Magical Animals of Norse Mythology

Written by

Elin aka Mooselady

BA in Cultural heritage and BA in Archaeology from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Huge runestone enthusiast and history buff. Elin is using social media to bring awareness to the runestones, petroglyphs and early history of Scandinavia.

Table of content

Topics covered

The magical animals of Norse Mythology

Norse mythology is filled with magical heroes, jötunns, gods and places. It is also filled with extraordinary creatures with their own stories and personalities. We will go over some of them in this blogpost, hopefully you will run into a creature you haven’t heard of before and learn together with us.

Audhumbla

Audhumbla was created during the chaos coming from the icy storms of Nifelheim and the fiery flames coming from Muspelheim. Her legs were tall, like support pillars for the star filled universe above. Her stomach was as big as the biggest cumulus in the never-ending sky. She was a cow, with an udder filled with so much milk it created four floods. Audhumbla was the cow who fed the first jötunn Ymir, the jötunn of chaos. She was named Audhumbla since the name means more or less “the ancient cow”.

Since she was feeding Ymir, she also needed to get some nutrition. Audhumbla therefore started to lick the salt off the ice that had leaked out from Nifelheim. From this ice she licked until shapes started to appear, humanlike shapes. This humanlike shape ended up being the ancestor of all of the gods of Asgard, his name was Bure, he is Odin’s grandfather. So together with the jötunns and the gods, Audhumbla is amongst the first life created out of the chaos of the Ginnungagap.

Eikþyrnir & Heiðrún

There is an additional important tree in the sagas, named Läråd. It can be found in connection to Valhalla and is said to be a conifer. On top of the roof of Valhalla stands the goat Heidrun, gnawing on the branches of Läråd. This makes Heidrun produce mead instead of milk, which the Einhärjar does not seem to mind at all. Heidrun does not have to feel alone on the top of Valhalla, there can also a deer be found, named Eiktyrne, also gnawing on Läråd’s branches. From Eiktyrne’s horns droplets fall onto Hvergelmir (the major spring of the nine realms that creates all of the major rivers).

Ratatosk and other animals of Yggdrasil

The big roots and branches of the Yggdrasil grows all throughout the realms. Outside of the realms, Yggdrasil is also inhabited by several mythical animals and creatures.
There are four deers running alongside its branches, eating the evergreen leaves growing out of the tree. On the top of the ash lives a big eagle watching down on all of the nine realms. There are many snakes eating on the root which leads down to Nifelheim, where the biggest serpent is the dragon Nidhögg. Nidhögg and the Eagle living at the top of the tree absolutely despise each other. It is a poor squirrel’s job, by the name of Ratatosk, to jump up and down the branches to deliver insults from one to the other. Outside of Helheim stands Garm, the first of the beastly hounds you’ll see entering the gates of Hel. His job is to make sure no one turns around before entering, and for those who do turn around he makes sure they wish they hadn’t.

Depiction of a rooster that is also face-to-face with a serpent, perhaps symbolizing the rooster and Nidhögg

Södermanland (Sö 270), Sweden

A runestone that has been used as a building block on a church. Perhaps it's a rendition of a rooster or some other bird, it's another example of birds being carved into runestones

Uppland (U 257), Sweden

A runestone that depicts a horseback rider and some unicornlike bird with flamboyant feathers, perhaps a rooster perhaps something else

Uppland (U 448), Sweden

Very similar to the one mentioned above, this runestone seems to rather clearly depict a rooster - the part where presumably the serpent was has been lost however

Södermanland (Sö 245), SwedenHorses of the Norse Gods

Horses of the Norse Gods

Sleipnir

Sleipnir is the first horse to come to mind when thinking of Norse Mythology. Odin’s horse Slepinir has been depicted on stones dated back to Scandinavian Vikingage, which is a good indicator that there are very old myths surrounding this horse.
What makes Sleipnir easy to spot is the presence of his eight legs. Sleipnir was born by Loki in the disguise of a female horse, and ever since the birth of the eight-legged horse it has been described as the fastest and best horse throughout all the nine realms. He has the ability to run just as fast on water and air as on land. According to Sigrdrífumál Odin has carved magical runes on Sleipnirs teeth.

One of the more filled picturestones from Gotland, this one features Sleipnir as highlighted on the picture. These are believed to be from the 7th century.

