An Edda Glossary for Children

Aegir- Sea God. Host of a great feast. Husband to Ran. Father to nine daughters, personified as waves: Himinglaefa, Dufa, Blodudhadda, Hefring, Unn, Hronn, Bylgia, Drofn, and Kolga

Aesir- (Gods) One of two branches of Gods. After the war between the Aesir and Vanir, the Aesir became the dominant of the two.

Alfheim- (Elf Home) Home of the Light Elves and of Frey.

Angrbroda- (She Who Offers Sorrow) The giantess mother of the wolf Fenris, the Midgard serpent Jormungand, and Hel by Loki

Asgard- (Realm of the Aesir) Home of the Aesir

Ask- (Ash) The first male human

Asmegir- (Children of the Aesir) A group of persons living in Mimir’s grove with Baldur

Audhumla- The primordial cow. Helped to form Buri, the progenitor of the Gods, when she licked him from the icy salt

Baldr- (Bright One) God of Summer. Known as Baldr the Beautiful. Represents light. Son of Odin and Frigga. Husband to Nanna. Father of Forseti.

Bestla- Giantess. Wife of Bor. Mother of Odin, Villi and Ve.

Bifrost- (Wavering Way) Rainbow bridge that connects Asgard to Midgard.

Bilskirnir- (Bright Shining) Thor’s Hall.

Blodudhadda- (Bloody-hair) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran.

Blodughofi- (Bloody-hoof) Frey’s horse

Breidablik- (Broad Gleaming) Baldr’s hall. It is said that no untruths can enter it.

Bylgia- (Billow) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran.

Bor- (Son) Son of Buri. Husband to Bestla. Father of Odin, Villi and Ve

Bragi- (Poet) God of Poetry. Son of Odin and Gunnlod. Husband to Idunn

Breidablik- (Broad Gleaming) Hall of Baldr. It has a golden roof that is supported by silver pillars. No un-truths can enter into the hall.

Brisingamen-(Flaming Torque) Freyja’s necklace, forged by the dwarves Alfrig, Berling, Dvalin and Grer.

Buri- Brought to life by the primordial cow Audhumla. Father of Bor.

Draupnir- (Dropper) Odin’s magic ring that creates eight replicas of itself every ninth night.

Drofn- (Wave) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran.

Dufa- (Diver) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran.

Einherjar- (Lone Fighters) Those battle slain that are chosen by the Valkyries. Half go to live with Odin in Valhalla, the other half go to live with Freyja in Folkvang where they combat daily to prepare for Ragnarok.

Embla- (Elm) The first human woman

Fenris- Wolf that Tyr loses his hand to, when the Gods attempt to bind him. Also wolf that will kill Odin at Ragnarok. Son of Loki and Angrboda.

Fensalir- (Marsh Halls) Frigga’s hall located in Vanaheim. Also home to married couples, whose love was pure.

Folkvang- (Folk Field) Realm in Asgard in which Freyja’s hall is found.

Forseti- (The Presiding) A God of Justice. Son of Baldr and Nanna.

Freki- (Ravenous) One of Odin’s wolves.

Frey- (Lord) Vanic fertility God. Controls rain. Son of Njord. Twin Brother of Freyja. Husband to Gerda.

Freyja- (Lady) Vanic fertility Goddess associated with love, beauty, sexuality, magic, death. Receives half of those slain in battle. Daughter of Njord. Twin sister of Frey. Wife to Od. Mother of Gersemi and Hnoss.

Frigga- (Beloved) Fertility Goddess associated with hearth and home, marriage, childbirth, spinning and domestic arts. Wife to Odin. Mother of Baldr and Hod.

Gerd- The giantess wife of Frey.

Gersemi- (Jewel) Goddess of beauty. Daughter of Freyja and Od.

Geri- (Greedy) One of Odin’s wolves.

Gimle- (Hall of the Blessed)- Hall with golden roof, where trustworthy men will go to enjoy eternal bliss.

Ginnungagap- The void that existed before the the world was created.

Gjallarhorn- (Resounding Horn) Heimdall’s horn which he will use to signify the onset of Ragnarok.

Gladsheim- (Glad Home) Realm where Valhalla is located.

Glaesisveller- (Glittering Fields) Mimir’s realm where Odainsacre can be found.

Glitner- Forseti’s hall. It is made of silver and gold.

