The Number 9 in Norse Mythology & Religion: Sources from the Viking Age and later folk tradition

The famous number 9 is found countless times in sources about the Norse religion. This number not only permeates Norse mythology but also resurfaces in folk traditions as late as the 1800s, suggesting a persistence of pagan customs. Interestingly, the reverence for the number 9 extends beyond Norse culture, appearing in various spiritual traditions globally, indicative of its profound significance. This article goes over some of those most known sources and attempts to explain the deeper meaning and connection tying these together.

The Nine Worlds

First, the most common attestation of the number 9 is the concept of nine worlds in Norse mythology. Various texts mention the existence of nine worlds but stop short of naming them all, leaving us to speculate on many of their identities. One of the multiple sources attesting the existence of 9 worlds without naming any of them comes in the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá

2. Ek man jötna ár um borna,
þá er forðum mik fœdda höfðu;
níu man ek heima, níu íviði,
mjötvið mœran fyr mold neðan.

2. I remember yet | the giants of yore,
Who gave me bread | in the days gone by;
Nine worlds I knew, | the nine in the tree
With mighty roots | beneath the mold.

Many, including myself, interpret these 9 worlds or realms "Níu Heimar" as distinct dimensions, aligning with modern physics' string theory, which proposes the existence of 10-12 dimensions. Subtracting the three dimensions perceivable by humans, we arrive at a possible nine dimensions, mirroring the structure found in Norse mythology and other spiritual beliefs.

It is also worth noting that in the Prose Edda, there are 9 heavenly realms attested. There are also 9 rivers in Hel, the afterlife and realm of the dead. There are mentioned by name, but again, the most known 9 worlds are only sporadically mentioned by name and never together. We cannot be sure what these 9 realms were all called, but I will go over the possibilities in detail in a future article.

9 Days

In Norse mythology, the number nine frequently appears when refering to days. Odin, the chief deity, underwent a profound transformation by hanging on the Yggdrasil tree for nine days, during which he acquired the esoteric wisdom of the runes and learned eighteen magical songs, as narrated in the "Hávamál." This event is often interpreted as a shamanic ritual, hinting at a transcendent journey into other realms, paralleling the mythical narratives.

Another instance is Hermodr's quest in the Prose Edda’s "Gylfaginning," where he journeyed for nine nights through utter darkness to Hel in an attempt to retrieve Baldr. This odyssey mirrors the shamanic voyages to the underworld, common in various eastern traditions. Furthermore, the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, belonging to Odin, and the Yggdrasil tree are both potent symbols in these shamanic journeys, serving as conduits between different worlds.

The myths also subtly communicate the importance of the number nine in rites and cosmic cycles. For example, the magical ring Draupnir, which created eight new rings every nine nights, symbolizes the gestation and development process of the soul, akin to the eight-fold division of the soul in Greek and Vedic traditions. This attestation of 9 days surrounding Draupnir is often metaphorically aligned with the nine months of human gestation, commonly represented as nine moon cycles in Norse mythology, underscoring the sacredness of this number.

In the Poetic Edda poem "Skírnismál," Freyr's nine-night wait to marry the giantess Gerdr symbolizes the germination and nurturing of seeds within the earth, reflecting the agricultural cycle and the etymological roots of the names Freyr and Gerdr.

Old Norse Freyr ("Lord")

Proto-Germanic *frawjô (“Lord”)

Old Swedish/Danish *Frø̄ ("Lord")

Modern Swedish/Danish/Norwegian frø ("seed")

Proto-Germanic *fraiwą ("Seed")

Old Norse Gerðr from garðr ("enclosed space, yard, fenced-in, courtyard")

From Proto-Germanic *gardaz (“court, yard, enclosure”)

 

Similarly, the marital trial of Skadi and Njord, where they spent nine nights alternating between sea and mountain in the Prose Edda’s "Gylfaginning," hints at the natural and divine cycles of integration and separation, though its deeper meaning remains elusive.

The "Völsunga saga" further illustrates the mystique of the number nine, where Sinfjötli and his nine brothers undergo a tragic fate involving a she-wolf, reflecting the recurring motif of nine in Norse sagas and its ambiguous but significant connection to wolf symbolism, particularly the "Ulfhednar", or wolf warriors. These narratives, rich with symbolic layers, continue to intrigue scholars and enthusiasts, revealing the profound resonance of the number nine within the Norse cosmological and mythological framework.

