Loki tells Njörðr to be silent, recalling Njörðr's status as once having been a hostage from the Vanir to the Æsir during the Æsir-Vanir War, that the " daughters of Hymir " once used Njörðr " as a pisspot ," urinating in his mouth ( an otherwise unattested comment ).

Njörðr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, in euhemerized form as a beloved mythological early king of Sweden in Heimskringla, also written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, as one of three gods invoked in the 14th century Hauksbók ring oath, and in numerous Scandinavian place names.

The name Njörðr corresponds to that of the older Germanic fertility goddess Nerthus, and both derive from the Proto-Germanic * Nerþuz.

It has been suggested that the change of sex from the female Nerthus to the male Njörðr is due to the fact that feminine nouns with u-stems disappeared early in Germanic language while the masculine nouns with u-stems prevailed.

While Odin states that Vafþrúðnir knows all the fates of the gods, Odin asks Vafþrúðnir " from where Njörðr came to the sons of the Æsir ," that Njörðr rules over quite a lot of temples and hörgrs ( a type of Germanic altar ), and further adds that Njörðr was not raised among the Æsir.

However, when Njörðr returned from the mountains to Nóatún, he says:

Njörðr ( 1832 ) from the philological book Die Helden und Götter des Nordens, oder Das Buch der sagen

" This is followed by an excerpt from a composition by the 11th century skald Þórðr Sjáreksson, explained as containing a reference to Skaði leaving Njörðr:

This is followed by an excerpt from a work by the 10th century skald Egill Skallagrímsson that references Njörðr ( here anglicized as " Niord "):

A depiction of Njörðr from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript

In the saga, Njörðr is described as having once wed his unnamed sister while he was still among the Vanir, and the couple produced their children Freyr and Freyja from this union, though this custom was forbidden among the Æsir.

Veneration of Njörðr survived into 18th or 19th century Norwegian folk practice, as recorded in a tale collected by Halldar O. Opedal from an informant in Odda, Hordaland, Norway.

Due to similarities in between descriptions of Njörðr in Gylfaginning and descriptions of Bieka-Galles in 18th century missionary reports, Axel Olrik identified this deity as the result of influence from the seafaring North Germanic peoples on the landbound Lapps.

Some of these similarities include that, in parallel to Skaði and Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál, Hadingus is chosen by his wife Regnhild after selecting him from other men at a banquet by his lower legs, and, in parallel to Skaði and Njörðr in Gylfaginning, Hadingus complains in verse of his displeasure at his life away from the sea and how he is disturbed by the howls of wolves, while his wife Regnhild complains of life at the shore and states her annoyance at the screeching sea birds.

Gagnráðr asks Vafþrúðnir where the Van god Njörðr came from, for though he rules over many hofs and hörgrs, Njörðr was not raised among the Æsir.

In contrast, continuing the same journal thread, Leszek P. Słupecki argues that the Vanir remained distinct from the Æsir — except for Freyja and Freyr, whom he follows Snorri in seeing as having been born after Njörðr became a hostage among the Æsir, and thus regards as Æsic — and therefore that Ragnarök " no importance for their world ".

However, when Njörðr returned from the mountains to Nóatún, he said:

Vafþrúðnir responds that Njörðr was created in Vanaheimr (" home of the Vanir ") by " wise powers " and details that during the Æsir – Vanir War, Njörðr was exchanged as a hostage.

In chapter 23 of Gylfaginning, the enthroned figure of High relates that Njörðr was raised in Vanaheimr.

In the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, Vanaheimr is described as the location where the Van god Njörðr was raised.

Vafþrúðnir responds that Njörðr was created in Vanaheimr by " wise powers " and references that Njörðr was exchanged as a hostage during the Æsir-Vanir War.

Vanaheimr are described as having sent to Asgard their best men: Njörðr — described as wealthy — and his son Freyr in exchange for Asaland's Hœnir — described here as large, handsome, and thought of by the people of Vanaheimr well suited to be a chieftain.

In the Icelandic books the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, Freyr is presented as one of the Vanir, the son of the sea god Njörðr, brother of the goddess Freyja.

Along with her brother Freyr ( Old Norse the " Lord "), her father Njörðr, and her mother ( Njörðr's sister, unnamed in sources ), she is a member of the Vanir.

Njörðr interjects — he says that a woman having a lover other than her husband is harmless, and he points out that Loki has borne children, and calls Loki a pervert.

Examples of goddesses attested in Norse mythology include Frigg ( wife of Odin, and the Anglo-Saxon version of whom is namesake of the modern English weekday Friday ), Skaði ( one time wife of Njörðr ), Njerda ( Scandinavian name of Nerthus ), that also was married to Njörðr during Bronze Age, Freyja ( wife of Óðr ), Sif ( wife of Thor ), Gerðr ( wife of Freyr ), and personifications such as Jörð ( earth ), Sól ( the sun ), and Nótt ( night ).

Kennings of the type AB, where B routinely has the characteristic A and thus this AB is tautological, tends to mean " like B in that it has the characteristic A ", e. g. " shield-Njörðr ", tautological because the god Njörðr by nature has his own shield, means " like Njörðr in that he has a shield ", i. e. " warrior ".

Njörðr ( Freyja and Freyr's father ) says that it is harmless for a woman to have a lover or " someone else " beside her husband, and that what is surprising is a " pervert god coming here who has borne children.

Njörðr responds that this was his reward when he was sent as a hostage to the Æsir, and that he fathered his son ( Freyr ), whom no one hates, and is considered a prince of the Æsir.

In Norse mythology, Njörðr is a god among the Vanir.

Njörðr is father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed Van sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún and is associated with sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.

Veneration of Njörðr survived into 18th or 19th century Norwegian folk practice, where the god is recorded as Njor and thanked for a bountiful catch of fish.

Njörðr is sometimes modernly anglicized as Njord, Njoerd, or Njorth.

Additionally, in Old Icelandic translations of Classical mythology the Roman god Saturn's name is glossed as " Njörðr.

Njörðr is attested in the following works:

Njörðr is described as a future survivor of Ragnarök in stanza 39 of the poem Vafþrúðnismál.

In stanza 16 of the poem Grímnismál, Njörðr is described as having a hall in Nóatún made for himself.

The stanza describes Njörðr as a " prince of men ," that he is " lacking in malice ," and that he " rules over the " high-timbered temple.

" In stanza 43, the creation of the god Freyr's ship Skíðblaðnir is recounted, and Freyr is cited as the son of Njörðr.

Njörðr is introduced in Skáldskaparmál within a list of 12 Æsir attending a banquet held for Ægir.

In chapter 75, Njörðr is included in a list of the Æsir.

For their part, the Vanir send to the Æsir their most " outstanding men "; Njörðr, described as wealthy, and Freyr, described as his son, in exchange for the Æsir's Hœnir.

Further into chapter 4, Odin appoints Njörðr and Freyr as priests of sacrificial offerings, and they became gods among the Æsir.

High says that during the Æsir – Vanir War, the Vanir sent Njörðr as a hostage to the Æsir, and the Æsir sent to the Vanir the god Hœnir.

The sending of Njörðr as a hostage resulted in a peace agreement between the Æsir and the Vanir.