Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Nerthus

Nerthus

1 9.9
A goddess of ancient German tribes who brings good crops and new life
  • proper noun
  • Literature
: Nerthus
  • The Romans documented various northern deities, including Nerthus, in their writings.

Examples

  • Statues of female deities called by many names, including Innana, Isis, Gula, and Nerthus, holding their sacred snakes, have been found in Greece, Rome, Northern Europe, and the countries of the Near East.

    Academic text (1994)

  • In ancient times, people worshipped Nerthus as a goddess of fertility and prosperity.

  • Fjorgyn and Fjorgynn, Nerthus and Njordur, Freyja and Freyr.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Many rituals were dedicated to Nerthus, celebrating the earth's fertility and abundance.

Synonyms

Hertha
vsNerthus
  • Literature
1 9.9

A goddess who brings fertility in old Germanic stories and is later linked to the Norse god Njord

has identical meaning but appears as a different historical name or spelling variant

Surface Forms

Nerthus main

Etymology

Nerthus is the name of an old Germanic fertility goddess, and one idea links her name to an old word for earth or to the Norse god Njord. So a helpful way to remember Nerthus is to think of her as an 'earth' goddess who brings growth and life.