Difference between revisions of "Freyja" - New World Encyclopedia

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:''For other meanings of Freya, see [[Freya (disambiguation)]].''
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[[Image:Freya.jpg|thumb|250px|Freyja, in an illustration to [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]'s operas by [[Arthur Rackham]].]]
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'''Freyja''' (sometimes anglicized as '''Freya''' or '''Freja'''), sister of [[Freyr]] and daughter of [[Niord]] (''{{unicode|Njǫrðr}}''), is usually seen as a [[Norse paganism|Norse]] [[fertility goddess]].
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''Freyja'' means "lady" in Old Norse (cf. ''fru'' or ''Frau'' in [[Scandinavian languages|Scandinavian]] and [[German language|German]]). While there are some sources suggesting that she was called on to bring fruitfulness to fields or wombs, she was a goddess of love, beauty, sex, and [[interpersonal attraction|attraction]]. Freyja was also a goddess of war, death, magic, prophecies and wealth. Freya is cited as receiving half of the dead lost in battle in her hall [[Folkvang]], whereas [[Odin]] would receive the other half.
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Correspondingly, Freyja was at times one of the most popular goddesses. According to Snorri's ''[[Ynglinga saga]]'', Freyja was a skilled practitioner of the ''[[Seid|seiðr]]'' form of magic and introduced it amongst the [[Æsir]].
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==Prose Edda==
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In [[Snorri Sturluson]]'s [[Prose Edda]], Freyja is introduced as follows.
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:Njörðr í  gat síðan tvau börn, hét sonr Freyr en dóttir Freyja. Þau váru fögr álitum ok máttug. ... Freyja er ágætust af ásynjum, hon á þann bœ á himni er Fólkvangar heita, ok hvar sem hon ríðr til vígs, þá á hon hálfan val, en hálfan Óðinn ...
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:Salr hennar, Sessrýmnir, hann er mikill ok fagr. En er hon ferr, þá ekr hon köttum tveim ok sitr í reið. Hon er nákvæmust mönnum til á at heita, ok af hennar nafni er þat tignarnafn er ríkiskonur eru kallaðar fróvur. Henni líkaði vel mansöngr. Á hana er gott at heita til ásta.
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::''Gylfaginning'', Eysteinn Björnsson's edition [http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/gg/ggrpar23.html]
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:Njördr in children: the son was called Freyr, and the daughter Freyja; they were fair of face and mighty. ... Freyja is the most renowned of the goddesses; she has in heaven the dwelling called [[Fólkvangr]], and where so ever she rides to the strife, she has one-half of the kill, and Odin half ...
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:Her hall [[Sessrúmnir]] is great and fair. When she goes forth, she drives her cats and sits in a chariot; she is most conformable to man's prayers, and from her name comes the name of honor, Frú, by which noblewomen are called. Songs of love are well-pleasing to her; it is good to call on her for furtherance in love.
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::''Gylfaginning'', Brodeur's translation [http://northvegr.org/lore/prose/037040.php]
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Snorri also mentions that Freyja had a husband named [[Odr]]. He often went away on long journeys, and for this reason Freyja cried tears of red gold. The [[Lay of Hyndla]] also names a protégé of Freyja, [[Óttar]].
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In two stories a [[Jotun|giant]] wants to marry Freyja; the owner of [[Svaðilfari]] as related in ''[[Gylfaginning]]'' and [[Þrymr]] as related in ''[[Þrymskviða]]''. Both were ultimately deceived and killed by the gods.
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==Possessions==
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Surviving tales regarding Freyja often associate Freyja with numerous enchanted possessions.
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===Cloak===
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Freya owned a cloak of robin feathers, which gave her the ability to change into any bird. She lends this garment to Loki in ''[[Þrymskviða]]''.
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===Hildisvini===
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Freyja rides a boar called [[Hildisvini|Hildisvín]] the Battle-Swine. In the poem ''[[Hyndluljóð]]'', we are told that in order to conceal Ottar, Freyja transformed him into the guise of a boar. The [[boar]] has special associations within Norse Mythology, both relative to the notion of fertility and also as a protective talisman in war.
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Other sources show that Freyja rode a chariot drawn by a pair of cats.
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===Jewelry===
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[[Image:Freya_by_Penrose.jpg|thumb|150px|Freyja, depicted in a painting by [[J. Penrose]].]]
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In the Eddas, Freyja is often portrayed as being thought to be the most desirable of all goddesses. When she desired to acquire the famous necklace [[Brisingamen]] (''Brísingamen'') from four [[Norse dwarves|dwarves]], ([[Dvalin]], [[Alfrik]], [[Berling]], and [[Grer]]), they desired a night each with her, a demand which she eventually acceded to.
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Later on, [[Odin]] made [[Loki]] steal the necklace for him, and demanded the same price of Freyja as the dwarves had, though he eventually relented. Freyja loved jewelery so much that she named her daughter "Hnoss", meaning "jewel".
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==Association with war==
