Vör

In Norse mythology, Vör (Old Norse: Vǫr, possibly "the careful one," or "aware, careful") is a goddess linked to wisdom. She is mentioned in the Prose Edda, a book written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Vör also appears twice in special poetic phrases called kennings used in skaldic poetry, which were ancient poems made by poets. People who study these stories have shared different ideas about what Vör’s role and meaning might be.

Attestations

In the book Gylfaginning from the Prose Edda, a character named High talks about 16 wise goddesses called ásynjur. Vör is listed as the tenth goddess. High says Vör is very wise and curious, so nothing can stay hidden from her. There is even a saying that a woman "becomes aware" when she discovers something new. Later, in another book called Skáldskaparmál, Vör's name appears again in a list of 27 ásynjur names.

Theories

Scholars are not sure if Vör was truly a goddess as described in old stories. Some think she might have been one of several protective goddesses who helped with different parts of daily life.

Others believe that mentions of Vör are very rare and hard to understand. This makes it difficult to know much about her for certain.