Freya (deity)
Freya is a prominent goddess in Norse and Germanic mythology, celebrated as a deity of marriage, fertility, love, and occasionally beauty and war. Known by various names, including Freyja, Frigg, and Frigga, her character embodies a blend of traits associated with multiple goddesses from earlier traditions. As a member of the Vanir fertility gods, Freya became integrated into the Aesir tribe through her marriage to Odin, one of the principal figures in Norse mythology. She resides in Asgard and is often depicted as beautiful, wielding a sword or bow, and associated with the Roman goddess Venus, influencing the naming of Friday (frijadagr).
Freya is also recognized for her role in battle, where she claims half of the slain heroes to her hall, Sessrumnir, rather than to Odin’s Valhalla. Her relationships with other deities, including her son Balder and brother Frey, highlight themes of love, loss, and the complexities of both personal and divine interactions. Although often portrayed as a devoted wife and mother, her myths also reflect narratives of infidelity and desire, particularly in her interactions with giants. Freya's enduring legacy is evident in various cultural expressions, from Wagner's operas to Marvel comics and Japanese anime, marking her significance in both historical and contemporary contexts.
Subject Terms
Freya (deity)
Symbols: Pig
Culture: Norse; Germanic
Mother: Either Skadi or Njord’s sister
Father: Njord
Siblings: Frey
Children: Balder; Hod; Hermod; Thor; Tyr
The goddess Freya has roots in both Norse and Germanic mythology. At different times and among different groups, she was known as Freya, Freyja, Frigg, Frigga, Friia, Frea, or Frija. She was the goddess of marriage and fertility, though occasionally beauty, love, wealth, battle, or the dead might be included among her responsibilities. In fact, while all the myths include her association with fertility and involvement with Odin, she was in many regards a composite of goddesses from older Norse and Germanic traditions. Some sources even list Freya, Frigg, and/or Freyja separately, to try to unravel the interwoven myths. As a result, descriptions of Freya, from her powers to her relatives to her adventures, often vary from source to source.
Freya was famed for her beauty, so she is often portrayed in poses that emphasize her feminine graces, but can also appear with a sword or bow when showing her warlike attributes.
In her more amorous incarnation, Freya was associated with the Roman goddess Venus, and so her name became connected to the same day of the week Romans celebrated Venus. The Old Norse for this day, frijadagr, evolved into the Old English frigedaeg, and eventually became our Friday.
In Mythology
Freya was the wife of Odin and the mother Balder, Thor, and Tyr. While she was born into the tribe of fertility gods known as the Vanir, she became part of the Aesir when she married Odin. The Aesir tribe included most of the better known Norse and Germanic deities, including Odin, Thor, and Loki. Along with the other Aesir, Freya lived among the gold and silver palaces of Asgard, a name that means "enclosure of the gods."
The fertility for which the Vanir were responsible was both human and agricultural. While Freya ruled over marriage, her brother Frey was the god of rain, sunshine, and growth. However, like other Norse and Germanic gods, Frey was also a warrior, with a sword that could destroy an enemy just because Frey wished it. Freya was sometimes seen as the female counterpart of Frey, and thus was equally at home on the battlefield as among the palaces of Asgard. In some traditions, she rides out with the Valkyrie and claims half of the heroes killed in battle. Rather than going to Odin’s Valhalla, the heroes Freya selects are taken to her own great hall of Sessrumnir, which means "with many seats," in her home of Falkvangar, or "Warriors’ Fields."
Freya’s beauty made her an object of desire among the giants, enemies of the Aesir, and many of the tales related to the goddess involve the giants trying to capture her. A giant named Thrym even stole Thor’s hammer, in the hope that Thor would trade Freya for the hammer. Freya was saved from marriage to the giant by Thor and Loki: Thor dressed up as Freya and Loki conducted the disguised Thor to Thrym. When the hammer was produced, Thor threw off the disguise, grabbed the hammer, and killed the giant.
One of Freya’s sons, Balder, often called Balder the Good, was the god of light. He was wise and handsome, and was a favorite of the gods. Most myths involving Balder focused on his death and Freya’s reaction. In the most common version of the tale, after Balder had nightmares about a threat to his life, Freya tried to make him immune to death by having all of nature swear to never harm him. However, mistletoe was overlooked, and Balder was killed when a twig of mistletoe was hurled at him. Freya was overcome with grief, even going so far as to try to get Balder released by the goddess who ruled over the dead. She failed in her attempt, and so Freya is often portrayed as a weeping mother.
While most tales of Freya portray a faithful wife and a loving mother, some sources relate tales of infidelity and luxury, with liaisons that included Odin’s brothers.
In many tales, Freya shared with Odin the possession of shamanistic powers, and in the Prose Edda, written by Icelandic chieftain and historian Snorri Sturluson in the thirteenth century, she was said to know the fates of all people, though she did not tell them what she knew.
Origins and Cults
For most of history, the survival of individuals depended on getting enough to eat, while the survival of groups or tribes depended on having enough children. A deity that might help with raising crops and bearing children would be popular, and in fact deities of this nature can be found in most early mythologies. In Norse and Germanic culture, fertility cults were among the only cults in which women were allowed to participate. Rites were carried out to invoke the aid of Freya when girls were to be married, to bless the children when they came, and to help with the raising of the children. Other rites would be connected to the fertility of the land.
Freya was seen as the right deity to address in matters of the heart, as she gave permission to the gentle goddess Lofn to arrange marriages. The fact that the worship of Freya was popular is reflected in the widespread appearance of her name in towns across Scandinavia, though especially in Norway and Sweden.
In Popular Culture
With the rest of the Norse gods, Freya is included in Richard Wagner’s monumental opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen (also known as theRing Cycle). However, in Wagner’s work, the name of Odin/Wotan’s wife is rendered Fricka. Beginning in 1962, Marvel’s Thor comic books introduced the goddess using the name Frigga. Then, in 2011, the first of a series of Thor movies featured many of the gods of Asgard, including Rene Russo as Frigga. In addition, Freya is a popular character in Japanese anime, with the same traits as in Norse mythology but with the stories and interactions altered.
Bibliography
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Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. 4th ed. New York: Pantheon, 1980. Print.
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"The Gods of the Old Nordic Religion." National Museum of Denmark. National Museum of Denmark, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age/religion-magic-death-and-rituals/the-viking-gods/>.
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Sturluson, Snorri. The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology. Jesse L. Byock, trans. New York: Penguin Classics, 2006. Print.