vanir

Vanir as opposed to Æsir (the human gods) are more ancient in development historically, stretching back to a time before the Nordic mythology was fully evolved, in the Germanic regions ca. 3rd Century BC to 5th Century AD (the Dark Ages, northeast Rhineland Region). It is generally assumed the Vanir represent an amalgamation of the Celtic mythology with more traditional Germanic-Nordic superstition. In this sense the Vanir represent the Faerie, which were the original Celtic deific ancestral spirits, whom could be contacted by mortals by conducting ceremonies at Sidhe or burial mounds, which were presumed to form gateways to the Afterworld, or Tir Na N'Og. The Vanir are therefore the ancient Celtic pantheon, where the Æsir are the more contemporary Germanic and Nordic pantheon. They had some treaties between them.