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The earliest example of Freyja's association with war comes from ''[[Sörla þáttr]]'' alias The Saga of [[Hedin and Högni]] written c. 1400. It is not-so-vague attempt to immortalize the Christian King [[Olaf Tryggvason]] in mythic terms. His ascension to rulership and subsequent conversion to Christianity of all Norway became the culmination of prophecy and even the will and direct action of Heathen Gods. Odin himself, in this tale, declared it to be so. Also here, Freyja steps completely out of character and urges a man to commit murder and kidnapping to start a war. She does not step into battle herself, nor does she ever touch a weapon.
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This clearly non-original story has had surprising influence over the centuries. It is quite clear that this deliberate work is the origin for most 'Freyja-as-War-Goddess' conceptualizations known today. Without Olaf Tryggvason's conversion at the heart of the story - there is no story. Snorri Sturlusson even writes about the same war and Olaf's victory without making any reference to Freyja or the old gods at all - and his version predates ''[[Sörla þáttr]]''.
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[[Image:Freyja and cats and angels by Blommer.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A depiction of Freyja riding a cat-driven chariot and flanked by [[cherubs]] in a painting by [[Nils Blommér]].]]
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===Receiver of half the slain===
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Snorri writes in [[Gylfaginning]] (24) that "wherever she rides to battle, she gets half the slain" (Faulkes translation); he does not say whether or not Freyja actively participates in the battle in any way. Though Freyja receives some of those warriors slain on the battlefield, there is no record of how that occurs. Does Freyja pick them herself? Or do Odin or the Valkyries decide? There are no answers to these questions. 
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It is said in ''[[Grímnismál]]'':
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:The ninth hall is Folkvang, where bright Freyja
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:Decides where the warriors shall sit:
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:Some of the fallen belong to her, 
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:And some belong to Odin.
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In [[Egil's saga]], [[Thorgerda]] (''Þorgerðr''), threatens to commit suicide in the wake of her brother's death, saying: "I shall not eat until I sup with Freyja". This should be taken to mean that she expected to pass to Freyja's hall upon her death. Any greater associations with Freyja and death are not supported.
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==19th century accounts==
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Since rural Scandinavians remained dependent on the forces of nature, it is hardly surprising that fertility gods remained important, and still in rural [[19th century]] Sweden, Freyja retained elements of her role as a fertility goddess.<ref name="Shön1">Schön, Ebbe. (2004). ''Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition''. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 227-228.</ref> In the province of [[Småland]], there is an account of how she was connected with sheet lightning in this respect<ref name="Shön1"/>:
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{|
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Jag minns en söndag på 1880-talet, det var några gubbar ute och gick bland åkrarna och tittade på rågen som snart var mogen. Då sa Måns i Karryd: "Nu ä Fröa ute å sir ätter om råjen är mogen." [...] När jag som liten pojke satt hos den gamla Stolta-Katrina, var jag som alla dåtida barn mycket rädd för åskan. När kornblixtarna syntes om kvällarna, sade Katrina: "Du sa inte va rädd barn lella, dä ä bara Fröa som ä ute å slår ell med stål å flenta för å si etter om kornet ä moet. Ho ä snäll ve folk å gör dä bare för å hjälpa, ho gör inte som Tor, han slår ihjäl både folk å fä, när han lynna [...] Jag har sedan hört flera gamla tala om samma sak, på ungefär samma sätt.<ref>The writer Johan Alfred Göth, cited in Schön, Ebbe. (2004). ''Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition''. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 227-228.)</ref>
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I remember a Sunday in the 1880s, when some men were walking in the fields looking at the rye which was about to ripen. Then Måns in Karryd said: "Now Freyja is out watching if the rye is ripe" [...] When as a boy I was visiting the old Proud-Katrina, I was afraid of lightning like all boys in those days. When the sheet lightning flared in the nights, Katrina said: "Don't be afraid little child, it is only Freyja who is out making fire with steel and flintstone to see if the rye is ripe. She is kind to people and she is only doing it to be of service, she is not like [[Thor]], he slays both people and livestock, when he is in the mood" [...] I later heard several old folks talk of the same thing in the same way.<ref>Translation provided by Wikipedia editors.</ref>
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In [[Värend]], Freyja could also arrive at Christmas night and she used to shake the apple trees for the sake of a good harvest and consequently people left some apples in the trees for her sake.<ref name="Shön1"/> Moreover, it was dangerous to leave the plough outdoors, because if Freyja sat on it, it would no longer be of any use.<ref name="Shön1"/>
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==Potential relations to Frigg and Gullveig==
