The Myth Of Asgard Explained

Asgard is the home of the Norse sky gods, and in that sense its name is surprisingly literal. As the Online Etymology Dictionary explains, the name Asgard (or Ásgarðr in Old Norse) is a combination of the Old Norse words āss (yes, get your giggles out), meaning "god," and garðr, meaning "enclosure" or "garden." So, yeah, it's literally just the garden of the gods. But specifically it's home to the Aesir, or the sky gods, whose name is just the plural of āss. It is probably for this reason that most modern English adaptations of Norse myth tend to stick to saying "Aesir" in the plural. The other major tribe of Norse gods, mentioned far less often in surviving texts, are the Vanir, who are less mighty sky warriors and more magical fertility deities.

The -gard element of the name, meaning "enclosure," is of course related to the English words garden and yard, but also the Latin word hortus (meaning "garden," as in "horticulture"), and the Russian suffix -grad (meaning "city," as in Stalingrad and Leningrad). Less immediately obvious related words in English include gird, girth, and girdle (as they all have to do with surrounding or enclosing something); and carol, choir, chorale, and chorus (because the original Greek chorus was a group that danced in a circle). Imagine if Asgard actually meant "dancing circle of the gods." It's clearly etymologically possible.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCFkGxoaWtfqbWmecyyq6Fln5t6or%2FGmqmdZZWtva2tyKecnWc%3D