Numbers in Norse mythology
Encyclopedia
The numbers three and nine are significant numbers in Norse mythology
and paganism
. Both numbers (and multiplications thereof) appear throughout surviving attestations of Norse paganism, in both mythology and cultic practice.
While the number three appears as a significant in many cultures, Norse mythology appears to put special emphasis on the number nine. Along with the number 27, both numbers also figure into the lunar
Germanic calendar
.
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
and paganism
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
. Both numbers (and multiplications thereof) appear throughout surviving attestations of Norse paganism, in both mythology and cultic practice.
While the number three appears as a significant in many cultures, Norse mythology appears to put special emphasis on the number nine. Along with the number 27, both numbers also figure into the lunar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
Germanic calendar
Germanic calendar
The Germanic calendars were the regional calendars used amongst the early Germanic peoples, prior to the adoption of the Julian calendar in the Early Middle Ages....
.
Three
The number three occurs with great frequency in grouping individuals and artifacts:- There are three distinct races of giants: the mountain giants, frost giants and fire giants.
- There were three original beings: the primordial cow Audhumla, YmirYmirIn Norse mythology, Ymir, also called Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of frost giants and was later killed by the Borrs.-Etymology:...
the first giant, and BúriBúriBúri was the first god in Norse mythology. He is the father of Borr and grandfather of Odin, Vili and Ve. He was formed by the cow Auðumbla licking the salty ice of Ginnungagap. The only extant source of this myth is Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda.Búri is mentioned nowhere in the Poetic Edda and...
the first god and grandfather of OdinOdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
. - For three days Audhumla licked the ice of GinnungagapGinnungagapIn Norse mythology, Ginnungagap was the vast, primordial void that existed prior to the creation of the manifest universe, corresponding to the Greek notion of Chaos...
until Búri was freed. - Ymir had three direct offspring: a boy and girl who grew from beneath his arms and a six-headed son who sprang from the coupling of his feet.
- There were three generations of giants before the race as a whole was destroyed by the deluge of Ymir's blood, after which time his grandson BergelmirBergelmirIn Norse mythology, Bergelmir is a frost giant, the son of giant Þrúðgelmir and the grandson of Ymir , the first frost giant, according to stanza 29 of the poem Vafthrudnismal from the Poetic Edda:...
became the progenitor of a new line. - The heart of the giant HrungnirHrungnirHrungnir was a jötunn in Norse mythology, slain by the god Thor with his hammer Mjölnir. The account is documented in the Skáldskaparmál, in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson....
was triangularTriangleA triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are line segments. A triangle with vertices A, B, and C is denoted ....
and made of stone. - There are three named NornsNornsThe Norns in Norse mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men, a kind of dísir comparable to the Fates in classical mythology....
. - Odin had two brothers, Vili and VéVili and VéIn Norse mythology, Vili and Vé are the brothers of Óðinn , sons of Bestla daughter of Bölþorn and Borr son of Búri:Old Norse Vili means "will"...
(or Lodur and Hoenir according to Völuspá), numbering three sons of BorrBorrBorr or Burr was the son of Búri and the father of Odin in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in the Gylfaginning, part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda....
who created the world and gave life to the first human beings. - Odin is the ruler of the third generation of gods as the son of Borr and grandson of Búri.
- YggdrasilYggdrasilIn Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
the World TreeWorld treeThe world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions, Siberian religions, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the earth, and, through its...
has three roots, and three is the square root of the number of worlds (nine) joined by Yggdrasil. Under the three roots are three sacred wells, one for each including the Well of UrdWyrdWyrd is a concept in Anglo-Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or personal destiny. The word is ancestral to Modern English weird, which retains its original meaning only dialectally....
in AsgardAsgardIn Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...
, the Well of MimirWell of MimirIn Norse mythology, Mímisbrunnr is a well associated with the being Mímir, located beneath the world tree Yggdrasil. Mímisbrunnr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
located "among the frost giants", and HvergelmirHvergelmirHvergelmir is the wellspring of cold in Niflheim in Norse mythology. All cold rivers are said to come from here, and it was said to be the source of the eleven rivers, Élivágar. Above the spring, the serpent Níðhöggr gnaws on one of the roots of the world tree, Yggdrasil.-References:* Orchard,...
in NiflheimNiflheimNiflheim is one of the Nine Worlds and is a location in Norse mythology which overlaps with the notions of Niflhel and Hel...
. - Odin endured three hardships upon the World Tree in his quest for the runesRunic alphabetThe runic alphabets are a set of related alphabets using letters known as runes to write various Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet and for specialized purposes thereafter...
