, The myth of Thjazi and Loki and Thor; Loki and Thjazi; The Abduction (Kidnapping) of Idun, The death of Thjazi.
15. Vidar, the silent god of vengeance: The myths of Vidar; Vidar and the 3 trials of Thor, Vidar in Ragnarok, Vidar and Fenrir; the death of Odin.
16. Mimir, the god of wisdom: Odin and Mimir, the death of Mimir, The myths of Mimir.
17. Ullr, the oath-keeper of the gods and god of bow hunting and skiing: The Myths of Ullr.
18. Vali, the avenger: The myths of Vali, The binding and punishment of Loki.
19. Forseti, god of justice, arbitration and reconciliation; the Myths of Forseti.
20. Sif, goddess of marriage, wheat and family: The Myths of Sif, Loki and the Golden locks of Sif, Loki and the Dwarves, The Gift of Mjolnir .
* Prose Edda
* Poetic Edda
* Younger Edda
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LifestyleTranscript
00:12Before the sun and moon were charged to count the days, no sky crowned the land below, and
00:19no flesh and thought lingered in the emptiness of Ginnun Agap, the void of everything.
00:24To the sides of Ginnun Agap were the realms of elemental fire and elemental frost, Muspelheim
00:33and Niflheim, respectively. To imagine either is to see the world around you made from a single thing
00:41in its purest form. The fires of Muspelheim raged and roared unchecked, while the freezing
00:49wasteland of Niflheim stood silent and unstirred, its clear skies shimmering with frost.
00:56By chance or intent, the fires of Muspelheim spread from its blazing home, and the ice of Niflheim
01:04crawled from its cold prison. Their only path was towards Ginnun Agap. In the middle of the void,
01:11the hottest and unchained flames licked and struck the coldest and harshest frost. An explosion of
01:19water followed, creating nothing into something. The first being to ever exist filled the black
01:26expanse with the first scream of birth. This creature was called Ymir, the Screamer. A being both man and
01:34woman, a giant so massive that only the world could rival its glory. Under its skin of eternal frost,
01:43beat a heart like a red furnace, spreading the flames of Muspelheim throughout the giant's veins.
01:49As Ymir wandered Ginnun Agap, a cloud of vapor followed him, and ice melted from its pores in great
01:57waterfalls. Every night, when Ymir slept, creatures such as giants were washed out from its pores and
02:05birthed into existence. One of these creatures was the celestial cow at Humla, who found nourishment
02:13in the salty ice of Ymir's skin, who in turn, supped upon the cow's milk. As the cow licked, a
02:21new being,
02:22the first of the Isar gods, Uri, cracked free from Ymir's skin and inhaled for the first time.
02:30Uri became known as the forefather of all Isar. His grandson Odin, along with his brothers,
02:38wandered the void in the puddles and clouds of Ymir, a being as bright and hot as the sun,
02:44but as uncaring and indifferent to those around as the coldest glacier.
02:49Ymir trampled as many as it created, but paid neither thought nor attention.
02:56Odin, the heir of the Isar, saw the pain of those around the senseless destruction
03:01and felt sorrow for the giant's victims. An end had to be put to the chaos and order brought into
03:08existence. Thus, Odin hatched a plan along with his brothers, Vili and Vey, to fell the giant and build a
03:17home to its neglected offspring. Ymir possessed strength beyond all of its creations combined a
03:24thousand-fold, but its mind was no more than that of a massive insect. The three Isar brothers struck
03:32from three directions, tearing holes into Ymir from whence the fires of Musbelheim burst into
03:38Ginnana gap, as they did during the giant's birth. Ymir screamed and swung in blind confusion, but could
03:46do nothing against the overwhelming assault, then finally fell in a pile of sputtering pieces of ice
03:53and molten flame. From the body parts of Ymir, the three brothers created the world, Midgard, which
04:01sprang into life instantly from the giant's fertile essence. They created the seas from his blood,
04:08the mountains from his bones, stones from his teeth, the sky from his skull, and the clouds from his brain.
04:17Four dwarfs held up his skull and it became the heavens and his eyebrows became the fence surrounding
04:24Midgard, the home of mankind. As the world grew, so were the first mortals created from
04:31an elm and an ash, called Embla and Arsk. Once all was in good order, the Isar built their home
04:39above
04:39the clouds, to watch and govern over their creation, and in this realm, they built their great hall,
04:46Valhalla. Midgard's days were tranquil and uneventful, as all living things flourished and the Isar multiplied.
