Uller (also spelled Ullr) is the Asgardian deity of snow, winter and winter sports. He is an accomplished warrior and is often invoked by people entering single combat. The son of Sif and Thor, Uller has particular skill at skiing and archery. His cunning makes him valuable to the council of the gods.
One story talks about him "crossing water on a magic bone", alluding to crossing the frozen ice on skates. He was also called God of the Shield, and the shield was referred to as his "ship", which may be a reference to using a shield or shield-shaped board as a sled.
Uller's clergy are often found hunting food for their temple and their community. They often serve as messengers between communities isolated by snow and ice, skiing or driving dog sleds. All carry longbows or shortbows.
Temples
Uller's temples resemble hunting lodges. In addition to a great hall, they have storage rooms and workrooms for making skiis, dog sleds, bows, and arrows. The kitchen resembles a butcher shop, as junior members of the clergy skin and butcher those animals Uller grants to them for food.
Visitors to Uller's temples find themselves welcome, provided they show respect and appreciation for the natural balance and the food put before them. Hunters of all sorts are particularly welcome, and the clergy and faithful share techniques and tricks with the visitors.
Members of Uller's cult exult in combat as much as any Asgardians, but they see no reason to fight up close when they can use their bows from a distance. When it comes to personal contests, they would rather compete at archery than with swords. The cult guides those who prefer melee to the worship of Uller's mother, Sif. As a hunter, Uller teaches respect for wildlife and nature. He warns against interfering with the natural balance and urges his followers to act like predators of the animal kingdom, hunting the less fit and leaving the young to carry on and continue the species.
Uller prefers to appear during a snowstorm, his figure coming into view from a distance, obscured by the falling snow. Uller appears in a hooded, fur-lined cloak. He has a long brown beard and sharp piercing eyes. He was always depicted on skiis with a longbow made of yew.
Uller is the son of the grain goddess Sif, and therefore the stepson of the thunder god Thor. When Skadi divorced Njord, she married Uller.
