NJORDH LORE


From the Poetic Edda:

Vafþúðnismal
38. "Seg þú þat it tíunda,                38. Say as the tenth,
alls þú tíva rök                              Since all the affairs of the gods,
öll, Vafþrúðnir, vitir,                       You, Vafþrúðnir, know,
hvaðan Njörðr of kom                          Whence came Njörðr 
með ása sonum -                               Among the sons of the gods –
hofum ok hörgum                               He rules innumerable
hann ræðr hunnmörgum,                         Temples and hörgrs
ok varðat hann ásum alinn."                   But he was not born among the Aesir?


Vafþrúðnir kvað:                              Vafþrúðnir said:

39. "Í Vanaheimi                          39. In Vanaheim
skópu hann vís regin                          He was shaped by wise powers
ok seldu at gíslingu goðum;                   And given as hostage to the gods;
í aldar rök                                   At the end of times
hann mun aftr koma                            He will return
heim með vísum vönum."                        Home to the wise Vanir.

                                              (trans. Joe Mandato)

Grimnismal

16. Nóatún eru in elliftu,                16. Nóatún is the eleventh
en þar Njörðr hefir,                          There Njörðr has
sér of görva sali;                            For himself a hall built;
manna þengill                                 King of men,
inn meins vani                                The guileless one
hátimbruðum hörgi ræðr.                       Rules from his hörgr built high.  

                                              (trans. Joe Mandato)

Lokasenna

Njörðr kvað:                              Niorðr said:

33. Þat er válítit,                       33. There's little harm
þótt sér varðir                               though ladies get themselves a man,
vers fái, hós eða hvárs;                      a boy on the side, or both.
hitt er undr, er áss ragr                     But this is an outrage, that an emasculate god 
er hér inn of kominn,                         has got entry here, 
ok hefir sá börn of borit.                    and this fellow's born babies!

Loki kvað:                                Loki said:

34. Þegi þú, Njörðr,                      34. Hold your tongue, Njörðr,
þú vart austr heðan                           you were east from here
gíls of sendr at goðum;                       as a hostage sent to the gods.
Hymis meyjar                                  Hymir's daughters
höfðu þik at hlandtrogi                       had you as a piss-trough
ok þér i munn migu.                           and made water into your mouth.

Njörðr kvað:                              Niorðr said:

35. Sú erumk líkn,                        35. This is my solace:
er ek vark langt heðan                        when I was far from here
gísl of sendr at goðum,                       a hostage send to the gods,
þá ek mög gat,                                I begot them a son
þann er mangi fiár,                           whom not a soul hates,
ok þikkir sá ása jaðarr.                      and a wall of strength he seems for the Aesir.

Loki kvað:                                Loki said: 

36. Hættu nú, Njörðr,                     36. Stop now, Niorðr,
haf þú á hófi þik!                            keep your proper sense of proportion!
munk-a ek því leyna lengr:                    I shall not let this longer be secret:
við systur þinni                              on your sister
gaztu slíkan mög,                             you begot such a son -
ok er-a þó vánu verr.                         and yet that is no worse than expected!

                                              (trans. Ursula Dronke)

From the Prose Edda:

Gylfaginning XXIII

The third As is the one called Niord. He lives in heaven in a place called Noatun. He rules over the motion of wind and moderates sea and fire. It is to him one must pray for voyages and fishing. He is so rich and wealthy that he can grant wealth of lands or possessions to those who pray to him for this. Niord is not of the race of the Aesir. He was brought up in the land of the Vanir, but the Vanir gave him as hostage to the gods and took in exchange as an Aesir-hostage the one called Hoenir. He came to be the pledge of truce between the gods and the Vanir.

Niord has a wife called Skadi, daughter of the giant Thiassi. Skadi wants to have the home her father had - this is in some mountains, a place called Thrymheim - but Niord wants to be near the sea. They agreed on this, that they should stay nine nights in Thrymheim and then alternate nines at Noatun. But when Niord came back to Noatun from the mountain he said this:

 "I hate mountains - not long was I there, just nine nights:
  wolves' howling I thought ugly compared with the swan's song."

