Supernatural urban legends: Vanir Pagan Gods lore explained

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The Vanir was a Pagan God used in Supernatural’s Scarecrow. Just how much of it was based on the real urban legends and lore?

Ever wondered just how much of the Supernatural urban legends are based on true lore and mythology? “Scarecrow” was the first episode to focus on something other than Native American lore. It pulled for European lore, focusing on the Northern European Pagan lore.

Here’s a look at the Supernatural Vanir lore and the true mythology it’s pulled from.

The Supernatural Vanir

In Season1, Episode 11, Supernatural introduced the Norse Pagan God called the Vanir. The God would offer security, protection, and wealth for those who made sacrifices. These sacrifices would be human and during a specific time of the year. Each time the sacrifices would be a male and female and they would be “fattened up” with a “last feast” before they were killed.

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John Winchesters had noticed the pattern of missing people around Burkittsville, Indiana and sent his boys off to investigate. It didn’t take Dean long to work out that it was a Pagan God, but he needed to know which one. Then he needed to work out how to stop it.

It turns out that an old apple tree was the source of the power. This tree had been transported by colonists to the area. A scarecrow was placed in the orchard, so the Pagan God could take control of it and search for his sacrifices. Dean and Sam burned down the tree to destroy the Vanir.

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The real Vanir lore

In real Norse lore, the Vanir are actually a group of Gods. They’re linked to magic, wisdom, fertility, and foresight. They gained their name from Vanaheimr, the name of their location. Norse deities Freyja, Freyr, and Njoror are all members of the Vanir and are some of the most well-known Norse Gods.

There are minimal mentions of the Vanir in Norse works. In fact, they can sometimes be connected to another group of Gods, known as the Aesir. The Aesir include the God Odin and it is he who most commonly received the human sacrifices in Scandinavian lore. The Vanir mostly received animal sacrifices.

Next: Sueprnatural urban legends: Salting and burning lore explained

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