#vidarr
Northern European gods, Nordic & Proto-Nordic spelling:
- Auðhumblâ/ Auþôhumblôn
- Austr/ AustaR
- Ægir/ AgijaR
- Baldr/ BalðuR
- Bölþorn/ Beleþôrn
- Börr/ BuraR
- Fjörgyn/ Ferguniô
- Forseti/ Furasitan
- Freyja/ Fraujôn
- Freyr/ FraujaR
- Heimdallr/ HaimadalþaR
- Hel/ Haljô
- Höðr/ HadnuR
- Îðunn/ Îþund
- Jörð/ Erþi
- Loki/ Lukan
- Ôðinn/ WôðanaR
- Mâni/ Manan
- Nâtt/ Nahti
- Njörðr/ NerþuR
- Sâga/ Sagôn
- Skaði/ Skanþan
- Skuld/ Skuldi
- Sunna/ SuwilaR
- Svartr/ SwartaR
- Þôrr/ ÞunaR
- Tyr/ TîwaR
- Urðr/ WurþijôR
- Vâli/ Walan
- Verðandi/ Wirþandin
- Vîðarr/ WîdanaR
- Ymir/ WumîaR
*Disclaimer: This post will be edited as more ancient spellings are accumulated.
The Jotunn were the chief enemies of the gods, but it was, for the most part, in a political sense. Jotunn are often characterised as vicious beasts on a rampage, whose destruction is celebrated as a noble deed. The distinction between god and Jotunn was not so black and white.
Jotunn were, in fact, very similar to the Aesir themselves. Some possessed great strength, some magical powers, and some intellect. Some favoured a more hostile approach to dealing with the gods, some simply kept to themselves, and others were hospitable and even helpful to the Aesir. Attitudes varied depending on the individual, and depending on how the gods had treated him in the past. The only real difference between Jotunn and god seemed to be in appearance. Some Jotunn looked just like the gods, and could be described as beautiful, but most often Jotunn were described as ugly, dirty, and monstrous in appearance. Some had extra limbs, or even multiple heads.
Appearance seemed to vary a great deal between one Jotunn and another, but a displeasing appearance was fairly common, and while a fair appearance would often endear a Jotunn to the gods, a monstrous one would invite hostility. Disagreements between Jotunn and Aesir as a whole seemed to be, most often, individuals squabbling over resources. There was a deeper underlying hatred though, that persisted throughout time despite dealings with completely pleasant Jotunn. There were indeed many wicked Jotunn, and unfortunately it may have been they that gained the hatred of the Aesir for their entire race.
Loki was a Jotunn who had been invited to live in Asgard, and he was described as one of the beautiful Jotunn, similar in appearance to the gods. But Loki was not the only Jotunn whom they valued. The Jotunn Skadi also became one of the Aesir, and married with the Vanir Njordr. Freyr fell hopelessly in love with the Jotunn Gerdr, and essentially blackmailed her into marrying him. Thor himself was born by Odin and the Jotunn called Jord. Odin produced many other children by various Jotunn mistresses. Thor also took a Jotunn mistress at one point, Jarnsaxa, and by her produced his son Magni, who famously rescued Thor when he had been trapped under a fallen Jotunn’s foot. The Jotunn Gridr, mother of Vidarr, housed Thor and Loki when they were travelling past her home, and helped equip Thor for a battle he had been tricked into attending without any weapons or armour.
Many considerations of Loki’s heritage as a Jotunn conclude that Loki is inherently evil because of his race. Such an assumption is often made because Loki’s motives behind his rampant mischievousness are often difficult to understand (this will be addressed in detail in a later post), and it is much easier to simply decide he is evil because he is Jotunn. This, however, makes very little sense. Thor, the champion of the gods, was also born of a Jotunn mother. It is better to realise that all individuals, be they Aesir, Vanir, Jotunn, Alf, Dvergue, or something in between, choose their own lives, and cannot be judged based on race.