Stora Hammars, Sweden

A slab that has sadly been broken, but from what remains we can see what appears to be Sleipnir with its 8 feet

Gotland (G 114), Sweden

A depiction of Sleipnir with all of its 8 feet on the right with Odin riding on the horse. The stone is dated to 700-900 AD

Tjängvide image stone (G 110), Sweden

Another depiction of Sleipnir with a very similar artwork as the previous one. This is one of ten picture stones found at the Ardre church, they were used as pavement underneath the wooden floor and were rediscovered in the 1900s. The stone is dated also around 700-900 AD

Ardre (G 112), Sweden

Svadilfare

Svadilfare is the father of Sleipnir. He is described as so unnaturally strong that even the gods of Asgard were stunned. His strength was used during the building of the walls surrounding Asgard where he dragged the huge stone blocks back and forth all day.

Helhest

Helhest is the name that has been given to describe Hel’s three-legged horse. The queen of the underworld can be seen riding her three-legged horse during times of chaos such as starvation, sickness and death. To see this three legged horse is never a good sign.

Gulltoppr

Gulltoppr is the name of Heimdallr’s horse. Its name means “golden mane”, which is suiting to a god with golden teeth.

Many of the horses that are mentioned in the Eddas are named, but it has been a puzzling together to find out which aesir rides on which horse. So far Gulltoppr is the one that has been described to belong to Heimdallr.

Guldfaxi

Guldfaxi is the jötunn Hrungninr’s horse. There is a tale about how Odin and Hrungnir compared their horses and where Hrungnir got so agitated that he challenged Odin to a competition to see which horse was the most magnificent. He acknowledges that Sleipnir is a well known horse by right, because of his ability to run so fast across the seawaves and through the air, but that Guldfaxi is equally as famous for his abilities. Odin bets his head on that Guldfaxi doesn’t stand a chance, and off they go. Guldfaxis hoofs spits sparks when he is running. Before the Jötunn realises, Odin has steered the race into the gates of Valhalla and since he got to prove that Sleipnir was the better horse, he decides to spare the Jötunns life and have a feast with him in his halls without killing him. Thor did however not agree to these terms.. which will be a story for another time.

Blóðughófi

Blóðughófi believe it or not is Freyr’s horse. He does not only ride around on a boar. Blóðughófi is a though one, that can run through magical walls made out of enchanted fires. Blóðughófi is thought to be the father of Gná’s Hófvarpnir.

Hófvarpnir

Hófvarpnir carries the goddess Gná over the seas, when she runs errands across the worlds for Frigg. The name of this horse is believed to be something like “the one that throws his hoofs around”.

Skinfaxi & Hrímfaxi

Skinfaxi & Hrímfaxi are two stunning horses in Norse myth. Hrimfaxi is the horse pulling the chariot of Nott, painting the sky with darkness, the moon and the stars behind them. Behind them rides Dagr with his Skinfaxi, a beautiful shining horse that drags the light of day behind him.

Arvaker & Allsvinn

Arvaker & Allsvinn has a tiresome task. They are the horses dragging the chariot of Sól, and are constantly being chased by the giant wolf Skoll across the skies.

“Glad and Gyllir,
Gler and Skeidbrimir,
Sillfrintopp and Sinir,
Gisl and Falhofnir,
Gulltoppr och Lettfeti;
on these horses the mighty aesir rides
every day, when they travel
to hold court
underneath the ash Yggdrasil”

Grímnismál, stanza 30

Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr

The only god who chooses to not ride on a horseback is Thor, who is told to be running towards the meetings instead, underneath the bridge Bifrost. Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr are the chosen companions of Thor when he gets tired of running. These are two giant goats that drags Thor's chariot behind them. Besides being great and brave companions of Thor, these goats are magical. They can be slaughtered and eaten without dying. The morning after being eaten, they are as good as new. In one tale Loki tricks Thor’s servant Tjalve to make one of the goats limp on one leg, by tricking him into breaking the bone and drinking the bone marrow from the goat’s leg.

Freyas cats

According to the Gylfaginning, Freya’s chariot is not being drawn by boars nor horses, but by two cats. Even though there is not much information beyond this fact in the written sources about the cats, many historical depictions featuring cats and women are translated into having to do with Freya. One example of historical findings depicting cats is the Oseberg Cart, dating to before the year 800.

