Ran | the-asatru-community

Ran, Goddess of the Sea

Ran is a giantess, who's name actually means "Sea," and she is the wife of the Jotnar God Aegir. Both Ran and Aegir live beneath the waves in their grand watery halls. Together they have nine daughters, who are the waves themselves.

Besides being the wife of the sea god Aegir, Ran has a very important job. From what I know about Ran, I am not sure if she does this out of kindness, or out of malice, I will let you decide that for yourself.

When people drown at sea, whether due to bad weather or fighting at sea(ect.), Ran, in her giant net, captures those souls who are now sinking to the bottom of the ocean and brings them to her home, Aegir's hall at the bottom of the sea. Here, her guests feast on seafood and sail on the seas all day.

It was custom to always have a gold coin when going out to sea, if you did not have one, and you had a good leader he would give you one. It was viewed as rude to go down to Ran's hall with out bearing a gift, and the coin fit that purpose.

In the Prose and Poetic Eddas, as well as other sagas it is written that Ran desires all of the souls of those who are out on the Sea. She pulls on the lines of ship anchors, dragging the ships and their crews down into the ocean where she catches them with her net. She sends her daughters, the waves to sink ships so she may also get the men on board. In some even more shocking stories she attacks ships themselves and sinks them!

In the Volsunga Saga, when the dwarf Andvari turns into an otter, in order to escape the Aesir and keep his ring,. Loki is put in charge of catching him. In order to do this, Ran lends him her giant net, which he then uses to catch the shape shifting dwarf. The catching of this dwarf, and his subsequent ring causes much future chaos thanks to Loki and Ran.

So there you have it! There is not too much information on Ran, she is a Jotnar Goddess of the Sea, her name means Sea. Her husband is the Jotnar God of the Ocean Aegir, they have nine daughters who are the waves. She drags men down and drowns them, or gets them when they are drowned in her giant net to bring them down to her watery halls where they may feast and enjoy their afterlife for all eternity. She, and her motives are very complicated, as all gods and goddesses minds are.

May you not find yourself in Ran's net any time soon! Farwell until next time! Hail!

Ancient Mysteries - Re: The Giants Lost in History (disclose.tv)