Giants & Creatures
The Giants
The Gods; Æsir and the Vanir are generally enemies with the Giants.
However, the Æsir are descendants of Giants and both Æsir and Vanir marry with them.
Ægir, Angrboda, Baugi, Beli, Bergelmir, Bestla, Billing, Bolthorn, Byleist, Elli, Fárbauti, Fenja, Fjalar, Fornjót, Geirrod, Gerd, Gjálp and Greip, Gilling, Grid, Gunnlod, Gymir, Hel, Hrym, Hræsvelgr, Hrod, Hrungnir, Hymir, Hyndla, Hyrrokkin, Jarnsaxa, Kari, Laufey, Loki, Mani (moon), Menja, Modgunn, Mundilfari, Muspel, Mökkurkálfi, Narfi, Olvaldi, Ragnhild, Ran, Rind, Skaði, Snær, Suttung, Surtur, Thokk, Thiazi, Thrudgelmir, Thrym, Utgardaloki, Vafthruthnir, Ymir
Dragons
Fafnir
Fafnir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar - brother of the Regin and Otr - and had a powerful arm and fearless soul. He was the strongest and most aggressive of the three brothers. Fafnir later turned into a dragon (symbol of greed) when he garded the stolen gold payed to his father for the loss of Otr. Sigurd, foster-son of Regin, first killed Fafnir and later also Regin when he learnt that Regin had planned to kill him once he had recovered the gold.
Photo from Sigurd-ristning, Eskilstuna
Want to read more about the killing of Fanir or have
a closer look at the rock carving "Sigurdsristning"?
Creatures
Sleipnir
Sleipnir is Odin's magical eight-legged steed, and the greatest of all horses.
Hugin and Munin
Hugin and Munin are a pair of ravens sitting on the shoulder of Odin. They are sent out at dawn to gather information and return in the evening. Coming back they whisper the news into his ears.
Sæhrímnir
Sæhrímnir was the cosmic boar killed and eaten every night by the Æsir and einherjar at their wild parties at Valhalla. After Sæhrímnir was eaten, he was brought back to life to provide for food for another day.
Tanngrisnir
Tanngrisnir (translated as "tooth-grinder") are a pair of magic goats which draw the chariot of Thor. Thor, the high ranked god, is able to eat the goats, and by placing the bones and skin together able to return them to life with the aid of his hammer Mjollnir the following day.
Garm
Garm was a huge dog that guarded Helheim, the land of the dead, living in a cave called Gnipa. It was usually covered in blood.
Auðhumla
Auðhumla was the cow that licks Búri out of a salty ice of Ginnungagap. The gap was the vast chasm that existed between Niflheim and Muspelheim before creation.
Fenrir
Fenrir is a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða.
Veðrlaufnir
Veðrlaufnir is the name of a hawk sitting between the eyes of an eagle in the crown of Yggdrasill, the World Tree. The name of the eagle is Hræsvelgr.
Jörmungandr
Jörmungandr the sea-serpent /snake/ dragon that is coiled around the world.
Svadilfari
Svadilfari was a magical stallion, owned by a rime giant disguised as a human stonemason, who rebuilt the walls of Asgard.
Angrboda
Angrboda is with Loki, mother of Fenrir, the monstrous wolf and also mother of Fenrir's siblings, the Midgard Serpent and Hel, ruler of the underworld.
Pages: Vikings Norse Religion Gods Giants