AESIR AND AISER ARE THE SAME
They Are, But They Are Not?
The comparison between certain mythological entities is often presented with contradictory claims—stating they are not the same, while simultaneously arguing they are related. This inconsistency is rooted in distortions, misinterpretations, and a failure to properly analyze linguistic and historical origins. Below are key points explaining why the assumed differences are misleading and why the actual etymology and cultural connections matter.
The Shared Linguistic Origins: Aiser and Aesir
Etruscan vs. Icelandic References
AISER (or Eisir) originates in Etruscan mythology (estimated around 600 BCE).
AESIR, most commonly referenced in Icelandic sources, does not appear in written records until the 10th century CE.
This major gap between the earliest mentions of these terms suggests that one heavily influenced the other—likely through Latin-trained scholars, who borrowed extensively from Greek and Roman sources, including Etruscan traditions. The same pattern can be seen in Irish and Scottish references to the Aes Sí (Aos Sí), reinforcing this shared conceptual lineage.
The True Root of the Word
Rather than divine origins, these terms stem from simple linguistic constructs:
Aise (Norman Frankish) – The root of "ease," meaning comfort and well-being.
Aes (an alternate spelling) combined with Síd (singular of Sídu, meaning "seat" or "establishment," akin to Latin Sede/Sedes).
This connection indicates that these terms originally signified places of rest, stability, and settlement, rather than deities. Their meanings were later reinterpreted and altered by those compiling mythological texts based on Latin-influenced narratives.
Reevaluating Mythological Structures
Light and Dark Courts
Many myths divide supernatural entities into dualistic classifications based on light and darkness, day and night:
Etruscan Aiser Si – The "light court," associated with the Sun and Day.
Etruscan Aiser Seu – The "dark court," linked to the Moon and Night.
This parallels Irish and Scottish traditions, where the Aes Sí (Aos Sí) split into:
Seelie Court (Light-aligned beings).
Unseelie Court (Dark-aligned beings).
These classifications mirror Latin theological influences, reinforcing that such divisions were repeated across different cultures, often with slight alterations in interpretation.
Seelie: The Evolution of Meaning
The term Seelie (from Scottish sources) originates from Old Saxon salig—the same root that gave rise to:
Silly, which initially meant playful, harmless, and good-natured, but later shifted to mean foolish or lacking reason.
This demonstrates how words evolve, shaping the perception of supernatural beings over time, often influenced by later cultural biases.
Sacred Burial Grounds and Ancestral Spirits
Valhalla: Misrepresented Meaning
The term Valhalla has been incorrectly portrayed in modern texts:
Val means fall (associated with being slain).
Halla/Holl refers to halls or burial sites.
Thus, Valhalla is not an ethereal paradise but rather a poetic reference to burial mounds and catacombs, serving as both tombs and temples for the honored dead.
Asgard: A Cemetery Rather Than a Realm of the Gods
Asgard (Ais-gard) translates to "Yard of the Aiser/Eisar", reinforcing its connection to burial grounds.
Associated with catacombs and halls, further proving its alignment with grave sites rather than a lofty celestial kingdom.
Vanaheim, the home of the Vanir, derives from Latin Vanus (meaning vanity or emptiness), aligning with Old Norse vana (wane, diminish)—suggesting the Vanir were later narrative additions meant to reinforce duality between groups.
These locations are deeply connected to burial mounds, ancestor worship, and the remembrance of fallen leaders—sometimes referred to in medieval texts as "mortal gods" or venerated ancestors.
Etruscan Sources and Ritual Traditions
Liber Linteus: A Clear Example of Borrowed Mythology
The 3rd century BCE Etruscan artifact, Liber Linteus, provides ample evidence of cultural continuity:
Ais (plural Aisar/Eisar) – The term for divine figures.
Aiser Si (Light Deities) vs. Aiser Seu (Dark Deities) – Reinforcing day-night duality.
Offerings were made using oil from Chi and Esvi rituals, preserving traditions that later appeared in Norse and Celtic mythology.
Sacred places included Fanu and Luth, referring to graves or temples, where offerings had to be made.
Additionally:
Ancestors (Man/Mani, Latin Manes) were memorialized through tomb structures (Mun/Muni).
The three classifications of deities—Primordial, Divine, and Underworld—clearly correspond to later interpretations of cosmic hierarchy.
Some deities were classified as unknown or unknowable, referred to as Dii Involuti (Veiled Ones)—reinforcing mysticism surrounding divine obscurity.
