Heathenism
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That being said, the worldview of the average Heathen is polytheistic. The gods and goddesses of Asatru are seen as distinct entities, and are not reflections of one another. The concept of maiden-mother-crone, for example, so prevalent in other pagan religions, is not seen in the lore or in current Asatru worldview. There are, in fact, 12 gods and 12 goddesses, according to Snorri Sturlson. The goddesses are ranked no less holy than the gods, which is a reflection of the overall equality of status enjoyed by women in Norse society.
Odin, known as Allfather, Wotan, Woden, and a host of close to two hundred other names, ranks chief among the Aesir. He is the god of war and death, riding his eight-legged steed, Sleipnir. He is also the god of wisdom, poetry, and divine inspiration. He is a shamanistic god, and learns seidhr (the Norse trance-magic practice) from Freyja, the Vanic goddess of sexuality, love, battle, and magic. Closely following Odin, and even exceeding him in popularity, is Thor. Thor (also Donnar and Asa-Thor) is the red bearded god of the common man. His hammer, Mjolnir, is the chief weapon used to strike down the Thurses, or frost-giants. Thor is a god of battle, but is also known as a god who blesses marriages and the farmer’s fields. The third most common god, based on the multitude of places named after him, is Freyr, or Ingvi-Frey. Frey is definitely a god of abundance and fertility, and is also a god of the Vanir. Statues of Freyr always portray him with a large erect phallus. It is said that Freyr is the ancestral father of the traditional kings of Sweden.
The goddesses are just as complex. Frigga, or Frigg, is Odin’s wife. She is the one who governs the home and social order, and childbirth is also under her purview. Frigga is also known for being as wise as Odin, although she keeps her own counsel as to what she knows. The distaff is one of her symbols. Freyja, Freyr’s twin sister, is well known as the Lady of love, sexuality, battle, and magic (Freyja, in fact, means “Lady” just as Freyr translates literally into “Lord”). Freyja is known for Brisingnamen, her beautiful gold and amber necklace. It is Freyja who teaches seidhr to Odin, and who receives into her hall Sessrumnir half of the slain brought to Valhalla by the valkyries. Another well-known goddess is Skadi, who is actually a giantess. She marries Njord, the father of Freyr and Freyja, but pines for her mountain home. Skadi is a winter goddess of sport, hunting, skiing, and the like.
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