Who is the norse god of the sea

He was said to not only control the sea and wind, but also to provide wealth and have a role in the fertility of crops. He was widely regarded as one of their greatest deities. His importance was emphasized by the fact that he and his children were included in both pantheons of Norse belief, the Vanir and Aesir groupings of gods.

As a member of the Vanir, Njord was not only well-suited to Norse culture. He was uniquely Scandinavian with virtually no known influence from outside religious traditions.

Njord was so distinctly Scandivanian that elements of his worship continued long after pagan belief died out in the region. He was recognized for centuries as a source of bounty and reinterpreted as a legendary king of the Danish people. Like many sea gods, he was associated with sailing and fishing. He also had control over the wind. Njord was also a god of wealth and crop fertility. His association with wealth was likely due to the seafaring culture of the Norse people.

In the Viking Age, seafaring was also a source of material wealth. Viking raiders brought back gold, jewels, silk, and other valuables from across Europe. Even mundane products like lumber and fur were more easily transported by ship than by land in most parts of the North. After the raiding parties had scouted territories and subdued their people, seafaring also allowed the Norse to expand their wealth in less violent ways.

Njord was therefore an important god in the daily lives of many Scandinavians. He was so important that he was considered to be a member of both of their pantheons. Norse mythology claimed that two groups of gods, the Vanir and the Aesir, had once vied for power. After a long war, they had settled on a truce and exchanged high-ranking hostages to ensure the peace. Njord had been a leader, perhaps even the chief, of the Vanir.

His father was never named, leading some mythographers to infer that he was among the first of the Vanir gods. He was sent to Asgard to live among the Aesir along with his son Freyr in exchange for the Aesir god Hoenir. Njord was thus a Vanir god in origin but counted among the Aesir.

This may have further highlighted his importance. After the truce, the Vanir retained their home in Vanaheim but became largely subordinate to Odin and the Aesir gods. They had nine beautiful daughters whom we know as the Nine Sea Maidens. Although Aegir and Ran always appeared together, their personal characteristics had nothing in common.

Aegir was accordingly famous for his friendliness. He had a magic cauldron from which he could brew the best mead to serve his guests. Nine Daughters were the wives of Odin the Allfather. They presented the waves of the ocean. One day, as Odin was walking along the beach, he came across nine beautiful giantesses who were falling asleep.

Impressed by the beauty of the giantesses, Odin decided to marry all of them on the spot. This quick and somewhat awkward love affair gave birth to the Asgard watchman Heimdall. The war lasted for a long time and with no clear winner in sight, the two pantheons called for a truce. Each side sent hostages to negotiate the peace treaty.

After peace was brokered and Mimir was killed by the Vanir for suspected cheating the two pantheons effectively merged. Once Njord moved to Asgard and became the resident god of the sea there, he also got into an unhappy marriage.

Instead of Balder, however, Skadi accidentally pointed to Njord and the two ended up married to one another. Eventually, the two started living separately. Vanir War. In the Heimskringla book Ynglinga saga , Skadi is said to have officially left Njord and married Odin.

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