Nerthus

The goddess Nerthus is linked to a ritual wagon procession. Before the Viking Age began in the first century AD, a Roman historian wrote the earliest description of her, mentioning her in his history of Germania. Modern academics believe that this writing shows she was on the Danish island of Zealand at the time.

Due to the narrative of her traveling on a wagon, which was a custom among the Vanir gods, it is assumed that she is a member of the Vanir. Various ceremonial carts have been discovered during archaeological digs in Scandinavia, especially at the Osperg Ship site. Every year, it was thought, the Vanir deity Freyr rode a wagon across the countryside with a priestess who would bless the fields and assure a successful harvest. There are many parallels between Nerthus and Njord, and it is believed that the word Nerthus is simply a Latinized form of Njord. Despite the fact that the two images resemble one other greatly, Njord was a male god, whilst Nerthus was a female. This makes historians think that either they are a hermaphrodite deity or that they are a celestial couple like Freya and Frigg.

Her devotion was focused on a temple in a holy forest on a Baltic Sea island. She was said to like riding in a chariot drawn by cows and visiting her people. Her priest was able to sense her presence, and while she was there, her people experienced peace, plenty of joy, and no conflict or war. When she reached her temple, slaves cleansed her and her chariot in the lake, where they later drowned in.