Saturday, September 13, 2014

Njord, Norse God of the Sea

Njord was the god of the sea and ships. 
In Germanic mythology, Njord was a mighty god of the sea and ships. He was married to Skadi, a mountain goddess, and their marriage was a rocky one -- Skadi couldn't bear to be away from her beloved mountains, and Njord was unhappy whenever he was away from the sea. They ended up spending half of each year in the mountain ranges, and half by the ocean. Njord is the father of Freyja and her brother Freyr, by his sister Nerthus, who was his first wife.
Njord was originally one of the Vanir, the wild fertility gods of nature. When the Vanir decided to make peace with their sworn enemies, the Aesir, or warrior gods, Njord and his children were turned over as hostages to ensure peace. The Aesir made Njord and his son, Freyr, high priests, and Freyja was consecrated as a priestess. She shared with the Aesir the art of witchcraft and magic, which was common knowledge among the Vanir.

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