Common Germanic deities

This article lists gods and goddesses that may be reconstructed for Proto-Germanic or Common Germanic Migration period paganism, or which figure in both West and North Germanic mythology. See list of Germanic deities for a complete list of Germanic gods and goddesses, including those for whom there is insufficient attestation to produce Common Germanic reconstructions.

Deities

Proto-Germanic reconstructions marked with an asterisk.

Goddesses

• *Nerþuz, described by Tacitus as Mother Earth, possibly continued in Old Norse: Njǫrðr (Njord, Njorth).
• *Frijjō, "wife" (specifically here the wife of Wōdanaz), Old English: Frige, Old Norse: Frigg, Gothic: Fráujō, cf. Sanskrit priyā "mistress, wife".

• *Wurdiz, "fate", Old Norse: Urðr (Urd, Urth), Old English: Wyrd.
• *Sōwilō, the Sun, Old Norse: Sól, Old English Sunne, Old High German: Sunna.
• *Austrǭ, Dawn goddess Easter, Old English: Ēostre, Old Saxon: *Ōstara, Old Frisian: Āsteron.

Gods

• *Wōdanaz, "lord of poetic/mantic inspiration", "Germanic Mercury", Old Norse: Óðinn (often Anglicized Odin or, especially in older texts, Othin), Old English: Wōden, Old High German Wuotan, Gothic: Gaut.
• *Þunraz, "thunder", "Germanic Jupiter", Old Norse: Þórr (Thor), West Germanic: Donar, Old English: Þunor, Gothic: Þunar.
• *Teiwaz, god of war and possibly early sky god, "Germanic Mars", Old Norse: Týr, Old English:Tiw, Old High German: Ziu, Gothic: Teiws, continues Indo-European *Dyeus.
• *Wulþuz, "glorious one", possibly originally an epithet, mentioned on the Thorsberg chape, continued in Old Norse: Ullr, Old English: Wuldor, Gothic: Wulþus.
• *Ingwaz or Inguz, identified with the god addressed as Fraujaz "lord"; Old High German Frô, Gothic: Frauja, Old English: Frēa, Old Norse: Freyr.

Semi-gods or mythical heroes

• *Auzawandilaz, Old English: Ēarendel; Old Norse: Aurvandil; Lombardic: Auriwandalo; Old High German: Orentil, Erentil; Medieval Latin: Horuuendillus, the morning star(?), Gothic: Auzandil.
• *Gautaz, Old English: Geat; Old Norse: Gautr, mythical ancestor of royal houses.
• *Wēlanduz, Old English: Wēland; Old Norse: Völundr or Velentr; Old High German: Wiolant; from *Wēla-nandaz, literally "battle-brave",^[1] a mythical smith.
• *Agilaz, Old English: Ægil, Alamannic: Aigil, Old Norse: Egil, a mythical archer.
• *Wadą, Old English: Wada, Old Norse: Vaði, Middle High German: Wate, associated with bodies of water, the father of Wayland the Smith.

Mythical races

• *þurisaz (giants)
• *dwergaz (dwarfs)
• *albaz (elves)
• *nikwuz (water spirits)
• *wihtiz (land spirits)

Cosmology

• *Medjanagardaz inhabited world
• erþo anþi uppahemenaz Germanic formula for "heaven and earth", notably naming earth first. Mentioned in the Norse Edda, Skarpåker Stone and Old High German Wessobrunner Gebet etc.
• *Haljō Underworld
• *Muþspell (see Muspilli and Muspelheim) Disastrous world-ending (c.f. Ragnarok)

See also

• List of Germanic deities
• Germanic mythology
• Germanic paganism
• Vanir

References