05:15None of them continue to know that there is not much more than the globe as it rains the planet,
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05:58Odin, the father of men, the king of the world,
06:01the king of the Aesir, the lord of the gods, the lord of the dead, the attacking rider,
06:07the shield shaker, the blazing eyed one, the one who rides forth, the god protector,
06:13the battle blinder, the one of the host, the hanged god, the victory bringer, the father
06:19of the slain, the mighty old man, the one eyed one. Once upon a time, Odin slew the father of
06:27his grandfather, the two-gendered giant of ice and fire, Ymir. Then, he and his fellow Aesir
06:35set about to create Midgard from the bones, blood and flesh of the primordial being.
06:41Once creation stood glorious under the sky, the Allfather sat on his throne of Lidsjalfin,
06:47in the realm of Asgard, the highest of the nine realms. But, for Asgard to rule over
06:55the other realms, Odin sought Mimir, the master of hidden lore. Mimir offered Odin the path
07:03to complete his ambition with the sacrifice of his left eye. As his bloody eyeball fell
07:09into the well of Mimir, he saw that in order for him to rule all of the nine realms, he
07:15would have to sacrifice himself and be reborn after death. After devising the most sensible
07:21plan to accomplish this, Odin fell on his own spear, Grangnir, and hung himself by the neck
07:28on one of the boughs, Yggdrasil, the world tree, for nine days. His agonizing endeavor complete,
07:36Odin climbed down, and all nothing was a secret to his mind. The realms were in his grasp.
07:44As the master of death, Odin's halls are the home of the spirits of Midgard's dead as well.
07:51Thus, his home came to be known as Valhalla, the halls of the dead. By his decree, all those
07:58who died in honorable battle would find their eternal home in Asgard in a never-ending orgy
08:05of battle, feasting, and drinking.
08:28Thor, the wielder of the hammer, Mjolnir, son of Odin, the strong archer, the one who rides
08:35alone, the mighty thunder, the one with the wide forehead, the loud rider, the guardian of the
08:42shrine. Thor is a fearsome warrior of flaming locks of red hair and a mighty red beard. As his wagon,
08:51dragged by two goats, Tangrisnir and Tangjustur, rolled across the sky, from adventure to adventure,
08:59his hammer, his hammer spat thunder and lightning. The goats also provided him with sustenance.
09:05After a stout slam of Mjolnir on the animals' heads, the thunder god needed only spare the bones
09:12and skin after his feast. The goats would grow flesh inside their skin and around their bones during the
09:21night, and stood pristine and unharmed, the next morning. What motivated Thor was simple. He enjoyed
09:29fighting, merrymaking, food, drink, and lovemaking, in that order. Where one of these could be had,
09:37the carriage of the thunder lord was not far. This single-minded reckless and pleasure-seeking
09:44behavior led him to many misadventures, tragedies and outright disasters, often involving his anger,
09:51then his hammer, in quick succession. No one knew the bite of Mjolnir better than Jormungandr,
09:58the world serpent. Once upon a time, Thor went fishing with the Jotunn, Hymir, a giant,
10:07in a competition to win his titanic beer brewing cauldron of infinite drink. Thor caught the world
10:14serpent and hoisted it on Hymir's boat. Angered by his loss, Hymir tossed the world serpent back into
10:22the ocean of Midgard, denying Thor his prize of eternal drunkenness. Thor, angered by the loss of
10:30his catch and such a vile betrayal, slew Hymir with Mjolnir and took his cauldron. Jormungandr would
10:39forever bear a grudge towards Thor and the rest of the Aesir. In Ragnarok, the end of the world,
10:46the world serpent would find his revenge by biting Thor, envenoming him, but fell from the wounds caused
10:54by Mjolnir. Loki, the thief of the giants, the foe of the gods, the forger of evil. The sly one,
11:22the bound one, the slanderer and cheat of Asgard. If a situation has a chance for mischief or personal
11:30gain through the undermining of another, the trickster of the Aesir was not far away. It remains
11:37to be seen whether the bane of Asgard seeks his own glory through subterfuge, or if it is only his
11:45nature to be a divine pain. Loki was the son of the Jotunn , and the Aesir , a woman
11:54clothed in
11:54fiery leaves and nettles. Often, Loki is referred to as Thor's brother, but nothing could be farther
12:02from the truth. Even with his Aesir heritage, the trickster only visited the halls of his extended
12:09family to spread discord and general annoyance. The masters of Asgard were never happy to see him
12:17in one of their feasts. Once upon a time, during a gloomy feast after the death of Baldr the Beautiful,
12:25Thor had enough of Loki's drunken insults and vile comments and threatened to smack the evil
12:31gutter mouth's head off his shoulders and toss his remains far to the east, where no one has to
12:38endure the sight of him ever again. Loki, of course, taunted the thunder god more, even slipping from
12:46his mouth the truth of the death of Baldr and ran away, disguised as a salmon down a waterfall from
12:53Asgard.
