InGermanic paganism, theindigenous religion of the ancientGermanic peoples who inhabitGermanic Europe, there werea number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, various chronicles,runic inscriptions, personal names, place names, and other sources. This article contains a comprehensivelist of Germanic deities outside the numerous GermanicMatres and Matronae inscriptions from the 1st to 5th century CE.
| Name | Name meaning | Attested consorts and sexual partners | Attested children | Attestations | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcis (Latinized Germanic) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Germania | None, but share similarities withJötunn |
| Baldr (Old Norse), Bældæg (Old English) | Old Norse form is contested. Old English form directly translates as "shining day".[1] | Nanna | Forseti | Merseburg Incantation,Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum,Chronicon Lethrense,Annales Lundenses, possiblyBeowulf | Æsir |
| Bragi (Old Norse) | Connected withBragr ("poetry")[2] | Iðunn | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | ProbablyÆsir |
| Dellingr (Old Norse) | Possibly "the dayspring"[3] or "shining one"[4] | Nótt | Dagr | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Unknown, but could beJötunn |
| Forseti (Old Norse) | "Chairman"[5] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Freyr (Old Norse), Frea (Old English),Yngvi (Old Norse), Ing (Old English) | "Lord"[6] | Freyja,Gerðr | Fjölnir | Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum,Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Heimskringla,Ögmundar þáttr dytts,Gesta Danorum, various others | Vanir |
| Heimdallr (Old Norse) | "World-brightener"[7] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda,Poetic Edda | Æsir |
| Hermóðr (Old Norse), Heremod (Old English) | "War-spirit"[8] | None attested | Sceaf | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Beowulf, Old English royal genealogies | Æsir |
| Höðr (Old Norse) | "Warrior"[9] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum,Chronicon Lethrense,Annales Lundenses, possiblyBeowulf | Æsir |
| Hœnir (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | Æsir |
| Lóðurr (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry | Unknown, but could beVanir |
| Loki (Old Norse) | Contested | Sigyn,Angrboda,Svadilfari | Nari/Narfi,Váli,Jormungandr,Fenrir,Hel,Sleipnir | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Heimskringla,Loka Táttur, Norwegianrune poem, Danish folk tales | Æsir,Jötunn |
| Móði and Magni (Old Norse) | "Courage" and "Strength" | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Máni (Old Norse) | "Moon" (Gives his name toMonday). | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Mímir (Old Norse) | "Rememberer" | None attested | Unnamed sons | Poetic Edda, Prose Edda | Vanir |
| Meili (Old Norse) | "the lovely one"[10] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Njörðr (Old Norse) | Contested | Unnamed sister,Skaði | Freyr, Freyja, Ráðveig, Kreppvör, unnamed seven daughters | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Heimskringla,Egils saga,Hauksbók ring oath, place names | Vanir |
| Odin: Óðinn (North Germanic),Wōden (West Germanic), *Wōðanaz (Proto-Germanic) (seeList of names of Odin for more) | "Frenzy"[11] (Gives his name toWednesday). | Frigg,Jörð,Gríðr,Rindr,Gunnlöð,Nine Mothers of Heimdallr,Hroðr,Skaði, possibly others | SeeSons of Odin | Most attestations of Germanic paganism | Æsir |
| Óðr (Old Norse) | "The frenzied one"[12] | Freyja | Hnoss,Gersemi | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Vanir |
| Saxnōt (Old Saxon), Seaxnet, Seaxnēat, Saxnat (Old English) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Old Saxon Baptismal Vow, Old English royal genealogies | Unknown, but could beÆsir |
| Thor: Þórr (North Germanic), Þunor (Old English), Thunaer (Old Saxon), Donar (Southern Germanic areas) | "Thunder", all names stem from Proto-Germanic *ÞunraR[13] (Gives his name toThursday). | Sif,Járnsaxa | Móði,Magni,Þrúðr,Lóriði | Most attestations of Germanic paganism | Æsir |
| Tuisto (Latinized Germanic) | "double", from theProto-Germanic root*twai – "two"; "a god, born of the earth" (deum terra editum) | None attested | Mannus | Germania | None, but share similarities withJötunn |
