Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that answer the question.
Query: Who was the most powerful Norse god?
In Norse mythology, Hel is a being who presides over a realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In addition, she is mentioned in poems recorded in Heimskringla and Egils saga that date from the 9th and 10th centuries, respectively. An episode in the Latin work Gesta Danorum, written in the 12th century by Saxo Grammaticus, is generally considered to refer to Hel, and Hel may appear on various Migration Period bracteates.
Originally planned as a part of a game trilogy, the story is a science-fictional futuristic retelling of Norse mythology that portrays the Æsir, the Norse gods, as cybernetically enhanced humans, tasked with protecting mankind from the onslaught of Loki's army of machines. The player takes the role of the Norse god Baldur, who is less cybernetic than the other gods thus being "too human".
The show follows a student named Axl Johnson, who on his 21st birthday discovers he and his family members are reincarnated Norse gods. The problem is, they do not have full control of their powers and it is up to Axl (the reincarnation of Odin) to restore them and ensure the family's survival by finding the reincarnation of Odin's wife, Frigg. Matters are complicated by the presence of three Norse goddesses who are trying to find Frigg before the Johnsons do to prevent the restoration of the gods' powers (which would vault them above the goddesses), as well as an antagonistic reincarnation of Norse god Loki, and the appearance of a Māori deity pantheon toward the end of the second series.
An invisible wolf-like fiend similar to Fenrir of Norse mythology (if not coincident). Mh'ithrha ("Arch-Lord of Tindalos") is the lord of the Hounds of Tindalos, and the most powerful. Although not an actual "Outer God" as such, its form and astounding powers defy standard classification. Mh'ithra's eternal battle with Yog-Sothoth is said to be legendary.
Main information about Norse can be found from the Liber Khorne which is Volume I of Liber Chaotica (other Volumes also have stories involving Norse characters), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP2) supplement Tome of Corruption and Hordes of Chaos supplement for Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Some information can be found from many other Warhammer sourcebooks, for example Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP2) supplement Realm of the Ice Queen, which has little information about Norsii migration. There was also the large article about Norse for the use of Warhammer Fantasy Battle in the Citadel Journal Issue 6. Also Norse Marauders make an appearance in the mercenary supplement Dogs of War and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP3) Liber Carnagia adventure Crimson Rain (there is some information present on Norse customs and culture as well), which is part of Omens of War supplement. Various novels dealing with Norse characters, such as Wulfrik, Palace of the Plague Lord, Valkia and so on, also includes a lot of information regarding their culture.Norse religion is dynamic and complex, featuring a broad pantheon. Norse worship mainly Dark Gods using human sacrifices. These Dark Gods include Chaos Gods Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch. Norse have many names for these Gods. But Norse also worship other beings (many seem to be Daemon and Daemon Princes) and spirits of ancestors and heroes. There also seems to be other Gods, which might be Gods that are not related to Chaos.
Freyja, a Norse goddess who oversees a portion of the dead in her afterlife field Fólkvangr Gefjon, a Norse goddess who oversees those who die as virgins Rán, a Norse goddess who oversees a portion of the dead Odin, a Norse god who oversees a portion of the dead in his afterlife hall Valhalla Helreginn, a jötunn whose name means "ruler over Hel" Hela (comics), a Marvel comics supervillain based on the Norse being Hel
Central to accounts of Norse mythology are the plights of the gods and their interaction with various other beings, such as with the jötnar, who may be friends, lovers, foes or family members of the gods. Numerous gods are mentioned in the source texts. As evidenced by records of personal names and place names, the most popular god among the Scandinavians during the Viking Age was Thor, who is portrayed as unrelentingly pursuing his foes, his mountain-crushing, thunderous hammer Mjölnir in hand. In the mythology, Thor lays waste to numerous jötnar who are foes to the gods or humanity, and is wed to the beautiful, golden-haired goddess Sif.
The Norse–Gaels originated in Viking colonies of Ireland and Scotland, the descendants of intermarriage between Norse immigrants and the Gaels. As early as the 9th century, many colonists (except the Norse who settled in Cumbria) intermarried with native Gaels and adopted the Gaelic language as well as many Gaelic customs. Many left their original worship of Norse gods and converted to Christianity, and this contributed to the Gaelicisation.