12:54Thinking he had escaped the wrath of the Aesir, Loki rested at the base of the fall.
13:01However, his pursuers were not far behind, trapping Loki in the grip of a horrible serpent,
13:07whose venom dripped from its mouth and burned Loki's skin like acid. The trickster would find a
13:15way to escape his torment and fight alongside the Jortna against the Aesir in the flames of Ragnarok.
13:43Fréja, Lady of the Vanir, the fiercely bright one, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She hails from the
13:52realm of Vanaheim, home of the Vanir.
13:56Unlike the mighty Aesir, the Vanir were great sorcerers and magicians. Fréja, the head of the Vanir,
14:04practiced a special kind of magic, known as Seda, which she discovered and taught to the Vanir and the elves.
14:11This magic could weave and unravel the well-being, desires and fates of any being the practitioner sets
14:18their hands upon, and none could resist the touch of Fréja. When the Aesir had established themselves
14:26in Asgard, Fréja sought them out with the rest of her order and offered the magical services of
14:32the Vanir in exchange for gold and other pleasures. The lords of Asgard used the great powers of the
14:39Vanir to gain an upper hand on their brothers and sisters, until the halls of Odin were filled with
14:45heavy silence, shadows and betrayal. One could pay for a Vanir's services, but what if another paid more?
14:54Odin had enough of the discord of his kin and demanded the Vanir to pay equal tribute to every
15:01lord of Asgard and atone for their dishonourable actions. A squabble ensued, leading to the Aesir
15:08Vanir war, where terrible magics and the flames of battle ravaged the realms of Asgard and Vanaheim.
15:17In the end, where no side could claim victory, Odin made a truce with Fréja, taking her brother
15:24Fréja as hostage while giving Mimir, the lore master, to the Vanir in return.
15:50Beldr the princely, Beldr the shining, the beautiful god of light, joy and purity,
15:57son of Odin and his wife, Frig. The Vanir might have been masters in subtlety and the craft of word,
16:05but even they paled in comparison to the lord of poetry of the Aesir.
16:11Beldr stood tall, lean and fair as porcelain, with a head of beautiful blonde locks and a pair of rosy
16:19lips from where sweet poetry flowed out like golden honey. His visage caused hearts to skip,
16:26no matter the race or state of life. Poetry and the arts of the Skald were appreciated in all the
16:33realms,
16:34but what the Aesir valued most was Baldr's gift of premonition. While the Aesir were mighty warriors
16:41with enchanted weapons and armor strong enough to withstand the mightiest blows, cunning, guile and
16:48magic could bring down even the strongest within Odin's host. But Baldr could see the plans of the
16:55enemy. His gaze burned through all deceit and mystery, while his mouth revealed the truth.
17:02So valuable was the gift that Baldr's mother, Frigg, wove an enchantment over him. He would be
17:10invulnerable to blades and arrows, hot and cold. He would feel neither pain nor the wasting of age.
17:17This enchantment brought joy to the Aesir, who took merriment in shooting the Skald with arrows,
17:24axes and rocks, while he stood still and sang poetry without a hint of a flinch. It remains a mystery
17:32whether the Aesir enjoyed this festivity more than Baldr's poetry.
17:38Loki, clever as he was, found the only weakness of Baldr, the only thing Frigg forgot to protect her
17:45son from. Gathering mistletoe from the east of Midgard, Loki fashioned the plant into arrows.
17:53Disguised as a blind old man, he entered Asgard and presented a wager that he would be the one to
18:00slay Baldr with an arrow, asking Thor to point him in the direction of the target. The arrow found its
18:08mark
18:08and Baldr was slain, never to be seen in the realms of the living, until after Ragnarok.
18:35Tyr, the one-handed Aesir, son of Hymer the Jotun, the god of war, law, honor, and glory.
