Freya : Goddess of Love

Freya

Introduction

One of the most prominent Norse goddesses is Freyja, who was the sister of Freyr. She was in charge of fertility, love, death, and battle. Her father was the sea god, Njrd. She rode a boar with a golden bristles and a cat-drawn chariot.

It was Freyja’s privilege to choose the half of the heroes who died in battle to her great hall at the Flkvangard. The god Odin took one of the half to Valhalla, while the other half went to Brsinga. Freyja also had a valuable necklace, which Loki stole. The watchman of the gods, Heimdall, was eventually recovered. She was also accused of teaching witchcraft to the members of the Aesir tribe.

Physical Traits

While she did not usually carry weapons of war, Freya was known to have various other items. One of these is a cloak made out of falcon feathers, which gave people the gift of flight. Her most prized possession was the torc, which was referred to as Brisingamen.

She was also known to ride a glittering chariot, which was pulled by two cats. Her usual companion was a hog known as Hildisvni, who was referred to as “battle swine.” Her common epithet, Sr, was probably derived from her association with this animal.

Family

Freya was the child of Njord, who was a god of the Vanir who was associated with the sea, fishing, fertility, and wealth. Although her mother’s identity is not known, some believe that she was the daughter of Nerthus, who was a goddess of plenty and peace. Nerthus was said to have been associated with an archaic ritual that involved a cart procession and the laying down of arms.

Freyr was Freya’s brother, and he was a god of wealth and prosperity who was depicted with a phallus like that of fertility deities. She married Odr, a god who was mysterious and passionate. He was often on the go, and it was believed that his absence caused Freya to cry out for gold. They had two daughters, Gersemi and Hnoss. The names of their children both meant “treasure.” It was not clear who Odr and Freya were. It was believed that Freya was a version of Frigg, and it was possible that Odr was Odin.

Other names

The name Freya, which means “the lady,” was derived from the Germanic word frawjon, which literally means “high social standing.” It was also the origin of the word frau, which literally means “married woman.” It was believed that Freya was first used as a nickname or an epithet by a Germanic tribe. Eventually, it would become a popular name.

She was often referred to as Gefn the giver, the flaxen haired Horn and Mardoll, the sea shaker and also credited with given the day of the week Friday it’s name.

Powers and Abilities

Freya was said to be able to fly using her cloak and also bend the minds of gods and men alike due to her looks and unabashed sexuality.

Modern Day Influence

During the 19th century, Freya’s cultural popularity was brought back by Germanic nationalism. She was even mentioned in Denmark’s national anthem, which read “There is a lovely land, Freya’s hall.” Her appearance in Richard Wagner’s opera, Der Ring Nibelungen, also helped to galvanize German nationalism in Northern and Western Europe. Most of the popular modern depictions of Norse mythology featured Freya, but in the movies and comics released by Marvel, Frigga incorporated some of her personality.