These structural elements mirror later medieval classifications, proving that the reworking of these beliefs shaped Northern European mythologies centuries later.
Snorri Sturluson’s Mistaken Assumptions
Snorri Sturluson, a 12th-century scholar, misinterpreted the origins of these terms, assuming that Aesir derived from Asia or Anatolia, based on old Greek references to the Persian Empire.
He equated the name Aesir with Asia, misunderstanding that the term Asia was merely a directional term for the eastern lands where the Sun rises.
The actual linguistic roots of east (aust, aus, ost, eos) do not match the mythological usage, reinforcing the flaw in his assumption.
Furthermore, the Eddas, which serve as primary sources for Norse mythology, were compiled and named around the 14th century CE—meaning much of the material had already undergone reinterpretation before being finalized.
Trade and Cultural Exchange: Why the Mythological Overlap Exists
The Etruscan version of these classifications predates the Icelandic references by 1,600 years.
The Etruscans had extensive trade networks, exchanging goods and culture with Galatians, Gauls, Scandinavian peoples, and Anatolian civilizations.
Travel, even 2,500 years ago, would not have taken more than 9-12 months on foot, making cultural transmission inevitable over centuries.
Those dismissing direct connections ignore the overwhelming number of linguistic, mythological, and historical coincidences—to the point where these similarities are far beyond mere chance.
Other notable mentions:
Elvenblód: BLOOD ELVES AND THE TRUE WILD HUNT
Elvenblód (a name derived from Álfablót literally meaning Blood Elves but also can mean Blood Wolves) is a modern ritual observance during a Blood Moon —a total lunar eclipse with a red hue, occurring 2–4 times a year. This means there is no fixed date on the calendar as with other holidays and observances.
The oldest source of Elf is actually Ulf which is the same source as wolf. This is almost never mentioned and if it is it is only in a vague foot note. Proof is enough by tracking down the roots that include such as ulf, álf, olf, ulv, áv, olv, and included the 'w' as wulf, wolf, walf to name but a few of these variations.
There are many variations of this that one can find which also is one reason why one will often find shared characteristics of elves with wolves, and even concepts such as werewolves in older sources.
The most common associations are the moon and hunting. It also all shares its form the same roots as the word wool and wooly, specifically from wulfel as wool + fell a term for a skin from which the wool/thick fur of a hide has not been sheared or pulled off from a wolf hide and also used as a term for a "feller of wolves" as in a wolf hunter.
Wulfel survives to this day in the surname Wolfel which dates back to at least the 13th century CE.
It has no connection in any case with words like alp in associated meanings such as white and the actual reason for that being suggested is questionable for many diverse reasons, though can only be in itself speculative.
Úlfhéðnar, meaning "wolf-headed ones" or "wolf-skinned ones," derives from Álf/Úlf/Ólf (related to walf/wulf/wolf) and héðinn (linked to "hooded," "headed," or "hides," meaning wolf skin), with the plural suffix -ar from Scandinavian roots. These warriors wore wolf-shaped helmets and skins in battle, channeling the wolf’s ferocity, speed, and cunning. Wolves, totems of Godan, symbolize strength, guidance, loyalty, protection, and lunar hunting ties.
Wolves also maintain nature’s harmony, guarding the untamed world, connecting to the basis behind later Werewolf origins with ancient rituals. Úlfhéðnar consumed intoxicants, howling and shaking rhythmically, dancing to mimic wolves circling prey—a proto-dance with prehistoric roots—before battles or hunts, as reconstructed from fragmented ancient sources.
Common Symbols:
Wolves: Symbolizing the Álfar’s predatory but also loyal nature and their connection to the Wild Hunt as an expression of a wolfpack as a spectral hunting procession. Wolves, often depicted as hunters or through howling sounds, represent the chaotic, primal energy tied to the Hunt’s foreboding presence during a Blood Moon.
Moon: The Blood Moon (as well as any Hunter's Moon as a term originally meaning any full moon), a red-hued total lunar eclipse, symbolizes the Álfar’s lunar tie and the Wild Hunt’s unrestrained natural and spiritual power.
As a Hunter’s Moon (a full moon following the autumn equinox, often linked to hunting season), it enhances the hunting theme, marking a time when the Álfar and the Hunt are believed to pursue spiritual (and literal) prey and a need to avoid becoming prey.