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There is frequent modern speculation that ''Freija'' is the same as ''[[Frigg]]'' (see the discussion under [[Frigg#Connection between Frigg and Freyja|Connection between Frigg and Freyja]]).
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Early traditions do not distinguish clearly between Freyja and [[Frigg]], though the names have different origins and in the later Scandinavian mythology, Freyja and Frigg were obviously not one and the same, being different goddesses with separate functions, personalities and symbols. The two appeared in the same text together on many occasions, however. Some sources say Freyja was married to Odin, most likely due to Frigg and Freyja once being the same character and Loki claims that she had a sexual relationship with her brother [[Freyr]] in ''[[Lokasenna]]''.
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It has also been widely speculated{{Fact|date=February 2007}} that the [[Gullveig]] mentioned in ''[[Völuspá]]'' was Freyja under another name. Gullveig ignited the war between the Vanir and Aesir.
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==Other names==
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===Forms of "Freyja"===
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* Freja — common Danish and literary Swedish form. as in Freja Andrews of Westport.
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* Freia
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* Freya
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* Froya
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* Friia — second [[Merseburg Incantations|Merseburg Charm]]
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* Frija — variant of ''Friia''
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* Frøya, Fröa — common Norwegian, and rural Swedish form.
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* Reija — Finnish form
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===Other forms===
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According to [[Snorri Sturluson]]'s ''[[Gylfaginning]]'' <small>(35)</small>, Freyja also bore the following names:
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* "Vanadis", which means "[[Dís]] of the Vanir".
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* Mardöll, whose etymology is uncertain, also appears in [[kenning]]s for gold;
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* Hörn, which may be related to the word ''hörr'' meaning "flax", "linen" (Hörn is also listed in the [[þulur]] as a [[Jotun|giantess]] name);
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* Gefn, which means "the giver", is a suitable name for a fertility goddess;
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* Sýr, whose translation is "sow", illustrates the association of the Vanir with pigs (cf. Freyr's boar [[Gullinbursti]]).
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Some of these names (Hörn, Sýr, Gefn, Mardöll) are also listed in a þula which also supplies:
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* Þrungva;
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* [[Skjálf]], which is also the name of the wife and murderer of king [[Agne|Agni]].
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==Named after Freyja==
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===Etymology===
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The Danish verb "''fri''" means "to propose". In [[Dutch language|Dutch]], the verb "''vrijen''" is derived from "''Freya''" and means "''[[Sexual intercourse|to have sex/make love]]''". The (obsolete) [[German language|German]] verb "''freien''" means "''looking for a bride''". The derived noun "''Freier''" (suitor) is still used, though more often in its second meaning "''client of a [[prostitute]]''". 
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In Avestan, an ancient Indo-European language found in the Gathas, "frya" is used to mean "lover","beloved", and "friend". The [[Sanskrit]] word ''Priya-'' has approximately the same meaning.
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===Places===
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Many farms in Norway have ''Frøy-'' as the first element in their names, and the most common are the name ''Frøyland'' (13 farms). But whether ''Frøy-'' in these names are referring to the goddess Freyja (or the god [[Freyr]]) is questionable and uncertain. The first element in the name ''Frøyjuhof'', in [[Udenes]] parish, are however most probably the genitive case of the name Freyja. (The last element is ''hof'' 'temple', and a church was built on the farm in the Middle Ages, which indicates the spot as an old holy place.) The same name, ''Frøyjuhof'', also occur in the parishes [[Hole, Norway|Hole]] and [[Stjørdal]].
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In the parish of [[Seim]], in the county of [[Hordaland]], Norway, lies the farm Ryland ([[West Norse|Norse]] ''Rýgjarland''). The first element is the genitive case of ''rýgr'' 'lady' (identical with the meaning of the name ''Freyja'', see above). Since the neighbouring farms have the names Hopland (Norse ''Hofland'' 'temple land') and Totland (Norse ''Þórsland'' 'Thor's land') it is possible that ''rýgr'' (lady) here are referring to a goddess. (And in that case most probably Freyja.) A sideform of the word (''rýgja'') may occur in the name of the Norwegian municipality [[Rygge]].
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There´s Horn in Iceland and Hoorn in Holland, various places in the German lands are called Freiburg (burg meaning something like settlement).
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===Plants===