| Týr (Old Norse), Tīw, Tīg (both Old English), Ziu (Old High German) | "God", derived from Proto-Germanic*Tīwaz[14] (Gives his name toTuesday). | PossiblyZisa | None Attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda, skaldic poetry,Hadrian's Wall altar | Æsir |
| Ullr (Old Norse) | Something like "Glory"[15] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda, skaldic poetry,Gesta Danorum,Thorsberg chape, toponyms in Norway and Sweden | Æsir |
| Váli (Old Norse) | "Chosen" | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum (as Bous) | Æsir |
| Viðarr (Old Norse) | Possibly "wide ruler"[16] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Vé (Old Norse) | Vé[17] | Frigg | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Vili (Old Norse) | "Will"[18] | Frigg | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Name | Name meaning | Attested consorts and sexual partners | Attested children | Attestations | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baduhenna (Latinized Germanic) | Badu-, may be cognate toProto-Germanic*badwa- meaning "battle." The second portion of the name-henna may be related to-henae, which appears commonly in the names ofmatrons.[1] | None attested | None attested | Tacitus'sAnnals | Matronae |
| Bil (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Unknown, but could beÆsir |
| Beyla (Old Norse) | Proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee."[19] | Byggvir | None attested | Poetic Edda | Unknown, but could beVanir |
| Dís (Old Norse) | "goddess"[20] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda | Disir |
| Eir (Old Norse) | "Peace, clemency"[21] or "help, mercy"[22] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Ēostre (Old English) | "East"[23] (Gives her name toEaster according toBede). | None attested | None attested | De temporum ratione | None, but share similarities withJötunn |
| Freyja (Old Norse) (SeeList of names of Freyja for more) | "Lady"[24] | Freyr,Óðr | Hnoss,Gersemi | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Heimskringla,Sörla þáttr | Vanir |
| Frigg (Old Norse) | Derived from anIndo-European root meaning "Love"[25] (Gives her name toFriday, as theGermanic equivalent ofVenus). | Odin,Vili,Vé | Baldr,Höðr | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum,Historia Langobardorum, Second Merseburg Incantation | Æsir |
| Fulla (Old Norse) | Possibly "bountiful"[26] | None attested | None attested | Second Merseburg Incantation,Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Gefjun (Old Norse) | Related to "giving"[27] | Skjöldr, unnamedjötunn | Skjǫldungar, unnamed four sons | Prose Edda,Ynglinga saga,Völsa þáttr | Unknown, could beVanir |
| Gersemi (Old Norse) | "Relic"[28] | None attested | None attested | Heimskringla | Vanir |
| Gerðr (Old Norse) | "Fenced in"[29] | Freyr | Fjölnir | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Heimskringla | Jötunn |
| Gná (Old Norse) | Possibly related to Old NorseGnæfa, meaning "to project"[30] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Gullveig (Old Norse) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda | Vanir |
| Haeva [de] (Latinized Germanic) | Possibly "marriage"[31] | PossiblyHercules Magusanus | None attested | Votive stone from theNetherlands (CIL XIII 8705) | None, but share similarities withÆsir |
| Hariasa | Possibly related to the valkyrie nameHerja or meaning "goddess with lots of hair"[32] | None attested | None attested | Stone fromCologne, Germany (CIL XIII 8185) | None, but share similarities withÆsir |
| Hlín (Old Norse) | Possibly related to the Old Norse termhleinir, itself possibly meaning "protects"[33][34] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Hludana (Latinized Germanic) | "The famous"[31] | None attested | None attested | Votive stones fromthe Netherlands andNordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | None, but share similarities withÆsir |
| Hnoss (Old Norse) | "Treasure"[33] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Vanir |
| Hretha (Old English) | Possibly "the famous" or "the victorious"[35] | None attested | None attested | De temporum ratione | None, but share similarities withÆsir |
| Idis (Old Norse) | well-respected and dignified woman | None attested | None attested | Merseburg charms | Idisi |
