Norse Pantheon of Gods

Norse Pantheon of Gods

As in many other ancient pantheons, the Norse gods were believed to reside in a realm separate from that of humans — a celestial city called Asgard. It was connected to the human world, Midgard, by a rainbow bridge.

The supreme ruler of Asgard is the god Odin. He watches over Midgard and humanity, embodying wisdom, sorcery, and poetry. He valued knowledge above all else — even sacrificing his left eye to drink from Mimir’s well of wisdom. Yet his thirst for knowledge remained unquenched. Odin often visited the world of humans in the guise of an old wanderer, testing their hospitality. He was accompanied by wolves and ravens who served as his companions and spies.

Odin had many children by different women, most of whom receive little attention in the myths — with one major exception: Thor. A true son of Odin and the thunder god, Thor defends both Asgard and Midgard from their enemies. He wields a sacred weapon — Mjölnir — a magical hammer forged by dwarves.

Norse mythology features many fascinating and unusual deities. We will explore these and other figures in greater detail in the following articles.