The gods of the heavenly city of Asgard. Scandinavian myths and legends

Myths and stories about the Scandinavian gods have been known since ancient times. Let's learn more about them.

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Like any other mythology, Scandinavskaya settled its heroes in different habitats. Midgard is reserved for people, the underground world is called Helheim, the monastery of the gods (ASs) is located in the heavenly city of Asgard, built during the time of their confrontation, and then a truce with the gods of nature, which be called Vana. Asgard is also inhabited by militant Valkyries that make up the retinue of Odin, about which many myths and legends have been created.

Heavenly city of Asgard

According to the legend, Asgard is the creation of demiurges gods (i.e. creators). It is closely connected with the world of people with whom he was connected with the help of a kind of heavenly bridge in the form of a rainbow.

Located in the diameter of the crown of a giant Jaseni in Midgard, it was doomed to destroy in the event of the death of the human world, since Iggdrasil (as called ash) vertically binds all worlds among themselves.
This is about this is the case written by about 1220. One of the four parts of the Sturluson scaldic poetry under the name "The Younger Edda".
There was a peculiar “Hall of Military Glory” in Asgard - Valhalla, where the valiant warriors (Einheria), who fell in battles, were in paradise.

Residents of Asgard

The poem "The Younger Edda" has 12 aces:

One

The Supreme God of Asgard is one. Initially, he dominated the sphere of witchcraft, magic, runes, later, with an increase in the number of wars and conquering campaigns, he began to patronize the military field. Even later, one took a noble estate under his wing. It has a huge number of names.

As a rule, air is considered to be its element, during the day - Wednesday. One is the owner of the all -curtaining spear Gungnir with a pole decorated with runes. The magical number of the supreme god is the nine. Like God in Christianity, one has three hypostases: in addition to the warrior, he is still a wanderer and a shaman. By the way, it was for the gift of omniscience and gaining runic knowledge that one gave his eyes and was even nailed to Iggdrasil for 9 days.

It has many sons from various wives who became the initiators of the whole royal dynasties. The companions of God are predators - wolves and ravens.

Dressed by the poverty old man, one often knocked into the houses of people, checking whether its inhabitants observe the laws of hospitality. At the same time, judging by individual sources, God did not need food as such, except honey or mash. In winter, one suits the "wild hunt" along with the inhabitants of Valgalla, quickly flying around the sky.

Turk

The solar deity, ruling over the elements of fire, owning a magical shield, a helmet and a sword, the Turk was originally considered the main God, who was careing about justice and legality, but finally entered the mythology as a god of war, courage and valor.

He does not have one hand, having lost it in the mouth of a wolf named Fenrir while trying to chop it with a chain called Gleipnir. Tyur's Day is Tuesday.

Thor

Also owning the element of fire, the eldest son of Odin, three times born of the Torah, prayers for fertility, giving strength, and sending good weather were addressed. Born from the goddess of the Earth, Thor is the patron saint of farmers, the god of thunder peals and storms. He is stirring up with a hammer of Mellnir, beating without a miss and returning to the owner, has a belt of power and iron gloves, protecting his world from the invasion of enemies.
Thor is considered Thor's day.

This is the second God, in its significance, who has powerful power and absorbs a huge bull at a time. The hammer of the Torah still remains the most famous way of Scandinavian mythology. In addition to invincibility, he has another amazing property - to resurrect. So, tired of going in a bronze chariot and hungry, Thor frying the goats harnessed into it. And then he simply blessed Mjellnir what was left of the goats, and the risen animals continued on the way.

The Thora Hammer was most often used in order to destroy the evil embodied in the images of giante-ethnoes. It is this confrontation that we are talking about in most myths. Moreover, Thor uses not only strength, but also a cunning, dressing in women's clothes. In Ragnarek Thor, having struck the huge snake of Yermungand, he dies in the lava of poison pouring from the mouth of the monster.

