Who's Who in Asgard
underconstruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Odin(n) - one of the AEsir, head of all the gods in Asgard. He is also known as the "War God". He created the world by killing the giant Ymir. He presides over those who have died in battle and have gone to Valhalla, a mead hall in Asgard. He has only one eye because he sacraficed his eye in order to get a drink from the well Mimir, the well of wisdom. Odin aslo hung himself for nine days from the world tree in order to gain the knowledge of the runes. Odin was a deceptive god in the way that he did not keep his promises. Upon tying up the wolf Fenrir, he told the wolf that it was just a game and that he would untie him. To prove this promise, he instructed Tyr, another god, to put his hand into the wolf's mouth and to have it bitten off if the wolf was not released. Tyr lost his hand. However, Odin could see into the future somewhat and was looking for the approach of Ragnarok, the end of the world. Therefore, he made his decisions based upon what would be better for the Norse gods in the long run. Odin also interfered with human lives on occasion, coming to earth in the form of an old man with a beard. Odin also is responsible for obtaining the poetic mead. It was owned by a giant named Suttung. Odin kills Baugi's slaves [the brother of Suttung] and then offers to work all summer as though he was nine men under the name of Bolverk. He does so and Baugi repays him by trying to get ahold of some of the poetic mead for him. They drill a hole into the mountain where the mead is kept but Baugi tries to cheat Odin. Odin manages to make a hole through the mountain and then changes shape into a serpant and crawls in. The mead is watched over by Suttung's daughter. Odin sleeps with her for three nights obtaining three sips of mead. Being a god, he drank all of it in three sips. Then he changes into an eagle and flies back to Asgard where he then regurgitates the mead.
Tyr - it is theorized that he was once the head sky god but was now replaced by Odin. He lost his hand to the wolf Fenrir.
Baldr - is the son of Odin. He was a peaceful god, the epitome of niceness. However, one day he was having bad dreams so he went to his mother to see what she could do. She casted a spell on everything making everything promise that it would not hurt her son. Loki, disguised himself and asked about the spell and discovered that everything except a small stick of mistletoe had promised not to hurt Baldr. He finds the mistletoe and returns to find everyone throwing sticks and rocks and other items at Baldr who could not be harmed. Loki gives Hod, Baldr's brother, the mistletoe spear and tells him to give it a try. It is said that Hod was blind. The spear hits Baldr and kills him. It is said that since the only example of niceness had been done away with, that this was the onset of Ragnarok, the end of the world.
Thor - is the most well known of the gods outside the context of the nordic myths. He has a special hammer and gloves that gives him incredible strength. He is the protector of the gods. His main goal is to fight with monsters and giants. One day he went on a fishing trip and caught the Midgard Serpant, although he lost hold if the serpant soon afterwards. It is because of this that he fights the serpant at Ragnarok, the end of the world. Thor has a wetstone jabbed into his forehead from a battle with a giant.
Loki - is not one of the AEsir. We are not quite sure what he is although it has been speculated that he is half giant and part Vanir, the other division of gods. He is the trickster and troublemaker for the AEsir. He cuts off Sif's hair [Sif is Thor's wife] and gets in trouble so he goes to Ivaldi's sons [dwarves] and asks them the make her golden hair. Loki is a shape-changer but has also changed genders and given birth which is very shameful in the soceity of the gods. Loki is responsible for the death of Baldr. He also mated with a giantess named Angrboda. They had three children, the wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Serpant, and Hel. The wolf and the serpant contribute to the end of the world. Hel is sent to rule the underworld where the souls of men who did not die in battle go. Loki is also responsible for the birth of Slepnir, Odin's horse because he promised a giant the goddess of fertility among other things if he would build a wall around Asgard in three days. When he realized that the giant would be able to do it because of his splendid horse, Loki changed into the shape of a female horse and lured the horse away. They mated and had Slepnir. The giant did not finish the wall. Loki is also responsible for killing Otter. In order to repay this deed, he had to cover and fill the otter pelt in gold. This became known as the Otter's ransom. This gold has been cursed ever since.
Freyr - the twin brother of the fertility goddess, Freyja. He was originally a Vanir but he moved to Asgard along with his father Njord as part of an agreement between the AEsir and the Vanir. Freyr was destined for bad luck from the moment he sat in Odin's throne. Bad luck descended upon him because he tried to usurp this position. He then fell in love with a giantess named Gerd and lost his horse and sword in order to obtain her. Therefore he was swordless and unprepared at Ragnarok.
Freyja
Frigg
Idunn
Heimdall
Hermod
Hoenir
Njord
Sif
Sigyn