Njörðr

Who they are

The sea god of the Vanir, who governs wind and wave, seafaring, the catch, and wealth, patron of sailors and fishermen. After the war between the Vanir and the Æsir ended in truce, he came to Asgard as a hostage and thereafter ranked among the chief gods. His marriage to the giantess Skaði is a famous mismatch: he loves the sound of the surf, she the howl of wolves on snowy peaks, and neither can sleep in the other’s home.

Key stories

The Mismatch of Sea and Mountain

Skaði came to Asgard to avenge her father, and the gods let her choose a husband — but by looking only at their feet. She picked the fairest pair, thinking them the handsome Baldr, but they proved to be the sea god Njörðr. After the wedding the two took turns living by the shore and on the snowy peak, one hating the shriek of gulls, the other unable to sleep for the howling of wolves, and in the end they lived apart — even gods cannot escape an ill-matched marriage.

Relationships

Echoes today

Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.

Appears in