Though Skadi was originally a giantess, Norse myth states that she was transformed into a goddess after she visited Asgard and made a fateful deal with the gods.
Public DomainSkadi, the Norse goddess of winter.
During the frigid winters of Scandinavia, it’s no wonder that ancient people looked to a goddess who embodied the harsh beauty of the frozen landscape. Skadi (Skaði), the formidable deity of winter, skiing, and the hunt, is among the most powerful Norse goddesses.
Described in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Skadi is depicted as a fierce giantess whose skill in hunting and skiing made her an especially formidable figure. Her mythology is deeply intertwined with some of the most notable Norse gods, including Loki, Odin, and Njörðr, the god of the sea — but it is her thirst for vengeance and independence that sets her apart.
Like many ancient deities, Skadi’s exact origins are difficult to pinpoint, leaving room for interpretation, speculation, and evolving theories about her place in Norse mythology.
Depictions Of The Goddess Skadi In Norse Texts
Public DomainSkadi hunting in the mountains. H. L. M, c. 1901.
Skadi is first mentioned in two of Norse mythology’s most foundational texts, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. Written between the 11th and 14th centuries, the Poetic Edda is a collection of stories about some of the most recognizable Norse deities, including Odin, Thor, and Loki.
In the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, Odin describes Skadi as a resident of Þrymheimr, which is located in Jötunheimr, a territory of giants. He refers to her as a beautiful and impressive goddess.
Another poem Lokasenna, demonstrates Skadi’s fierce nature. She gets in a fight with Loki, the Norse trickster god, after Loki tells her that he played a role in the killing of her father, Þjazi. Later in the poem, Skadi and other Norse gods ties Loki up with the innards of his children — and torture him with a venomous snake.
In Prose Edda, an old Norse textbook from the 13th century, the characteristics of Skadi are greatly expanded on. In the book Gylfaginning, Skadi is described as living in Þrymheimr and enjoying skiing, hunting, and shooting her bow. This poem also refers to her as a goddess of skiing.
But Skadi wasn’t always a goddess — and the Prose Edda explains how she became one. The poem Skáldskaparmál describes how Skadi’s father died, and how Skadi descended upon Asgard, home of the gods, dressed for battle and armed with a cache of weapons in order to avenge him.
Upon Skadi’s arrival, the gods of Asgard offer her compensation in the form of a husband which, in turn, would make Skadi a goddess as well. She agreed, and the gods told Skadi that she had to choose a husband based on their feet. Selecting the most attractive feet, Skadi was surprised to have picked Njörðr, the god of the sea. She was initially furious at the revelation, preferring to marry Balder, the god of light and peace.
Skadi also added a stipulation of her own: someone must make her laugh or else the deal was off.
In order to appease her, Loki came up with a plan. He tied one end of a cord to a goat and the other between his legs. The scheme ultimately made Skadi laugh, and she agreed to marry Njörðr.
The Doomed Marriage Of Skadi And Njörðr
Public DomainNjörðr and Skaði on the Way to Nóatún. Friedrich Wilhelm Heine c. 1882.
Njörðr, the god of the sea, was worshipped in Norse mythology as the father of two of the greatest Nordic gods, Freya and Freyr. But he and Skadi ultimately had an unhappy marriage.
In the Prose Edda, Njörðr and Skadi attempt to make their relationship work. Njörðr, fond of the sea, does not want to move to the mountains of Þrymheimr with his new wife. Inversely, the winter goddess detests the sea and does not want to move with her new husband to the oceanside. The two compromise, deciding to go back and forth every nine days. However, it appeared to be a miserable experience for both gods:
Njörðr claimed:
“Hateful for me are the mountains,
I was not long there,
only nine nights.
The howling of the wolves
sounded ugly to me
after the song of the swans.”Skadi responded:
“Sleep I could not
on the sea beds
for the screeching of the bird.
That gull wakes me
when from the wide sea
he comes each morning.”
Public DomainNjörd’s desire of the Sea. W. G. Collingwood c. 1908.
Njörðr and Skadi’s relationship was continuously portrayed as contentious and short-lived. In the 13th century Heimskringla book Ynglinga saga, the authors write that Skadi refused to consummate their marriage. She later married Odin instead and had several sons.
Theories And Contemporary Understandings Of The Winter Goddess
Public DomainSkadi’s longing for the Mountains. W. G. Collingwood c. 1908.
Given the lack of historical information about Skadi, there are many theories about her abilities and historical origins. One theory suggests that the winter goddess did not begin as a goddess at all, but instead as a male hero.
In the Völsunga saga, a 13th-century collection of Norse mythology, Skadi is described as a male slave owner who employs the help of others after his serf, Breði, is killed by Sigi, the son of Odin.
Some historians have theorized that the origins of Skadi may stem from this story or an older lost myth in which the goddess may not have been a female or a deity at all.
Another interesting theory is that the winter goddess was a representation of the Sami people, a group of indigenous Europeans in northern Scandinavia who were recognized for their skiing and hunting with a bow. The Sami and the Scandinavians shared a few Norse gods in their belief systems, and it is possible that Skadi was born from their connection.
Today, Skadi is a lesser-known Norse goddess, but her influence is still potent. She is featured in several video games, including Smite and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. In comic books, the winter goddess is mentioned in Thor’s stories in the Marvel Universe. In fact, some scholars suspect that there may be a connection between her name and “Scandinavia,” though this is unproven.
Skadi may not be as widely recognized as figures like Odin or Thor, but her legacy has endured for over a millennia. Whether as an independent warrior goddess, a symbolic figure tied to the Sami people, or a character reimagined in contemporary media, Skadi remains a testament to the Norse tradition of strong and complex deities.
After reading about Skadi, dive into the story of eight of the craziest Norse gods. Then, read about Angrboda, the mother of monsters in Norse mythology.
