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Norse legends

Mythical charactersNorse Gods

Odin - Odin is the king of the Aesir (Norse Gods) and is known for his wisdom. His thirst for knowledge is so great that he willingly took his own eye out in exchange for a drink from the Well of Urd; the water from this well gives great knowledge. Odin has two ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Mind), which perch on his shoulders. These birds fly all over the world and bring him back information.

Thor - The god of thunder is the strongest of all of the gods, although not the smartest. He is often fooled or teased by others. Thor has a short temper and a strong hatred of giants; he loves to fight or kill them whenever he can. Long ago, Thor was given Mjollnir, a hammer with magical powers. It can create loud noises and lightning. It can also shrink at Thor’s command. Thor is the only one of the gods who is strong enough to carry Mjollnir and is rarely without it. Thor rides on a chariot pulled by two magical goats. If there is little food nearby the goats can be killed and eaten. The next day, as long as the bones have been kept safe, the goats will return to life.

Loki - Loki is a trickster who delights in fooling others and causing mischief. His devious mind is able to find solutions to problems that the gods encounter but Loki is just as likely to have caused those problems himself. Loki rarely thinks ahead, playing his tricks without thinking of the punishment that might await him.

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Norse legends

Norse Gods

Freya - The goddess Freya is famed for her great beauty. Many Norse tales begin because a giant wants to win Freya as his bride. She has a magical cloak of falcon feathers which can transform the wearer into a bird. She rides a chariot pulled by two cats.

Tyr - Tyr is the God of war and bravest of all the Norse gods. He’s interested in truth and fairness. If a Viking warrior carves the rune symbol Tîwaz on their weapon it means they are dedicating the weapon to Tyr and that will help them in battle. Tyr lost his hand when it was bitten off by the great beast Fenrir.

Fenrir - Fenrir is a giant wolf. This creature was the son of Loi and the giantess Angrboda. Originally the gods raised him in Asgard to stop him from creating chaos across the Nine Worlds. However, Fenrir grew at such an astonishing rate that the gods decided to chain him up. Normal chains were not strong enough to hold him and only magical ones created by dwarves were able to hold him in place.

Jormungand - Jormungand is a great serpent that lives under the ocean and whose size is so great that he circles all of Midgard.

Other Characters

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Norse legends

Other Characters

The giants - The giants were the first living things. They have superhuman strength and live in the land of Jotunheim. They eat fish from the water and animals from the woods because there is no land for crops to grow in Jotunheim. The giants are sworn enemies of the Aesir and many Norse tales tell of the arguments or battles between the giants and the gods.

The dwarves - The dwarves live deep in the mountains in a place called Svartalfheim. They love rare and precious metals and spend much of their time digging deeper into the mountains in search of these. The dwarves are great blacksmiths and many of them are also able to create magical items. Thor’s hammer, and the chains that bound Fenrir, were created by dwarves.

Elves - The elves are beautiful creatures, said to be more radiant than the sun. They are able to cure illnesses or cause them.

Settings

Niflheim - There are nine worlds in Norse mythology. Niflheim is the coldest and darkest.

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Norse legends

Asgard - The world of the Aesir. It is protected by a great wall built by a giant.

Midgard - This is the land where humans live.

Bifrost - The lands of Asgard and Midgard are connected by a rainbow bridge named Bifrost.

Valhalla - Human warriors who fight well and die in battle come to Valhalla after their death. It is the “hall of the slain”. Valhalla is a huge banqueting hall with roof tiles made up of shields. Each day, Odin collects the warriors and takes them onto the plains of Asgard. Here, the warriors practise fighting in preparation for Ragnarok, the final battle. After practise, the warriors return to the hall of Valhalla to feast and drink.

Jotunheim - The land of the giants. Nothing can grow here. It is separated from Asgard by a river that never freezes over.

Settings

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Norse legends

Mjollnir - Thor’s magical hammer.

The apples of immortality - The goddess Idunn keeps a box made of ash wood that contains golden apples. When the gods begin to feel old they would go to Idunn and she will give them one of her apples. After eating an apple, the gods find their youth returning.

The mead of poetry - This drink was created by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar. Anybody who drinks this mead becomes a poet and a scholar.

Draupnir - Draupnir is a gold ring made by dwarves and owned by Odin, with the ability to make more rings. Every ninth night, eight new rings drip from Draupnir. These are all the same size and weight as Draupnir.

Gleipnir - The magical chains that hold Fenrir.

Magical Items