The idea that the Æsir came from Asia, specifically from the city of Troy, is a recurring theme in Snorri’s texts, reappearing in chapters 54 of the Gylfaginning and 58 of the Skáldskaparmál. Snorri remains consistent in his assertions, maintaining that the ancient cities of Asgard, where Wotan and the Æsir resided during their travels among men, were indeed terrestrial or partly so.

The Prose Edda begins with the story of Wotan’s migration to Sweden from the mythical city of Troy. This prologue of the Gylfaginning should be considered authentic; it represents the oldest memory that men have preserved of a journey of Wotan on earth. This narrative also resonates with recent discoveries in genetics and archaeology, suggesting that the ancestors of the Indo-European language-speaking peoples first settled either in Anatolia or in the Ukrainian steppes, before gradually dispersing to northern Europe. There, they introduced a new form of spirituality while preserving much of the ancient cult.

Following the chronology of the Völuspá, this migration occurred after the arrival of the three powerful Thurses and also after the destruction of the walls of the ancient Asgard by the Vanir during the first war.

In his works, Snorri describes the ancient Asgard as a tangible city located on Earth. According to him, it was during his journey among humans that Wotan incarnated as the son of the king of Troy, a city situated in Anatolia which, during the time of the Roman Empire, was part of the province known as Asia. Subsequently, Wotan and his followers migrated to Sigtuna in Sweden (also known as Old Uppsala, identified as the second Asgard). Snorri precisely details the different stages of establishing a Wotanic city.

More specifically, it is said that the leader of the Aesir left the region of the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus to settle in Northern Europe. He then took the northwest route from the Black Sea towards Russia, where,

according to tradition, he appointed one of his sons as a ruler, just as he did for the Saxons and the Franks. Continuing his journey through Cimbria, he reached Denmark, where his fifth son, Skiold, was recognized as the sovereign. He then crossed over to Sweden, where Gylfi reigned, who paid homage to this remarkable stranger and was initiated into his mysteries. The chief of the Aesir quickly established himself, setting up Sigtuna as the capital of his empire, promulgating new laws, and instituting sacred mysteries. He adopted the name Wotan, created the priesthood of the twelve Drottars who led the secret worship and the administration of justice, and, as prophets, he revealed the future. The secret rites of these mysteries celebrated the death of Balder, the beautiful and beloved, and depicted the mourning of gods and men at his death, as well as his resurrection.

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