One of the known Vanir.
The word Freyja itself means 'Lady' and this is sometimes spelt as Freya. Some titles or by-names She is also known by are:
- Most Glorious of the Ásyniur (i.e. a goddess of the Æsir)
- Vanadis : Goddess of the
Vanir
- Vanabruð : Bride of the Vanir
- Mardoll
:
Light or Fire (?) of the Sea
-
Hörn :possibly
Flax
- Gefn :
Giver
-
Sýr : Sow (a sacred animal linked to the Sun - not an insult)
-
Skialf : I have
been unable to find it's meaning but there is, interestingly, a Norse queen who
strangled her husband with a necklace !
-
Thrungva : ?
She ia also believed
to be the same as the following mythological figure from the Voluspa, where the
war between the Æsir and Vanir is mentioned.
- Gullveig : Gold-power. Also known as
-
Heiðr : Shining
The most approachable of the goddesses. Freyja is the goddess of love, fertility and sexuality. Like all Vanir She is also a source of wealth. A mistress of magic, it was Freyja who taught the art of seiðr to Óðinn. Linked to the feminine mystery and craft of spinning. A great traveller who weeps tears of red gold. She is a guardian of the dead and is entitled to half of those slain on the battlefield.
Very beautiful, noble and desired by all wights of the lands, seas and skies.
Her hall is Sessrumnir, which means "many seated", and is located in Folkvangr, which means "army plain".
Daughter of Njörð and his sister. Sister and original consort of Freyr. There are medieval myths which tell of her husband Óðr, whom She goes wandering after, and who is thought to be another version of Óðinn. She has two daughters are Hnossa and Gersemi (names which mean 'treasure' or jewel').
- The wonderful shining necklace Brisingamen which was created by four dwarves.
- Her falcon feather 'cloak' by which She travels through the worlds (and which Loki borrows occasionally).
- Her daughters !
- Necklace
-
Gold
- Glass Altar
- Chariot drawn by cats
-
Flax flowers
- Heart (a modern suggestion)
- Boar/Sow
- Cats
- Falcon
*Her
hall, Sessrumnir, is also the name for a ship
*The Icelandic records
tell of a skald or poet in 999c.e. (whom I shall NOT name) who recited a verse
insulting Freyja at the Al-Thing and was then outlawed for blasphemy.
*Some of the original
sources which tell of Freyja are:
The Prose Edda by Snorri
Sturluson (13th Century) ~
In Gylfaginning or 'The Tricking
of Gylfi' Freyja and Her hall are described in the early descriptions. Here,
the myth of the building of the walls of Asgard, where the giant demands Freyja
as his wife (plus the sun and the moon), is mentioned along with Her attendance
at the funeral of Balder.
In Skaldskaparmal or 'The Language of
Poetry' : Freyja's attendance at Aegir's feast is listed, Loki's borrowing of
Her falcon shape so he could go search for Idunna, Heimdall's role in recovering
Her necklace in a lost story, the threats of the giant Hrungnir to take Freyja
(and Sif) home, the note of a poetic kenning of Thor as an 'old friend of
Throng (Freyja)', and kennings which can be used for Freyja herself.
The
Poetic Edda (original author[s] unknown - recorded in 12th/13th century) ~
In
the Voluspá or 'The Prophecy of the Seeress' is the mention about
the coming of Gullveig to the Æsir and of them burning her three times. A
reference is also made to the episode of the threats that arose from the giant
building the walls of Asgard.
In Grimnismál or 'The Lay of
Grimnir', basically Odin's monologue to Agnar, Folkvang is listed and that she
has half of the slain.
In Lokasenna or 'The Flyting of Loki' (a
flyting being a dialogue of vituperation), Freyja speaks up for Frigga and Loki
then accuses her of sleeping with all the Æsir and Alfar including her
brother.
In Þrymskviða or 'The Lay of Thrym' Freyja is
described loaning her feather coat to Loki and the demand of the giant, who has
stolen Thor's hammer, for Freyja as his wife is mentioned. So is her very angry
reply to the suggestion of Thor and Loki that She should actually go to the
giant as an exchange.
In Oddrúnargrátr or 'The Plaint
of Oddrún a reference (although very late) is made of a call to Frigga
and Freyja.
Hyndluljóð or 'The Lay of Hyndla' is an eddic
poem which deals solely with Freyja : she takes her devotee Ottar to the
giantess Hyndla to obtain his genealogical line for him.