The cart found at the Oseberg ship burial site features many motifs, some of which could be interpreted very surely as cats. This also raises some other items found there under question where it's hard to understand which animal or mythological being it is

Side of the Oseberg cart as mentioned featuring motifs of cats. The ship dates to around the 800s to 900s

Oseberg Ship Burial, Norway

Several head 'staves' found around the burial, use of these is unclear but are widely thought to resemble cats, lions and/or serpents

Oseberg Ship Burial, Norway

A piece of a cloak pin that features an animal head that could be interpreted as a cat. These were used to fasten the frontside of a cloak and are likely inspired by ship masts that featured designs and similar endings during the iron age

Replica in Åland museum

Boars

Saehrimnir

Saehrimnir is the boar which is probably one of the first magical creatures which comes to mind when thinking about Valhalla. Every day the Einhärjar would butcher poor Saehrimnir, and every evening he would be whole again and ready to be eaten once again. No matter how many warriors enter the halls of Valhalla, Saehrimnir will make anyones belly full.

A buncha boar petroglyphs, these date to the bronzeage and possibly earlier times

Norrköping, Sweden

Gullinbursti

Gullinbursti is the boar Freyr rides into battle. He is a gigantic golden boar that can run fast and long. The boar was created by two dwarves known as Brokkr and Eitri. The story goes that after Loki had cut Sif's hair, he needed to make things right again, so he went and got gifts for the gods. These gifts were from the Sons of Ivaldi - whose names or how many of them were are not given. The sons of Ivaldi created a flying ship known as Skíðblaðnir for Freyr, the spear Gungnir for Odin and new hair for Sif. After this ordeal Loki still felt a bit adventorous and went (for reasons unknown to mankind as usual with him) and laid a bet with the dwarves Brokkr and Eitri; that they couldn't outdo the Ivaldi brothers. The bet was on Lokis own head. Thus the dwarves decided to create a boar for Freyr by throwing pig's skin into the furnace and out came a boar that had bristles in it's mane that glowed gold. The boar is said to run through water and air better than any horse ever could and thanks to his mane made out of bristles being so golden that it will never get as dark that it would stop glowing.

Hildisvini

Hildisvini is a battleboar belonging to the goddess Freya. The boar is attested in Hyndluljóð, where Freya rides the boar on its back. Freya had a lover or friend by the name of Óttar, that wanted to know his ancestry. For that reason they set out together to find a seeress by the name of Hyndla, she could see the past. For some reason the seeress couldn't or didn't want to directly tell it to Óttar himself, so Óttar disguised himself as a boar, they therefore got to know his ancestry. The seeress told that his father was Instein and grandfather Alf the Old, but that is a story for another time. Like her brothers boar Gullinbursti, Freya's boar is said to also have been made by two dwarves with the names Dain and Nabbi. This is mentioned in Hyndluljóð, a manuscript that is in neither of the eddas, but can be dated to the 1400's and found in the Flateyjarbok(GkS 1005 fol). Flateyjarbok is a huge collection of tales commissioned by Jón Hákonarson. Freya's boar is also said to have a golden bristled mane, which makes it unclear if Freya and Frey shared a boar. It might be that the myths have developed separately in separate locations possibly.

In his descriptions about kennings, Snorri Sturluson also mentions that helmets can sometimes be called Hildisvíni and we do actually have historical evidence of helmets that feature boars. These finds of helmets and pieces like the Torslunda plates, as well as depictions of 'boar-warriors' refered sometimes as Svinfylkings (like the war-tactic), clearly show the boar's status as a powerful animal during the Scandinavian Iron Age.

