Jotunheim is the realm of giants. Enormous men and women, these beings range in size from a dozen feet to hundreds of feet tall and they are tremendously powerful. The various varieties of giants have particular abilities, and a few of them have magical powers. Primarily however, they are physically strong and possess remarkable appetites.

Virtually all giants are evil. Not all of course, but in general giants are bad news. Their hunger is such that they will devour whomever they can catch, and humans, dwarves and elves occasionally find their way into a Jotun stewpot. Naturally, this doesn't make giants particularly popular with the other races. Also, when Ragnarok comes and the world ends, the Giants will fight on the side of evil against the AEsir and Vanir.

Many giants are solitary or live in small, family groups. Some of the more powerful Jotun lead small groups, but in general giants are disorganized -- preferring to lord over their small dominions rather than banding together into larger societies as other races do. There are exceptions -- notably the fire giants.

Frost giants are some of the most powerful, and are associated mostly with the mountainous ranges of Jotunheim, which are always wreathed in winter. They have bluish skin and typically have long, shaggy hair that is either light brown or white. Dressing in furs or skins, these enormous beings radiate cold. Frost forms on metal and rocks near them, and they seem to generate snow as they tromp across the land.

Storm giants are fierce and wild, as their name implies. Smaller than their cousins the frost giants, storm giants are nonetheless incredibly strong and powerful. While dark clouds and heavy winds seem to follow them everywhere, storm giants can exist on cheerful, sunny days -- they just don't enjoy it. Wildly unpredictable, they are given to fits of rage and violent outbursts with no apparent provocation.

Stone giants, sometimes called hill giants, are smaller yet and dense, seemingly made of rock. Massively strong and with great endurance, they can fight for weeks on end without stopping for food or rest. Stone giants aren't the most intelligent of the Jotun. Rarely magical at all, they are nonetheless fierce adversaries. Wearing down a stone giant can be the work of a lifetime.

Trolls are thought by many to be lesser forms of giants, although they share some characteristics with dwarves. Many breeds of trolls are also vulnerable to sunlight, turning to stone as dwarves do. If they are much larger than dwarves, and frighteningly evil, sharing many of the characteristics of giants. Of course, even the largest of trolls is tiny compared to the smallest of giants.

Fire giants, unlike their kin, do not live in Jotunheim. Rather, fire giants are found in Muspellheim, the realm of fire. The greatest of them and their leader is Surt, who will fight and lay waste to the nine realms during Ragnarok -- setting fire to Midgard and killing all the humans. The fire giants -- sometimes called fire demons -- have a structured society organized like a kingdom, with the most powerful being the ruling class. Surt is their king by right of power.

Not all giants are evil. In fact, many follow a strict code of honor and can be bargained with fairly. Some of the fairer giantesses have even married into the AEsir. For example, Frey saw the dazzling frost giantess Gerd from Odin's high seat Valaskjalf. He immediately fell in love with her, so beautiful was she. In order to marry her, he gave up his magic sword, which fought by itself and could not be defeated.

Skadi, the winter goddess of hunting and skiing, is in fact a giantess as well as being a member of the AEsir. She married Njord, Freya's father, God of the Sea. Although they only lived together for nine days and nights, Skadi remained true to the AEsir, rather than returning to Jotunheim.