18:44A Norse warrior wishing victory in battle would be wise to pray to Tyr. Even while crippled,
18:52none could best him in armed combat and none could match his bravery. It was just his bravery and
18:59willingness to put his health and well-being on the line that left him with only his sword arm.
19:05Back when Tyr could still hold a shield, the wolf, Fenris, son of Loki, ran rampant in Asgard,
19:14causing mischief, murdering unearthly livestock and generally befouling the realm with his vile
19:19presence. Council after council of the Aesir came to no conclusion as to what was to be done with the
19:26beast. Many, such as Thor, suggested the mangy horror be put down with a hammer, but Odin denied
19:34such plan, claiming Fenris was not worth spilling blood on the pure realm of Asgard. A thought bounced
19:42around that until a proper way to dispose of Fenris came about, the beast should be chained and bound
19:48until that time. But Fenris was no ordinary wolf, so he could not be trapped as any wild animal.
19:57The Aesir came before the great wolf and presented him with a challenge, preying on his arrogance.
20:04They claimed the wolf to be the mightiest of wolves, but were wondering if he could break any set of
20:10chains put upon him. Fenris took the bait and challenged the Aesir to bind him so that he could
20:17not break free, but were they to find such a chain that could hold him, they would have to swear
20:23an
20:23oath to release him. The Aesir, fingers crossed behind their backs, agreed. Twice was Fenris bound,
20:32and twice he escaped, breaking the links as if they were twigs. Out of ideas, the Aesir commissioned
20:39all the dwarves of the realms to construct a devious and clever chain. The masters of mining,
20:46crafting arts and deep places, did as they were asked, and called their creation, Plypnir.
20:53If one is skilled enough in handicrafts, they too, may attempt to forge this unbreakable chain
21:00using these items, the sound of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain,
21:08the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird.
21:14Impossible for a mortal, but a day's work for a dwarf. The Aesir looked at the chain in shock,
21:21it was no more than a bright and slender length of cloth. However, Thor, strong as he was,
21:28could not rip the cloth apart, and neither could Tyr's sword cut through it. This wondrous thing had
21:35promise. Once again, the Aesir came before Fenris, during one of his rampages, and challenged him to
21:44break free of the enchanted cloth. Smelling the cloth to be of some craft beyond ordinary metal-making and
21:51weaving, the great wolf added a clause to his wager. In addition to the previous oath to let him free,
21:59one of them must place their arm in his mouth, as collateral. The Aesir looked at one another,
22:07none, wishing to put their arm on the rancid black tongue, and between the vile yellow and black teeth
22:13of the beast. Tyr, without hesitation, volunteered, placing his arm on the massive tongue of Fenris.
22:21Bound by Glypnir, Fenris could not break or slip from his fetter. The Aesir laughed,
22:29while Tyr's forehead glittered with beads of sweat. Enraged, Fenris clamped his jaw,
22:36and took Tyr's arm, much to the surprise of his peers.
23:01Friig, mother of the gods, wife of Odin, queen of the Aesir, goddess of marriage and domestic arts.
23:09Frigg, mother of the gods, wife of Odin, queen of the Aesir, goddess of marriage and domestic arts.
23:10The fair wife of Odin is a powerful Aesir, almost matched in power by Freya of the Vanir.
23:17As with Baldr, her son, she too possessed the power of foresight, but not as potent.
23:24Baldr was her dearest son and greatest treasure. So much did Frigg care for him,
23:31that she petitioned for her boy to be invulnerable. The Aesir, loving Baldr for his gift and pleasant
23:37nature, advocated for her wish, and brought her case to the Thing, a meeting of powerful beings.
23:45At the Thing, Frigg took oaths from every tree and bush, every disease and ailment,
23:52metals from copper to steel, vowed to never bring harm to Baldr, along with the rocks that bore them.
23:58Even the winds, flames and rivers, swore they would not mar his skin.
24:06Loki, eavesdropping, as was his custom, heard the oath swearing and felt envy towards this upstart.