Gugnir- (Swaying One) Odin’s spear. Always found its mark. Also used to swear oaths upon.

Gullinbursti- (Golden Bristle) Freyr’s boar.

Gullintani- (Gold tooth) Another name for Heimdall

Gulltopr- (Gold Top) Heimdall’s Horse

Gunnlod- Giantess who guards the mead of poetry, of which Odin steals. Mother of Bragi by Odin.

Hefring- (Lifting) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran.

Heimdall- (Shining One) The guardian of Bifrost. He will sound his horn upon the beginning of Ragnarok. As Rig, fathered the three classes of men: Nobles, peasants and slaves. He is the son of nine mothers.

Hel- Ruler of the land of the dead. Said to be half black, half white. Daughter of Loki and Angbroda.

Hermod- Messenger who was sent to Hel to bring Baldr back.

Hildisvini- (Battle Swine) Freyja’s boar.

Hlidskialf- (Watch Tower) Odin’s throne. He could sit upon it and see across all the worlds.

Himinbjorg- (Sky Mountain) Home of Heimdall, located near Bifrost.

Himinglaefa- (Transparent on Top) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran.

Hnoss- (Treasure) Goddess of beauty. Daughter of Freyja and Od.

Hod- Blind God who represents dark. Baldr’s brother, who via the Loki’s trickery killed Baldr. Son of Odin and Frigga

Hofund- (Heimdall’s Head) Heimdall’s sword

Hringhorn- (Carved Prow) Baldr’s ship, which also served as his funeral pyre.

Hronn- (Wave) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran

Hugin- (Thought) One of Odin’s ravens that would set out each morning and travel across the worlds and bring back information regarding the happenings to Odin.

Idunn- (The Rejuvenating) Goddess that guarded the apples that kept the Gods youthful. Wife to Bragi.

Jarngriepr- (Iron Gloves) Thor’s gloves. They allowed him to handle Mjollnir.

Jarnsaxa- (Iron Crusher) Giantess mother of Magni and Modi by Thor.

Jormungand- The Midgard Serpent. He is so large that he encircles the entire earth and bites at his own tail. Thor fights him at Ragnarok. Thor succeeds in killing the beast but with suffer fatally from the venom. Son of Loki and Angbroda.

Jorth- (Earth) Mother of Thor by Odin.

Jotun- (Giant) Race of giants representing the chaotic forces of nature. Often battling with the Gods.

Jotunheim- (Giant Home) The realm of the giants.

Kolga- (Cool Wave) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran

Lif- (Life) Female that dwells in Odainsacre and will survive Ragnarok to repopulate the human race.

Lifthrasir- (Full of Life) Man that dwells in Odainsacre and will survive Ragnarok to repopulate the human race.

Loki- (Fire) God of trickery and deceit. Representative of chaos and illusion. Often times causing trouble for the Gods. Husband to Sigyn. Father to Sleipnir by the mare Svadilfari; to Hel, Fenris and Jormungand by Angbroda; to Vali and Narvi by Sigyn.

Magni- (The Strong) Kills Nidhogg at Ragnarok. One of the Gods that will survive Ragnarok. Son of Thor and Jarnsaxa.

Megingjord- (Belt of Strength) Thor’s belt, forged by dwarves. It doubles his strength.

Midgard- (Middle Enclosure) Where humans dwell.

Mimir- The wisest of all. It is his well that Odin drinks from in order to gain knowledge.

Mjollnir- (Crusher) Thor’s hammer. It always returns to him when thrown. A thunderclap is sounded when it is struck, it is associated with thunder and lightning.

Modi- (Brave) Son of Thor and Jarnsaxa. He will survive Ragnarok.

Munin- (Memory) One of Odin’s ravens that would set out each morning and travel across the worlds and bring back information regarding the happenings to Odin.

Nanna- Died from grief when Baldr died. Wife of Baldr. Mother of Forseti.

Njord- Vanic Sea God. Protector of fisherman and seafarers. Father of Frey and Freyja. Husband to Skadi. Skadi picked Njord to be her husband, by looking on at his feet and believing that he was Baldr. They did not make a good match and did not get along.

Noatun- (Ship Yard) Njord hall in Vanaheim.

Norns- Three fate sisters: Urd, Verdande and Skuld, that weave the web of Wyrd and represent past, present and future.

Od- Represents intoxicating love. Husband to Freyja. Father of Gersemi and Hnoss.

