Njord: Norse God Of The Seas And Seafarers And His Unhappy Marriage To Skadi

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Njord (Niord) was a Vanir god of the seas, fishermen, ships, and prosperity in ancient Norse beliefs. He was especially important for fishermen and seafarers because he ruled over the waves and winds.

He was the father of ten children, and his second wife was the giantess Skadi. Two of Njord’s children, Frey and Freya, are well-known in Norse mythology. Their mother is unknown, but it is believed she was not only Njord ’s first wife but also his sister.

Unlike the Aesir gods, the Vanir seem to have applied sibling marriage.

According to Snorre’s Edda, Niord lived in Noatun (means "ship-yard"). When the war between the Aesir and Vanir finally ended, Njord changed his living place. According to a peace treaty, the two fighting tribes had to exchange hostages, which strengthened peace talks between the two parts.

The old god of the sea, Njord, took Frey and Freya and moved to Asgard, one of the Nine Worlds and home to the Aesir tribe of gods, according to Snorri‘s  “Gylfaginning “ .

Njord had to live in Asgard, where he occupied one of the twelve seats in the great council hall and was present at all the assemblies of the gods. He withdrew to Noatun only when the Aesir did not require his services. In his home, he admired his favorite birds, the swans, which were sacred to him, and contemplated the beauty of the seashore outside his home.

Njord meets his second wife Skadi

He met his second wife, Skadi, after she arrived in Asgard, and the myth tells that she chose Njord for his naked… feet.

When her father, the powerful giant Thjazzi, wanted to kidnap Idun, the goddess in charge of the magic apples of youth, he was killed at the gates of Asgard. Skadi had to decide about her life, so she went to Asgard, the home of the gods, to choose a husband. The gods told Skadi she might select any of the gods present at the assembly as a husband, provided she was content to judge their attractions by their naked feet.

Blindfolded, she could see only the feet of the gods standing in a circle around her, and finally, she chose a pair of beautifully formed feet. These feet belonged to Niord. Skadi and Njord spent a happy honeymoon in Asgard, and after this, Njord took his wife home to Noatun.

His marriage to Skadi wasn’t happy

Skadi did not like Noatun, its sunshine, the sea and the birds and the sound of the waves, so Njord went with Skadi to Thrymheim, her sunless and gloomy freezing mountain home. Now, he was definitely unhappy there. Eventually, they decided to spend nine days in Njord ’s Noatun and nine in Skadi’s Thrymheim. But Skadi, the goddess of skiers and hunters, spent much more time in the cold mountains, which wasn’t according to their agreement.

She and god Njord could not live happily together and decided to separate.

Worship of Niord

Compared to the great Norse gods like Loki, Odin and Thor, Njord isn't featured in many Norse myths. He was an important god, often depicted as a handsome individual in a short green tunic, with a crown decorated with shells and seaweed upon his head. His worship is confirmed by the number of places named for him, located in the middle of Sweden and western Norway.

The Eddic poem “Vafthrudnismal“ says he is "rich in shrines and temples", and Grimnismal, one of the mythological poems included to the Poetic Edda calls him "ruler of men".

The Saga of Harald Graycloak, part of a history of the kings of Norway, mentions in some detail how Njord was honored alongside Odin at the Yule celebrations:

“…The fire was in the middle of the floor of the temple, and over it hung the kettles, and the full goblets were handed across the fire; and he who made the feast, and was a chief, blessed the full goblets, and all the meat of the sacrifice. And first Odin's goblet was emptied for victory and power to his king; thereafter, Niord's and Frey's goblets for peace and a good season…” (“Heimskringla”)

During the Viking era, Njord ’s significance began to decrease significantly, and gradually, it was taken over by his son Frey.

Updated on September 30, 2024

Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com  Senior Staff Writer

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