Gods and Creatures - Norse Mythology

[Mystic Wolf]

Gods and Creatures - Norse Mythology
https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/

Among them are Hel, the ruler of the underworld; the huntress Skadi; Aegir and Ran, the rulers of the sea; the hermaphroditic Ymir, the first being in the Norse creation narrative; Fenrir, the wolf who consumes Odin during Ragnarok; Jormungandr, the sea serpent who encircles the landmass where humanity lives; Nidhogg.

The Draugar Creature often live in their graves in order to defend the treasure that they were buried with, but they are also known to enter communities in order to wreak havoc on the living, often tormenting those who wronged them in life.
   They can kill by crushing someone with their superior strength, eating their flesh, eating them whole in their enlarged state, or kill indirectly by driving a person mad. These creatures were said to be able to enter the dreams of the living in order to torment them, and would always leave behind a gift to show the victim that the encounter was real.

The Draugar can be killed, and suffer a second death, if their bodies decay too much, or if they are burned, dismembered, or otherwise destroyed. It was believed that evil, greedy or unpopular people were most likely to become Draugar after death.

Dwarves They lived underground in a place called Swartalfheim, which was thought to be a warren of mines and forges. They were said to have crafted the finest weapons and jewelry, including Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, Gungnir, the spear of Odin, and the long golden hair of Thor’s wife.

In some myths, dwarves’ creatures are portrayed as turning to stone if exposed to sunlight. For example, one dwarf named Alviss is said to have claimed the hand of Thor’s daughter in marriage, but he was tricked into talking until daybreak when he was hit by sunlight and turned to stone.

https://www.vikingsbrand.co/blogs/norse-news/norse-mythology-creatures
“These human-like creatures were known to both Norse and Germanic mythology. Dwarfs were also thought of as the dark elves. They are small, twisted creatures, and it’s believed that they have originated as maggots from the corpse of one of the first giants - Ymir. The dwarfs were gifted with reason by the mighty Gods of Asgard.
   Swartalfheim was thought to be a warren of forges and mines. It’s an underground place in which the dwarfs lived. Dwarfs are known as the Norse mythology creatures that crafted some of the most excellent weapons and jewelry. It’s said that dwarfs were the ones who crafted the Mjölnir – the mighty hammer of Thor, and Gungnir – the spear of Odin.

Some myths say that if the dwarfs were exposed to the sunlight, they would petrify and literally turn to stone. One time a dwarf called Alviss has claimed the hand of Thor’s daughter for marriage. The dwarf was tricked into talking until the dawn when he was struck by sunlight and turned to stone.”

Elves There are two different types of elves in Norse mythology, the Dokkalvar, or dark elves creature, and the Ljosalfar, light elves creatures. The dark elves are thought to be the same as dwarves and dwell under the earth and be almost black to look at.

https://www.vikingsbrand.co/blogs/norse-news/norse-mythology-creatures
“Ljosalfar, or the light elves, were a sight to behold. It’s said that they were more beautiful to look at than the sun. They were considered as the Gods of Aesir and Vanir and one of the prettiest Norse mythology creatures. Vanir God Freyr was viewed as the lord of Alfheim – the elven homeland.
   Elves are known for having an ambivalent connection with humans. They were powerful enough to both heal and cause disease. It’s believed that elves and humans had interbred and produced children that had human-like form but also possessed incredible magical powers.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Creatures_in_Norse_mythology
A Alberich, Alvíss, Andvari
B Billingr, Brokkr,
D Dáinn (Norse dwarf), Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór, Durinn, Dúrnir, Dvalinn
E Eitri
F Fafnir. Fjalar and Galar
G Gandalf (mythology)
H Hreiðmarr
L List of dwarfs in Norse mythology Litr
M Mótsognir
N Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri
O Ótr
R Regin
S Sindri (mythology), Sons of Ivaldi

 Fenrir https://blog.vkngjewelry.com/creatures-of-norse-mythology/

Fenrir was the most famous of many wolf’s creatures mentioned in Norse mythology. He was the son of the god Loki and the giantess Angroboda.
   The gods of Asgard raised Fenrir in order to stop him from wreaking havoc across the nine worlds, but he grew quickly and caused so much trouble that they decided to chain him up.
   The gods convinced Fenrir to let them chain him up by pretending that they were playing a game to see how strong he was. Fenrir easily broke every bond. Eventually, the gods had the dwarves make a special chain, that was stronger than any known but appeared light.
   The ominous name of the river Expectation appears to be a reference to Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse mythology when Fenrir will break from his chains and get his revenge. Fenrir is also said to be the father of Skoll and Hati, other giant wolves that chase the sun and the moon respectively. It is also said that when Ragnarok comes, they will finally catch their targets and devour them.

 

Fossegrimen
The Fossegrimen, also known simply as the grim, is a water spirit and creature. He plays the fiddle with incredible talent, mimicking the sounds of the forest, wind, and water. He can be induced to teach the skill.

He usually requires an offering, perhaps a white goat thrown with its head turned away into a waterfall that flows northwards or smoked mutton stolen from the neighbors’ storehouse four Thursdays in a row. If there is not enough meat on the bone, the grim will only teach the supplicant how to tune the fiddle. If the offering is deemed sufficient, he will take the pupil’s right hand and draw them along the strings until they bleed.