24:13This golden-haired foolish boy, who was given all the praise and protection in the world,
24:18while he, a self-made Aesir of his intelligence and prowess, was left to sculpt the realms,
24:25and apologize for everything he did. Disguised as an old woman, Loki stole his way to Frigg,
24:33and asked what had occurred in the Council of All Things. Frigg revealed, in her pride,
24:40that her charming words, convinced everything living and lifeless, to swear never to hurt her and Odin's
24:46son, Baldr, listing all who swore. Loki, attentive as he was, heard the list,
24:54and noticed Frigg made a mistake. One thing out of everything that made up the realms,
25:00had not sworn the oath. Mistletoe. Leaving Frigg with no knowledge of this,
25:06Loki went to gather mistletoe, and fashioned arrows to kill Baldr. After his next transformation
25:13to a blind old man, he shot the great skull in the heart, killing him, and leaving Frigg,
25:20in inconsolable despair, retching in tears.
25:44Heimdall, the watchman of Asgard, the whitest skinned of the gods, the god of watchfulness, sight,
25:52hearing, and loyalty. Outside Valhalla, on the moors, a figure of a man, stands watch.
26:00His skin is whiter than alabaster, and his golden armor and helmet, glimmers in the bright sun of
26:07Asgard. On his belt, this ever vigilant guardian, carries the horn, Gjallarhorn, with a loud virtue,
26:15an echo that would not subside once the horn is blown. This lone guardian was set before the
26:22rainbow bridge of Bivrost to guard the entrance to Asgard and the dwellings within. Heimdall,
26:29the horn blower, is charged by the Aesir to keep an eternal vigil and warn the high lords of coming
26:36threats. No one is better suited for this purpose, since Heimdall can see farther than any known being,
26:43needed little to no sleep, and could see such tiny details as the sprouting of grass or the growing
26:50of a sheep's wool. Nothing escaped this golden guardian's gaze, and thus, the gates of Valhalla
26:57was safe until the coming of Ragnarok. During Ragnarok, Heimdall will blow on the Gjallarhorn,
27:05and alert anything with ears, or anything with capability to hear. His horn rings so loud,
27:12it can be heard in all of the nine realms, as clear and loud, as if it was no farther
27:17than a few steps.
27:19When the horn sings, all of creation can count its days at an end, for everything shall be cinder and
27:26ash until the new world rises from the seas. As the swords of the Aesir and their enemies clash,
27:34it shall be Loki who slays Heimdall, and the trickster will find his own end at the hands of
27:40the horn blower. A sparse few tales are there of Heimdall, an Aesir whose task was to stand still,
27:48and stare at the worlds beneath Asgard, had no time for frivolous adventures. Perhaps,
27:55his focused nature was the virtue that saw him as the end of the chaotic and unpredictable Loki.
28:21A Vanir, and the twin brother of Freya, Frey is the physical representation of male vitality,
28:29and sexual vigour. He is the god of fertility, virility, and prosperity. Much like his twin sister,
28:38Frey enjoyed the comfortable and finer things in life.
28:42Not that our strapping figure of manhood was a wastrel, quite the contrary. Frey was known to
28:49wield a mighty sword known as Skirnir and go into battles. Along with his brothers and sisters,
28:57he stood against the might of the Aesir during the Aesir-Varnir war, and charged valiantly on his
29:04golden boar against the mightiest beings in the realms. At the end of the war, according to the
29:11Treaties of Peace, Frey, along with a few others of his kin, were sent as hostages to Asgard in exchange
29:19for Mimir. During this time, Frey was seen more as an Aesir than a Vanir and adopted their customs as
29:28he lived along with the mighty warriors as one of them. During his stay, Frey met the Jotun called
29:35Jurgya, and the two fell in love. As a condition for their marriage, Jurgya's servant insisted he
29:43gave up the sword he used in the war against the Aesir. He accepted, but this choice came at a
29:50cost.
29:51During Ragnarok, Frey would fight against the fire giant, Surt. Without his sword, Frey charged at the
30:00giant with a great antler, but lost his life in the fight.
30:24As decreed by Odin, those who fall in glorious battle, their swords drawn, and battle cries in
30:32their throats, would find their souls ushered to Valhalla, by the Valkyries, mystical flying
30:38warrior women. Before they could pass Beavrost, the Rainbow Bridge, the souls were greeted by a
30:45horrible figure. A woman half dead and half alive, whose one side is blue, like that of a drowned
30:52corpse, while the right is bright and rosy, like that of a young woman. Those who look upon her,
30:59feel the true dread of death. Her name is Hel, goddess of the dead. Hel resided in the place in
31:08Niflheim, named after her. Her mansion stood past a fetid and gloomy swamp and beyond a black lake.
31:16The shores of her abode were littered with the mangled and bloated bodies of the long dead,
31:21and their miasma, suffocated the land, in a foul cloud of vapours and vicious carrion.
