25. The Vanir remain to this day happy participants in the Aesiric pantheon.

I think that it is important to remember that after the war between the Vanir and the Aesir, only three of the Vanir had anything to do with the Aesir. The rest of the Vanir lived in Vanaheimr. Two of three, Njordr and Freyr, were hostages among the Aesir. Being a hostage ( Read more... )

24. The way that Skadi and Njordr became wife and husband was acceptable.

Snorri tells the story of how Skadi and Njordr got married in Skadlskaparmal 1. After the Aesir killed Thjasi, Skadi’s father, inside Asgard, Skadi put on her helmet and armor, gathered her weapons and sped to Asgard to avenge her father’s death. When she arrived she found ( Read more... )

22. Skirnismal is about Freyr wooing Gerdr and marrying her.

This is another misconception frequently repeated by scholars and (Neo) Heathens alike. Perhaps at best it comes from a desire with those connected with Freyr to have some information about Freyr in the surviving mythology of the Aesir. Unfortunately it is based on a superficial reading of ( Read more... )

21. Galdr and Seidr are two different forms of magic. Galdor is the magic of the Aesir. Seidr is the magic of the Vanir.

There is a variation of this misconception that replaces Galdr with Rune magic. Both versions of the misconception associate Galdr and/or Rune magic with the Aesir and those who are true to them and Seidr with the Vanir and those ( Read more... )

19. Odr is Odin.

20. Freyja and Odin were married.

These misconceptions seem to be most common among those who have a relationship with both Odin and Freyja. I cannot help but wonder if some connected with both Odin and Freyja did so under the influence of Raymond Buckland’s Book of Saxon Witchcraft or some other poorly researched work. But I also ( Read more... )

18. The myths that survive reflect a peaceful relationship between the Vanir and Aesir.

First, we need to keep in mind that the fundamental relationship between the Vanir and Aesir is opposition not peace. While the Vanir are peaceful beings the Aesir are not.  For the Vanir peace is the norm and violence is the exception. They readily use violence ( Read more... )

17. The Vanir and Aesir are complementary to each other.

This misconception assumes that the Vanir and Aesir are incomplete without each other. While I think that it could be argued that the Aesir are essentially incomplete in and of themselves I do not think that it could be rightly said that the Vanir are likewise incomplete. The Aesir, especially ( Read more... )

16. Freyja and Freyr are the biological children of Njordr and therefore literally (twin) sister and brother.

I think that it is important to keep in mind that the surviving mythology of the Norse is a hybrid mythology. It is the combination of at least three mythologies, maybe more. It combines the mythology of the Aesir with fragments of the ( Read more... )

15. The Vanir Practiced Incestuous Marriage.

“While Njord was with the Vanaland people he had taken his own sister in marriage, for that was allowed by their law; and their children were Frey and Freya. But among the Asaland people it was forbidden to intermarry with such near relations.” Ynglinga Saga, 4.

I have never believed that the Vanir or ( Read more... )

14. Freyja is a goddess of sex, witchcraft and war.

This misconception is similar to the one about the Vanir being fertility deities. It is partially true, but only partially. It narrows and reduces Freyja’s powers to three attributes. Yes, she is a goddess of sex, witchcraft and war (well, in a sense maybe). She is also so much more. Her powers are ( Read more... )