Bestla. (Art by Cary Nord)
Bestla is the mother of the gods Odin, Vili and Vé by way of Borr, the sister of an unnamed being who assisted Odin, and the daughter or, depending on source, granddaughter of the jötunn Bölþorn. Bestla is said to be a giantess whom wedded with the father of the gods, Borr the son of Buri.
Description[]
According to Odin, he describes his mother as a "free-spirited" frost giant. But when her family is endangered, she becomes a wrathful force "which no wind of ice no matter how cold or harsh" could ever hope to match. This shows that Bestla was extremely protective of her children, although it is hinted that this protective nature is also on Borr's part given how Borr himself stated that he would remind her of the destiny her sons would one day face in their future.
Overview[]
While there is very little information on her, she is widely accepted to be the mother of the Norse gods, and thus can be compared to her Greek counterpart Rhea the Titaness. Although unlike her counterpart, she held no ill will towards her consort Borr. It can be assumed that Bestla is a kind, giving, and nurturing figure in Norse world, given how affectionate she was with her children, and the latter mentioning their mother in the same manner.
It is unknown if she survived the flooding caused by her sons when they slayed Ymir. Although, it is likely that she did given how Borr did not unleash his wrath upon his sons for accidentally killing his wife and their own mother. However, the oddity of this is that she is rarely, if ever, mentioned by Borr himself or by Odin and his brothers. Why this is the case, no one is truly certain.