The Aesir were the gods of war and power and they were led by Odin. The Vanir on the other hand were the gods of the earth and fertility.

One day a Vanir godess was visiting the Aesir. Her name was Gullveig (meaning "Goldbranch") and she had an unsatiable lust for gold. She would speak of nothing else and eventually the Aesir grew tired of listening to her. They decided to get rid of her and the best way to do this was do kill her. They threw her into the blazing fire and watched her burn to death. The only problem was that she was immedietly reborn. Appaled that they hadn't managed to kill her they threw her back into the fire. Once again she stepped out completely unscathed. They threw her in a third time and and she was reborn again.

Vanir were enraged when they heard of how the Aesir had treated their godess. At once they began to prepare for war. The Aesir, not not be outdone by their peaceful cousins, immedietly retalliated. The world's first war had started...

Both sides fought strongly and neither managed to gain a hold over the other. This went on for a long time and the warriors grew weary. The two sides decided to make peace.

To make sure that this peace wasn't broken they exchanged hostages. The Vanir sent the wealthy Njord and his two children Frey and FreyaSome say that Freya and Gullveig were one and the same. and also their wisest man, Kvasir. The Aesir sent the tall and impressive Honir whom they said was a born leader and their wisest man, Mimir.

The Vvanir immedietly set Honir up as a great leader, but they grew increasingly uncertain. Whenever Mimir wasn't around he would grow very vague and give noncommital answers. Eventually they sussed out what the Aesir really had done, they had admittedly sent a very wise man but they had also sent the uncertain and pretty useless Honir. Enraged they cut Mimir's head off and sent it the the Aesir.

A new war very nearly broke out but luckily it didn't and the Vanir were assimilated with the Aesir.