Asgardian

The Asgardians were the collective gods worshiped by the people of the Norseland, later known as Germany and Scandinavia. Many of them were worshiped by the Teutonic (Early Germanic people) and Viking tribes. They presided in the realm of Asgard and were known as the Aesir by the Vikings and as the Vanir by the Germans.

Much like the Olympians, the Asgardian gods lived apart from their worshipers with whom they often trafficked and produced half-immortal children known as demi-gods. Not much is known about their origins, but according to myths, they were descended from the ancient god Buri. Buri possibly took a wife from the daughters of Ymir, the Frost Giant, and sired Bor, who also took a female Frost Giant as his wife and sired the gods, Ve, Vili and Odin. The brothers slew the primeval god, Ymir, and, according to myths, created the Earth from his remains. It is not known how these events unfolded in the Xenaverse.

In Xenaverse

In the Xenaverse, the Asgardians were worshiped as gods by the Vikings and Ancient Germans. They were ruled over by Odin who sent his son, Thor, to protect mortals with his mystic hammer, Mjolnir.

Influenced by dreams, Hercules eventually traveled to the Norseland where he met Balder and learned that the Asgardians were susceptible to death, just as mortals. This makes them different from the Olympians who can only be killed using rare and powerful weapons (HTLJ "Norse By Norsevest").

Hercules was skeptical to learn that the Asgardians genuinely cared about their worshipers and was even more surprised to learn that the Norse people loved them back, because he was used to the rule of the Olympians that generally cared little for mortals, who in turn worshiped the Olympians out of fear or necessity.

As one Asgardian worshiper put it, both the pantheon and the mortals needed each other, because otherwise, they were left with the dark and the cold. 

Role/Importance

Much like the Olympian gods, the Asgardians were worshiped through most of Western Europe, sometimes infringing on the lands ruled by the Celts and Ancient Greece. As a result, wars between both cultures were quite common, especially between the Romans and Ancient Frank kings. The Vikings praised and prayed to these gods and their temples often making offerings, sometimes with sacrifices of animals,in return for good fortune or protection from mischievous gods, such as Loki. The Vikings were a considerable sea-faring people and like the Greeks and Romans had several sea-gods, taking worship of the Asgardians to Iceland, Greenland and the northern fringes of North America.

Powers and Abilities

The Asgardians seem to possess many of the same superhuman Powers and Abilities of the Olympian gods, but at unknown levels. These powers include at least enchanted life-spans, regeneration, flight, the ability to become invisible to the human eye, telekinesis, superhuman strength, stamina, heightened senses and speed. Few of the Asgardians had the mystical ability to teleport, instead traveling from Earth to Asgard via the Rainbow Bridge. Such gods with such mystical powers also had the ability to change their physical appearance and to manipulate matter and the elements of nature on a level close to magic and to tap into mystical energies for various spells and abilities. However, they are not true Immortals and were vulnerable to death.

Limitations

The full limitations of the Asgardians are unrevealed. Just as the Sumerian gods, they were limited to eating and drinking wine created from the Apples of Immortality to sustain their immortality and existence.

Asgardians

• Balder
• Frigga
• Loki
• Norns
• Odin
• Thor
• Freya

Gallery

Asgardian gods in "Norse by Norsevest"

Odin,Thor and Frigga in "Norse by Norsevest"

Asgardian gods in "Norse by Norsevest"

Appearances

• HTLJ: "Norse By Norsevest
• HTLJ: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge"
• XWP: "The Rheingold"
• XWP: "The Ring"
• XWP: "Return of the Valkyrie"