The name of the primary tribe of Norse deities, often anglicized as “Aesir” in English. The word “Æsir” is plural for áss or ǫ́ss, which simply means “god.” The words Ásatrú and Asatro gets their names from this term.
In Norse mythology, the Aesir go to war with another tribe known as the Vanir. The Aesir are sometimes thought to represent civilization while the Vanir are thought to represent fertile land and agriculture. These two tribes are sometimes contrasted with Jötnar—beings that embody the untamable and even hostile wilderness.
However, the word “Aesir” describes a community of gods as opposed to a divine species. Many of the Norse gods are descended from Jötnar, if not fully Jötunn themselves.
