THE GODS AND GODDESSES
The Æsir – the ‘sky Gods’, including the warrior Gods Odin, Thor, Tyr, Baldur and Heimdall; they live in Asgard, the uppermost level of the Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
Baldur – the kind, gentle, beloved son of Odin and Frigga.
Bragi – a son of Odin, who marries Iduna, the beautiful Earth maiden, carrier of the Apples of Youth.
Forseti – the Oath Keeper and wise son of Baldur.
Frey and Freya – the Vanir children of Niord and his wife Skadi: Frey is the Lord of the weather, and Master of agriculture; Freya is the Goddess of love and beauty, married to Odur.
Frigga – Odin’s wife and the primary Goddess of love and marriage. She is the mother of twins, Baldur and Hodur.
Heimdall – the keen-eyed watchman of the Æsir and known for his loyalty and faithfulness; he was sent to Earth by Odin to recruit men as soldiers in the last battle to be held against the Giants.
Hodur – Baldur’s blind twin brother.
Honir, Vili and Ve – Odin’s brothers.
Loki – Odin and Honir’s evil cousin, a half Giant who sometimes helps, and sometimes hinders, the Gods.
Niord – a Vanir who makes a pact with Odin against the Giants.
Odin – the great Allfather of the Gods, and God of poetry, battle and death.
Sif – Thor’s wife, whose golden hair is cut off by Thor’s evil cousin Loki.
Thor – the mighty son of Odin, the Lord of Thunder; he carries a huge hammer, called Miolnir, of which the Giants are very afraid.
Tyr – the brave guardian of the Gods, whose right hand is bitten off by the wolf Fenris.
Uller – the God of winter, death, archery and hunting.
Vali – a son of Odin’s, born to slay Hodur for killing his twin brother Baldur.
Valkyries – Maidens of Odin, immortal women, who ride through the clouds to find fallen Heroes to sit in Valhalla.
The Vanir – the Earth Gods, including Niord, Frey and Freya, Gods of fertility, wealth and wisdom.
Vidar – a son of Odin, the silent God of war, and Lord of the Forests.
THE GIANTS (MORTAL ENEMIES OF THE GODS)
Ægir – the Ocean Giant who ruled over the sea.
Bergelmir – the only Rime Giant (the fathers of witches and warlocks) allowed to live after Ymir was killed; Odin and his brothers spared Bergelmir because he was wise and clever.
Borr – the son of Buri, who, with his wife, Bestla, planted the World Tree, Yggdrasill.
Buri – found by the magic cow Audumla, who discovered him by licking ice in the mountains.
Geirrodur – the Giant King of the Trolls.
Gullveig – the Giant maiden, who tricks the Vanir and the Æsir to declare war on each other.
Gunnlod – Suttung’s slow-witted daughter, tricked by Odin into relinquishing the Mead of Inspiration.
Mimir – the oldest and wisest of the Giants, and Guardian of the Fountain of Wisdom, Mimir allows Odin to drink from the Fountain of Wisdom in exchange for his eye.
Norns – powerful female Giants who rule the destiny of Gods and men by seeing into the past, the present and the future.
Rime Giants – Frost Giants, the fathers of witches and warlocks.
Rungnir – the great Giant of the Mountains.
Skrymir – Utgardhaloki’s messenger.
Suttung – keeper of the Mead of Inspiration, made from the blood of wise Kvasir.
Thiassi – the Storm Giant, who is also Loki.
Thrym – Lord of the Noise Giants.
Utgardhaloki – King of Utgard.
Valfthrudnir – the wisest Giant.
Ymir – the first and greatest of all Giants.
MONSTERS
Fenris – the oldest of Loki’s children, Fenris is the biggest and fiercest of all wolves, destined to kill the Æsir.
Hela – daughter of Loki, half human flesh and half decayed flesh, whom Odin made Queen of the Dead.
Jormungand – son of Loki, a writhing serpent whom Odin flung into the sea.
Asgard – the land of the Æsir, where the Gods and Goddesses live in their mansions and palaces; Asgard lies opposite Midgard (the land of the humans) at the other end of Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge.
Bifrost – the rainbow bridge that connects Asgard and Midgard.
Jotunheim – the land of the Giants.
Midgard – Middle Earth, where the humans live.
Muspelheim – the fire region.
Nifelheim – the region of mist and huge caves below the earth.
Svartalfheim – the home of the Black Dwarfs and Elves.
Thrynheim – the Kingdom of the Winds, and the place of Noise, within the land of the Giants.
Utgard – the Giant city in the heart of Jotunheim.
Valhalla – the great hall where Odin houses his Heroes (men killed in battle).
Vanaheim – the chief dwelling place of the Vanir.
Yggdrasill – the great World Tree.