Njord

Njord

Njörðr (Old Norse: Njǫrðr [ˈnjɔrðz̠]), a god of the Vanir in Norse mythology, is associated with the sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and fertility of the harvest. He is the father of the deities Freyr and Freyja, born from his unnamed sister, and was in an unhappy marriage with the goddess Skaði. Njörðr resides in Nóatún, a hall by the sea.

Njörðr is referenced 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 the Heimskringla, where he appears as a euhemerized mythical early king of Sweden. He is also one of three gods invoked in the Hauksbók oath ring from the 14th century and appears in numerous Scandinavian place names.

The veneration of Njörðr persisted into the 18th or 19th century in Norwegian folklore, where he was known as "Njor" and credited for bountiful fishing.

Njörðr has been the subject of various scholarly theories, including his connection to the earlier Germanic fertility goddess Nerthus, the hero Hadingus, and his prominent role in Norse paganism as suggested by his widespread mention in place names. Modern spellings of Njörðr include Njord, Njoerd, or Njorth.

Name and Epithets

The name Njörðr corresponds to the earlier Germanic fertility goddess Nerthus (1st century CE). Both derive from the Proto-Germanic name *Nerþuz. The meaning of the name is debated but may relate to the Irish word "nert," meaning "strength" or "power."

Scholars have suggested that the transition from the female Nerthus to the male Njörðr reflects the grammatical decline of feminine u-stem nouns in Germanic languages, with masculine u-stem nouns becoming dominant. Others argue that the change represents a development in religious belief, distinguishing *Nerþuz and Njörðr as separate beings. The name Njörðr may also be linked to the Norse goddess Njörun.

Njörðr's name appears in several Scandinavian place names, such as Nærdhæwi (modern Nalavi, Närke), Njærdhavi (modern Mjärdevi, Linköping), and Nierdhatunum (modern Närtuna, Uppland) in Sweden; Njarðvík in southwest Iceland; and Njarðarlög and Njarðey (modern Nærøy) in Norway. Njörðr's name is also used in the Old Norse term Njarðarvöttr ("Njörðr's glove"), referring to a sponge.

In Old Icelandic translations of classical mythology, the name of the Roman god Saturn is rendered as "Njörðr."

Attestations

Poetic Edda

Njörðr is mentioned in several works of the Poetic Edda:

  1. Vafþrúðnismál: Njörðr is described as a future survivor of Ragnarök. When Odin (disguised as Gagnráðr) questions the jötunn Vafþrúðnir about Njörðr’s origins, Vafþrúðnir replies:

    "In Vanaheim, the wise powers made him
    And gave him as a hostage to the gods.
    At the doom of men, he will return
    Home to the wise Vanir."

  2. Grímnismál: Njörðr is described as a benevolent ruler who built a hall in Nóatún. He is called "prince of men" and is said to preside over a "high-walled temple."

  3. Skírnismál: Njörðr is named as Freyr's father. The goddess Skaði is mentioned as Freyr's mother.

  4. Lokasenna: In a heated exchange with Loki:

    • Njörðr defends himself against Loki’s insults about his being sent as a hostage and suggests Loki is perverse.
    • Loki accuses Njörðr of being urinated on by Hymir's daughters.
    • Njörðr counters by referencing his son Freyr, who is beloved by the Æsir.

  5. Þrymskviða: Njörðr is named as Freyja’s father when the jötunn Þrymr mistakenly believes he will marry Freyja.

  6. Sólarljóð: Njörðr is listed as the father of nine daughters, including Ráðveig and Kreppvör.

Prose Edda

Gylfaginning

Njörðr is introduced in Chapter 23 of Gylfaginning, where the enthroned figure of High describes him as residing in the heavenly Nóatún. Njörðr is said to control the winds, calm both sea and fire, and is invoked for seafaring and fishing. High adds that Njörðr is extremely wealthy and grants wealth in the form of land and valuables to those who pray to him. Though he resides with the Æsir, Njörðr is originally from Vanaheimr and was exchanged as a hostage, along with Hœnir, during the peace treaty between the Æsir and Vanir.

High explains that Njörðr’s wife is Skaði, the daughter of the jötunn Þjazi. Skaði wanted to live in her father’s former home, Þrymheimr ("Thunder Home"), while Njörðr preferred living near the sea. They compromised by alternating their residence—spending nine nights in Þrymheimr and three nights in Nóatún (or nine winters in each, according to the Codex Regius). Upon returning from the mountains, Njörðr says:

"The mountains I loathe,
I was not long there,
Only nine nights.
The howling of wolves
Sounded ugly to me,
Compared to the song of swans."

