Who were the Viking gods?
If you want to remember the main Viking gods, just think of the days of the week. Tuesday was once Tyr’s Day after the god Tyr. Wednesday was once Odin’s Day, after the god Odin. And Thursday was Thor’s Day, after Thor. Friday was Freya’s Day, after Freyr, or Freyja. These names came down from early English, which was strongly influenced by Norse names and other words dating to the times of these gods. The Vikings believed in these and other lesser gods, as did other people in northern Europe at the time. In Germany, for example, Odin was Wotan or Wodan, as known in the myths and gods of the Wagnerian Operas. Odin was the god of death or battle, ruling over Valhalla where warriors went after heroic death. Tyr was the god of the sky, bringing daylight and dark. Thor, or thunder god, was the god of war, the storm god, and a mighty warrior whose weapon was Thor’s Hammer. Njord was god of the sea, bringing luck to sailors. He was the father of Freyr and Freyja. Freyr and his sister Freyja
