| “ | Aegir is the nasty, brutal side of the ocean. I'm the guy you pray to when you want to sea to work for you! | ” |
–Njord to Magnus Chase, Blitzen, and Hearthstone, in the Ship of the Dead | ||
Njord (pronounced "NYORD"; often spelled Njörðr) was the Norse Vanir god of seas, wealth, wind, and fishing. He was the father of Frey and Freya and the grandfather to both Blitzen and Magnus Chase. His rival is Aegir and his seven daughters.
History[]
At one point in life Njord fathered twins, Frey and Freya, with Nerthus.
Aesir-Vanir War[]
He participated in the Aesir-Vanir War and after a truce was called, he and his son were given to the Aesir and became valuable assets to the tribe.
Marriage to Skadi[]
After Loki killed her father, the giantess Skadi demanded Balder as a husband as compensation. The gods told her she may choose who ever she wanted as a husband, but can only choose based on his feet. She chose Njord and the two married. However he could not adapt to the mountains she lived in and she could not adapt to the shore where he lived. The two ended up divorcing.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard[]
The Sword of Summer[]
Njord was mentioned several times throughout the book, with Ran being able to detect that Magnus Chase is his grandson.
The Ship of the Dead[]
He saves the crew of the Big Banana from the Nine Billow Maidens. He then talks with Magnus, Blitz and Hearth about getting Kvasir's mead for the flyting and separates Hearth and Blitz from the rest of the crew of the Big Banana so as to greatly increase the chances of success. He then tells Magnus that he should head to Skadi's harbor soon.
Appearance[]
Njord is described as a man in his late-fifties, stout, and sunburned as if he had worked decades as a lifeguard. He wears a light blue polo shirt and a cargo shorts, and his bare feet. His fine hair and the short beard are honey-colored, with some white threads. According to Magnus Chase, Njord has the greatest feet of all Norse Gods.
Personality[]
Njord is cheerful and tranquil. He represents the good, helpful side of the sea, the opposite of Aegir. He often acts laid-back and levelheaded, though could easily become dangerous if angered.
Njord is shown to be very helpful to his family, as he answered his grandson's desperate prayer. However, he is shown to be oblivious at times. He can also be obnoxiously proud of his well-pedicured feet.
Abilities[]
Njord possess the standard powers of a god.
- Hydrokinesis: As the god of the sea, he can control water.
- Aerokinesis: As the god of the wind, he can control the wind.
- Ferrokinesis: As the god of wealth, he can control the riches of the earth.
- Fertility Manipulation: As the god of fertility, he could increase or decrease the fertility of soil/plants, animals, and humans (possibly other gods and other creatures).
- Vitakinesis: He has the power to ease pressure sickness.
- Teleportation: Njord can teleport himself and others, like Magnus and his friends. His powers are inheritable to his grandchildren to some degree, unlike other gods.
- Alf Sign Language: Njord is able to communicate in sign language.
Family[]
Immortal Children[]
|
Partner |
Children |
| Unnamed sister (possibly Nerthus) | Frey and Freya |
Trivia[]
- His Greco-Roman equivalent is Poseidon/Neptune.
- His Egyptian equivalent is Sobek.
- He was briefly married to Skadi, the Norse goddess of Winter and Hunt.
- It is theorized that Nerthus- the Vanir goddess of the earth, harvest and revenge- is his sister and mother of his twin children. Alternatively, some scholars believe Nerthus evolved into Njord.
- It is implied that Njord had demigod children in the past.
- He is the inspiration for the hobbit from "The Lord of the Rings" series by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- There is historic evidence that Njord was much more of a important part in Norse worship than he is often recognized as being possibly being even more important than more commonly recognized gods such as Thor and Odin.