31:28This daughter of Loki, assessed who of the dead, should pass into Valhalla, or should taken by her,
31:35to her baleful mansion. Her spindly fingers, poke and prod at the petitioners before her,
31:42as she searches for axe wounds, spear holes, or the lost shafts of arrows. Many have tried to scar
31:50themselves, to fool the dark woman of the underworld, but mortal tricks are nothing compared to her power.
31:57Once upon a time, when Baldr was killed indirectly by Loki, the Aesir and Vanir wept for him,
32:05and pleaded with Hel to release the beautiful youth. She agreed, but only if every single being
32:12in the realms would weep for him. This bargain would have succeeded if it were not for the Jotun,
32:19Thok, who refused. There are those who state that Thok was none other than Loki looking out for his
32:27daughter's possessions.
32:49Njord, the wisest of the Vanir, and father of Freya and Frey, and their unnamed sister.
32:56This old lord of the Vanir was known for his powers over flames, seas and the winds.
33:03Unlike his offspring, Njord prized forethought and good counsel over the strength of arms. His calm
33:10nature is what would see him alive after the end, Ragnarok. Fishermen call upon his name and thank him
33:19for a bountiful catch, and those who honour him by assuming the thoughtful and serene form of Njord.
33:25Njord can expect a bountiful catch. Those who are not capable of such feats are better off drawing
33:32their swords and charging against the giants and spawn of Loki at the end of all things.
33:38Like Frey, Njord was a part of the hostage deal between the Aesir and Vanir after their war. As a
33:47sensible being, he took his new position with dignity and brought good counsel to the Aesir.
33:53Also like Frey, it was at this time the wise father of the Vanir found his mate in the halls
34:00of Asgard.
34:02The great hunter of the frozen wilds, the Jotun, Skadi, had lost her father in one of the unfortunate
34:09incidents caused by Loki. Seeking recompense for her father's death, Skadi demanded tribute from the
34:17Lords of Asgard, a husband from their number, as she was now alone in her own halls. The Aesir agreed,
34:25but insisted she made her choice by the bare feet of the unwilling suitor. Pair after pair of feet,
34:33walked past her gaze under a curtain. Too wrinkly, too calloused, too misshapen, thought Skadi.
34:41She looked hard and long, until a beautiful well-groomed pair walked into view. She thought
34:49this to be Baldr, the most beautiful of the Aesir, and called for the suitor to be revealed.
34:55The curtain flew up, and she saw the face of an old silver fox, the Vanir, Njord.
35:22What Baldr had in male beauty, Bragi made up in the gold of his words. This Aesir is the lord
35:30of
35:30poetry and scaldship, meaning the art of telling stories and sagas. It would be foolish to think
35:38that Bragi was another wastrel, who spent his days reciting stories and fiddling with his instruments.
35:44After all, one must experience battles, strife and love, before one is able to sing of them.
35:52The Aesir of Valhalla enjoy the company of Bragi. For who else would sing of their exploits,
35:59battles, and glorious deaths, with such soul and power? It is one thing to die an honourable battle,
36:06but what good would that be if there were no songs or sagas to remember the hero by?
36:13The art of poetry and scaldship came to the world from the blood of Kevasa.
36:19After the Aesir-Vanir war, a truce was made with the Aesir and Vanir lords spitting into a cauldron
36:27to seal their oath of peace. This saliva would transform into the being known as Kevasa, who
36:34roamed Midgard, singing songs and telling stories. Kevasa was killed by two dwarves, Fiela and Gala,
36:43who wanted to be as great as Kevasa. They mixed the amazing being's blood with honey and made a mead,
36:50called the mead of poetry. Any who drank this mead would be turned into a master of words,
36:57either a scald, a poet, or a scholar. The lords of the realms noticed the art of tales and song
37:05erupting in Midgard and wondered when such a thing sprang from. Bragi recognized it and
37:13named it the blood of Kevasa, the very stuff of poetry.
37:36In Asgard stood a cottage surrounded by tall grass,
37:40trees, and high piles of locked boughs. Here lived Vidar, the Silent, a strong Aesir,
37:49who preferred solitude and tranquillity over the feasts and hunts of his brethren,
37:54and good shoes over shield rings and swords. He saw and cheered for the exploits of the other Aesir
38:02and the deeds of Thor, but wondered why they were so worthy of mention.