Arrowheads: Representing Elfshot, the belief that the Álfar hunt with invisible arrows causing harm, arrowheads symbolize their role as supernatural hunters.
Placed near offerings or carried as amulets, they connect to the hunting motif, echoing the Álfar’s spectral pursuit during the Hunter’s Moon.
Draug: The oldest source of Draug (also Draugr) is the same as Drag. In fact, it literally means Dragger. It is likewise related to dragan "draws, drags," which is the source of dragon despite many "objections" to this fact. Case in point, it is also spelled as draugen, draugur or dreygur which again retains a sense of dragging something (or someone).
When used in reference to a reanimated corpse, it is not uncommon for such an entity to also be described as "taking on the form of a dragon since both are associated with graves, burial mounds, caverns, catacombs and ancient offerings as "burial hordes" they guard jealously.
The oldest recorded sense besides that of "pulling" is of "drinking" such as in draught and offerings of drinks as part of old customs honoring the dead in which some of a drink is poured on a grave or the ground and then some is consumed by the participants as a type of communion.
One can also see it's also connected to the word drug in reference to some sort of intoxicant and also with a hallucination. Ghost is a later association with a Draug, also spelled Draugr among the many variations between dialects.
Dwarf: The oldest source of the word Dwarf is actually duerg. It’s a compound of du + erg with the base meaning of "do work and to work" and can also mean 'the worker" and akin to the word demi-urge as "secondary worker."
It has nothing to do with any sort of context meaning a diminutive size.
In any case this association with working has to do with manual labor and part of the reason why Dwarves still retain in concept the association with "working in pits and mines and caves, as well as crafting tools and weapons, among other such things.
Ettin: Ettin literally means Eaten and Eater. Used as a term for cannibals and cannibalism it sometimes also was applied to animals as man-eaters. Sometimes it is also, though rarely, expressed in the context of a rotten corpse eaten by worms and or insects or invertebrates of land and sea.
Variations of this word also include eoten, etun, Iotan, jötunn, jötun and the plural form such as jötnar or ettins from ettin.
There were also alternative names such as þursar (sing. þurs) which means thirst and used in the sense of blood thirsty when applied to such entities, and risar (sing. risi) meaning simply to rise as in get up. Referring to such as Risers was used figuratively in reference to being 'awakened from sleep' and 'standing up' in an aggressive manner and ready to attack.
Sometimes these secondary terms were combined in ways such as þursarisar roughly meaning 'thirsty risers' and in a sense tended to have a roughly vampiric connotation to it when used in such a manner.
The association with the word for Giant is a much later addition of concept and has led to many later erronous representations, as in many cases such terms were predominately used to refer cannibalistic reanimated corpses, which in turn has also been overshadowed in representations of a Draug.
It’s often applied to and shares etymology with another word known as Juten or simply the Jutes.
It is also sometimes applied with the same concept as Goblin, which is from the root gob meaning mouth. It’s akin to such terms as gobble (meaning to eat in a greedy or in a gluttonous manner) as well as such words as Goblet.
It was and is sometimes used as an alternative word for Ettin in a few cases as there is also often the association with cannibals and the act of cannibalism with Goblins as well.
Ghost: The oldest source of the word ghost is gāst as the same source giest originally applied in the sense of "stranger" as a common root for both the words gust as in a sudden movement of air, and guest as someone to be treated with proper hospitality and respect.
It is from the association with air or wind that it also has been used as an alternative for the word spirit which also means wind, air and also used as a term meaning breath, and also holds concepts such as a "presence" or "power" rather than the concept of personality.
It’s within the concept of Ghost that the personality element is shared with the connection to guest.
It didn't originally apply to but did come to include a concept of the mind, memories and personality of the dead that somehow has a continued existence after death of the base bodily form.
It’s much later still that the addition concept of an apparition or appearance came into play.
Giant: This isn’t even an unknown one. It comes from Gigant as a short from of the plural Greek Gigantes from the base giga akin to mega, both of which are Greek and have the meaning of huge, big or large. All of this is of course said to be pre-Greek though what source is deputed.
Gnome: The word gnome is from Medieval Latin gnomus used by the 16th-century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus in reference to the term pigmy (in Latin as pigmaei) that he also referred to as gnomi. It's more likely, considering his association of this character with "earth" in the sense of land, rock and soil, that he used the more Greek sense of genomos, which is often translated roughly as earth dweller, though it is inaccurate.
