jötunn

Jötunn (plural jötnar) is a term from Old Norse mythology used to denote a race of beings commonly translated as giants. The jötnar appear throughout the traditional sources, including the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, where they are depicted as powerful beings associated with the wild and untamed aspects of the world. They are not simply monstrous foes; the myths present a diverse group with varying alignments relative to the Aesir and Vanir.

Geography and nature

Jötnar inhabit Jötunheimr, a realm separated from Asgard and other worlds. In the myths, they range from cunning and wise to violent and dangerous. The term covers several subgroups and forms, rather than a single uniform race, and interactions between jötnar and gods are a central feature of the mythic narratives.

Subgroups and examples

Among the better-attested subtypes are frost giants (hrímþursar) and fire giants (eldjötnar). Frost giants are often depicted as ancient and elemental adversaries, while fire giants occupy a more elemental, sometimes separate, domain. Individual jötnar appear in various stories, sometimes as foes, sometimes as allies or sources of magical knowledge.

Relationships with the gods

The relationship between jötnar and the gods is complex. Giants oppose the Aesir in several myths, and many accounts culminate in the aks Ragnarok. Yet there are also marriages, alliances, and kinship across the realms; Loki is a prominent figure described as a jötunn by birth, and his offspring with the giantess Angrboda—Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel—shape later events.

In summary, jötnar are a central, multifaceted element of Norse mythology, representing a broad spectrum of beings that interact with the divine world in diverse ways.