Rán

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Rán
Rán

In Norse mythology, Rán is a sea goddess who collects the drowned in a net. She has nine daughters with her husband Ægir. Possibly those are identical to the mothers of Heimdallr.

She was believed to cause storms, and even as late as the 1960's, fishermen on the east coast of England (where Viking settlement was greatest) would throw a coin over the stern of the vessel upon leaving port, which was known as 'Rain's (or Ran's) tithe'. This is believed to date from the days when Norse sailors would throw gold into the sea to placate the goddess and ensure good weather.

She is mentioned in Skáldskaparmál and the prose introduction to Reginsmál.

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