38:07After the three trials of Thor, Vidar went to try the same himself, drinking the sea dry, eating a
38:15bathtub full of meat, and lifting the world's serpent, Jormungandr, off the ground as one would,
38:22a piece of string. At the end of his feats, he shrugged and went back to his cottage to fashion
38:29more
38:29boots. No one has ever heard of this, since Vidar kept silent on the matter, never giving the whole
38:37thing another thought. Vidar's peaceful life ended at the beckoning of Heimdall's horn when the sons of
38:44Loki attacked Asgard and the realms were plunged in the flames of Ragnarok. At this time, the Silent One
38:53had fashioned an excellent pair of magical boots, made from discarded soles and heels. As he went to
39:00show his proud craft to his father, Odin, he saw the awful Fenris wolf swallow the lord of Asgard,
39:08whole. No longer was Vidar silent. He yelled, dismayed, and ran stomping, and sword held high
39:17towards Fenris to save his father. The wolf stretched its black jaw around Vidar and tried to chomp the
39:25youth as a chaser for Odin. The great wolf, unknowing of Vidar's might, opened his mouth to his own
39:33demise. The boots of Vidar smashed Fenris' black tongue through his bottom teeth, and his mighty arms
39:41ripped the top asunder as if it was paper. However, this deed of unbelievable valour came too late.
39:49As the last battle ended, Vidar had survived, embracing the still body of his father.
40:16Idun, the Aesir of eternal youth, and apples, and the wife of Bragi the poet. This fair dame was highly
40:25prized in the halls of Asgard, for she kept an orchard of special golden apples, known for their
40:31rejuvenating properties that stayed the advances of old age. The gifts of Idun were known throughout the
40:39realms, especially to the eternal enemy of the Aesir, the Jotunn. Once upon a time, the Jotunn roamed the
40:49snowy forests of Midgard and chanced upon Loki and Thor on a hunting expedition. The two had caught a bull
40:57and planned to eat it as their meal. The Jotunn noticed this and transformed into an eagle, sat on
41:05the branch of a tree and cursed the fire, removing it of its virtue of heat. Try as they might,
41:12the meat of
41:13the bull would not cook. The Jotunn revealed himself in eagle form, and said he had cursed the fire,
41:21but would give its virtue back if they would give the eagle a piece of their feast. The Jotunn ate
41:28so
41:28much, Loki had to stop him before every scrap was gone and charged at the great beast with a spear.
41:36The eagle dodged and grabbed the spear, taking Loki to the skies with him. For untold leagues,
41:44Loki's feet smashed against the tops of trees and stone piles. He pleaded for the eagle to stop and
41:51bring him down. Fejazi agreed, but only if Loki would bring him Idunn and her apples, which he did.
42:00With Idunn and her orchards gone, the Aesir grew old and grey. Loki, realizing his mistake,
42:09went back to Fejazi to steal her back. Using the same trick, Loki transformed into an eagle and Idunn into
42:18a nut and carried her away. Fejazi, realizing this subterfuge, chased Loki as an eagle as well.
42:27As they approached Asgard, the other Aesir noticed Loki was being chased and shot Fejazi down to his
42:34death. The Jotunn's daughter, Skadi, swore vengeance against the Aesir, but was recompensed with a
42:42marriage to one of their court, Njord.
43:05Mimir, the keeper of the fabled well, the knower of many secrets and lore. This solitary figure sat on
43:14the moors of Memusbrunnur, attending his well and sharing its waters with those he saw worthy.
43:22Once upon a time, Odin came to Mimir in his ambition to rule over the realms and sacrificed an eye
43:30to
43:30drink from Mimir's well. As the Allfather quaffed, he learned all there was to know about anything and
43:38all knowledge of what was to happen. Mimir saw his end in the Aesir-Vanir war. Caught unaware,
43:47the Vanir came to he who aided the chief of their enemy and hewed off his head with an axe,
43:53so his wisdom could never help anyone again. Odin, knowing of the wise Mimir's demise,
44:00collected his head and brought it to life with special spells and potions.
44:06The lord of the Aesir kept the head as counsel until it was given to the Vanir as a part
44:12of the
44:13hostage exchange. Odin and Mimir knew that the everlasting peace between the two
44:19warranted the death of the law keeper. Had the Aesir and Vanir not fought as one in Ragnarok,
44:27the conclusion of the Battle of Battles would have been worse if not an absolute nightmare.
