Æsir
gods in Germanic paganism
Æsir (Old Norse; singular: áss, female: ásynja, female plural: ásynjur) or ēse (Old English; singular: ōs) are gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and mythology, the precise meaning of the term Æsir is debated, as it can refer either to the gods in general or specifically to one of the main families of gods, in contrast to the Vanir, with whom the Æsir waged war, ultimately leading to a joining of the families. The term can further be applied to local gods that were believed to live in specific features in the landscape – such as fells. The Old English medical text Wið færstice refers to the Ēse, along with elves, as harmful beings that could cause a stabbing pain, although exactly how they were conceived of by the author of the text is unclear.
Áss and its cognate forms feature in many Germanic names, such as Oswald and Ásmundr, and in some place-names in Norway and Sweden. The Æsir further likely give their name to the A-rune, attested in the Elder Futhark, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc and Younger Futhark.
Terminology
Etymology
The modern English term "Æsir" is derived from the plural Old Norse term æsir, the singular of which is áss. In Old English, the term used is the cognate ōs (pl. ēse). In continental West Germanic languages, the word is only attested in personal and place names such as Ansila, Ansgeir and Anshram.
“Æsir” enters the record as gods in Germanic paganism. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Æsir, gods and Germanic can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q170358. VIAF identifies the subject as 35350367. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Æsir” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.