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[[Image:Polygala vulgaris 290504.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[Common Milkwort|Freyja's hair]] - ''Polygala vulgaris'' - a species of the genus ''Polygala''.]] Several plants were named after Freyja, such as ''Freyja's tears'' and ''Freyja's hair'' (''[[Polygala vulgaris]]''), but after the introduction of Christianity, they were renamed after the [[Virgin Mary]], suggesting her closest homologue in Christianity<ref name="Shön2">Schön, Ebbe. (2004). ''Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition''. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 228.</ref>.
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===Misc===
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[[Friday]] (Freyja Day) is the fifth day of the week in Germanic language speaking countries.
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The [[Orion (constellation)|Orion]] [[constellation]] was called [[Frigg]]'s [[distaff]] or Freyja's distaff<ref name="Shön2"/>.
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The chemical element [[vanadium]] is named after Freyja via her alternative name Vanadis.
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==Homologues==
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Freyja might be considered the counterpart of [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] and [[Aphrodite]], although she has a combination of attributes no known goddess possesses in the mythology of any other ancient [[Indo-European people]] and might be regarded as closer to the Mesopotamian [[Ishtar]] as being involved in both love and war. It is also sometimes thought that she is the most direct mythological descendant from [[Nerthus]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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Britt-Mari Näsström posits in her "Freyja: Great Goddess of the North" that there is a tenable connection from Freyja to other Goddesses worshipped along the migration path of the Indo-Europeans who consistently appeared with either one or two cats/lions as companions, usually in the war Goddess aspect but occasionally also as a love Goddess. These would include: [[Durga]], [[Ereshkegal]], [[Sekhmet]], [[Menhit]], [[Bast]], [[Anat]], [[Asherah]], [[Nana]], [[Cybele]], [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], and others. That the name Freyja translates to the deliberately ambiguous title of "Lady" infers that like Odin, She wandered and bore more names than are perhaps remembered in the modern age.
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==References and notes==
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{{reflist}}
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* ''[[Egils Saga]]''
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* ''[[Grímnismál]]''
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* ''[[Lokasenna]]''
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* [[Snorri Sturluson]], ''The [[Prose Edda]]''
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* [[H. R. Ellis Davidson]], ''Gods and Myths of Northern Europe''
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* [[Gabriel Turville-Petre|E. O. G. Turville-Petre]], ''Myth and Religion of the North''
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* [[Jan de Vries]], ''Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte'', 2nd Edition (the seminal work of reference on Germanic and Scandinavian religion).
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{{NorseMythology}}
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[[Category:Goddesses]]
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[[Category:Love and lust goddesses]]
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[[Category:Norse goddesses]]
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[[Category:War goddesses]]
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[[ca:Freya]]
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[[cs:Freya]]
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[[da:Freja (gudinde)]]
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[[de:Freya]]
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[[et:Freya]]
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[[el:Φρέγια]]
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[[es:Freyja]]
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[[fr:Freyja]]
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[[hr:Freyja]]
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[[id:Freyja]]
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[[is:Freyja]]
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[[it:Freyja]]
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[[he:פרייה]]
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[[lv:Freija]]
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[[lt:Frėja]]
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[[lmo:Freyja]]
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[[nl:Freya]]
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[[ja:フレイヤ]]
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[[no:Frøya (mytologi)]]
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[[nn:Gudinna Frøya]]
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[[pl:Freja]]
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[[pt:Freya]]
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[[ro:Freya]]
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[[ru:Фрейя]]
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[[simple:Freyja]]
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[[sl:Freyja]]
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[[sr:Фреја]]
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[[sh:Freya]]
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[[fi:Freija]]
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[[sv:Freja]]
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[[tr:Freyja]]
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[[uk:Фрейя]]
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[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]
 
