Nanna (Norse deity)

Culture: Norse

Father: Nep (or Nepr)

Children: Forseti

Nanna is a goddess from Norse mythology. Also known as Nanna Nepsdóttir, she is the wife of Balder (also spelled Baldr or Baldur). He is the son of Odin, the head of the Aesir, which is the name for the gathering of Norse gods. They live in Asgard, which is comparable to Mount Olympus, the dwelling of the ancient Greek gods. She lives with her husband in a hall called Breidablik.

Nanna was a figure of some importance in Asgard. For example, she helped preside over a banquet for a human named Aegir during his visit to the home of the gods. Nanna and Balder had a son named Forseti, the god of justice. He helped to reconcile conflicts.

In Mythology

In the Norse myths, Nanna’s husband Balder was killed due to actions set in motion by the trickster god Loki. Angry at his perceived mistreatment by the other gods, Loki decided to have Balder killed. Mistletoe was the one substance in the world that could harm Balder, so Loki used it to create either a dart or a spear. One day, the gods were playing a game, tossing different objects at Balder. Loki gave Hod the weapon made with mistletoe. Hod was blind and did not know what he was holding, so he believed it would not harm his brother Balder. Hod threw the spear. It struck Balder and killed him, shocking the other gods. When Balder’s body was put on a funeral pyre made from his ship Hringhorni, his wife Nanna fell down dead from her grief. Her lifeless body was placed beside Balder’s corpse. They burned together on the pyre and pushed out to sea.

After their deaths, Balder and Nanna were united in the underworld. Balder’s brother, the god Hermod, traveled to there in the hopes of resurrecting the couple. Hermod met with Hel, the goddess of death and queen of the underworld. She was also Loki’s daughter. Hermod begged her to return Balder to the land of the living. She agreed, but only if every living creature in the world cried for Balder’s sake. Nanna gave Hermod gifts to take back to Asgard. They included a linen robe for Odin’s wife Frigg and a ring for the goddess Fulla.

When Hermod returned to Asgard, all living creatures cried for Balder, except for one—a giantess named Thökk. She refused to shed a tear on his behalf because she was secretly Loki in disguise. As a trickster, he was able to change his appearance, including his gender. Therefore, Balder’s death remained permanent and he stayed with Nanna in the underworld. Balder’s death signaled the beginning of the Ragnarok, a doomsday event that would lead to the death of the gods and the end of the world. It was written that Balder would return from the underworld at the culmination of the Ragnarok.

Origins & Cults

Different sources describe the Norse deity Nanna in different ways. She briefly appears in the Eddas, Old Norse literature that tells the stories of gods and goddess. The poems and prose works that make up this collection were written in Icelandic during the thirteenth century. However, they include material from various sources dating back to the Viking age. The story of Nanna and Balder’s deaths appears in Gylfaginning, the first book of the Prose Edda, which was written by Snorri Sturluson.

Völuspá, the first work in the Poem Edda, includes the word Nanna. This poem describes the creation of the world. Stanza 30 calls Valkyries the "Nannas of Odin." Valkyries were female figures that decided which soldiers lived and which died in battle. However, it is possible the word nannas simply meant "women" rather than having a mystical meaning or being the name of a person.

An Arab writer named Ibn Fadlan who traveled through Scandinavia described a Viking funeral. He wrote about an enslaved girl named Nanna who was sacrificed and burned at an altar along with her master. The description resembled the burning of the Norse goddess Nanna on Balder’s funeral pyre.

A character named Nanna also appears in Gesta Danorum by twelfth-century Danish author Saxo Grammaticus. In this version, Nanna is a human princess, not a goddess. She is the daughter of King Gevar. Nanna is pursued romantically by the demi-god Balderus and by a human named Hotherus. Hotherus and Balderus are the counterparts of Hod and Balder. However, they are not brothers in this version, but solely romantic rivals. They fight one another to win her affection. Ultimately, Nanna chooses Hotherus and they marry. Balderus suffers from heartbreak, withering away.

Nanna might also be referenced on the Setre Comb. This is a Scandinavian artifact from the late sixth century or early seventh century. The comb is made of bone and inscribed with runes. The word Nanna appears; however it is unclear if refers to the Norse goddess or has another meaning.

Also, the character may be connected to figures from other cultures. For example, she may relate to a Sumerian deity named Inanna, the goddess of love, fertility, and war. An ancient Greek goddess named Nana might also have a connection to the Norse Nanna. The Greek Nana gave birth to the god Attis after an almond fell from a tree onto her lap. Babylonian mythology includes a goddess named Nannar. However, scholars have yet to make a clear connection between these three deities and the Norse goddess Nanna.

The character Nanna appears in modern works as well. She is part of the Marvel comic books that focus on the superhero Thor. He is based on the Norse god of thunder. As in mythology, she falls in love with Balder and dies soon after he does. However, the circumstances of their romance and death greatly differ in the Marvel comics.

Bibliography

Lindow, John. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. New York: Oxford UP, 2001. Print.

"Loki." Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Encyclopedia.com, 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

"Loki, Norse mythology." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

"Loki." Infoplease. Sandbox Networks, 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

McCoy, Dan. "The Death of Baldur." Norse Mythology for Smart People. Dan McCoy, 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Mortensen, Karl, and Asa Clinton Crowell. A Handbook of Norse Mythology. New York: Crowell, 1913. Print.