Odin- The Allfather. One-eyed God of wisdom, poetry, war, magic, runes. Son of Bor and Bestla. Husband to Frigga. Father to Thor by Jorth; Bragi by Gunnlod; Baldr and Hod by Frigga, Vali by Rind; Vidar by Grid.

Ragnarok- (Twilight of the Gods) The end of the world as it is known. The demise of the Gods. A series of catastrophic events will occur. There will be battles between the Gods and giants and the sons of Loki. Magni, Modi, Vidar and Vali will survive. Baldr and Hod will return from Hel after Ragnarok. The human race will be repopulated by Lif and Lifthrasir.

Ran- (The Ravager) Sea Goddess personified as a mermaid. Captures those that are drowning in her net. Wife to Aegir. Mother of the nine wave daughters by Aegir.

Rind- Mother of Vali by Odin.

Rune- (Secret) Three sets symbols, brought to us by Odin when he hung on Yggdrasil for nine days. Used for divination. Later adopted as a form of alphabet.

Sessrymnir- (Many Seats) Freyja’s hall located in Folkvang. Also the home to the wives of the Einherjar. Built so well it was impregnable.

Sif- Fertility Goddess associate with corn, which is represented by her long hair. The trickster Loki cut it off. When Thor was angered by this, Loki had the dwarves create her of a mane of gold. Wife of Thor. Mother of Thrud by Thor; Ullr by Egil.

Sigyn- Loki’s faithful wife who holds a bowl above him to catch the dripping venom of a snake.

Skadi- Giantess who is associated with hunting and winter, often depicting wearing snowshoes. Daughter of Thjazi. Wife of Njord. Though they did not make a good match as she did not like living by the sea, nor he by the mountains.

Skidbladnir- (Thin Planked) Freyr’s ship. Large enough to carry the Gods, their equipment and horse. But also has the ability to be folded up so small it could be put into one’s pocket.

Skuld- (That Which Should Be) One of three Norns. Representing the future.

Sleipnir- (Runner) Odin’s eight legged steed. It can run at great speed through the nine worlds. Son of Loki by the horse Svadilfari.

Svadilfari- The stallion with whom Loki bore Sleipnir.

Tanngnostr- (Tooth Gnasher) One of Thor’s goats

Tanngrisnir- (Tooth Grinder) One of Thor’s goats

Thjazi- Giant who could shape-shift. He kidnapped Idun with the help of Loki. During which time the Gods began to age without the apples of Idun to keep them youthful. Father of Skadi.

Thor- (Thunderer) God of strength and defense, associated with thunder and lightning, also associated with crops. God that has the closest relation with humans.,he is seen as a friend to humans. Husband to Sif. Father to Magni and Modi by Jarnsaxa; Thrud by Sif.

Thrall- the lower class of humans, often associated with Thor.

Thrud- (Strong) Thor’s daughter by Sif.

Thrudheim- (Home of the Strong) Thor’s realm. Also home to the thralls.

Tyr- Sky God of Justice, associated with war. He lost his hand when the Gods attempted to bind the wolf Fenris. He is the bravest of the Gods.

Ullr- (Brilliant One) God of winter, hunting and skiing. Son of Sif and Egil.

Unn- (Wave) One of nine wave daughters of Aegir and Ran

Urd- (That Which Is) One of three Norns. Representing the past.

Valhalla- (Hall of the Chosen) One of Odin’s hall, where the Einherjar live. After battling during the day, they return to Valhalla at night to feast and drink.

Vali- Born to avenge Baldr’s death. He will survive Ragnarok. Son of Odin and Rind.

Valkyries- (Choosers of the Slain) These warrior maidens lead by either Odin or Freyja ride onto battle fields collecting battle slain to Valhalla. While at Valhalla, they serve the Einherjar mead after a day of combat.

Valskialf- Odin’s hall where his great throne Hildskialf is found.

Vanaheim- Home of the Vanir.

Vanir- Group of Gods and Goddesses associated with fertility.

Verdande- (That Which is Becoming) One of three Norns. Representing the present.

Vidar- God that will avenge Odin’s death and survive Ragnarok. Son of Odin and Rind

Yggdrasil- (Odin’s Steed) The world tree. Its branches spread through the nine worlds. Its roots watered by three wells: Mimir’s Well, Urd’s Well and Hvergelmir Well.