Likely a press plate for a helmpiece featuring two warriors with boars on their helmets. These are known as the Torslunda pressplates from Öland

Torslunda - Öland, Sweden

An anglosaxon helmet featuring the same kind of boar on top of the helmet

Benty Grange, England

Another depiction of a boar helmet, from around 200 bce to 300 ce

G undestrup cauldron, Denmark

Wolves and werewolves

Fenrir

Wolves hold a very central part in the norse history and mythological world. One if the main wolves of Norse Mythology is Fenrir. Fenrir is one of Loki’s children together with the Jötunn-witch Angrboda. The big wolf Fenrir was in the beginning just like any other pup-wolves very cute and playful, so the gods of Asgard kept him there. However, soon enough Fenrir grew and swapped the playfulness with something much more sinister. He grew very into a giant in no time and the bigger and stronger he became the less control the Aesir had over him. The ony Aesir that dared to come near him was Tyr. When the gods realised that they had lost control over Fenrir they decided that the saftest action would be to imprison him. No chains would hold him down, so eventually Odin asked the dwarves for help to craft a magical chain. The dwarves created the magical chain Gleipnir and it was eventually this chain that would hold Fenrir in place until Ragnarök. Unfortunately Tyr lost one of his hands during this whole ordeal.

Likely a depiction of Tyr and Fenrir during the binding of the wolf. This is what's known as a bracteate, likely used as charms or amulets that were worn and likely inspired by roman coins

Trollhättan, Sweden

This is the Thorwald's Cross and it's suspected to feature the scene of Fenrir swallowing Odin, we can see a bird which appears to be a raven on the mans shoulder - which Odin was known for having two ravens, the figure of the man is also holding a spear which Odin is known to have a spear named Gungnir and is often associated with spears as well as during Ragnarök the wolf is said to swallow the allfather. Likely from around 900-1100

Isle of man

Relying on the previous mentioned depiction we see a similar motif in this one, a wolf seems to be swallowing a fella. This could just depict some kind of event from that area or a story that is now lost to time, but there is definitely some similarities here. At the end of the runic writing we can see the Tistel-Mistel-Kistel sequence which I've covered in our 'Learn the Runes' article in the magic section. This is dated to around the 1100s as well

Östergötland (Ög 181), Sweden

A possible depiction of Fenrir and the ship Naglfar. The runes on it read 'Kleppir and Ása raised this monument after Ulfr.' which also hints that this could be just associated with the person, as Ulf means Wolf in Scandinavian languages

Tullstorp (DR 271), Sweden

A hogback that could depict Tyr and Fenrir again, there is a figure of a person with it's hand in a beasts mouth as well as a chain running from his arm to what seems to be one of the beasts limbs.

Sockburn, England

On the Thorwald's Cross there can be seen a depiction of a fight between a beast and a human figure. This has been depicted as Vidar slaying the giant wolf Fenrir.

Isle of Man

Geri & Freki

Geri and Freki are Odin’s loyal wolf companions, guarding the tall throne of Hlidskjalf. Geri’s name means something similar to “the greedy” and Freki’s name means “the devourer”. These names suits them well since according to the sagas Odin goes there to gladly feed his wolves with delicacies since he himself prefers mead and ale.

The Odin of Lejre, unclear of who the figure is sitting on a throne but it's awfully similar to the tales of Odin having a throne and being accompanied by two wolves and two ravens. On the picture you can see the wolves being highlighted. Dated to around the 900s

Lejre, Denmark

Sköll & Hati

There is a forest called Järnveden (the iron woods) in a corner of Jotunheim, where the mother of Fenrir and the other werewolves and wolves of the nine realms lives, Angrboda. Around the forest of Järnveden these huge wolves and werewolves are lurking behind the trees. Angrboda is also mother to the horrifying wolves running across the sky, Sköll and Hati. Sköll and Hati are chasing the sun and the moon around the worldcreation. It is said that one day they will catch up and swallow the moon and sun whole, which will fill the world with darkness and blood.

Birds of Norse Mythology

Gullinkambe

In the big hall of Valhalla, just underneath the ceiling a big eagle hoovers around the hall. And on the roof of Valhalla lives another bird, a rooster. This rooster is named Gullinkambe, and his job is to wake the Einhärjar up to battle of the dusk of Ragnarök.

Huginn and Muninn

Huginn and Muninn are probably the most famous birds of Norse mythology, they are Odin’s most trusted companions who provides him with all of the news from around the Yggdrasil. They can usually be found on the Allfathers shoulders, which tells you about how close he is to his beloved ravens. They bring him news, but also have roles as spies, not letting any information go to waste. Every morning they leave Odin’s side to fly around, then in the evening they return to whisper in his ears whatever they’ve seen that day. Huginn means “thought” and Munnin means “memory”. One of Odin’s biggest fear is that his raven one day won’t return to him.

The same Odin of Lejre as mentioned up there but this time highlighting the ravens instead.

