Njörðr Basics

Njörðr is from the Vanir tribe of gods, and found himself amongst the Æsir when the warring clans declared a truce and exchanged hostages. He also arrived with his children, the twins Freyr and Freya. His name may mean “Force” or “Power” and he is the Ásgardian god of the sea, merchants, and commerce.

Njörðr is attested in the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and Snorri’s Heimskringla. His name also appears in Hauksbók, a 14th century Icelandic manuscript written by Haukr Erlendsson, in which he is one of three gods invoked in a ring oath. Numerous Scandinavian place names exist in his honour. He may be mentioned in the  Gesta Danorum, as Hadingus.

In Grímnismál, Njörðr is described as a “prince of men” who is “lacking in malice” and who rules over a “high-timbered temple” in his realm of Nóatún. In the Prose Edda, Njörðr is not only god of the sea, but he rules over the winds, having the ability to calm both sea and fire, and he can be invoked by sailors and fishermen alike. He is considered to be a very wealthy and prosperous god, even amongst the Æsir, and he can also grant wealth in land and valuables to those who request his aid.

He eventually marries the jötunn goddess Skaði, and in the poem Sólarljóð, he is said to have nine daughters in addition to his famous twins, though only two are listed – the eldest Ráðveig and the youngest Kreppvör (this may be a parallel or muddling of the nine daughters of Ægir, the jötunn god of the sea, who also had nine daughters – the mothers of Heimdallr.) The mother of Freyr and Freya is theorized to be Nerthus (sometimes called Njörun) Njörðr’s own sister, which seems to have been a theme amongst the Vanir gods.

When Óðin has his battle of wits with the giant Vafþrúðnir, the sea god is listed as one of the survivors of Ragnarök:

“In Vanaheim the wise Powers made him and gave him as hostage to the gods;
at the doom of men he will come back home among the wise Vanir.”

By far the best known of Njörðr’s tales is his marriage to Skaði. The determined jötunn stormed into Ásgard after the death of her father at the hands of the gods, demanding her choice of husband as part of her compensation for the loss. She was of course after beautiful Baldr, but she was forced to choose her spouse by his feet only. She picks the most attractive set of feet, but immediately discovers that they’re attached to the sea god, Njörðr. Her initial disappointment dissolves as she discovers how kind and generous her new husband-to-be is.

After their marriage, the only thing left to sort out is where the newlyweds should live. Skaði wants to live in her ancestral mountain home, Þrymheimr, while Njörðr of course wants to live in Nóatún. They agree to stay nine nights in one and then nine in the other (or by some accounts, nine Winters in each) … the results are famous:

Njörðr says:

“Hateful for me are the mountains,
I was not long there,
only nine nights.
The howling of the wolves
sounded ugly to me
after the song of the swans.”

Skaði then responds:

“Sleep I could not
on the sea beds
for the screeching of the birds.
That gull wakes me
when from the wide sea
he comes each morning.”

The two continue to alternately visit the two locations, and also enjoy their own personal times within their own realms. It is often theorized that the two divorced, but there is much more evidence to the contrary (they appear together at the flyting of Loki and worry over a love-sick Freyr in the lore), which makes them a pleasantly unconventional marriage in the eyes of a modern reader. Either way they are a model for amicable divorce or compromise and hard work in relationships. 

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Suggested Signs & Symbols

Water, especially seas and oceans. Sailboats and wind. Trade vessels, fishing equipment, and bustling ports. Coins, gold, jewels, and other forms of wealth and currency. Sea birds, fish, whales, and other ocean animals. The sign Pisces. Especially beautiful feet! The rune Logr. 

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Associated Names

Njord, Njoerd, Njorth, Hadingus, and Njor.