44:53Foseti, the lord of gold and silver, was an Aesir who lived in the gold and silver hall of Glitnir.
45:01Foseti's task was as arbitrator and accountant of the Aesir, dealing justice and financial arbitration
45:08between the lords of Asgard as virtue of his just and meticulous mind. While the Aesir would prefer
45:16to solve their differences with a good fistfight, Odin decreed that in order to retain unity and peace
45:23in Asgard, an arbitrator should be named so that the warlike Aesir would not turn the realm into a
45:30bigger tavern of brawl than it currently was. It was bad enough that a number of uncountable Aen Haer
45:37roamed the halls of Valhalla in a rampage of hunting, drunken merrymaking, and killing each other,
45:44while a giant black wolf lurked in the forests as the Jotun raided Asgard and kidnapped Aesir maidens
45:52for their apples. In the end, the arbitrator kept the peace between the Aesir and the realm struck
46:00together as one in Ragnarok.
46:23Ula, the son of Sif, from a previous marriage, and the stepson of Thor.
46:29Ula possessed a magical shield known as Ula's ring. Ring, being a metaphor for shield.
46:38This Aesir can be described as the shield-carrier of Asgard. While the others charged, Ula held his
46:45shield aloft, guarding his brethren from blows and arrows. He was also the oath-keeper of the Aesir.
46:53When his kin wished to swear important oaths, they would swear them upon Ula's ring. These oaths kept
47:01the shield unbreakable and impenetrable, as long as the oaths themselves were not broken. Ula would
47:09sail on this shield because of its buoyant virtue, and if he sunk, the Aesir would know a sacred oath
47:16was
47:17broken.
47:37The son of Odin and the Jotun, Rhyndyr. Vali's birth had not been foreseen by Rhyndyr. In fact,
47:46she had no idea Odin had impregnated her when he came to her hall dressed as an old woman and
47:53laid
47:53with her. The result was a boy who grew to adulthood in a single night for a single purpose.
48:01Odin, knowing of the fates of his kin and the realms from his ritual of self-sacrifice and drinking
48:08from Mimir's well, knew a son of his would find his fate in avenging Baldr's death after Loki shot the
48:16beloved Aesir, disguised as a blind old man. But what Odin's vision showed him was that an
48:23old man had killed Baldr and Vali would slay him. The old man Vali slew was Hoda, whose visage was
48:32that
48:32of the murderer, but in truth was innocent. Upon realizing the error, Vali swore upon Ula's shield
48:41to make amends for his mistake and never bathe or groom himself until justice was done.
48:48Vali found the culprit, Loki, in a pond below Asgard, disguised as a salmon.
48:56He bound Loki to be tortured by a poisonous snake as punishment before the trickster's escape upon
49:03the eve of Ragnarok.
49:25Seif, the wife of Thor and the lady of golden fields of wheat and vegetables. This maiden of the Aesir
49:33was
49:33not half as wise as Frigg, she was unskilled in Idunn's craft of growing magical fruit,
49:39and hardly as strong as Skadi's little finger. Seif was as simple and uninteresting as an immortal
49:46being could be, and the perfect wife for the bullheaded violent Thor. Her name means arranged marriage.
49:55Once upon a time, during one of his mischievous rampages, Loki decided to cut the golden locks of
50:02Seif in her sleep. As Thor came to his bedchamber to see a bald maiden on his bed, the Thunderlord
50:10smashed through his wardrobe where he heard the snickering trickster. He threatened to break every
50:17bone in Loki's body for this insolence. Snivelling, Loki pleaded for his life and promised to deliver
50:25something wonderful to Thor as an apology. Thor agreed, but still broke the trickster's jaw as he sent
50:33him out. Loki went to the cave of the dwarves Brokkur and Sindri, pleading with them for gifts to
50:40appease his debtors. The two saw the wretched being with his bleeding lip, black eye and ripped clothes,
50:48and decided the creature before them could not afford anything from their forge. Loki was not
50:55stupid. He sighed, theatrically, and said he would go to the dwarves' rival to get something better from
51:02them. Angered, Brokkur and Sindri, in an attempt to prove Loki wrong, fashioned a new hair for Seif,
51:10and Mjolnir for Thor, in addition to a few other weapons, but demanded Loki's head as payment.
51:18Loki refused to give his head to the dwarves, as his neck was not a part of the bargain.
51:25The dwarves sewed Loki's lying and scheming lips closed instead, and left, satisfied with their
51:32compensation.