Lejre, Denmark

Bird Shpashifters

Additionally to these birds, the Aesir and the Jötunns have the abilities to turn into birds, which they do in numerous parts of the sagas. Freyja is known to own a hawk-cloak that makes anyone wearing it turn into a hawk. There’s also the famous tale of when Odin, Loki and Hönir were out on adventures and ran into a huge eagle on their travels. This eagle turned out to be the Jötunn Tjasse (the father of Skadi).

Serpents of the nine realms

Fafnir

Dragons and other types of serpents hold a very important part of the Norse sagas and historical depictions that has been found from the Scandinavian Iron Age.

A classical tale of a dragon is the one of “Sigurd the Dragonslayer”, where the dragon in question is Fafnir. The tale includes Lokis mischief leading to disastrous consequences (as per usual). A curse from these mischiefs gets inherited by the son of a man named Reidmar. Fafnir and his brother Regin had unusual skills. Regin had been taught the secrets of blacksmithing by the dwarves and was therefore the best blacksmith in all of Denmark and Fafnir had the ability to shapeshift. The third brother Utter was also a shapeshifter, Utter was the one brother which Loki had accidentally killed, while the brother was shifted into an Otter. Fafnir was driven crazy by the curse laid upon a ring included in the treasure, which Loki had to hand over to his father after the killing of Utter. Fafnir ended up killing his father and relocated the treasure to a big cave, where he turned himself into a huge dragon in order to forever guard the gold.

Fafnir wasn’t prepared for Sigurd however, but that’s a story for another blogpost. Another old tale of dragonslaying is “The story of trembling Hött”, which is another story of a brave young man finding himself facing a dragon. All in the name of winning glory and growing from a boy into a man. Hött would later find his way to Valhalla together with his weapon brothers.

These are what are known as the Sigurd Stones, where a figure is seen stabbing a sword into a serpent. This serpent then is assumed to be Fafnir. I'll list out a couple here but there is several more.

Drävle(U 1163), Sweden

Sö 327

U 1175

Sö 101

Jörmundgandr

The biggest serpent of them all is possibly the Midgard Serpent, Jörmundgandr. This is the third of Loki’s and Angrboda’s children being brought up in this post.

He is the huge serpent surrounding the entirety of the Midgard realm. Deep in the ocean, he holds a tight grip around Midgard, slumbering. Jörmundgandr is foretold to wake up during Ragnarök and be the cause of many sorrows.

Jörmundgandr is the only one of the Jötunn family Thor has never been able to win over in one way or the other, which agitates the Aesir a lot. So much so that Thor even willingly have gone on fishing trips for Jörmundgandr, aspiring to hit the serpent with his hammer. This fishing scene from the sagas can be found depicted on a runestone in Sweden (stone ID: U 1161).

Known as the Altuna Runestone, this features a depiction of Thor's fishing trip where he tries to slay the Midgard serpent but fails to do so.

Uppland (U 1161), Sweden

It seems like the bottom of the runestone features a boat off of which a cows head is hung, which is the same way Thor tried to catch Jörmundgandr. If this is based on the same story then perhaps the serpent around the stone is also the Midgard serpent

Södermanland (Sö 352), Sweden

Eventhough the runes here don't hint at this being a specific pagan depiction, but if we rely on the serpent on runestones being the Midgard serpent then perhaps here it depicts the giant monster and the little figure is meant to be Thor

Vestergötland (Vg 186), Sweden

Nidhögg

Nidhögg was mentioned briefly at the start of this article, and therefore it might also be suitable to end on him. At the absolute depths of Nifelheim is where Nidhögg dwells. He will put his teeth through anything alive (or dead) that comes floating on by in this dark and cold location, and sucks the blood out of anything warm. Additionally, together with his serpent-friends, Nidhögg constantly gnaws on the big root of the Yggdrasil. As all ultimate evil seems to keep a hold of humanity, Nidhögg is one of the few remaining creatures that securely lives on after Ragnarök.

And we are back full circle from where we started with the pictures, with a picture of a bird on a tree and a serpent underneath. Perhaps this could be the rooster on top of Yggdrasil and the serpent Nidhögg below it, it also looks like theres a very roosterlike bird on the serpents tail rather mockingly

Ockelbostenen (Gs 19), Sweden