Borr

Borr

Pronunciation

BORR (rhymes with 'more')

Also Known As

Burr

Tribe

Primordial


Sacred Animals

No sacred animals are associated with this deity.


Sacred Symbols & Objects

No sacred symbols are recorded for this deity.


Parentage

Parentage is unknown or unattested.


Consorts

Bestla

Offspring

Odin

Source Quality: Directly Attested

Borr (Old Norse: Borr, also Burr) is the son of Búri and the father of Odin, Vili, and Vé — the three brothers who slew Ymir and created the world from his body. His existence is attested in Gylfaginning and briefly in Völuspá, which refers to ‘the sons of Borr’ (Bors synir) as the agents of world-creation, confirming that his name and role are not a purely Snorian invention.

Borr’s wife was Bestla, a giantess and daughter of the giant Bölthorn, making Odin half-giant through his mother. Beyond his genealogical function, Borr has no independent mythological narrative in the surviving sources.

Traditional Offerings

  • No offerings to Borr are described in any primary source.

Modern Offerings

This deity does not have a widely established modern following.

Primary Sources

Source Quality

Directly Attested

Additional Notes

Notes

Borr is one of the few primordial figures independently attested in both the Poetic Edda (Völuspá references 'Bors synir') and Gylfaginning. He is not a deity in any functional sense and has no cult. His mother (Búri's wife) is unnamed in all primary sources.

Join the Community

Questions about starting or restarting your practice? Want to discuss what you are experiencing?

Join The Grove, our Discord community. It is a welcoming space specifically for people at the beginning of their path.

Browse ThePaganTemple.com to:

    • Access free lessons, like this one, on specific traditions
    • Watch the video version of this guide on Youtube.
    • Join The Grove Discord community
    • Support free pagan education through Temple Guardians
Affiliate Disclosure