Then Skadi said this:

 "I could not sleep on the sea's beds for the birds' screaming;
  he wakes me who comes out from sea every morning, that gull.

Skaldskaparmal I

...But Skadi, daughter of giant Thiassi, took helmet and mail-coat and all weapons of war and went to Asgard to avenge her father. But the Aesir offered her atonement and compensation, the first item of which was that she was to choose herself a husband out of the Aesir and choose by the feet and see nothing else of them. Then she saw one's person's feet that were exceptionally beautiful and said:

 "I choose that one; there can be little that is ugly about Baldr."

But it was Niord of Noatun.

Skaldskaparmal VI

How shall Niord be referred to? By calling him god of chariots or descendent of Vanir, or a Van and father of Freyr and Freyia, the giving god.

(all trans. Samuel Laing)


From Ynglinga Saga (Heimskringla)

4. Of Odin's war with the people of Vanaland.

Odin went out with a great army against the Vanaland people; but they were well prepared, and defended their land; so that victory was changeable, and they ravaged the lands of each other, and did great damage. They tired of this at last, and on both sides appointed a meeting for establishing peace, made a truce, and exchanged hostages. The Vanaland people sent their best men, Njord the Rich, and his son Frey. The people of Asaland sent a man called Hone, whom they thought well suited to be a chief, as he was a stout and very handsome man; and with him they sent a man of great understanding called Mime. On the other side, the Vanaland people sent the wisest man in their community, who was called Kvase. Now, when Hone came to Vanaheim he was immediately made a chief, and Mime came to him with good counsel on all occasions. But when Hone stood in the Things or other meetings, if Mime was not near him, and any difficult matter was laid before him, he always answered in one way -- "Now let others give their advice"; so that the Vanaland people got a suspicion that the Asaland people had deceived them in the exchange of men. They took Mime, therefore, and beheaded him, and sent his head to the Asaland people. Odin took the head, smeared it with herbs so that it should not rot, and sang incantations over it. Thereby he gave it the power that it spoke to him, and discovered to him many secrets. Odin placed Njord and Frey as priests of the sacrifices, and they became Diar of the Asaland people. Njord's daughter Freya was priestess of the sacrifices, and first taught the Asaland people the magic art, as it was in use and fashion among the Vanaland people. While Njord was with the Vanaland people he had taken his own sister in marriage, for that was allowed by their law; and their children were Frey and Freya. But among the Asaland people it was forbidden to intermarry with such near relations.

9. Of Njord’s Marriage.

Njord took a wife called Skade; but she would not live with him and married afterwards Odin, and had many sons by him, of whom one was called Saeming.

11. Of Njordh.

Njord of Noatun was then the sole sovereign of the Swedes; and he continued the sacrifices, and was called the drot or sovereign by the Swedes, and he received scatt and gifts from them. In his days were peace and plenty, and such good years, in all respects, that the Swedes believed Njord ruled over the growth of seasons and the prosperity of the people. In his time all the diar or gods died, and blood-sacrifices were made for them. Njord died on a bed of sickness, and before he died made himself be marked for Odin with the spear-point. The Swedes burned him, and all wept over his grave-mound.


From Hakon the Good’s Saga (Heimskringla)

And first Odin's goblet was emptied for victory and power to his king; thereafter, Niord's and Freyja's goblets for peace and a good season. Then it was the custom of many to empty the brage-goblet; and then the guests emptied a goblet to the memory of departed friends, called the remembrance goblet.

(trans. Samuel Laing)


From Egil’s Saga

May the Gods get rid Of this ruling robber Let the heavens hang him For highway robbery! May Odin and the others, Frey and Njord, show their anger To this enemy of ease And order at assemblies.

(trans. Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards)


Landnámabók

Every man who was there to transact any business, as by law provided by the Court, should first take an oath upon that ring and name for the purpose two or more witness in evidence, he was to say, that I take oath upon the ring, a lawful one (lögeid) so help me Frey and Niord and the Almighty God, to this end that I shall in this case prosecute or defend or bear witness or give award or pronounce doom according to what I know to be most right and most true and most lawful, and that I will deal lawfully with all such matters in law as I have to deal with while I am at this Thing.

(trans. Rev. T Ellwood)


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