[[Category: Religion
 
[[Category: Religion
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{{Credit|113120592}}

Revision as of 02:18, 12 March 2007

For other meanings of Freya, see Freya (disambiguation).
Freyja, in an illustration to Wagner's operas by Arthur Rackham.

Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya or Freja), sister of Freyr and daughter of Niord (Njǫrðr), is usually seen as a Norse fertility goddess.

Freyja means "lady" in Old Norse (cf. fru or Frau in Scandinavian and German). While there are some sources suggesting that she was called on to bring fruitfulness to fields or wombs, she was a goddess of love, beauty, sex, and attraction. Freyja was also a goddess of war, death, magic, prophecies and wealth. Freya is cited as receiving half of the dead lost in battle in her hall Folkvang, whereas Odin would receive the other half.

Correspondingly, Freyja was at times one of the most popular goddesses. According to Snorri's Ynglinga saga, Freyja was a skilled practitioner of the seiðr form of magic and introduced it amongst the Æsir.

Prose Edda

In Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, Freyja is introduced as follows.

Njörðr í gat síðan tvau börn, hét sonr Freyr en dóttir Freyja. Þau váru fögr álitum ok máttug. ... Freyja er ágætust af ásynjum, hon á þann bœ á himni er Fólkvangar heita, ok hvar sem hon ríðr til vígs, þá á hon hálfan val, en hálfan Óðinn ...
Salr hennar, Sessrýmnir, hann er mikill ok fagr. En er hon ferr, þá ekr hon köttum tveim ok sitr í reið. Hon er nákvæmust mönnum til á at heita, ok af hennar nafni er þat tignarnafn er ríkiskonur eru kallaðar fróvur. Henni líkaði vel mansöngr. Á hana er gott at heita til ásta.
Gylfaginning, Eysteinn Björnsson's edition [1]
Njördr in children: the son was called Freyr, and the daughter Freyja; they were fair of face and mighty. ... Freyja is the most renowned of the goddesses; she has in heaven the dwelling called Fólkvangr, and where so ever she rides to the strife, she has one-half of the kill, and Odin half ...
Her hall Sessrúmnir is great and fair. When she goes forth, she drives her cats and sits in a chariot; she is most conformable to man's prayers, and from her name comes the name of honor, Frú, by which noblewomen are called. Songs of love are well-pleasing to her; it is good to call on her for furtherance in love.
Gylfaginning, Brodeur's translation [2]