The Norse–Gaels (; Irish: "Gall-Ghaeil"; , 'foreigner-Gaels') were a people of mixed Gaelic and Norse ancestry and culture. They emerged in the Viking Age, when Vikings who settled in Ireland and in Scotland adopted Gaelic culture and intermarried with Gaels. The Norse–Gaels dominated much of the Irish Sea and Scottish Sea regions from the 9th to 12th centuries. They founded the Kingdom of the Isles (which included the Hebrides and the Isle of Man), the Kingdom of Dublin, the Lordship of Galloway (which is named after them), and ruled the Kingdom of York for a time. The most powerful Norse–Gaelic dynasty were the or House of Ivar.
The most famous depiction of swastika imagery in Viking history is a runic inscription found on the hilt Sæbø sword. Individual swastika carvings of Germanic origin, however, can be traced back as early as the Bronze Age and are commonly found alongside sunwheels and sky gods. Though the swastika's exact meaning has eluded definition, its association with luck, prosperity, power, protection, as well as the sun and sky are factual. Mjolnir is also linked to luck, prosperity, power, and protection in Nordic rituals. Also, Thor was the dominant sky god of Norse religion and runestone depictions of the swastika are commonly found beside, or in connection with, his image. One example, found in a book of Icelandic spells, shows a drawn swastika, clearly identified by its iconic shape, then precedes to references it as “Thor's hammer”. Indeed, the crossover of these symbols was prevalent in Norse spell-work, especially runic inscriptions, as their presence was believed to heighten the potency of a spell.
In Norse mythology, the megingjörð (meaning "power-belt" in Old Norse) is a belt worn by the god Thor. The Old Norse name megin means power or strength, and gjörð means belt.
This is a Family tree of the Norse gods showing kin relations among notable gods and goddesses in Norse mythology. This family tree gives an example pedigree. With respect to kin relations of Norse gods, there are regional variations and disagreement among sources.
In Norse mythology, from which most surviving narratives about gods among the Germanic peoples stem, Týr sacrifices his arm to the monstrous wolf Fenrir, who bites off his limb while the gods bind the animal. Týr is foretold to be consumed by the similarly monstrous dog Garmr during the events of Ragnarök. In Old Norse sources, Týr is alternately described as the son of the jötunn Hymir (in "Hymiskviða") or of the god Odin (in "Skáldskaparmál"). "Lokasenna" makes reference to an unnamed otherwise unknown consort, perhaps also reflected in the continental Germanic record (see Zisa (goddess)).
Supreme was introduced in issue #3 of Rob Liefeld's "Youngblood" limited series as a flip book story before he was spun off into his own series. His history varied; at one point, he was an angel of vengeance who quoted the Bible to justify his actions. At other times, such as when he defeated the Norse god Thor and took his mystical hammer Mjolnir, Supreme considered himself a god. Although the most powerful being in the Liefeld universe, he had his share of defeats: he was killed in the cross-title "Deathmate Black" series (published by Image and Valiant Comics), lost his powers in "Extreme Prejudice", and was killed by Crypt in "Extreme Sacrifice".
In 1967 they published "Norse Gods and Giants", based on the "Prose Edda" and "Poetic Edda". The 154-page book presents 30 Norse myths and includes most of the basic stories of the Norse pantheon.
Being aware of the prophecy regarding his son's death, Odin (King of the Norse gods) cheats fate during a false Ragnarok by replacing Thor with a surrogate known as Red Norvell, who, after gaining the power of Thor and his hammer, dies battling the Midgard Serpent after it dives into the ocean. The prophecy fulfilled, Thor drives off the creature. The Midgard Serpent reappears briefly when a group of Odin's enemies feed the "Golden Apples of Idunn", intended for the Norse Gods, to the creature, intending to weaken the gods before an attack. It is used as a bridge by Tyr and Loki's army. Thor imprisons the creature and forces it to return the apples.
A second clan of gods, the "Vanir", is also mentioned in Norse mythology: the god Njörðr and his children, Freyr and Freyja, are the most prominent Vanir gods who join the Æsir as hostages after a war between Æsir and Vanir. The Vanir appear to have mainly been connected with cultivation and fertility and the Æsir were connected with power and war.
The Greek god superhero Hercules, who had died but been resurrected with enhanced powers, assembles a group of heroes including the Norse god superhero Thor, the Silver Surfer, the siren named Venus, the planet-eater Galactus, and Sersi, a member of the evolutionarily advanced human race known as the Eternals. This informal alliance is dubbed the "God Squad".
