Who is Nanna?
Love in Darkness
by Shannon Graves
Nanna is the wife of Baldur the Bright, the mother of Forseti, and one of the lesser-known Aesir goddesses. Some say that she is the daughter of some unknown Aesir man named Nepr; others say that she (rather than Saga) is the younger sister of Iduna via the Duergar Emperor Ivaldi and the Valkyrie Hildegun; some say that she is the daughter of Mani the Moon God. We may never know, but it seems that she was a quiet and retiring goddess, and all were surprised when the young Baldur, the most beautiful of the Aesir Gods, chose that plain maiden for his bride. Perhaps he saw in her what others did not: a loyalty so strong that it would outlast death itself.
When Baldur died unexpectedly, Nanna grieved so much that she threw herself onto his funeral pyre and killed herself, following him to Helheim. The flaming ship bearing the bodies of the two lovers was pushed out to sea. Baldur’s brother Hermod would later come to Helheim to plead for Baldur’s life, and when he left Nanna gave him gifts of the Underworld to take back to her loved ones – a robe of linen for Frigg and a ring for Fulla. However, the plan did not work and Baldur and Nanna are destined to stay in Helheim until after Ragnarok comes.
In the work of Saxo Grammaticus, Nanna is a mortal princess who is fought over by the rivals Baldur and Hoder. In spite of various sorts of divine aid, Hoder still triumphs and Nanna marries (and prefers) him.
Nanna is the goddess of love in darkness. As Baldur is the light and hope that one finds in the hardest times, Nanna is the love of others that holds us through those times. She can be called upon by those whose loved ones are lost in darkness – deep in depression or sorrow or pain, or who are dying – and who want to be there for them to the last ounce of their strength. Nanna will aid you in staying the course no matter how hard it gets, and all she asks as an offering is that you do a supportive and helpful act for someone who is also holding their loved one through the dark.
Artwork by Thorskegga Thorn.
