Every day in Valhalla, the Einherjar viciously fight and train amongst each other, killing each other in the process. In the evening they ride back from battle to feast and celebrate [Vafþrúðnismál 41]. Their mead comes from the goat Heiðrún, served to them by the Valkyries. 

Their food is prepared and cooked by the chef Andhrímnir, a name meaning ‘the one exposed to soot.’ Each day he prepares the meat of the boar Sæhrímnir, who much like the Einherjar, is revived each day to once again provide nourishment to the hungry warriors. Andhrímnir cooks this meat in a cauldron named Eldhrímnir, and this is told to us in the 18th stanza of the poem Grímnismál, where we also learn that there is no better meat than that of Sæhrímnir. We also learn that there is never a shortage of meat from this boar and that a single of the einherjar would never go hungry. 

Askr and Embala are two very important figures in Norse Mythology. They were the first humans, created by the gods Óðinn, Vili and Vé. This story is told in stanzas 19 and 18 of the poem Vǫluspá, in which these three gods find two tree trunks on the shore and create life from them. Óðinn is said to have breathed life into them, while Hœnir gave them their souls, and Lóðurr gave them their appearance. 

In Snorri's work, he tells us that all of human life descended from these two beings, and the gods granted them Midgard as their home. The name Askr translates to 'ash-tree' and the meaning of Embla isn't well documented, so I can't give you a distinct answer on that one. 

Auðr is the name of the son of Nótt, the personification of the night in Norse Mythology alongside her first husband - Naglfari. This is told to us in stanza 9 in Snorri's Gylfaginning, but not much is known about why he invented both a son and a first husband for Nótt, implying there were more. The name itself trabslates to 'prosperity,' but not much is known about this figure.

Aurvandill is a relatively unknown being mentioned in Snorri's Prose Edda. This comes from a story in which Þórr is wading through a river called Élivágar while carrying Aurvandill in a casket on his back. During this venture, one of Aurvandill's toes sticks out of the back and freezes, ultimately falling off. 

Þórr takes it and throws it into the sky and makes a star out of it? Which is known as Aurvandils tá - 'Aurvandill's toe.' A lot of confusion surrounds this story and this being, but it certainly shares similarities with the fate of the giant Þjazi, whose eyes were thrown into the sky after the gods murdered him. 

-

The Berserkir are some of the most well-known figures of the Norse myths. They are warriors known for their prowess in battle, said to enter a state of 'berserk-fury' in which they are said to act as mad as dogs while being both furious and invulnerable. These warriors are often connected to Odin, and are known as 'his warriors.' The concept of berserks, the 'bear shirts' alongside the Úlfhéðnar 'wolf skins,' come from special Scandinavian masked cults which are manifested as masked warriors dedicated to Odin.

Berserkir is the plural of the plural of the word, the singular is Berserkr - ᛒᛁᚱᛋᛁᚱᚴᛦ. The singular of Úlfhéðnar is Úlfhéðinn, which would be written in runes as ᚢᛚᚠᚼᛁᚦᛁᚾ.

The Svartálfr are a category of elves that live in Svartálfheimr 'the home of the black elves.' We're told about these beings in Snorri's work, both in Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál. Svartálfheimr is also the home of the dwarves according to Snorri, and it's unknown as to whether the dwarves and the elves are one and the same. I personally believe that they are, given that some of the listed names of the dwarves contain the word Álfr 'elf.'

The dark elves [Dǫkkálfar], similar to the Light Elves [Ljósálfar] are groups of elves that barely anything is known about. Dǫkkálfar could possibly be an alternative name for the Black elves [Svartálfr], but this is only speculation from me. The Ljósálfar are said to dwell in the realm of Álfheimr, and we're introduced to them by Snorri, who describes them as more beautiful than the sunlight while describing their realm as some form of heaven. It is possible that being a Christian, he was influenced by Angels in their description.

Búri is the ancestor of the gods, a being licked free from ice by the primordial cow Auðumbla. His name means 'father' which makes sense given that the name of his son, Borr, translates to 'son.' We're told about Búri being freed from the ice by Snorri, so take his presence with a pinch of salt as he isn't mentioned in the Poetic Edda. We aren't given any explanation as to who Búri mated with to produce Borr.

