What is Vanir?
The '''Vanir''' are one of the two tribes of [[deity|deities]] in [[Norse mythology]], the other being the [[Æsir]]. Native to [[Vanaheimr]], the Vanir are peace-loving gods, associated with nature and fertility, while the [[Æsir]] were chaotic and warlike. Members of the Vanir include: *[[Njord|Njörðr]] - God of the sea and wind, he was chief of the Vanir in the years prior to the Æsir-Vanir War. *[[Freyr]] - God of prosperity and sunshine. *[[Freyja]] - Twin sister of Freyr, she is the goddess of [[love]] and [[beauty]], [[magic]], war, and death. *[[Skadi|Skaði]] - Goddess of hunting and skiing, she is [[Freyr]] and [[Freyja]]'s stepmother by way of her marriage to Njörðr. *[[Gerd|Gerðr]] - Freyr's beloved wife, she is a [[Jötnar|jötunn]] native to the realm of Jötunheimr. *[[Odr|Oðr]] - Freyja's husband, who might be just a doublet of [[Odin]]. Nothing is known about Óðr except that he often went away on long journeys, and Freyja wept when she missed him. Freyja's tears become the purest [[gold]] and amber. *[[Gullveig|Gullveigr]] - A practitioner of dark magic, Gullveigr was a notably powerful sorceress who was burnt and killed three times by the [[Æsir]], which eventually led to the war between the two tribes. [[Loki]] ate the burnt heart of Gullveigr and gave birth to a [[monster]]; Gullveigr still lived after all those punishments. *[[Heimdall|Heimdallr]] - Guardian of the Bifröst. Whether he is Æsir or Vanir is doubtful. *[[Ull|Ullr]] - God of [[hunting]]. In later traditions, Ullr is said to be a stepson of [[Thor]]. A number of them live in [[Asgard]] alongside the [[Æsir]] as a token of goodwill following the war between the two tribes, which resulted in them uniting into a single pantheon. The goddess [[Freyja]] receives half of those slain in battle as a share of power between the two clans. {{Norse mythology}} [[Category:Norse gods and goddesses]]