The Vanir are a tribe of gods distinct from the Æsir. They come from Vanaheimr, one of the nine realms held in the great tree Yggdrasil.

They are not mentioned as frequently as the Æsir. Their attestations are found in the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, Heimskringla, and some skaldic poetry.

We know little of them. What we do know is marked by an ancient war. The Æsir and the Vanir clashed in mythic time. Some say the Æsir sought to claim Vanir lands. Others say they wronged the Vanir by torturing and burning Gullveig, a Vanir woman who practiced witchcraft. Whichever version is true, peace was eventually brokered.

As a sign of truce, both sides exchanged hostages. The Vanir sent three of their most renowned: Njörðr, Freyr, and Freya. In return, the Æsir gave Hœnir and Mímir. Some sources say Kvasir was also sent by the Vanir. Other stories say Óðinn made him from the sacred spit that sealed the peace.

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The Vanir gave Hœnir high status and land. But Hœnir proved indecisive without Mímir’s counsel. Feeling deceived, the Vanir beheaded Mímir and returned his head to the Æsir. The response is not detailed in the surviving lore. We are told Óðinn preserved the head with magic. Mímir still speaks and guards the well of wisdom known as Mímisbrunnr.

Only a few Vanir are clearly named.

Njörðr: god of the sea, wealth, and trade.

Freyr: his son, a god of abundance and fertility.

Freya: his daughter, a goddess of love, desire, and power.

Gullveig: a mysterious woman associated with witchcraft and burning. Named in the Poetic Edda.

Nerthus: a water goddess, likely the sister of Njörðr. Her name comes from Roman sources. Some see her as a female version of Njörðr.

Some other gods are speculated to be Vanir. Kvasir is one. Though often described as being made by Óðinn, he also serves as a symbol of peace between tribes. Heimdallr lives among the Æsir, but his birth is mysterious. He has nine mothers, a trait that links him to deep symbolism. Ullr is another such figure. His mother is named, but no father is listed. He is a wild hunter god. His rule and traits may connect him to the Vanir.

When Vanir join the Æsir, they become part of that tribe. There are no stories of Æsir becoming Vanir. Nor do Jötnar join the Vanir. Njörðr and Freyr both marry giant women. But these wives are taken into Asgard and counted among the Æsir.

The Æsir often involve themselves with humans. The Vanir do not. Once the three named Vanir come to Asgard, Vanaheimr vanishes from the active myth. It is not destroyed at Ragnarök. In fact, Njörðr is said to survive and return there after the final battle.

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Thoughts on the Vanir

The Vanir are gods of fertility, wealth, and the physical world. Their myths are few, but their power is clear. They balance the warlike sky gods of the Æsir with their earthly abundance and peace-making nature.

Some scholars link them to the elves. Freyr was given Álfheimr to rule. He is tied to mound burials and ancestor veneration. Elves in ancient times were often the honored dead. This suggests the Vanir may represent ancient human memory. Their ties to funerary practices and land-based offerings support this.

Other theories say they descend from Mediterranean sea gods. Freya shares traits with Ishtar. Njörðr shares features with older maritime deities. This would imply the Vanir came into Norse belief from older or foreign myth systems.

The Vanir are not diminished by being outsiders. Freyr’s worship once rivaled that of Óðinn. He had temples, processions, and sacrifices. He was central to the culture of ancient Sweden. Vanaheimr may be untouched by the apocalypse. Njörðr will return there and live.

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Signs and Symbols

Gold. Green. Brown. Boats and carts. Fields. Abundance. Joy. Sex. Blood offerings. Burial mounds. Weather and land. The sea’s edge. The fertile earth. Festival and fertility.

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Associated Names

Vanr. Wanes. Wane.