Goblin: This word is actually derived from the 1540s Irish word gob meaning "mouth," and thus related to the other English noun gob, and akin to 'gab' used for 'idle talk,' though it originally was used in the sense of taunt or mock. The "-lin suffix is like the 'ing' suffix, a reduction of 'ling.'
Usually, "ling" is used an indication of "descent" as an offspring or in the sense of "belonging or akin to" and as such in the sense of "species." Examples include such as Elf-ling.
The main thing Goblins are associated with as such is greed and gluttony, however, there are some examples where they are also associated with cannibalism and even used at times as an alternative term for such as Ettin or simply "devourer" in general.
Ogre: One of the most common questions tends to be “why Ogres are always or mostly represented as green giant type characters?” It’s literally in the name. It comes from the same source as agri, agre and agro from Greek and Latin into French ogre meaning "field" as in an open field of green grasses and shrubs.
Sometimes this also applied to marshlands and swamps which clarifies some of the other later more fantasy-based additions.
It is not related to Latin Orcus which comes from Older Latin arca where the word ark comes from and means a box or chest, though it also applied to the sense of a casket holding the remains of the dead.
. It’s also known an orca and the word arcane meaning hidden, secret and obscured are shared before Orca was used as a name for a type of whale.
Troll: The oldest source of Troll is the same as Thrall with the simple and base meaning of capture and thus, a specific term for "capturer." It is akin also to trawl "captive." Even the word Enthrall means entrap/capture, and figuratively a captive.
Trolling is a term used in such a context with fishing using "dragnets" and the term "enthrall" meaning to 'capture one's attention.
It has often been confused with the source words from trail and track resulting in such as trolley being applied.
Troll and Thrall also share in being used as old terms for slave and servant as someone who is taken captive and reduced to little more than cattle, and sometimes less than cattle.
It's often confused with the word Trow which actually is another spelling of the word meaning true, and alternatively spelled Drow. Of course, all versions of the word true also are akin to tree in a generic sense and not a specific species of tree as has been claimed in the past.
The Tuatha De Danann/Danu: It actually means "People of the Danes."
Dane originally meant Danish tongue or language and was used to describe the ancient seafaring warriors and colonists from Scandinavia who founded the Kingdom of Denmark. Danann is an Old Saxon form of a plural which is also Danu = to Latinized Dani = Danes. The whole context meant foreigners who speak the Danish/Scandinavian languages.
It is a combination of Old Irish tuotha, which evolved into Old Lithuanian tauta, Old Prussian tauto, Oscan touto, which is an adaptation of Latin Teutoni, Gothic þiuda, Old English þios/theod = Those, thias = this/these and eventually theg = they, and thiu, thou/you.
This directly links to þessi, Middle Dutch dese, Dutch deze, Old High German deser, German dieser, and disir and not a term or word for female entities as many sources like to be deceitful about. In fact, the words are barely mentioned. It's a later assumption based on hypothetical nonsense.
Disir is a masculine word and the feminine would have been along the lines of disynjur which all indicate a very different and more figurative usage. De' is another Latin into meaning "of the/of/from."
Dani, also become Danar and Danir, which in turn is used as the actual inspiration for the word play of the invented Vanir by simply changing the D to a V but playing off the same basic theme of "foreign invaders or rivals."
This last part was well understood because when you compare all this also with the Aesir vs. Vanir fiction, you can see the whole basis behind British colonists of India inspiration for inventing a fake history the Aryan = Aesir invasion of the so-called Vanir = Dravidians, and the preoccupation with trying to proclaim even the language of Sanskrit originated from European sources instead of internation between India and Ancient Rome for example lending Hindi words from Sanskrit to such as Latin and others, making the reverse in this case the fact. But the whole point of that was for other ulterior motives of British Imperialism.
Valkyrie: The claimed meaning of Valkyrie as "chooser of the slain" is in fact false as the word for slain alone is actually 'sla' just as sua/swa is the source of the word sway, which was also spelled sweg to name some variations. I am personally of the opinion that the alternative actual prefix is from Valk preserved in Dutch and was applied as Valkr (confused with Volk and Folk) which would mean 'falcon' and have the feminine/female indicative suffix as Valk-yrie to simply mean a female falcon. This makes the most sense for several reasons.
Falconry was a very important concept among many European cultures and a common sign of royalty.
There are images of Falcons being sacrificed and offered as companions for the heroic and royal dead.
There have been found Falcon remains buried with people within these same cultures along with other items.