Snorri also mentions that Freyja had a husband named Odr. He often went away on long journeys, and for this reason Freyja cried tears of red gold. The Lay of Hyndla also names a protégé of Freyja, Óttar.

In two stories a giant wants to marry Freyja; the owner of Svaðilfari as related in Gylfaginning and Þrymr as related in Þrymskviða. Both were ultimately deceived and killed by the gods.

Possessions

Surviving tales regarding Freyja often associate Freyja with numerous enchanted possessions.

Cloak

Freya owned a cloak of robin feathers, which gave her the ability to change into any bird. She lends this garment to Loki in Þrymskviða.

Hildisvini

Freyja rides a boar called Hildisvín the Battle-Swine. In the poem Hyndluljóð, we are told that in order to conceal Ottar, Freyja transformed him into the guise of a boar. The boar has special associations within Norse Mythology, both relative to the notion of fertility and also as a protective talisman in war.

Other sources show that Freyja rode a chariot drawn by a pair of cats.

Jewelry

File:Freya by Penrose.jpg
Freyja, depicted in a painting by J. Penrose.

In the Eddas, Freyja is often portrayed as being thought to be the most desirable of all goddesses. When she desired to acquire the famous necklace Brisingamen (Brísingamen) from four dwarves, (Dvalin, Alfrik, Berling, and Grer), they desired a night each with her, a demand which she eventually acceded to.

Later on, Odin made Loki steal the necklace for him, and demanded the same price of Freyja as the dwarves had, though he eventually relented. Freyja loved jewelery so much that she named her daughter "Hnoss", meaning "jewel".

Association with war

The earliest example of Freyja's association with war comes from Sörla þáttr alias The Saga of Hedin and Högni written c. 1400. It is not-so-vague attempt to immortalize the Christian King Olaf Tryggvason in mythic terms. His ascension to rulership and subsequent conversion to Christianity of all Norway became the culmination of prophecy and even the will and direct action of Heathen Gods. Odin himself, in this tale, declared it to be so. Also here, Freyja steps completely out of character and urges a man to commit murder and kidnapping to start a war. She does not step into battle herself, nor does she ever touch a weapon.

This clearly non-original story has had surprising influence over the centuries. It is quite clear that this deliberate work is the origin for most 'Freyja-as-War-Goddess' conceptualizations known today. Without Olaf Tryggvason's conversion at the heart of the story - there is no story. Snorri Sturlusson even writes about the same war and Olaf's victory without making any reference to Freyja or the old gods at all - and his version predates Sörla þáttr.

A depiction of Freyja riding a cat-driven chariot and flanked by cherubs in a painting by Nils Blommér.

Receiver of half the slain

Snorri writes in Gylfaginning (24) that "wherever she rides to battle, she gets half the slain" (Faulkes translation); he does not say whether or not Freyja actively participates in the battle in any way. Though Freyja receives some of those warriors slain on the battlefield, there is no record of how that occurs. Does Freyja pick them herself? Or do Odin or the Valkyries decide? There are no answers to these questions.

It is said in Grímnismál:

The ninth hall is Folkvang, where bright Freyja
Decides where the warriors shall sit:
Some of the fallen belong to her,
And some belong to Odin.

