NJORD GOD OF THE SEAS

 So how about another story? You guys seem to like these so here is another Crazy Norse God, one with beautiful feet.
NJORD

God of the Sea and Wind

Njord is the god of the sea and wind,  as well as the merchants at sea, and therefore was invoked before setting out to sea on hunting and fishing expeditions. He is also known to have the ability to calm the waters as well as fire.

There were two main clans of gods, the Aesir as lead by Odin, and the Vanir, lead by Njord. Njord and his kin were recognised as the gods of agriculture and fertility, whilst the Aesir were known to be the gods of warfare and of power. With two distinct areas of worship, Njord was considered to be the chief power behind a calm and productive sea, and prayers were raised to him for a fruitful fishing expedition, or a safe voyage.


The Aesir and Vanir were unable to live side by side in peace, and eventually the two clans went to war in the Aesir-Vanir War. A long drawn out war, ended in stalemate, with neither side having a decisive victory, although the Aesir were considered to have a slight advantage. To end the war though it was decided that the two sides would exchange hostages to avert future hostilities. Thus a deal was made by which Njord,  went to live with the Aesir and in return the Aesir sent Honir and Mimir to Vanaheim, the home of the Vanir. It was not a fair exchange because Njord was far more valuable and superior to the Vanir hostages.

Njord went to live in Åsgard and took with him his twin children, Frey and Freya. Njord’s first wife and the mother of the twins was Nerthus, Njords sister. As the Aesir did not approve of marriage between brother and sister, Njord had to leave Nerthus behind.  Njord and his children were well treated and became central figures in the Aesir, Njord in particular being given a role in supervising sacrifices.

Njords second wife was Skadi, a Giantess. When Skadi’s father was killed by the Aesir she was granted the choice of a  husband from among the gods of Aesir. The catch was though that she had to pick her new husband based only on the appearance of his feet She chose the most beautiful feet she saw, thinking they belonged to the god Balder. Instead, they were the feet of Njord.

Skadi was used to living in the icy mountains, and Njord was used to living by the sea. Njord and Skadi could not agree on where to live. Njord’s home was Noatun, a bustling shipyard, noisy with the sound of the wind and the sea and the seabirds. Skadi and Njord could not live happily together, for Skadi hated the cheerful shipyard, while Njord felt unhappy at Skadi’s grim, cold mountain home. After spending nine nights together in each other’s lands, the two decided to live apart.

Norse mythology is different to many ancient mythologies as it tells of the demise of many of the leading gods at Ragnarok. Ragnarok was known as the doom of the gods and men. A battle that would cause the destruction of the nine worlds.Njord was one of the gods that managed to survive and he returned unscathed to Vanaheim (home of the Vanir) in Åsgard.