- This article is about the Scandanavian goddess. See also Saturn's moon Skathi.
In Norse mythology, Skaði (Old Norvegian/Old Icelandic Skadhi) is a mountain giantess, wife of the Van god Njord and thus a Van goddess herself.
When the gods killed her father Thjazi, she journeyed to Asgard to avenge him, but then she agrees that she would have that renounced if they allowed her to choose a husband among them and if they succeeded in making her laugh.
The gods allowed her to choose a husband, but she had to choose him only from his feet; she choose Njord because his feet were so beautiful that she thought he was Baldr.
Then Loki succeeded in making her laugh, so peace was made, and Odin made two stars from Thjazi's eyes.
After a while, she and her husband separated, because she loved the mountains (Thrymheim), while he wanted to live near the sea (Noatun). The Ynglinga saga says that later she became wife of Odin, and had many sons by him or she left Njord for Ull.
She is the goddess who tied the serpent above Loki's body when he was bounded to the three rocks; this is a footnote to the poem in the Elder Edda, Lokasenna.
It is believed by some mythologists that in the early days of the Norse mythology, Skaði was venerated as a goddess of the hunt, and rivalled the goddesses Frigg and Freyja in terms of significance and popularity; however, she seems to have faded into the background during the progression of Scandinavian beliefs, and little of her survives in lore or artefact.
She is called "Öndurgodh" and "Öndurdis", "Sky Goddess".
Her name could mean "damage" or "goddess of the underground world".
Her name is sometimes mentioned as the source of the name "Scandinavia". Skathi, a moon of Saturn, is named after her.
Other names
- Skade
- Skadi
- Skadhi
- Skathi
- Skaoi
