Njörðr

Njǫrðr

Vanir god of the sea, the wind and the shore, giver of fair voyages and wealth

Njörðr (Njord) is a god of the Vanir, honoured as lord of the sea, the wind and the sea's riches. Norse sources say he was made in Vanaheimr and sent to the Æsir as a hostage in exchange for Hœnir, a trade that sealed the peace after the Æsir–Vanir War. He made his home at Nóatún, the "Ship-Enclosure", and is father of Freyr and Freyja. His marriage to Skaði, who loved the mountain snows, ended in separation.

Sailors, fishers and hunters called on him for fair winds and a good catch, and he was held to grant wealth. Many Scandinavian place names carry his name, and a heathen Icelandic oath names him beside Freyr. Veneration lingered in Norwegian fishing folk practice into the 18th or 19th century. Today modern Heathens honour him, including in Iceland's Ásatrúarfélagið.

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Njörd's desire of the Sea, published 1908. Wikimedia Commons (public domain), W.G. Collingwood (1854 - 1932)

How to recognise Njörðr

Calm bearded elderLook for a mature, weathered man with a gentle face; no ancient text describes his looks, but the Poetic Edda calls him 'lacking in malice', so he is never shown young or fierce.
Nóatún and the shoreA harbour, beach or sea-hall behind him recalls Nóatún, where Grímnismál says he rules over a 'high-timbered temple'.
WindGylfaginning says he rules the course of the wind, and a 1680 Icelandic Snorra Edda illustration shows him loosing a bag of winds.
Stilled seaHe 'stills sea and fire', so the water around him is calm, since he is a helper of voyages and hunting and never a storm-raiser.
Gold ringA plain gold arm-ring or small heap of gold is an artist's shorthand for Snorri's very wealthy god, whose name Fégjafi means 'God of Wealth-Gifts'.
Swans, gulls and longshipSwans and seabirds recall his longing for swan-song by the sea, and a single-sailed longship echoes the name Nóatún; both are modern companions rather than formal attributes.

Names and titles

Lord of NóatúnNóatún, 'Ship-Enclosure', is his hall by the sea
Giver of WealthSnorri calls him very wealthy, able to grant land and goods, and a name for him means 'God of Wealth-Gifts'
Stiller of Sea and FireGylfaginning says he stills sea and fire and rules the course of the wind
Chosen for his fair feetSkaði picked him by his feet, expecting Baldr, in the compensation the gods offered her
Longing for the song of swansAfter nine nights in the wolf-haunted mountains he longed for the swans at the sea-strand