Valkyries are most commonly associated with the dead and with royalty as well as choosers of heroic dead.
Valkyries, like Facons, are often shown to be companions of particular heroes and heroic royalty.
The only other sensible translation that is more consistent with the language sources is Val, a source of the word fall, being combined with Kyr (a common source for the words car and cart) with a base sense of carry and hence it also being used for cow, would be combined as Val-kyr and then have the -ie suffix as a feminine/female indicative, wherein this sense it can mean "carrier of the fallen" rather than "choosers of the slain."
Considering all the associations, I would be open to considering both the associations with a falcon and as a carrier of souls would make sense, because another usage of falcons, as with other trained birds, was to carry messages (rather than souls in a more literal sense), which pigeons later became more commonly used for, while falcons tended to be used more commonly as hunting companions.
As to those associated most with said Valkyries, that brings us to the so-called Einherjar. This is a feminization imposed as a veiled insult as the word itself actually means 'One of the Harii' as Anharii or Anharan. Harii does not mean "army." It has been used in that way figuratively but is inaccurate. In fact, Harii is Latin, based on Hara, the source of the word Hare and where the word Harrier originates. It's base meaning is presumed to mean Grey, and though later sources assume it has some association with a species related to Rabbits called a Hare, it is more likely it was a reference to Grey Wolf pelts as part of the clothing of such a clan or tribe.
They are referenced by a Germanic tribe attested by Tacitus in his 1st century CE who states:
As for the Harii, quite apart from their strength, which exceeds that of the other tribes I have just listed, they pander to their innate savagery by skill and timing: with black shields and painted bodies, they choose dark nights to fight, and by means of terror and shadow of a ghostly army they cause panic, since no enemy can bear a sight so unexpected and hellish; in every battle the eyes are the first to be conquered.
Noting in any of this specifies coloring themselves as in "painted their bodies" with this or that. However, it is well known among many ancient cultures, including some tribes as recent as the 1800s from North America and modern Canada, that those wearing wolf hides also painted their bodies and faces black with soot from fires to hide their scents from the animals they were hunting, and often some sort of prior ceremonial rite and dance was part of the preparations a means of asking for a successful hunt. Painting black around one's eyes is also known to actually help with seeing but also has an effect to make one's eyes, especially lighter colored ones, to stand out, which can unnerve some people. However, that is simply an observation.
I have found more often than not so many words and concepts such as these were mistranslated on purpose by more than one source again by those who involved themselves with intentionally misleading readers and students with what seems to be shoddy scholarship at best. However, it becomes apparent at this point when we cross reference these things, we can see specific Latin trained authors, new and old were and are imposing fictionalized divisions as presumed cultural distinctions that are not truly as distinct as far too many have been led to believe because of this. The reason is obvious:
If people don't know their roots, others can control their present and future who do.
A people without knowledge of roots that are shared in common with others around them are disconnected and vulnerable to intentional division and conquest, are easily inundated with fear and paranoia.
Once the fear and paranoia set in, superstition can be imposed upon the heirs of the conquered which makes them easily redirected to hate their neighbors.
When they hate one another to keep their numbers down so they won't revolt against those who inherited the reins of their own suppression and oppression will be easily directed to destroy one another by the same.
The rest was and is historically a bunch of childish 1-ups as smear campaigns of men against other men and women, women against men and other women, others still with all manners of racist garbage then and now, and all not giving any real care or concern about how their nonsense would impact the future because, after all, they'd be dead already. A few are noted for more or less saying as much rather directly. Only fools would then assume they could get anything reliable out of those sources.
As A Closing Note:
The so called Nine Worlds model often claimed to be Norse/Germanic tradition which stems only from Icelandic texts as already mentioned that do not make such a limitation, is mostly modern invented contexts. There is no such 'standard' model or clarification in such 12th century CE sources. In fact, the so called Nine Worlds model is based on two main things; the 8 directions of the compass and its center; and an attempt to tie it into the so called Nine Angelic Hierarchies, albeit very loosely.
In fact, the associated so called "World Tree" that contains such "worlds or realms" isn't even described as to how it came to be, when it came to be, how it came to contain such worlds, and who arranged such connections in the first place. Furthermore, one will find many of the so-called Norse/Germanic "lore" of the so called Eddas to be nothing more than re-written works from Greek and Roman mythologies given a more Icelandic, but disorganized spin. It's just a set of facts regardless of who can accept it or not. It's irrelevant of the objective and impersonal truth of it all.