Asgard
/ˈɑːsˌɡɑːrd/noun
In Norse mythology, the realm or stronghold of the gods.
Did you know?The name comes from Old Norse Ásgarðr, combining the gods’ name, the Æsir, with garðr, a fenced enclosure or fortified yard, so the “home of the gods” was originally imagined as a protected boundary, not a heavenly cloud-palace.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Ansugardaz
“the enclosure or fortified place of the gods”
Old Norse
ON
Ásgarðr
“the gods’ enclosure; the mythic home of the Æsir”
Old English
OE
geard
“yard, enclosure, fence, dwelling place”
Old High German
OHG
gart
“enclosure, yard, garden”
Modern English
English
Asgard
“the realm of the gods in Norse mythology”