Huldre
The Huldre are wardens of the forest, part of a group of Ra that protect various different locations. The female Huldre are always described as incredibly beautiful and seductive, but with the long tail of a cow and their back covered in bark.

The Huldre can disguise themselves as young women to walk in the world of men. The power of their illusion is only broken if someone sees their tail. They visit communities in order to lure young, unmarried men into the forest where they are kept as slaves, lovers, or sometimes the Huldre will suck the life out of them. If one of their victims is set free or escapes, they will forever live norswith the temptation to return to their captor.

Jormungandr
Also known as the Midgard Serpent, the Jormungandr is another of the children of Loki and Angroboda. He is a snake or dragon that lives in the sea that surrounds Midgard, the visible world of humans. It is said that Odin tossed him into the water to keep him out of trouble. But this creature grew so large that he was able to surround the whole of Midgard and grasp his own tail.

He is described as an enemy of Thor. In one story Thor was fishing with the giant Hymir, but not satisfied with the whales that Hymir caught in his favorite fishing spots, Thor insists on going further out to sea, where he catches Jormungandr on his hook. He pulls the serpent out of the water and they come face to face, with Jormungandr dribbling poison and blood. Hymir is so appalled by the scene that he cuts the fishing line before Thor can kill the serpent with his hammer, and the serpent returned to the sea. It is also said that Thor and Jormungandr are fated to slay one another during Ragnarok when the serpent will emerge from the sea and poison the ocean and the sky.

 

 

Jotnar
The Jotnar are the giants of Norse mythology and are described as having powers that rival that of the gods. Rather than referring to their size, the name Jotnar means ‘devourers’.
   They are the enemy of the gods, and as the Asgardian gods represent order, the Jotnar embody chaos. Nevertheless, many of the Asgardian gods are descended from the Jotnar. Odin is half Jotnar and Thor three-quarters Jotnar. The Asgardian gods do not seek to kill the Jotnar, but to keep them in check so that the universe remains in balance.
   The role of balance in the universe is reflected in the Norse creation myth in which the gods construct the cosmos from the corpse of the slain Jotnar Ymir.

Mare
The Mare monster gave people bad dreams at night by sitting on them in their sleep. It was believed that the Mare were the souls of living people which left their bodies at night like demons.
   Often these were witches, whose souls took the forms of animals, but normal people, in particular adolescents, were also thought to become Mare when their spirits wandered. The idea that the soul wandered at night was a common phenomenon. Odin’s soul wandered so often that he worried that one day it may not return to his body.
   It was also believed that when the Mare touched a living thing, people, cattle, or trees, it would cause their hair to become entangled. This was probably used to explain the Polish plait phenomenon, which is a hair disease. It was also said to be why the branches and roots of some trees became entangled.

Norns
The Norse appeared to have believed that fate was blind and implacable, and there is no evidence of anyone ever impeaching the Norns to change their fate.

The three principals Norns also served as the caretakers of the tree of life that holds the nine worlds of Norse mythology. Their care only slows the death of the tree, as a cornerstone of Norse myth is that all things eventually come to an end. All existence will end with Ragnarok.

Ratatoskr
is a squirrel that runs up and down the tree of life, delivering the messages of the gods. However, he is mischievous and enjoys stirring trouble between the wise eagle that sits at the top of the tree and the hungry dragon that dwells in its roots.
   In some stories, he is described as having the more sinister motive of convincing the two adversaries to use their powers to destroy the tree.

https://www.vikingsbrand.co/blogs/norse-news/norse-mythology-creatures
“Another creature from the wide specter of Norse mythology creatures is a squirrel-looking being that spends its days running up and down the Tree of Life. The sole purpose of this being is to deliver the messages from the Gods.
Ratatoskr likes to stir up trouble between the hungry dragon that sits in the roots of the tree and the wise eagle that’s resting on the top. Ratatoskr is considered an evil entity because it’s trying to convince the eagle and the dragon to fight. The fight between them would destroy the Tree of Life because of their powers.”

Sleipnir
was the horse of Odin. It had eight legs so that it could have one leg in each of the Norse worlds. Loki is actually the mother of Sleipnir. Loki shapeshifted into a mare and was impregnated by the stallion of a giant.

https://www.vikingsbrand.co/blogs/norse-news/norse-mythology-creatures
“Sleipnir This celestial being was Odin’s personal ride. Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse, and it’s believed that Sleipnir had every one of its legs in one of eight Norse mythology worlds. An exciting story says that Loki is Sleipnir’s mother. When Loki shapeshifted into a mare, he was impregnated by one of the giant’s stallions, and he bore Sleipnir to life.”

Trolls
Two different types of trolls are found in Norse myths. There are large ugly trolls that dwell in forests and mountains, and small gnome-like trolls that live underground in deep caves and caverns. They are generally depicted as not very intelligent and quite malevolent, but they can show kindness in exchange for a favor.
Trolls were thought to be responsible for the many boulders that cover the Scandinavian countryside. Some were used by them as weapons, others are trolls turned to stone by the sun.

Valkyries
Who are the Valkyries? The Valkyrie were female spirits in the service of the god Odin.
They were elegant, noble maidens that bore dead heroes to Valhalla, the heavenly home of Odin’s fallen army as they await Ragnarok. Valkyrie means ‘choosers of the slain, and the Valkyrie not only worked for Odin but also chose who lived and died in battles, using malicious magic to ensure their preferences.