Nierd

Nierd dominates the water, like the god of the sea and the patron saint of fishermen. They pray to him not only about a good catch, but also about wealth. He is a van, but over time it is increasingly called ASC among people. He married Skadi, who is the daughter of a giant and the goddess of hunting. The differences between husband and wife in their preferences lead to the fact that part of the time they live by the sea, as Nierd loves, and then go to the mountains that are Mila Skadi.

Nierd began to rule the Swedes after the death of Odin, and when he came to die himself, his son Freer received power.

Heimdall

Heimdall is the high title of “shining ace”, “gold -toothed” and “golden -haired”, is one of Odin's sons. He acts as a guard of a tree and rainbow, connecting the worlds and therefore the intermediary between them, the defender of the gods and people.

Gyallarhorn - this is the name of his horn made of gold, which will inform about Ragnarek. As Velva, his last battle, should take place with Locke, and both will fall in this battle.

Ull

Ull rule over the snowy elements and appears in the form of a bright northern lights. He is addressed with a prayer for victory in the confrontation, called for a witness to a particular oath. It is also the god of hunting.

Loki

Loki, who has cruelty and maliciousness, is standing on the side of the gods, then fighting against them. Is the god of deception. It was the cunning of Loki that became the quality for which he was allowed to stay with the aces, although he himself belongs to the genus of the Etuna giants. Loki is so insidious, two -faced and dodgy that they attribute even the product of all witches on Earth.

Loki's intrigues angered the aces to such an extent that he befell the sad fate to be chained to the rock next to the snake, spraying into the eyes with his poison. And even the fact that Sigun, who is Loki’s wife, holds the bowl into which the poison does not save God at the moment when the bowl still has to be removed to pour accumulated, poison and enters the face. As myths say, it is the convulsions of Loki at such moments that cause earthquakes.

Loki's trick has no boundaries. He is able to accept the image of a mare in order to take the horse from Etun, who wished Freya's wife. This led to the fact that Freya was delivered from a painful share, but Loki himself was forced to born a foal, which grew up in that eight -legged Slaipnir, a horse of Odin. It was Loki who brought asam and the hammer, and the spear and many other magical amulets. During Ragnark, he also joined the opponents of the inhabitants of Asgard, thereby contributing to the collapse of the universe.

Brahi is the husband of the goddess Idunn, one of the sons of Odin. In his jurisdiction - oratory and poetry.
Vali - is also the son of Odin. He managed to take revenge on his brother Baldra when he was only one day. He is one of those who revive life after Ragnarek.
Vidar is another of the sons of Odin, the god of the forest, to whom it is destined to hit Fenrir to death in Ragnaren.
Also, the blindfolds of Baldra Hed and the guardian of the truth of the Foresse are attributed to the ass.

In the "Younger Edda" the goddesses are also mentioned:

Frigg is a goddess who in the jurisdiction of which is the issues of family, fidelity, and childbearing.
Freya dominates fertility, beauty and love. Her totem is a cat, it is they who are harnessed to her chariot. He is the daughter of Nierd and sister Freyra. Golden tears are turned into bread grains dripping from her eyes when she sought out her husband Oda, who is in charge of the wind.

These are the most commonly mentioned goddesses. In addition, myths tell about the goddess of the legends of Saga, Khllin, Salt and many others. The poems of the gods are also mentioned in the poem: the second wife of Torah Siv, who is the goddess of fertility, is Idunn, which helps to achieve longevity and health. Hel appears to be the mistress of the world of the dead.

The Scandinavian gods are non -perch. They can be mature, full of strength or young men or women, so it is quite difficult to distinguish children from parents.