Borr, also written as Burr, is the father of Odin, Vili and Vé in Norse Mythology. His name means 'son,' specifically the son of ‘Father’ which is Búri. The wife of Borr is Bestla, the giantess daughter of Bǫlthorn. This points to the idea that the gods are all descendants of the giants, something that I personally find very interesting as it adds a lot of complexity to the relations of the gods and giants in the broader mythology.

In Norse mythology, there are 9 daughters of the sea goddesses Ægir and Rán, and they are the personification of 9 waves. Their names are as follows:

Blóðughadda - ᛒᛚᚢᚦᚢᚴᚼᛅᛏᛅ - 'the one with the bloody hair,' = 'wave.'

Bylgja - ᛒᚢᛚᚴᛁᛅ - 'wave.'

Drǫfn - ᛏᚱᛅᚠᚾ - 'wave.'

Dúfa - ᛏᚢᚠᛅ - 'diveress,' = 'wave'

Hefring - ᚼᛁᚠᚱᛁᚴ - 'the lifting one,' = 'the wave.'

Himinglæva - ᚼᛁᛘᛁᚾᚴᛚᛅᚢᛅ - 'transparent on top?' = 'wave.'

Hrǫnn - ᚼᚱᛅᚾ - 'wave.'

Kolga - ᚴᚢᛚᚴᛅ - 'wave.'

Uðr - ᚢᚦᛦ - 'wave.'

According to Simek, the 9 daughters of Ægir and Rán can be considered as the valkyries for those warriors killed at sea.

Dagr and Nótt are the personifications of the day and the night in Norse Mythology. Dagr translates to 'day,' and Nótt translates to 'night.' According to Snorri’s Prose Edda, Dagr is the son of Nótt and Dellingr, meaning that according to his work, the day is the son of the night in the Norse Myths. 

Outside of Snorri’s work, we’re introduced to Dagr and Nótt in a single stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Vafþrúðnismál, but aside from learning that they are the personifications of the day and the night, they don’t really show up throughout the Norse myths in any meaningful context. 

The Einherjar are the warriors that reside in Valhalla in Norse Mythology. Their name translates to 'those who fight alone,' and the name Einarr is derived from this. In their warrior paradise, they spend their days ruthlessly fighting each other, only to be resurrected come evening to feast and drink the mead that flows from the udders of the goat Heiðrun and the food prepared for them by the chef Andhrímnir.

The concept of the Einherjar during the Viking times was certainly a widespread one, as they are mentioned in a variety of poems from the Poetic Edda and Snorri's Prose Edda. At the final battle of Ragnarǫk, the einherjar will valiantly fight alongside the gods against the giants and the monstrous wolf Fenrir. For all intents and purposes, they are essentially Óðinn’s private army of elite warriors that he gathers to save himself from being devoured by Fenrir. As we know though, no amount of warriors, no matter how skilled and experienced they are, can save the mad one from his fate. 

Elli is a character that Þórr encounters on his trip to visit the castle of Útgarða-Loki. During this trip, a series of trials are given to him and his group, one of which, specifically for Þórr, is a wrestling match with Útgarða-Loki's wet nurse, an old lady called Elli. He wrestles with all of his might, but this frail old lady is just too much for him, her strength is unmatched. 

As a result of this bout, Þórr shamefully loses, only to find out that he had been deceived by Útgarða-Loki. This old lady, Elli, is actually the personification of age. Þórr lost because no being can fight against ageing, it happens to everything. This story was told to us in the Gylfaginning section of Snorri’s Prose Edda, which also sees Loki and Þórr’s servant Þjálfi get deceived by Útgarða-Loki.

Fimafengr is the servant of Ægir who we're introduced to by Snorri in his retelling of Lokasanna. In this retelling, Fimafengr is killed by Loki while the Æsir are praising him. The name Fimafengr translates to something like 'the one who arrives in a hurry.' It's most likely that this character is solely an invention of Snorri, as he is not mentioned in the Poetic Edda Lokasanna nor in any other poem.

In the Poetic Edda version of Lokasanna, Loki approaches Eldir, a servant of Ægir whose name is similar to Fimafengr in its meaning. These two likely are one and the same, and Snorri gave Eldir a different name for reasons unknown.

