The war I remember, the first in the world
when the gods with Spears had smitten Gaulwig, and in the Hall of Höðr had burned her.
Three times burned and three times borne
*Intro sequence*
Thanks again to the God of War team for sponsoring this episode and making this brief overview of the Norse world's possible.
Supporters of our Extra history patreon recently helped us fund a short experimental run for an extra mythology series.
We've got four episodes on Greek mythology coming out later this year.
But the God of War folks heard about it and offered to sponsor two additional episodes early.
So today we bring you the Aesir-Vanir war sponsored by the God of War team courtesy of Norse mythology.
Two races of God's there are two races of God's there will always be for most of time,
they've lived in harmony
but once this was not the case once there was a war like no other war for it was a war between
the gods it was the first war the conflict that
Invented war and there will be no other like it until Ragnarok comes this was a war over
Magic because the weave of fate is not as fixed as you might think.
You see the gods as we know them the Aesir Odin and all of his kin we're going about their business
When they spotted a lone figure walking up the road to Asgard.
It was a sorceress who offered her services to the divine host at first they marveled at her wisdom and her skill,
Form as the Norns weave fate so can others unweave it and this sorceress with spindle and distaff
Would respin the fates of those who requested it.
This was a great temptation for the gods for the one thing the Aesir could not overcome was fate.
And while the sorceress could not make extreme changes for none can truly do much to warp the weave that the Norns create
Even her subtle
alterations to fate or something worth coveting.
Soon the Aesir put her talent to petty uses and began to bicker amongst themselves.
As the tension between the Aesir grew they began to think that perhaps the sorceress was trying to set them against one another.
So they caught her and bound her and brought her to the Great hall.
Thrice they tied her to a pyre and thrice she burned, thrice she burned and thrice she was born again.
They realized that they could not kill her, so she was released, but she was no mere sorceress
She was Freya of the vanir and this attempted execution could not be easily forgiven the aesir and vanir
each succumbed to fear and from fear,
there came hate. Soon war was inevitable.
The wall that protected Asgard was overthrown and the hosts lined up on that immortal realms fields with a Bellow,
Odin flung his mighty spear and the battle was joined the Aesir fought with martial valor and weapons of war.
Mighty and well-crafted the Vanir fought with cryptic arts and the old lore of magic.
Each side did the other great hurt each side fought with savagery and skill.
But the two sides were evenly matched neither set of gods was greater than the other.
So after much time and much devastation,
a weariness of war took them. The wise on both sides saw that there can be
no winner to this match and so they proposed a truce.
As was the custom the sides met and offered to exchange hostages to ensure that the truce would last
The Vanir offered up Freya and her brother Freyr as well as a sea god named Njörðr.
And aesir in turn offered up Hœnir and Mimir as hostages. The Vanir hostages were welcomed by the Aesir and soon became
permanent members of the Pantheon that lived in Asgard.
The Aesir Hostages too were welcomed by the vanir, who found themselves to be much enriched because Hœnir seemed wise beyond reckoning. Any problem
They had they'd bring to him and he would solve it for them soon
He was elevated to being one of the highest counselors among the Vanir.
But the Vanir began to notice something odd when Mimir wasn't with Hœnir, Hœnir would simply answer, "Let someone else decide."
To any question asked of him they realized they had been tricked, Hœnir was not a worthy hostage,
But rather a simpleton the Aesir were trying to pawn off on them and they had sent Mimir to help perpetuate the ruse
So they caught Mimir, cut off his head and as a sign of their displeasure sent it back to the faceless Asgardians.
Odin was distraught. A lover of wisdom,
He could not lose the sage advice of Mimir.
So he involved the head and used his most powerful magic to imbue it with the power of speech.
Whenever Asgard was faced with a problem too Great for even Odin's wisdom; Odin would lift up the head and ask its advice
So once again the aesir and the vanir came together to try to work out a pact of peace
Rather than exchange hostages this time
They all took a ritual pledge each chewed a Berry and then spat its juice into a bowl
This juice was then fermented and became the being known as Kvasir, wisest of all that ever were.
Kvasir would give out his wisdom to all freely, solving problems and resolving disputes wherever he went.
But one day on his travels he ran into two dwarfs who asked for his assistance when they had lured him into private by asking for his council,
They slew him and strung him up and drained his body of its blood when the Aesir searched for Kvasir,
The dwarfes told them that he had choked on his own wisdom and died.
With his death the last remnant of the Aesir-vanir war passed from this world, But there is one last legacy
It's left us for those dwarfs mixed honey with Kvasir's blood and made from it a mead, which they did not drink but rather Hoard it
away.After changing hands many times Odin at last came by it and drank full from it and in doing so
Introduced poetry into the world and thus the first war ended
Thanks again to the God of War team for sponsoring this video if you want to learn more about God of War before it drops
On April 20th, check out the link in the description where you can read the lost pages and check out trailers gameplay and more!