In Egil's saga, Thorgerda (Þorgerðr), threatens to commit suicide in the wake of her brother's death, saying: "I shall not eat until I sup with Freyja". This should be taken to mean that she expected to pass to Freyja's hall upon her death. Any greater associations with Freyja and death are not supported.

19th century accounts

Since rural Scandinavians remained dependent on the forces of nature, it is hardly surprising that fertility gods remained important, and still in rural 19th century Sweden, Freyja retained elements of her role as a fertility goddess.[1] In the province of Småland, there is an account of how she was connected with sheet lightning in this respect[1]:

Jag minns en söndag på 1880-talet, det var några gubbar ute och gick bland åkrarna och tittade på rågen som snart var mogen. Då sa Måns i Karryd: "Nu ä Fröa ute å sir ätter om råjen är mogen." [...] När jag som liten pojke satt hos den gamla Stolta-Katrina, var jag som alla dåtida barn mycket rädd för åskan. När kornblixtarna syntes om kvällarna, sade Katrina: "Du sa inte va rädd barn lella, dä ä bara Fröa som ä ute å slår ell med stål å flenta för å si etter om kornet ä moet. Ho ä snäll ve folk å gör dä bare för å hjälpa, ho gör inte som Tor, han slår ihjäl både folk å fä, när han lynna [...] Jag har sedan hört flera gamla tala om samma sak, på ungefär samma sätt.[2]

I remember a Sunday in the 1880s, when some men were walking in the fields looking at the rye which was about to ripen. Then Måns in Karryd said: "Now Freyja is out watching if the rye is ripe" [...] When as a boy I was visiting the old Proud-Katrina, I was afraid of lightning like all boys in those days. When the sheet lightning flared in the nights, Katrina said: "Don't be afraid little child, it is only Freyja who is out making fire with steel and flintstone to see if the rye is ripe. She is kind to people and she is only doing it to be of service, she is not like Thor, he slays both people and livestock, when he is in the mood" [...] I later heard several old folks talk of the same thing in the same way.[3]

In Värend, Freyja could also arrive at Christmas night and she used to shake the apple trees for the sake of a good harvest and consequently people left some apples in the trees for her sake.[1] Moreover, it was dangerous to leave the plough outdoors, because if Freyja sat on it, it would no longer be of any use.[1]


Potential relations to Frigg and Gullveig

There is frequent modern speculation that Freija is the same as Frigg (see the discussion under Connection between Frigg and Freyja).

Early traditions do not distinguish clearly between Freyja and Frigg, though the names have different origins and in the later Scandinavian mythology, Freyja and Frigg were obviously not one and the same, being different goddesses with separate functions, personalities and symbols. The two appeared in the same text together on many occasions, however. Some sources say Freyja was married to Odin, most likely due to Frigg and Freyja once being the same character and Loki claims that she had a sexual relationship with her brother Freyr in Lokasenna.

It has also been widely speculated[citation needed] that the Gullveig mentioned in Völuspá was Freyja under another name. Gullveig ignited the war between the Vanir and Aesir.

Other names

Forms of "Freyja"

  • Freja — common Danish and literary Swedish form. as in Freja Andrews of Westport.
  • Freia
  • Freya
  • Froya
  • Friia — second Merseburg Charm
  • Frija — variant of Friia
  • Frøya, Fröa — common Norwegian, and rural Swedish form.
  • Reija — Finnish form

Other forms

According to Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning (35), Freyja also bore the following names:

  • "Vanadis", which means "Dís of the Vanir".
  • Mardöll, whose etymology is uncertain, also appears in kennings for gold;
  • Hörn, which may be related to the word hörr meaning "flax", "linen" (Hörn is also listed in the þulur as a giantess name);
  • Gefn, which means "the giver", is a suitable name for a fertility goddess;
  • Sýr, whose translation is "sow", illustrates the association of the Vanir with pigs (cf. Freyr's boar Gullinbursti).