Skaði responds:

"I could not sleep
On the seashore,
Because of the screeching of birds.
The gull wakes me,
When it comes from the wide sea,
Every morning."

High recounts that Skaði ultimately returned to the mountains of Þrymheimr. A stanza follows, describing Skaði skiing, hunting animals with her bow, and living in her father’s old home.

In Chapter 24, Njörðr is described as the father of two beautiful and powerful children: Freyr and Freyja. Later, in Chapter 37, when Freyr becomes lovesick after seeing the beautiful jötunn Gerðr, Njörðr sends Skírnir to discover the cause of Freyr’s distress. Skírnir reluctantly agrees, fearing Freyr’s anger.

Skáldskaparmál

In Skáldskaparmál, Njörðr is introduced as one of the twelve Æsir attending a feast hosted by Ægir.

Skaði's Marriage to Njörðr

Further in the narrative, Bragi recounts the death of Skaði's father Þjazi at the hands of the Æsir. As part of their reparations, the Æsir allowed Skaði to choose a husband from among them—but she was only allowed to see their feet when making her choice. Mistaking Njörðr's feet for those of the beautiful Baldr, Skaði inadvertently chose Njörðr.

Epithets and Poetry

In Chapter 6, various epithets are listed for Njörðr, including:

  • "God of Chariots"
  • "Descendant of the Vanir"
  • "A Van"
  • "Father of Freyr and Freyja"
  • "The Giving God."

An excerpt from a composition by 11th-century skald Þórðr Sjáreksson suggests that Skaði left Njörðr:

"Gudrun became her son's slayer;
The wise goddess-bride [Skaði] could not love the Van;
Kialar [Odin] trained horses quite well;
Hamdir did not hold back the swordplay."

Chapter 7 continues with names for Freyr, who is repeatedly referred to as Njörðr’s son. A quote from 10th-century skald Egill Skallagrímsson includes Njörðr (here anglicized as "Niord"):

"For Freyr and Niord have endowed Griotbiorn
With the power of wealth."

Additional Mentions
  • In Chapter 20, "Daughter of Njörðr" is given as a kenning for Freyja.
  • In Chapter 33, Njörðr is listed among the gods attending Ægir’s feast.
  • In Chapter 75, Njörðr appears in a list of the Æsir.
  • Throughout Skáldskaparmál, Njörðr’s name is also used metaphorically as a term for "warrior" or "hero."

 

Heimskringla: Njörðr in the Kings' Sagas

Ynglinga Saga

In Chapter 4 of the Ynglinga Saga, Njörðr is introduced in the context of the Æsir-Vanir War. When the war reaches a stalemate, the two sides agree to a peace treaty and exchange hostages. The Vanir send Njörðr, described as wealthy, and his son Freyr to the Æsir, in exchange for Hœnir and Mímir from the Æsir. Njörðr and Freyr are appointed sacrificial priests by Odin and become gods among the Æsir. Freyja, Njörðr's daughter, is introduced as a priestess.

It is mentioned that while among the Vanir, Njörðr married his unnamed sister, a practice forbidden among the Æsir. From this union, Freyr and Freyja were born.

In Chapter 5, Odin grants Njörðr a home and land in Nóatún. Chapter 8 recounts Njörðr’s marriage to Skaði, who later leaves him to marry Odin. Together, Skaði and Odin have several sons.

In Chapter 9, after Odin's death, Njörðr becomes the ruler of the Swedes, continuing the sacrifices. The Swedes recognize him as their king and pay tribute. Njörðr's reign is marked by peace and prosperity, leading the Swedes to believe he controls the harvests and the well-being of humanity. Upon his death, Njörðr allows himself to be “marked” for Odin, passing away in his bed. His body is burned, and the Swedes mourn deeply at his grave. Freyr succeeds him and continues a prosperous reign.

Saga of Hákon the Good

In Chapter 14 of the Saga of Hákon the Good, a description of the pagan Yule celebrations is provided. Part of the ritual includes a series of toasts:

  1. A toast to Odin for victory and power to the king.
  2. A toast to Njörðr and Freyr for good harvests and peace.
  3. A toast to the king's health.
  4. A toast to the memory of deceased ancestors.

In Chapter 28, a verse mentions "Njörðr of the Rolling Horses" as a poetic kenning for a seafarer.