Many links to different types of mythology are evident in the novel. The two most prevalent are Norse mythology and Native American mythology. Certain examples are subtly referenced, such as in the name of the Felds' car, Skidbladnir, known in Norse myths as the legendary vehicle of Freyr, so well crafted it can fold up and fit in his pocket. Also, the name of Thor Wignutt is a reference to the Norse god of storms, Thor. Coyote introduces himself as Loki, Norse god of chaos at one point, and the term 'Ragged Rock', meaning the end of the world, translates to the Norse Ragnarok, the final battle in which the world is destroyed and reborn in the Skaldic poems. Finally, the Lodgepole, tree of the worlds, is based on Yggdrasil, the world tree of the Norse, and Murmury Well (the well Coyote means to poison) is Mimir's Well. The Native American mythology is certainly deep and requires in depth study and explanation.
Numerous gods are mentioned in the source texts such as the hammer-wielding, humanity-protecting thunder-god Thor, who relentlessly fights his foes; the one-eyed, raven-flanked god Odin, who craftily pursues knowledge throughout the worlds and bestowed among humanity the runic alphabet; the beautiful, seiðr-working, feathered cloak-clad goddess Freya who rides to battle to choose among the slain; the vengeful, skiing goddess Skaði, who prefers the wolf howls of the winter mountains to the seashore; the powerful god Njörð, who may calm both sea and fire and grant wealth and land; the god Frey, whose weather and farming associations bring peace and pleasure to humanity; the goddess Iðunn, who keeps apples that grant eternal youthfulness; the mysterious god Heimdall, who is born of nine mothers, can hear grass grow, has gold teeth, and possesses a resounding horn; the jötunn Loki, who brings tragedy to the gods by engineering the death of the goddess Frigg's beautiful son Baldr; and numerous other deities.
The 154-page book is organized as a collection of 30 Norse myths, with color illustrations throughout, from "The first gods and giants" and "The creation of the world" to "Ragnarokk, the destiny of the gods" and "A new world". The 2005 Library of Congress catalog summary called it a companion to "Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire's Book of Greek myths", published by Doubleday in 1962, a 192-page collection of 46 Greek myths. The Greek and Norse collections are the couple's second and third most widely held works in WorldCat libraries, after their Caldecott Medal-winning picture book "Abraham Lincoln" (Doubleday, 1957).
Heyerdahl's intention was to prove the veracity of the account of Snorri Sturluson in the Ynglinga saga, written in the 13th century, about the origin of the Norse royal dynasties, and the pre-Christian Norse gods. Snorri provides a euhemeristic account, in which he describes the Norse god Odin and some other Norse gods, the Æsir, as having been real people who emigrated from the area around the river Don to Scandinavia at the time of the Roman expansion into their old homeland. In Scandinavia, Snorri writes, they so impressed the native population that they started worshipping them as gods.
Old Norse religion was polytheistic, entailing a belief in various gods and goddesses. Norse mythology divided these deities into two groups, the Æsir and the Vanir, who engaged in an ancient war until realising that they were equally powerful. Among the most widespread deities were the gods Odin and Thor. This world was inhabited also by various other mythological races, including giants, dwarfs, elves, and land-spirits. Norse cosmology revolved around a world tree known as Yggdrasil, with various realms existing alongside that of humans, named Midgard. These include multiple afterlife realms, several of which are controlled by a particular deity.
Thor, a founding member of the superhero group the Avengers, often battles his evil adoptive brother Loki, a Marvel character adapted from the Norse god of mischief. He is among Marvel's most powerful superheroes. Many recurring characters in his stories are based on Norse Mythology. Apart from this main superhero, Marvel features a number of characters based on him.
Most of the surviving mythology centres on the plights of the gods and their interaction with various other beings, such as humanity and the jötnar, beings who may be friends, lovers, foes or family members of the gods. The cosmos in Norse mythology consists of Nine Worlds that flank a central tree, Yggdrasil. Units of time and elements of the cosmology are personified as deities or beings. Various forms of a creation myth are recounted, where the world is created from the flesh of the primordial being Ymir, and the first two humans are Ask and Embla. These worlds are foretold to be reborn after the events of Ragnarök when an immense battle occurs between the gods and their enemies, and the world is enveloped in flames, only to be reborn anew. There the surviving gods will meet, and the land will be fertile and green, and two humans will repopulate the world.