I found this site by a relatively new author on Norse
Lore and Religion, don't agree with every little
detail he puts out but is still has a sound
foundation, and I might look into picking one of his
books...
From one of his articles on the war between the Aesir
and the Vanir, a segment with more at the link...
The War of the Gods
"The Vanir goddess Freya was always the foremost
practitioner of the art of seidr, a form of magic
principally concerned with discerning and altering
the course of destiny. Like historical seidr
practitioners, she wandered from town to town plying
her craft for hire.
Under the name Heiđr (“Bright”), she eventually came
to Asgard, the home of the Aesir. The Aesir were
quite taken by her powers and zealously sought her
services. But soon they realized that their values of
honor, kin loyalty, and obedience to the law were
being pushed aside by the selfish desires they sought
to fulfill with the witch’s magic. Blaming Freya for
their own shortcomings, the Aesir called her
“Gullveig” (“Gold-greed”) and attempted to murder
her. Three times they tried to burn her, and three
times she was reborn from the ashes.
Because of this, the Aesir and Vanir came to hate and
fear one another, and these hostilities erupted into
war. The Aesir fought by the rules of plain combat,
with weapons and brute force, while the Vanir used
the subtler means of magic. The war went on for some
time, with both sides gaining the upper hand by
turns."
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