Glenr is the husband of Sól in Norse Mythology, the personification of the sun. His name translates to 'the opening in the clouds,' and we're told this in Snorri's Prose Edda, in the 10th chapter of Gylfaginning.

Hel is an interesting goddess in Norse Mythology, she is a late-stage addition to old Nordic poetry and serves as the personification of the realm Hel. The realm is briefly mentioned in stanza 43 of Vǫluspá and in the 2nd stanza of Baldrs Draumar, but it's Snorri's work where we get a much more detailed description of the goddess. In the 34th chapter of Gylfaginning, we're told about the three monstrous children of Loki - Hel, Jǫrmungandr and the Fenrisúlfr - Fenrir.

Snorri describes Hel as half-white, half-black and fierce-looking, and she is the ruler of those who died of natural causes, the ones who were not deemed fit by the valkyries to enter Valhalla. Many have taken this description to mean that she appears half-alive and half-dead, which given her domain, personally makes sense to me and is thus how we've depicted her in our artworks. 

Jǫrð, which means 'earth' is a being shrouded in confusion. She is documented as an Æsir goddess, but in other sources called a giantess. First and foremost, she is married to Óðinn and she is the mother of Þórr, and there are many poems that back up the notion that Þórr is her son. According to Snorri’s work, she is the daughter of night [Nótt] and her second husband, the dwarf Anarr.

There are a multitude of names that mean 'earth,', and those are as such: Fjǫrgyn, Hlóðynn, Fold and Grund. It is uncertain as to whether these are all synonyms for the mother of Þórr, or whether they are all alternative names for Jǫrð. Her role in the broader mythology is unknown, and she is most known for being the mother of the thunder god.

Kvasir is a wise being, born of... weird circumstances. At the end of the Æsir-Vanir war, a few actions were taken to promote peace between the clans. hostages were traded between them, but the most interesting action they took was the creation of Kvasir. Each side spat into a bowl, and from this mixed saliva, Kvasir was born, said to be the wisest of all creatures. This is told to us in Snorri’s Skáldskaparmál. 

It isn’t known for sure whether Kvasir is Æsir or Vanir. In Gylfaginning, he calls him the cleverest of the Æsir, and in Ynglinga saga, he calls him the cleverest of the Vanir who was given to the Æsir as a hostage. Confusing, I know.

Kvasir would then appear in Snorri’s retelling of the mead of poetry, where he would be murdered by the dwarves Fjalarr and Galarr, who would mix his blood with honey, thus brewing the mead of Skalds. Anyone who drank this mead would become a competent poet. This mead would ultimately fall into the hands of Suttungr, who took it from the dwarves in revenge for the murder of his father - Gillingr. He would then appoint Gunnlǫð as the guardian of this mead, who would be seduced by Óðinn for it. 

Líf & Lífþrasir are the two humans that survive the events of Ragnarǫk in Norse mythology. This is told in the 45th stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Vafþrúðnismál and in Gylfaginning 52. in Vafþrúðnismál we're told that Líf & Lífþrasir will survive by hiding in Hoddmimir's wood and eating the morning dew. After the world is born anew, they will renew the human race.

Hoddmimir's wood is no doubt an alternative name for the trunk of Yggdrasill. this reinforces the cyclical nature of life and death in the Norse cosmos, as Askr and Embala were given life from ash tree trunks, and it is from the trunk of an ash tree that the human race will once again be renewed. Their names translate to 'life' [Líf] and 'the one striving after life' [Lífþrasir].

Loddfáfnir is an unknown person that Odin speaks to in the latter part of the Poetic Edda poem Hávamál. Many verses start with the suffix 'I council thee, Loddfáfnir, if you would hear my words, you'll profit from them if you do.'

My best guess is that Loddfáfnir is us, the reader, as nothing else is known on this character. In our Hávamál book, we'll be replacing Loddfáfnir with Einarr, who will receive council and visions from Odin relevant to each stanza.

Móðguðr is a relatively obscure character in the Norse myths, she is the female warden of a bridge that leads to a destination called Gjallarbrú which leads to the realm of Hel. We're told this in Gylfaginning 48, in which Snorri tells of Hermod's ride to hel to negotiate for the return of Baldur. Móðguðr is mentioned in this telling alone and is not recorded in any other source, making her undoubtedly an invention of Snorri.

