NJORD

Old Norse Njoror in Norse mythology, the god of the wind and of the sea and its riches. His aid was invoked in seafaring and in hunting, and he was considered the god of wealth-bestowal, or prosperity. He was the father of Freyr and Freyja by his own sister. Traditionally, Njord's native tribe, the Vanir, gave him as a hostage to the rival tribe of Aesir, the giantess Skadi choosing him to be her husband. The marriage failed because Njord preferred to live in Natn, his home by the sea, while Skadi was happier in her father's mountain dwelling place. Several traditions hold that Njord was a divine ruler of the Swedes, and his name appears in numerous Scandinavian place-names.