Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today's video, we're going to take a look at the Aesir-Vanir War, the war that took place in the mythic past between the two tribes of gods in Norse mythology, and following that, at how, ultimately, the Mead of Poetry, the mead that inspired gods and the greatest of skalds, bestowing mastery over verse and song, was created.Let's get into it.In Norse mythology, one of the major events that transpired in the mythic past was the Aesir-Vanir war. Though the two tribes eventually reconciled, for a time, relations between the two were beyond strained, defined by violence and rancour. Fierce fighting broke out as each tribe tried to destroy the other. They fought to a draw, as neither side could gain a winning advantage, allowing cooler heads to prevail before greater death and destruction could be dealt. Eventually, tempers subsided, wounds were tended, and a peace was brokered through prisoner exchange. Before we really dive into this, though, let's take a quick pause and do an overview of each tribe and highlight some of their differences.The Aesir were the more prominent and popular tribe. They dwelt in Asgard, one of the nine realms, and their number included gods like Odin, Thor, and Loki. By comparison, the Vanir were obscure. They made their home on Vanaheim, another of the nine realms. And beyond a handful of gods like Njord, Frejya and Freyr, not much is known about them. More so than the Aesir, the Vanir were associated with the bounty and fertility of the earth. Also, incest, which was forbidden amongst the Aesir, was common practice for the Vanir.