We also find parallels of the number 9 connected with "wolf warriors" in ancient Greek traditions. Pliny the Elder mentions that in Greek culture, one individual from each generation was required to transform into a wolf for nine years, suggesting a profound, possibly underworld, journey or transformation. This theme resonates with the Norse narratives involving berserkers and Ulfhednar, warriors associated with Odin known for their ferocious combat trance, suggesting a deep-rooted cultural significance of the number nine across different mythologies.

9 Years

There are also numerous times where 9 years are attested in important sources. 

In the Norse epic "Völundarkviða," the narrative of three Valkyries losing their swan pelts to three brothers for nine years until they reclaim them and escape, further emphasizes the theme of a nine-year cycle of captivity and liberation.

Similarly, "Gróttasöngr" tells of the giantesses Menja and Fenja, who endured underground toil for nine years, reinforcing the concept of a transformative period.

The number nine also appears to signify a transition to adulthood and the assumption of responsibility. According to sources like "Vatnsdæla saga" and "Heimskringla (Sigurð's Saga)," reaching the age of nine marked a significant milestone in a child’s life, granting them the agency to make decisions independently.

Though explicit explanations for the recurrent nine-year theme are scarce, it seems to symbolize a period of rebirth or transformation, echoing the Greek belief in a nine-year cycle for the reincarnation of the most virtuous souls. This suggests a broader, perhaps universal, cultural perception of nine-year cycles as times of significant change and renewal. The consistency of this number across various myths and traditions invites further speculation and interpretation, indicating a potential underlying structure in the mythological understanding of time and transformation.

Sacrifices

The significance of the number nine extends beyond mythology into the realm of ancient practices, as evidenced in historical accounts of sacrifices. These attestations provide a glimpse into how the symbolic importance of nine was manifested in real-world rituals.

In the temple of Uppsala, a notable ritual involved nine days of sacrifices, with each day featuring the sacrifice of a male from a different species, totaling nine sacrifices. This account, documented by Adam of Bremen, highlights the ceremonial use of the number nine in Norse pagan practices.

Similarly, Thietmar of Merseburg describes a Viking Age ritual in Lejre, Denmark, where, every nine years, nine beings from each species, including humans, were sacrificed. This recurrent theme of nine in sacrificial rites underscores its sacral importance in Norse and broader Germanic traditions.

The "Ynglinga Saga" recounts the tale of a Swedish king named On, who, at the age of sixty, began sacrificing his sons to Odin, believing each sacrifice would extend his life by ten years. After sacrificing nine sons and reaching an age close to 150, his subjects prevented the tenth sacrifice, leading to his eventual death. While this story may not be entirely factual, it illustrates the recurring motif of nine in Norse narratives and its perceived magical or sacred potency.

These historical and mythological sources collectively underscore the deep-rooted significance of the number nine in Norse culture, spanning both mythic narratives and ritual practices, reflecting a broader ancient perception of nine as a number of cosmic and spiritual importance.

Valkyries & Other Maidens

The number nine continues to weave its way through Norse semi-mythological/legendary sources, blending the mythological with tales believed to be rooted in historical events, further illustrating its significance across various narratives.

In the poem "Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar II," nine valkyries inspire Helgi to abandon his lethargy, marking a pivotal moment in his life. This number recurs as three sets of nine valkyries shield Helgi's fleet in battle, emphasizing the valkyries' integral role in warfare and fate. Additionally, in the reincarnation story of Helgi and his valkyrie lover within the same poetic cycle, nine valkyries, led by Sigrun, appear to quell a storm, showcasing their protective and nurturing aspects.

The Norns, typically known as a trio overseeing fate, are expanded to nine in some sources, including Snorri's work, which identifies three groups of three Norns associated with the Æsir, elves, and dwarves. This expansion suggests a broader, more complex structure of fate and destiny within Norse cosmology that is not attested in other sources.

In the realm of familial ties, Heimdall is described as the offspring of nine sisters in "Gylfaginning," while Ægir and Rán, deities of the sea, have nine daughters named after and personifying various wave types.

Similarly, Menglöð in "Fjölsvinnsmál" is served by nine maidens, and in "Eiríks saga rauða," a seeress named Þorbjörg is said to have nine prophetic sisters, further underlining the number's thematic importance.