Saga of Harald Graycloak

A stanza from the poem Vellekla ("Lack of Gold") by 10th-century Icelandic skald Einarr skálaglamm is quoted, where Njörðr is referenced in a kenning for "warrior."

Egils Saga

In Chapter 80 of the Egils Saga, the poet Egill Skallagrímsson composes a poem to praise Arinbjörn (Arinbjarnarkviða). In Stanza 17, Egill writes that others marvel at Arinbjörn's generosity in distributing wealth, attributing his fortune to the blessings of the gods Freyr and Njörðr.



Modern Folk Practices

Surviving Worship of Njörðr

The veneration of Njörðr persisted in Norwegian folk practices into the 18th or 19th century. A narrative recorded by Halldar O. Opedal, shared by an informant from Odda, Hordaland, Norway, describes a family tradition thanking the god for a bountiful catch:

"The old folks [people in ancient times?] always had good fortune when they went fishing. One night, the elderly Gunnhild Reinsnos (born 1746) and Johannes Reinsnos were fishing in Sjosavatn. They had brought a torch and were fishing with live bait. The fish bit well, and before long, Gunnhild had caught a week's worth of fish for her pot. She then wrapped her line around her rod and said: 'Thanks be to Njor for this time.'"

Connections to Sea Spirits

Scholar Georges Dumézil also cited various accounts of havmennesker (Norwegian "sea people"), believed to govern sea weather and wealth or grant magical boats. He proposed that these sea spirits were historically linked to Njörðr.

Scholarly Reception

Njörðr and Nerthus

Njörðr is often identified with the goddess Nerthus, whose worship among Germanic tribes was described by the Roman historian Tacitus in Germania (1st century CE). The linguistic connection between Njörðr and the reconstructed proto-Germanic Nerþuz has led to theories about their relationship. Suggestions include:

  • Njörðr may have once been a hermaphroditic deity.
  • Nerþuz and Njörðr represent a divine sibling pair, akin to Freyr and Freyja.

Consequently, Nerthus has been identified as Njörðr’s unnamed sister, with whom he fathered Freyr and Freyja, as mentioned in Lokasenna.

Njörðr and Bieka-Galles

In Saami mythology, Bieka-Galles ("The Old Man of the Winds") is a deity associated with wind and rain, to whom offerings of boats and wooden paddles (or oars) were made. Due to similarities between Njörðr as described in Gylfaginning and accounts of Bieka-Galles from 18th-century missionary records, Axel Olrik proposed that Bieka-Galles was influenced by seafaring Norse cultures.

Parallels with Hadingus

Parallels have been drawn between Njörðr and Hadingus, a figure in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (Book I, 13th century). Similarities include:

  • Hadingus is chosen by his wife Ragnhild based on his calves, reminiscent of Skaði's choice of Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál.
  • Hadingus laments his life away from the sea, disturbed by howling wolves, while Ragnhild complains about life by the shore, citing screeching seabirds, paralleling Njörðr and Skaði in Gylfaginning.

Georges Dumézil theorized that Hadingus embodies all three functions of Dumézil's trifunctional hypothesis before transitioning to an Odin-like hero, paralleling Njörðr's move from the Vanir to the Æsir during the Æsir-Vanir War.

Svafrþorinn as Njörðr

In Fjölsvinnsmál (Stanza 8), Svafrþorinn is named as Menglöð's father. Menglöð is often interpreted as Freyja, leading to speculation that Svafrþorinn could be Njörðr. However, this theory is complicated by the etymology of Svafrþorinn ("Thorinn the Sleepy" or "Thorinn the Gossip"), which Rudolf Simek argues makes little sense in connecting him to Njörðr.

Modern Influence

Artistic Depictions

Njörðr has inspired various artistic works, including:

  • "Freyr and Gerda; Skade and Niurd" (Drawing, 1883) by K. Ehrenberg.
  • "Njörðr" (1893) by Carl Frederick von Saltza.
  • "Skadi" (1901) by Emil Doepler the Younger.
  • "Njörðr’s Delight in the Sea" (1908) by W. G. Collingwood.

Popular Culture

  • Television: Njörðr appears in the New Zealand comedy-drama The Almighty Johnsons, where Stuart Devenie portrays the character "Johan Johnson/Njörðr."
  • Video Games: In the 2002 game Age of Mythology by Ensemble Studios, Njörðr (anglicized as Njord) is one of nine Norse minor gods whom players can worship.
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