Test Your Knowledge of the Vanir

Study Notes

The Vanir: Gods of Fertility, Wisdom, and Future Sight in Norse Mythology

The Vanir are a group of gods in Norse mythology associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future.
The Vanir are one of two groups of gods, the other being the Æsir, and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr (Old Norse "Home of the Vanir").
The gods Njörðr, Freyr, and Freyja are all members of the Vanir, along with Njörðr's sister and Kvasir.
The Vanir were sometimes theorized to represent pre-Indo-European deities or Indo-European fertility gods.
In the Prose Edda, a name listed for boars is "Van-child," which scholars have theorized may be connected to the Vanir.
The Vanir are attested in the Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, and Heimskringla, as well as in the poetry of skalds.
The Vanir broke the walls of the stronghold of the Æsir during the Æsir–Vanir War, as described in the poem Völuspá.
The god Njörðr was created in Vanaheimr by "wise powers" and was exchanged as a hostage during the war, according to Vafþrúðnismál.
The Vanir possess a "sacred mead" and are associated with various elements, such as fire, the sea, and ale.
The origin of poetry in Norse mythology is attributed to the Æsir–Vanir War, during which the gods created a man named Kvasir from their spit, and from his blood, the Mead of Poetry was made.
The Heimskringla provides an euhemerized account of the Æsir–Vanir War, in which the Vanir suspected they were cheated by the Æsir in a hostage exchange and cut off the head of Mímir, whom they had received as a hostage.
Njörðr and his children Freyr and Freyja became recognized as gods among the Æsir, and Freyja was the first to teach the Æsir magic as practiced among the Vanir.

Description

How well do you know the Vanir, the gods of fertility, wisdom, and future sight in Norse mythology? Test your knowledge with our quiz and learn more about the members of this divine group, their associations with elements such as fire and the sea, and their role in the Æsir-Vanir War. Explore their fascinating mythology and origins, and see how much you truly know about these deities. Take the Vanir quiz now!