Are Ullr and Skaði brother and sister?
The idea that Ullr and Skaði are siblings has no basis in ancient lore, but is nevertheless a popular hypothesis among Germanic scholars. In Myth and Religion of the North E.O.G.Turville-Petre writes of Ullr: “He was not only son of Sif, but he also bore a remarkable resemblance to Skadi, the giantess wife of Njord. Both travelled on skis, hunted, and wielded the bow. Ull must, therefore, be related to Njord himself, although the two gods can hardly be identified.” The way I interpret this, Turville-Petre is arguing that since Ullr and Skaði share a number of traits, they must be related (for example, as brother and sister) and since Njörd and Skaði are related as husband and wife, then Ullr must be related to Njörd (for example, as his brother-in-law). In any case, this is a prime example of academic bluffing. There is no logical reason why the fact that Ullr and Skaði “both travelled on skis, hunted, and wielded the bow” implies that they “must be related”. Plenty of unrelated human
