Vanir

[vah-nir]

noun

(often lowercase)

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.

Vanir

/ ˈvɑːnɪə /

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vanir¹

< Old Norse, probably from the same root as vinr friend, Latin Venus Venus, Sanskrit vánas desire

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vanir¹

from Old Norse Vanr, a fertility god

Example Sentences

Last year it was won by Piggy French, riding Vanir Kamira.

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The Aesir were warlike gods of battle and conquest; the Vanir were softer, brother and sister gods and goddesses who made the soils fertile and the plants grow, but none the less powerful for that.

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At the same time, others, like Mina Vanir, have brought up older accusations that previously received comparatively little attention.

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The book will explore the nine Norse worlds, which are populated by elves, fire demons, the Vanir gods, humans, dwarves, giants and the dead.

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“Another president won’t do what she is doing,” said civil servant Vanir Paraná, 52 — who voted for Rousseff in Rio on Sunday “for continuity, to finish what she started.”

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