Some of these names (Hörn, Sýr, Gefn, Mardöll) are also listed in a þula which also supplies:

  • Þrungva;
  • Skjálf, which is also the name of the wife and murderer of king Agni.

Named after Freyja

Etymology

The Danish verb "fri" means "to propose". In Dutch, the verb "vrijen" is derived from "Freya" and means "to have sex/make love". The (obsolete) German verb "freien" means "looking for a bride". The derived noun "Freier" (suitor) is still used, though more often in its second meaning "client of a prostitute".

In Avestan, an ancient Indo-European language found in the Gathas, "frya" is used to mean "lover","beloved", and "friend". The Sanskrit word Priya- has approximately the same meaning.

Places

Many farms in Norway have Frøy- as the first element in their names, and the most common are the name Frøyland (13 farms). But whether Frøy- in these names are referring to the goddess Freyja (or the god Freyr) is questionable and uncertain. The first element in the name Frøyjuhof, in Udenes parish, are however most probably the genitive case of the name Freyja. (The last element is hof 'temple', and a church was built on the farm in the Middle Ages, which indicates the spot as an old holy place.) The same name, Frøyjuhof, also occur in the parishes Hole and Stjørdal.

In the parish of Seim, in the county of Hordaland, Norway, lies the farm Ryland (Norse Rýgjarland). The first element is the genitive case of rýgr 'lady' (identical with the meaning of the name Freyja, see above). Since the neighbouring farms have the names Hopland (Norse Hofland 'temple land') and Totland (Norse Þórsland 'Thor's land') it is possible that rýgr (lady) here are referring to a goddess. (And in that case most probably Freyja.) A sideform of the word (rýgja) may occur in the name of the Norwegian municipality Rygge.

There´s Horn in Iceland and Hoorn in Holland, various places in the German lands are called Freiburg (burg meaning something like settlement).

Plants

Freyja's hair - Polygala vulgaris - a species of the genus Polygala.

Several plants were named after Freyja, such as Freyja's tears and Freyja's hair (Polygala vulgaris), but after the introduction of Christianity, they were renamed after the Virgin Mary, suggesting her closest homologue in Christianity[4].

Misc

Friday (Freyja Day) is the fifth day of the week in Germanic language speaking countries.

The Orion constellation was called Frigg's distaff or Freyja's distaff[4].

The chemical element vanadium is named after Freyja via her alternative name Vanadis.

Homologues

Freyja might be considered the counterpart of Venus and Aphrodite, although she has a combination of attributes no known goddess possesses in the mythology of any other ancient Indo-European people and might be regarded as closer to the Mesopotamian Ishtar as being involved in both love and war. It is also sometimes thought that she is the most direct mythological descendant from Nerthus.[citation needed]

Britt-Mari Näsström posits in her "Freyja: Great Goddess of the North" that there is a tenable connection from Freyja to other Goddesses worshipped along the migration path of the Indo-Europeans who consistently appeared with either one or two cats/lions as companions, usually in the war Goddess aspect but occasionally also as a love Goddess. These would include: Durga, Ereshkegal, Sekhmet, Menhit, Bast, Anat, Asherah, Nana, Cybele, Rhea, and others. That the name Freyja translates to the deliberately ambiguous title of "Lady" infers that like Odin, She wandered and bore more names than are perhaps remembered in the modern age.

References and notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Schön, Ebbe. (2004). Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 227-228.
  2. ↑ The writer Johan Alfred Göth, cited in Schön, Ebbe. (2004). Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 227-228.)
  3. ↑ Translation provided by Wikipedia editors.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Schön, Ebbe. (2004). Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 228.
  • Egils Saga
  • Grímnismál
  • Lokasenna
  • Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda
  • H. R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
  • E. O. G. Turville-Petre, Myth and Religion of the North
  • Jan de Vries, Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte, 2nd Edition (the seminal work of reference on Germanic and Scandinavian religion).

Template:NorseMythology

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