Agnar
Three times the Aesir cast Gullweig into the fire , and three times she rose up , more beautiful than ever . She went into every hall in Asgard , casting spells and teaching magic .
Then Gullweig went to the Vanir and told them how cruelly she had been treated by the Aesir . Soon an army of Vanir , perhaps led by brave Njord , appeared at the walls of Asgard , ready to avenge Gullweig . Odin cast his spear , Gungnir , and the battle raged until both armies grew tired of the slaughter . It seemed that neither side could win — or lose .
The leaders of the Aesir and the Vanir got together to discuss terms . In the end , they agreed that there should be eternal peace between them and that together they would stand fast against the common enemy , the giants .
To seal the peace treaty , the Aesir and the Vanir spat into a jar , as was the custom of the Northmen when making treaties . From the spittle formed Kvasir , the wisest of the wise ( see “ The Mead of Poetry ,” under Odin ).
As a sign of good faith , the sides exchanged gods . Odin sent his brother Hoenir and the wise god Mimir ( 2 ) to live among the Vanir . And Njord and his son and daughter , Frey and Freya , settled in Asgard .
At first the Vanir were delighted with the handsome Hoenir . They made him one of their leaders , but they soon noticed that Hoenir could make no decisions unless he consulted Mimir . They felt that the Aesir had cheated them . They did not dare harm Odin ’ s brother , however , so they cut off Mimir ’ s head and sent it back to Odin . Odin immediately used his magic to restore the head to life . He placed it in a spring , known as Mimir ’ s Well , at the foot of the sacred tree , Yggdrasil , and he regularly went to seek wisdom from Mimir .
According to some scholars , this myth may represent folk memory of the conflict between the adherents of two different cults , which were then brought together . After the conflict , the Aesir win control of the embodiment of wisdom and inspiration — Kvasir — in one myth , and the head of Mimir in another , they learn the magic of the Vanir , and all the gods are now referred to as Aesir .
Agnar Son of Hrauding and brother of Geirrod ( 2 ). When he and his brother were shipwrecked , they were befriended by an old couple who were Odin and Frigg in disguise . Frigg took special care of Agnar , who was eventually betrayed by his brother , Odin ’ s protegé .
In later years , another Agnar ( probably the son of Geirrod ) took pity on Odin , who had been captured and slung between two fires . After Agnar had given Odin ale to quench his thirst , Odin chanted a song that was known as the Grimnismal .
alfablot A sacrifice made by humans to the alfa , or elves . Traditionally , the alfablot took place in the worshipper ’ s home at the beginning of winter and was performed by women . A skaldic poet who traveled through Iceland in the early 11th century recounts this ritual in his work . Information from Sweden suggests that in some parts of Scandinavia the alfablot was an outdoor ritual during which people sought help from the elves .
Alfheim The home of the light-elves and one of the Nine Worlds of Norse mythology , according to Snorri Sturluson in his Gylfaginning . Alfheim was located at the top of the world tree , Yggdrasil , with Asgard , the home of the Aesir , and Vanaheim , home of the Vanir .
According to the poem Grimnismal , part of the
Poetic Edda , in very ancient times the gods gave Alfheim to the god Frey , who was sometimes connected with elves , as a gift when he cut his first tooth .
Alfodr ( All-Father ) A name for Odin used frequently in the Poetic Edda , Skaldic poetry , and Snorri Sturluson ’ s work . Odin is recognized as the father of all the Aesir gods and goddesses , but he has this role in name only . He is also known as the father of all dead warriors . In addition Odin can be considered the father of all human beings , for when Odin and his brothers , Vili and Ve , found the shapes of the first man and woman , Ask and Embla , on a beach , they gave them the spirit , mental powers , and warmth they needed to become fully human .
Alfrigg One of the four dwarf brothers who made the marvelous Brisinga men necklace for the goddess Freya . The brothers were talented at the smith crafts and were discovered one day by Freya as they worked on the golden necklace . They drove a hard bargain for the necklace .
The brothers of Alfrigg — Berling , Dvalin ( 1 ), and Grerr — are named only in the Sorla thattr , a tale found in the manuscript Flateyjarbok .