| Ilmr (Old Norse) | Potentially related to Old Norseilmr, a masculine noun meaning "pleasant scent"[36][37] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda,skaldic poetry | Unknown, could beÆsir |
| Iðunn (Old Norse) | Possibly "ever young"[38] | Bragi | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Irpa (Old Norse) | Possibly relating to "dark brown"[39] | None attested | None attested | Jómsvíkinga saga,Njáls saga | Unknown, could beÆsir |
| Lofn (Old Norse) | Potentially related to "Praise"[40] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Nanna (Old Norse) | Possibly "mother" fromnanna, or potentially related tonanþ-, meaning "the daring one"[41] | Baldr | Forseti | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum,Chronicon Lethrense,Setre Comb | Æsir |
| Nehalennia (Latinized Germanic) | Possibly "she who is at the sea" | None attested | None attested | Votive altars discovered around what is now the province ofZeeland, theNetherlands | None, but share similarities withJötunn |
| Nerthus (Latinized Germanic, from Proto-Germanic*Nerthuz) | Latinized form of what Old NorseNjörðr would have looked like around 1 CE.[42] | None attested | None attested | Germania | None |
| Njörun (Old Norse) | Possibly related to the Norse godNjörðr and the Roman goddessNerio[43][44] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | Æsir |
| Norns (Old Norse) (Urðr,Verðandi,Skuld) | Unknown | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda, skaldic poetry | Nornir |
| Rán (Old Norse) | "Theft, robbery"[45] | Ægir | Nine daughters | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna | Jötunn |
| Rindr (Old Norse) | Possibly related to*Vrindr[46] | Odin | Váli | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum | Jötunn |
| Sága (Old Norse) | Possibly "to see"[47] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda, skaldic poetry | Æsir |
| Sandraudiga (Latinized Germanic) | "She who dyes the sand red."[48] | None attested | None attested | North Brabant stone | None |
| Sif (Old Norse) | "In-law-relationship"[49] | Thor, unnamedjötunn | Ullr,Þrúðr,Lóriði | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Sigyn (Old Norse) | "Victorious girl-friend"[50] | Loki | Nari, Narfi and/orVáli | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Sinthgunt (Old High German) | Contested | None attested | None attested | Second Merseburg Incantation | None |
| Sjöfn (Old Norse) | "Love"[51] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Unknown, could beÆsir |
| Skaði (Old Norse) | Possibly related toScandia.[52] | Njörðr,Ullr,Odin | Sæmingr, possibly Ráðveig, possibly Kreppvör, possibly unnamed seven daughters | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Ynglinga saga | Jötunn |
| Snotra (Old Norse) | "The clever one"[53] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Æsir, although very similar toVanir |
| Sól (Old Norse),Sunna (Old High German) | "Sun"[54] (Gives her name toSunday). | Glenr | Unnamed daughter | Second Merseburg Incantation,Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | None, but shares similarities withVanir |
| Syn (Old Norse) | "Refusal"[55] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda | Aesir,Disir,Matronae |
| Tamfana (Latinized Germanic) | Unknown | None attested | None attested | Germania,Tamfanae sacrum inscription | Unknown |
| Þrúðr (Old Norse) | "Power"[56] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda,Karlevi Runestone | Æsir |
| Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr (Old Norse) | Literally "Þorgerðr Hölgi's Bride"[57] | None attested | Hölgi, possibly others | Jómsvíkinga saga,Njáls saga,Skáldskaparmál,Færeyinga saga | Æsir |
| Vár (Old Norse) | "Beloved"[58] | None attested | None attested | Poetic Edda,Prose Edda | Æsir |
| Vihansa (Latinized Germanic) | "War-goddess"[59] | None attested | None attested | Votive stone from Belgium (CIL XIII 3592) | Unknown |
| Vör (Old Norse) | Possibly "the careful one"[60] | None attested | None attested | Prose Edda,Poetic Edda Thrymsvitha | Æsir |
| Zisa | Possibly related to*Tiwaz | None attested | PossiblyTyr | Codex Monac,Codex Emmeran, andSuevicarum rerum scriptores | Unknown, could beÆsir |
Anglo-Saxon paganism and mythology | |
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| Gods and divine figures | |
| Heroic figures | |
| Other beings | |
| Locations | |
| Sources | |
| Society and culture | |
| Modern pagan revival | |