The concept of the fylgja, or guardian spirit, also aligns with the number nine in some sources, as in the tale from "Þiðranda þáttr ok Þórhalls" where a man named Þiðrandi is slain by nine female spirits during a feast, reflecting the tension between pagan beliefs and the advent of Christianity in Iceland.

These accounts, ranging from the mythological to the historically credible, consistently highlight the number nine, affirming its pervasive and multifaceted presence in Norse tradition.

Additional attestations of "Nine"

In the climactic events of Ragnarok, as depicted in the "Völuspa" and "Gylfaginning," Thor's demise after defeating the Midgard Serpent and taking nine steps before succumbing to its venom highlights the recurring theme of the number nine in Norse mythology. The significance of these nine steps may be symbolic, reflecting the pervasive use of this number in pagan beliefs, even when its inclusion serves no explicit narrative function. This preference underscores the number's deep-rooted cultural and religious importance.

Post Christianization

Post-Christianization, the transition from the number nine to seven in many contexts reflects the Christian influence, yet the persistence of nine in various traditions signals a strong pagan undercurrent. Historical documents, like the "Grágás" law codes in Iceland and the "Gulating" law in Norway, mention the number nine in contexts such as regional leadership, legal procedures, and cultural practices, indicating the continued influence of pagan customs well into Christian times.

Moving forward in time, we find the number nine in numerous folk traditions recorded across Scandinavia from the 1400s until the early 1900s. These are of course long after the official Christianization of Scandinavia but the existence of the number nine in these traditions shows that some pagan customs survived extensively. These attestations in magic books(svartebøker), records of legal documents, witch trial records, and local legends, further attests to its cultural significance. 

One example practiced in Sweden as late as the 1800s was to cure a toothache, you could get a twig from 9 different fruit trees and pick the tooth that aches and put the twigs in an ant hill in the north of the farm.  Another from the same time period instructs the user to cure a "troll shot"(a projectile curse-like attack), you can go to a willow bush and take 9 small branches and make them into a ring. On a morning before the sun rises take those rings and make downward strokes on the person affected. Another from the 1700s in Sweden is a love spell. Take 9 drops of water from a river or creek where there was a whirlpool and sprinkle those drops on the one that you want and they will be in love with you.

To read more of these, the best books written in English are "Trolldom" by Johannes Gardback and "Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend" where you can read dozens of these similar practices attesting the number nine.

These traditions, captured in songs, tales, and legal codes, highlight the longevity of the number nine as a cultural symbol, suggesting that many practices deemed pagan persisted long after the Viking Age. The prevalence of these customs, often documented much later but clearly rooted in pre-Christian beliefs, underscores the enduring legacy of the number nine in the spiritual and daily lives of the Norse and their descendants.

 

Global Pagan Attestations

The number nine's significance extends far beyond Norse mythology, permeating various cultures and spiritual traditions globally. In Vedic texts, the number 108, a multiple of nine, holds great importance, reflecting its spiritual significance. Similarly, Buddhist practices often involve mantras chanted 108 times, further exemplifying the number's sacredness.

In Greek mythology, nine carries notable weight, as illustrated by the story of Persephone, who every nine years would restore souls, emphasizing the cycle of rebirth and karma. The legendary mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras also highlighted the number nine, or more precisely, the octave consisting of eight sounds relating to the 8 art of the human soul adds a mystical dimension to the number's symbolism, which resonates with the Norse concept of Draupnir's eight new rings. Additionally, the nine Muses in Greek mythology, akin to the valkyries in Norse lore, signify the number's cultural and artistic importance.

In ancient Egypt, the Ennead, a group of nine gods, further underscores the universality of the number's sacred status. Even in Hittite mythology, a nine-year service period for gods signifies its ceremonial and temporal significance.

These examples illustrate that the number nine's symbolic and cultural importance is a recurring theme in various ancient traditions, highlighting its universal appeal and enduring legacy across different civilizations and epochs.

 

Conclusion

This is only a small percent of all the attestations of the number nine. In any viking age saga, even extending beyond to foreign Christian sources about the norsemen, the number 9 comes up countless times. In conclusion, many of these attestations are simply a number and have no symbolic meaning the vast majority of the time. The number nine was simply a popular number to choose when composing a story. Of course other times, it is deeply symbolic and is specifically used in these text explaining processes in nature and other phenomena that the Norse observed. Like most other norse concepts in the sources, each instance of the number nine needs to be looked at individually to determine the meaning and symbolism.