: he hanged himself, wounded himself with a spear, and suffered from hunger and thirst. - In the GylfaginningGylfaginningGylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...
section of the Prose EddaProse EddaThe Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
, King GylfiGylfiIn Norse mythology, Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king in Scandinavia recorded. The traditions on Gylfi deal with how he was tricked by the gods and his relations with the goddess Gefjon.-The creation of Zealand:...
is confronted by a triple throne at the home of the gods, one being seated and occupied atop another. - LokiLokiIn Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
has three malign progeny by the giantess AngrbodaAngrbodaIn Norse mythology, Angrboða is a female jötunn . In the Poetic Edda, Angrboða is mentioned only in Völuspá hin skamma as the mother of Fenrir by Loki. However, she is also mother of Fenrir's siblings, Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent, and Hel...
: the wolf Fenrir, JörmungandrJörmungandrIn Norse mythology, Jörmungandr , mostly known as Jormungand, orJörmungand , or Midgard Serpent , or World Serpent, is a sea serpent, and the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and the god Loki...
the World Serpent, and HelHel (being)In Norse mythology, Hel is a being who presides over a realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
. - Prior to RagnarökRagnarökIn Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, there will be three hard winters without an intervening summer, the FimbulwinterFimbulwinterIn Norse mythology, Fimbulvetr , commonly rendered in English as Fimbulwinter, is the immediate prelude to the events of Ragnarök.-Summary:...
. - There are three main events leading up to Ragnarök itself: the birth of Loki's three monstrous children, the death of Baldr and subsequent punishment of Loki, and the onset of Fimbulwinter.
- The wolf Fenrir was bound by three fetters: Loeding, Drómi, and GleipnirGleipnirIn Norse mythology, Gleipnir is the binding that holds the mighty wolf Fenrisulfr . The Gods had attempted to bind Fenrir twice before with huge chains of metal, but Fenrir was able to break free both times. Therefore, they commissioned the dwarves to forge a chain that was impossible to break...
, of which only the last held him. - Loki is bound with three bonds made from the entrails of his son through holes in three upright slabs of rock, the first under his shoulders, the second under his loins and the third under the backs of his knees.
- In the poem VöluspáVöluspáVöluspá is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end related by a völva addressing Odin...
from the Poetic EddaPoetic EddaThe Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
, the monstrous hound Garmr howls three times at the Gnipa-caveGnipahellirIn Norse mythology, Gnipahellir is an overhanging cave where Garmr, the hound, is chained until the onset of Ragnarök....
(or at least, the description of his howling is repeated three times). - In Völuspá, the gods burn GullveigGullveigIn Norse mythology, Gullveig is a being who was speared by the Æsir, burnt three times, and yet thrice reborn. Upon her third rebirth, Gullveig's name becomes Heiðr and she is described as a knowledgeable and skillful völva. Gullveig/Heiðr is solely attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th...
three times and three times she is reborn. - During the onset of Ragnarök three cockerels will begin to crow, heralding the final conflict: GullinkambiGullinkambiIn Norse mythology, Gullinkambi is a rooster who lives in Valhalla. In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, Gullinkambi is one of the three roosters whose crowing is foretold to signify the beginning of the events of Ragnarök...
for the gods, FjalarFjalarIn Norse mythology, Fjalar may refer to:* Fjalar and Galar, dwarf brothers who killed the god Kvasir and turned his blood into the mead of poetry* The other is a rooster that will crow to signify the beginning of Ragnarok...
for the giants and an unnamed third for the dead. - BifröstBifröstIn Norse mythology, Bifrost or Bilröst is a burning rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard and Asgard, the realm of the gods...
the rainbow bridge has three colours. It also has two other names, Ásbrú and Bilröst, thus having three names. - HeimdallHeimdallIn Norse mythology, Heimdallr is a god who possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn, owns the golden-maned horse Gulltoppr, has gold teeth, and is the son of Nine Mothers...
has three special powers in his role as guardian of the rainbow bridge. He needs less sleep than a bird, can see at night for a hundred leagues and is able to hear grass growing on the earth. - Odin has three special possessions: His spear GungnirGungnirIn Norse mythology, Gungnir is the spear of the god Odin.-Poetic Edda:In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, the Æsir-Vanir War is described as officially starting when Odin throws a spear over the heads of an assembly of Vanir gods. Whether or not this was specifically Gungnir is, however, unstated...