Other mythological heroes

Alvis, which in the translation means “omnivorous”, this is the name of the dwarf (in myths he is called the Tsverg), which has wisdom. Tsverg, waring to the daughter of Torah named Labor, became a victim of his cunning. Thor, under the guise of testing the wisdom of the groom, reaches the time to dawn, which is for the dwarfs of the faithful death - a petition.
Alva They belong to the lower spirits of nature, which are associated with fertility and opposed to the supreme deities. It is possible that initially the souls of the dead were called Alvami. They have similarity with the covered and the van and are represented by those who live underground, and the inhabitants of heaven.
Angrboda - The representative of the giants, who gave birth to three creatures from the connection with Loki, who became htonic monsters.
Andvar - The name of the dwarf, who owns gold and caught Loki at the moment when he sailed, turning around with a pike. Loki took away the treasure, paying tribute for the son of Hradmar's son.
ASK - The name of the first man, who, together with the Emble, saw the gods on the sea coast. Their names are translated as “ash” and “willow”, because initially they were only prototypes of people in the form of trees. Both were busy with the gods.
Asas - One of the divine clans inhabiting Asgard. Their chapter is one, which is the progenitor of most of the aces. They are opposed to another part of the gods - vanas.
Audum - Cown created by the universal abyss of the cow, fed by salt, licked from stones and finging the Imir, which was a giant.
Baldr, another son of Torah, one of the few divine entities, whom they are not slandered. He is beautiful face and bright, fair and wise. Once he began to see disturbing dreams, after which the gods ask the dead seer Velva, which is destined for the young God.
Resurrected by Odin Providitsa prophesies that Baldra's blind god Hed will kill Baldra. Then the mother of Baldra Frigg asks all the living and inanimate that is in the world, swear that none of them will harm her son. Only the small branch of Omel remained unnoticed, and which became the instrument of the murder, which the insidious Loki put into the hands of a blind head.
Baldra's body was launched in the boat and burned with the wife of the god Nanna and his horse. The killer involuntarily Hed was killed by Vali. But it was not possible to resurrect Baldra, because Due to the fault of the same Loki, the conditioned condition for mourning the deceased all living and inanimate was not fulfilled. This death was the beginning of Ragnark.

Bor. In translation, the word means “born”, who became the father of Odin, as well as Vil and Vili, born of the daughter of the giant Beltorne Bestya.
Storms - The progenitor of all the gods, his son is Bor, the grandson is one. Appeared from those stones with which the Awum Salt licked.
Valkyrie - Representatives of the priestesses of Odin, whose task was to deliver the souls of the easily soldiers to Valgall.
Vanya - The gods responsible for fertility and marine elements.
Velva - The seer, who made predictions and after death, resurrected by Odin. The death of Baldra, Ragnarek and other events predicted.
Ve, Willie - The sons of Bora, who come to Odin by the brothers.
Garm -This is the name of the Psa-Chudovita, to whom Velva predicted to absorb the sun.
Ermugand - The monstrous ocean snake, which was born from Loki Angrboda.
Slapnir - A horse about eight legs on which one rides.
Surt - This is the name of the fiery giant, which, according to the prediction of the Velva, should burn the whole world with a wave of a fiery sword.
Turs (Etuna) - Giants hostile towards people and gods.
Fenrir -the son of Loki, born of an Angrboda, in the image of a wolf-chudovita. According to the prophecy of Velva, Fenrir will defeat Odin on the day of Ragnaren.
Freer - The god of the Sun from Vanas, the patron saint of marriage, abundance and fertility. He is the son of Nierd. He became one of the aces, getting to them at the end of the battle between the gods. The owner of a flaming sword, which is spreading of his own will. As Velva was inuper, Freer’s death was coming as a result of a battle with Surt.

As in any other beliefs and myths, the Scandinavians also have its own last battle, which is called Ragnaren. Signs of its approach, according to tradition, are war, raspings, spiritual devastation. This battle, in which the gods and htonic monsters will converge, was predicted by the long -dead seer of Velva, who rebelled from the grave at the call of Odin.

She predicted the death of Odin, Torah, Freira in this battle on Wigrid. Equal forces of good and evil and the impossibility of the victory of any of them will force the giant Surt to bring down the enormous power of all the all-subject fire to the world, completely destroying it.

However, having died, the world will be reborn again, and a man will come to him again, because two of the human family will still survive. The surviving gods will return, even killed by a blind head at the instigation of Loki Baldr will resurrect. Well, the end of the old is always the beginning of the new. This truth is once again proved to us by Scandinavian myths.