Who is Niorun?
What we know from myth, history, and inspiration
Niorun, or Njorun, is a minor Norse
goddess about whom practically nothing is known from the primary sources. She
is listed as a goddess in the Skaldskaparmal,
but nothing else is said of her. The name Niorun or Njorun is used as a kenning
in some poetry, but it is unclear what its original meaning might be. However,
it is said that the Duergar (dwarves) refer to the night as Draum-Njorun, or Dream-Niorun. Some
modern folk began to contact her, and their personal gnosis is that she is the
Goddess of Dreams.
In the experience of some folk who have connected with Niorun, unlike most of the other deities, she chooses to live in Svartalfheim, where she is honored and revered by both the Dark Elves and the Duergar. Of all the places in Svartalfheim that might be considered halls, Niorun's place is the only one where a traveler could claim sanctuary and be unopposed by residents. However, as soon as one leaves, one is on one's own again. There is also the fact that Niorun's hall is a strange place, and not altogether safe. It is filled with distorting mists of many colors, and one is often overcome by the compulsion to lay down and sleep. If you are a skilled lucid dreamer, her hall can be a good jumping-off point for prophetic dreamwork; if you aren't, it can be deadly.
Niorun herself can be seen as a veiled figure walking through the misty halls, her face almost never seen. If approached, she will speak in riddles and poetry, or say things that one later cannot remember. Offerings to her include colored glass balls and prisms that she can hang up in her hall to rotate and add to the ambience.
Niorun can bring the gift of lucid dreaming, and if you have any aptitude for it, prophetic dreams. That doesn’t mean that your dreams will necessarily be clear and decipherable, just that they will have information in them. A good prayer to Niorun is to say before you fall asleep, “Let me wake up knowing one thing that I do not know now.”