Ægir the god of the sea—His wife Ran—The origin of wind and fire—Figurative names of the sea, the wind, ice, rocks, clouds, hail, and rain—Ran’s net—The nine daughters of Ægir and Ran—Superstitions connected with Ran.
Ægir seems to have been one of the earlier gods worshipped in the North as the god of the sea. His worship must have been deeply implanted in the hearts of the people, and he was worshipped to the end of the pagan era. He was believed to govern the wind and the sea, and with his wife Ran to receive all shipwrecked people. He is fabled to have lived in the island of Læssö, was the son of the Jötun Fornjot, who ruled over Jötland, and had two brothers, Wind and Fire.
“‘How is the wind called?’ ‘The son of Fornjot, the brother of Ægir and of the Fire.’ ‘How is the fire called?’ ‘The brother of the wind and of Ægir’” (Skáldskaparmál, cc. 27, 28).
“Then Gangleri said, ‘Whence comes the wind? He is so strong that he moves large oceans and stirs up the fire, but however strong he is he cannot be seen, so he must be strangely shaped.’ Hár answered, ‘I can tell thee easily. On the northern end of heaven there sits a jötun called Hrœsvelg in an eagle’s shape; when he flaps his wings the winds rise from under them’” (Gylfaginning, c. 18).
The Sagas teem with poetical and allegoric expressions about the sea, the wind, fire, ships, &c., &c. The sea is called—
Ymir’s blood.
Ran’s husband.
The land of Ægir’s daughters.
The land of the ships.
The sea king’s road.