Narfi and Vali are the names of Loki's sons in Norse mythology, and an alternative form of Narfi is Nari. In chapter 50 of Snorri's Gylfaginning, we're told of how Loki was imprisoned for bringing about the death of Baldr. He was taken to a certain cave alongside his sons Narfi and Vali. Vali was turned into a wolf and then tore apart his brother.

From Narfi's corpse, the Æsir took his entrails and used them to bind Loki. Once bound in three places, they were turned to iron. skadi then took a venomous serpent and hung it above Loki, so that the venom would drip onto him for eternity. that is, at least, until he would be freed at Ragnarǫk. Odin also has a son called Vali, which further adds confusion to the narrative of Norse mythology.

Ragnarr Loðbrók was a legendary Viking hero and Danish king, with an entire poem dedicated to his antics. Fans of the Vikings TV show will undoubtedly recognise the name, and it's due to this show that Ragnarr Loðbrók has become a household name. Ragnarr is ultimately captured by king Aella of Northumbria, and he is thrown into a pit of snakes where he is killed. It's a fantastic story which has been told in Jackson Crawford's book - The Saga of the Volsungs. I highly recommend you read it.

The Shieldmaidens are an interesting concept in Norse poetry. It has been assumed that women depicted as wielding weapons is something of fiction, possibly inspired by the Valkyries.

That being said, the excavation of a burial site in Birka Sweden estimated to have been buried in the 900's found something very interesting. The body was that of a woman, buried with a spear, a sword and an axe alongside other items that would suggest that this woman was of high class. The body was also found with minimal injuries, suggesting that if she was a Viking age warrior, she would have been an elite one.

Sigurðr was a legenadry viking hero known for slaying the dragon Fáfnir, a once dwarf turned serpent due to his own greed. In Fáfnismál, Sigurð and Fáfnir have a back and forth conversation, which ultimately leads to Sigurð slaying the dragon. This story also involves the Dwarf Regin, who plots to betray Sigurð, who was warned of this betrayal by Fáfnir.

Sigurð ultimately cuts the head off of Regin, eats Fáfnir's heart and drinks the blood of both Regin and Fáfnir. He then retrieves two chests of gold from Fáfnir's lair alongside a suit of golden armour, the helmet of terror and many other priceless treasures before leaving on his horse, Grani.

Skírnir is a messenger and servant of the god Freyr. Skírnir is the primary protegonist in the Poetic Edda poem Skírnismal in which Freyr falls for the giantess Gerðr, in which he is sent on behalf of Freyr to woo the giantess. In this story, Freyr gives Skírnir his legendary sword, which he ultimately uses to threaten Gerðr into marrying Freyr.

Skírnir's name translates to 'the shining one' which Simek argues makes sense for a messenger of the Sun god - Freyr.

Sumarr & Vetr are the personifications of the Summer and the Winter in Norse Mythology, and we learn about these two in the 27th stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Vafþrúðismál.

The Norns, in Norse mythology, are powerful and enigmatic beings who control the threads of fate and destiny for all living beings. These three sisters, named Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, represent the past, present, and future, respectively, weaving the intricate tapestry of existence at the foot of the cosmic World Tree, Yggdrasil. Their decisions shape the course of both gods and mortals, highlighting the inescapable influence of fate in the Norse cosmos.

Urðr's name translates to 'fate.'

Verðandi's name translates to 'becoming.'

Skuld's name translates to either 'blame' or 'future,' and while she is listed as a Norn, she is also listed as a valkyrie in stanza 30 of Vǫluspá.

Þjálfi in Norse mythology is known as a companion of Thor, and accompanies the thunder god on various adventures. During Thor's travels, he stops to eat with Þjálfi's father, and Þjálfi ultimately causes the laming one of Thor's goats by eating a bone when specifically told not to. As compensation, the father gifts Thor Þjálfi and his sister Rǫskva.

The meaning of the name Þjálfi is still up for debate, and no satisfying answer has yet been found. Þjálfi travels with Thor during his visit to Útgarða-Loki where he must race hugi, the personification of thought. As with the rest of Útgarða-Loki's trials, the side of the gods take another loss. Þjálfi is also present during Thor's duel with Hrungnir, and it's not fully known as to wether he is a battle companion of Thor, or a mere servant.