, his golden ring DraupnirDraupnirIn Norse mythology, Draupnir is a gold ring possessed by the god Odin with the ability to multiply itself: Every ninth night eight new rings 'drip' from Draupnir, each one of the same size and weight as the original....
and his eight-legged horse SleipnirSleipnirIn Norse mythology, Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
. - ThorThorIn Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
has three main weapons for use against the giants: his hammer Mjolnir, a magical belt that doubles his strength and a pair of iron gauntletsGauntlet (gloves)Gauntlet is a name for several different styles of glove, particularly those with an extended cuff covering part of the forearm. Gauntlets exist in many forms, ranging from flexible fabric and leather gloves, to mail and fully articulated plate armour....
that allow him to wield the hammer. - FreyrFreyrFreyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
has three magical items including the ship Skidbladnir, his boar GullinburstiGullinburstiGullinbursti is a boar in Norse mythology.When Loki had Sif's hair, Freyr's ship Skíðblaðnir and Odin's spear Gungnir fashioned by the Sons of Ivaldi, he bet his own head with Brokkr that his brother Eitri wouldn't have been able to make items to match the quality of those mentioned above.So to...
and a sword with the ability to fight on its own which he gave to SkirnirSkirnirIn Norse mythology, Skírnir is the god Freyr's messenger and vassal. In the Poetic Edda poem Skírnismál, Skírnir is sent as a messenger to Jötunheimr to conduct Freyr's wooing of the fair Gerðr on condition of being given Freyr's sword as a reward. Skírnir also threatens Gerðr with his gambantein,...
in return for his role in the courtship of GerdGerdIn Norse mythology, Gerðr is a jötunn, goddess, and the wife of the god Freyr. Gerðr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and in the poetry of skalds...
. - Freyja also has three special artefacts including the priceless necklace BrisingamenBrisingamenIn Norse mythology, Brísingamen is the necklace of the goddess Freyja.-Beowulf:...
, a cloak that allows her to assume the form of a falcon and a chariot drawn by a pair of great cats. - In the stronghold of the giant Útgarda-Loki, Thor drank three mighty draughts from a hornDrinking hornA drinking horn is the horn of a bovid used as a drinking vessel. Drinking horns are known from Classical Antiquity especially in Thrace and the Balkans, and remained in use for ceremonial purposes throughout the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period in some parts of Europe, notably in Germanic...
during a drinking contest but gave up when he was unable to empty the horn of its contents; this was also one of three tasks he did -and failed- during his stay, the other two being to lift a cat (he made it lift a paw, leaving three on ground) and to defeat an old woman; it's later revealed that the horn was connected to the sea (which he leveled down by three fingers), the cat was the World Sepent and the old woman, the Old Age itself. Previous to this, Thor and his companions had met the giant, who was under the assumed name Skrýmir, in the forest outside the castle. When Skrymir had gone to sleep during their journey together, Thor became annoyed by his loud snoring and struck at him three times with his hammer, but in each case the blow was misdirected through magic and illusion. - The builder of the walls of Asgard offered to build them in three seasons in return for three prizes: the sun and moon and the hand of Freyja in marriage.
- Odin spent three nights with the giantess GunnlodGunnlodIn Norse mythology, Gunnlöð is a giantess. Her name could be written as Gunnlod.- Mythology :She is daughter of the giant Suttungr, who was set guard by her father in the cavern where he housed the mead of poetry. Her grandfather was Giling...
in order to obtain the mead of poetryMead of poetryIn Norse mythology, the Poetic Mead or Mead of Poetry , also known as Mead of Suttungr , is a mythical beverage that whoever "drinks becomes a skald or scholar" to recite any information and solve any question. This myth was reported by Snorri Sturluson...
. She then allowed him to take three drinks of the mead, one from each of three vessels. - The group of dwarves known only as the sons of IvaldiSons of IvaldiIn Norse mythology, the Sons of Ivaldi are a group of dwarfs who fashion Skidbladnir, the ship of Freyr, and the Gungnir, the spear of Odin, as well as golden hair for Sif to replace what Loki had cut off....
fashioned three wondrous artefacts including the ship of Freyr, the spear of Odin and the golden hair of SifSifIn Norse mythology, Sif is a goddess associated with earth. Sif is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the poetry of skalds...
