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Vanir

[vah-nir]
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noun (often lowercase) (used with a plural verb) Scandinavian Mythology.
  1. a race of gods, first in conflict with the Aesir, later allied with them. They function as fertility divinities and include Njord, Frey, and Freyja.
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Origin of Vanir

< Old Norse, probably from the same root as vinr friend, Latin Venus Venus, Sanskrit vánas desire
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for vanir

Historical Examples

  • None of the Æsir or the Vanir knew on what adventure Thor was bent.

    The Children of Odin

    Padraic Colum

  • None of the Asyniur and none other of the Vanir possessed a thing so beautiful.

  • We want to know what the company of one of the Vanir is like.

  • She came within and she had her seat amongst the Æsir and the Vanir.

  • When he said this all who were there of the Vanir rose up, their faces threatening Loki.

British Dictionary definitions for vanir

Vanir

noun
  1. Norse myth a race of ancient gods often locked in struggle with the Aesir. The most notable of them are Njord and his children Frey and Freya
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Word Origin

from Old Norse Vanr, a fertility god
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012