. The dwarf brothers EitriEitriIn Norse mythology, Eitri is a dwarf and the brother of Brokkr.According to Skáldskaparmál, when Loki had Sif's hair, Freyr's ship Skidbladnir and Odin's spear Gungnir fashioned by the Sons of Ivaldi, he bet his own head with Brokkr that Eitri would not have been able to make items that matched...
and BrokkBrokkIn Norse mythology, Brokkr is a dwarf, and the brother of Eitri or Sindri....
also created three items including the boar of Freyr, the golden ring of Odin and the hammer of Thor. - There were three statues of Odin, Thor and Freyr in the Temple at UppsalaTemple at UppsalaThe Temple at Uppsala was a religious center in Norse paganism once located at what is now Gamla Uppsala , Sweden attested in Adam of Bremen's 11th century work Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum and in Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century...
. - The goddess FriggFriggFrigg is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. She is said to be the wife of Odin, and is the "foremost among the goddesses" and the queen of Asgard. Frigg appears primarily in Norse mythological stories as a wife and a mother. She is also described as having the power...
has three handmaidens including FullaFullaIn Germanic mythology, Fulla or Volla is a goddess. In Norse mythology, Fulla is described as wearing a golden snood and as tending to the ashen box and the footwear owned by the goddess Frigg, and, in addition, Frigg confides in Fulla her secrets...
, GnáGnáIn Norse mythology, Gná is a goddess who runs errands in other worlds for the goddess Frigg and rides the flying, sea-treading horse Hófvarpnir . Gná and Hófvarpnir are attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...
and HlínHlínIn Norse mythology, Hlín is a goddess associated with the goddess Frigg. Hlín appears in a poem in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in kennings found in skaldic poetry...
.
Nine
The number nine is also a significant number:- When Odin sacrificed himself to himself, he hung upside down as the hanged man upon the gallowsGallowsA gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
or Yggdrasil for nine days and nights. In return, he secured from the Well of WyrdWyrdWyrd is a concept in Anglo-Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or personal destiny. The word is ancestral to Modern English weird, which retains its original meaning only dialectally....
eighteen (twice nine) charms or runes. - The Norse cosmologyNorse cosmologyThe cosmology of Norse mythology has 'nine homeworlds', unified by the world tree Yggdrasill. Mapping the nine worlds escapes precision because the Poetic Edda often alludes vaguely, and the Prose Edda may be influenced by medieval Christian cosmology...
knows nine worlds that are supported by Yggdrasil. - At the end of SkáldskaparmálSkáldskaparmálThe second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...
is a list of nine heavenly realms provided by SnorriSnorri SturlusonSnorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
including, from the nethermost to the highest, Vindblain (also Heidthornir or Hregg-Mimir), AndlangAndlangIn Norse mythology, Andlang is described as the second heavenly realm which stretches between the first, containing the halls of the gods, and the third, named Vídbláin...
, VidblainVídbláinIn Norse mythology, Víðbláinn is the third heaven in the cosmology of Snorri's Gylfaginning, located above Andlang and Asgard. It will serve as a shelter and dwelling place for the souls of the dead during and after the destruction of Ragnarök....
, Vidfedmir, Hrjod, Hlyrnir, Gimir, Vet-Mimir and Skatyrnir which "stands higher than the clouds, beyond all worlds." - Every ninth year, people from all over SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
assembled at the Temple at Uppsala. There was feasting for nine days and sacrifices of both men and male animals according to Adam of BremenAdam of BremenAdam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
. - In SkírnismálSkírnismálSkírnismál is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda. It is preserved in the 13th century manuscripts Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to but may have been originally composed in heathen times...
, Freyr is obliged to wait nine nights to consummate his union with Gerd. - In SvipdagsmálSvipdagsmálSvipdagsmál or The Lay of Svipdagr is an Old Norse poem, a part of the Poetic Edda, comprising two poems, The Spell of Gróa and The Lay of Fjölsviðr. The two works are grouped since they have a common narrator, Svipdagr. Moreover they would appear to have a common origin since they are closely...
, the witch GróaGróaIn Norse mythology, Gróa is a völva and practitioner of seiðr, the wife of Aurvandil the Bold.-Prose Edda:Gróa appears in the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, in the context of Thor's battle with the jötunn Hrungnir...
grants nine charms to her son SvipdagSvipdagSvipdagr is the hero of the two Old Norse Eddaic poems Grógaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál, which are contained within the body of one work; Svipdagsmál...
. In the same poem there are nine maidens who sit at the knees of Menglod. - In FjölsvinnsmálFjölsvinnsmálFjölsvinnsmál or The Sayings of Fjölsvinnr is the second of two Old Norse poems commonly published under the title Svipdagsmál "The Lay of Svipdagr". These poems are found together in several 17th century paper manuscripts with Fjölsvinnsmál...
, Laegjarn's chest is fastened with nine locks. - During Ragnarök, Thor kills Jörmungandr but staggers back nine steps before falling dead himself, poisoned by the venom that the SerpentSerpent (symbolism)Serpent in Latin means: Rory Collins :&, in turn, from the Biblical Hebrew word of: "saraf" with root letters of: which refers to something burning-as, the pain of poisonous snake's bite was likened to internal burning.This word is commonly used in a specifically mythic or religious context,...
spewed over him. - According to the very late Trollkyrka poem, the fire for the blótBlótThe blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
was lit with nine kinds of wood. - Odin's ring Draupnir releases eight golden drops every ninth night, forming rings of equal worth for a total of nine rings.
- In the guise of Grímnir in the poem GrímnismálGrímnismálGrímnismál is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of Grímnir, one of the many guises of the god Odin, who is tortured by King Geirröth...
, Odin allows himself to be held by King GeirrödGeirrödIn Norse mythology, Geirröd was a jötunn and the father of the giantesses Gjálp and Greip.The story of Geirröd is told in Þórsdrápa. Loki, while flying as a hawk, was captured by Geirröd. Because he hated Thor, Geirröd demanded that Loki bring his enemy to Geirröd's castle without his magic belt...
for eight days and nights and kills him on the ninth after revealing his true identity. - There are nine daughters of ÆgirDaughters of ÆgirThe Daughters of Ægir are the nine daughters of Ægir and Rán, a giant and goddess who both represent the sea in Norse mythology. Their names are poetic terms for different characteristics of ocean waves....
. - There are nine mothers of Heimdall.
- The god Hermod rode Sleipnir for nine nights on his quest to free Baldr from the underworldHel (realm)In Norse mythology, Hel, the location, shares a name with Hel, a female figure associated with the location. In late Icelandic sources, varying descriptions of Hel are given and various figures are described as being buried with items that will facilitate their journey to Hel after their death...
. - The giant BaugiBaugi- Myth :Baugi is a son of Gilling and his wife, who were killed by two dwarves, Fjalar and Galar. His brother is Suttungr, and his niece is Gunnlöð. Suttungr had hidden the mead of poetry after obtaining it from Fjalar and Galar....
had nine thralls who killed each other in their desire to possess Odin's magical sharpening stoneSharpening stoneSharpening stones, water stones or whetstones are used to grind and hone the edges of steel tools and implements. Examples of items that may be sharpened with a sharpening stone include scissors, scythes, knives, razors and tools such as chisels, hand scrapers and plane blades...
. - The god NjordNjordIn Norse mythology, Njörðr is a god among the Vanir. Njörðr is father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed Van sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún and is associated with sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.Njörðr is attested...
and his wife Skadi decided to settle their argument over where to live by agreeing to spend nine nights in ThrymheimThrymheimIn Norse mythology, Þrymheimr was the abode of Þjazi, a jötunn, located in Jötunheimr. Þjazi once abducted the goddess Iðunn, and in Þrymheimr he held her, causing the gods to age until her rescue, in turn resulting in the death of Þjazi. After the death of Þjazi, his daughter—the goddess...
and nine nights at NóatúnNoatun (mythology)In Norse mythology, Nóatún is the sea-side abode of the god Njörðr.-References:*Orchard, Andy . Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2...
. - The giant Thrivaldi has nine heads.
- The clay giant Mokkurkalfi measured nine leagues high and three broad beneath the arms.
- The valknutValknutThe Valknut is a symbol consisting of three interlocked triangles, and appears on various Germanic objects. A number of theories have been proposed for its significance....
symbol is three interlocking triangles forming nine points. - There are nine surviving deities of Ragnarök, including Baldr and Hödr, Magni and Modi, VidarVidarIn Norse mythology, Víðarr is a god among the Æsir associated with vengeance. Víðarr is described as the son of Odin and the jötunn Gríðr, and is foretold to avenge his father's death by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök, a conflict which he is described as surviving...
and VáliVáli (son of Odin)In Norse mythology, Váli is a son of the god Odin and the giantess Rindr. He was birthed for the sole purpose of killing Höðr as revenge for Höðr's accidental murder of his half-brother, Baldr. He grew to full adulthood within one day of his birth, and slew Höðr...
, Hoenir, the daughter of SólSowiloSól or Sunna is the Sun personified in Germanic mythology. One of the two Old High German Merseburg Incantations, written in the 9th or 10th century CE, attests that Sunna is the sister of Sinthgunt...
and a ninth "powerful, mighty one, he who rules over everything".
See also
- NumerologyNumerologyNumerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
- Rök Stone