Freyr (deity)
Freyr, also known as Frey, is a prominent deity in Norse mythology, revered as the god of peace, fertility, and prosperity. He is associated with agriculture and is believed to control the sun and rain, which are vital for crop growth. Freyr is part of the Vanir, a group of gods linked to fertility and nature, and he is the son of Njord and likely the brother of the goddess Freya. His unique characteristics include a magical ship, Skidbladnir, which can be folded to fit in a pocket, and a golden boar named Gullinbursti that symbolizes abundance.
Freyr's narratives often intertwine with themes of love and transformation, as illustrated by his pursuit of the giantess Gerd, which leads to a blossoming of nature when they unite. He is also noted for his role in the pantheon during the peace between the Vanir and the Aesir. Worshipped primarily in Scandinavia, Freyr's cult included harvest festivals where sacrifices, often of boars, were made in his honor. Artistic depictions of Freyr, including statues and tapestries from the Viking Age, often emphasize his connections to fertility and agricultural bounty, making him a significant symbol of prosperity in Norse culture.
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Subject Terms
Freyr (deity)
Symbol: Golden boar
Culture: Norse
Mother:Skadi
Father: Njord
Siblings: Freya
Freyr, or Frey, was the Norse god of peace, fertility, and prosperity. He was a god of agriculture and controlled the sun and the rains. He was also the lord of Alfheim in the land of the elves. He was also known as Yngvi, Fro, and Fricco.
Freyr was a Vanir god like his father, the sea god Njord. The Vanir were the gods of fertility and agriculture, and Njord was their leader. The Vanir loved peace, unlike the Aesir warrior gods, led by Odin and Thor.
In most myths, Freyr’s mother was said to be the giantess Skadi. Alternatively, Freyr’s mother was sometimes identified as the sister of Njord. In these accounts, however, the sister was never named.
Freyr’s twin sister was Freya, the goddess of love and fertility. She was the primary goddess of the Vanir.
Freyr was described as loving many women and being the ancestor of Swedish kings. However, no named children are associated with him.
Freyr drove a chariot that could fly across the skies or over the sea. This chariot was pulled by a golden boar. Freyr also had a ship that he could fold up small enough to fit into his pocket. He could also make it big enough to hold an army.
In Mythology
Freyr was considered to be an important god, and there were many myths about him. When the Vanir gods and the Aesir gods went to war against each other, neither side won. Finally, the two sides declared a truce and exchanged leaders. Freyr, his sister Freya, and his father Njord were sent to Asgard to live with the Aesir. This arrangement brought peace, and as a result, Freyr is sometimes considered to be a member of both the Vanir and the Aesir.
A famous myth about Freyr tells the story of how he fell in love with the giantess Gerd. One day when Odin’s throne was empty, Freyr sat on it after sneaking into the deity’s hall in Asgard. From there, Freyr could see many lands, and in faraway Jotunheim, he spied a beautiful giantess named Gerd. He immediately fell in love with her, but he could not tell anyone about what he had seen because he would have to confess that he had been sitting on Odin’s throne. He also knew that Gerd could never love him because her heart was known to be as cold as the frozen ground. His servant Skirnir promised to convince Gerd to marry Freyr. In exchange, Skirnir said that Freyr must give his servant his magical sword, a weapon that could fight by itself. Freyr must also allow Skirnir to ride the master’s magical horse, Blodughofi, which could jump through fire and flame. (The horse’s name means "bloody hoof.") Freyr was so in love with Gerd that he agreed to both requests. A slightly different account of this story says that the magic horse belonged to Odin and that Odin was furious when Freyr and Skirnir borrowed it.
Skirnir battled his way through many obstacles, including a ring of fire, until he reached Gerd. However, she refused to marry Freyr until Skirnir threatened to turn her into an old gray hag. She finally agreed to meet with Freyr in nine days’ time. When Freyr embraced her, her heart warmed with love. All the frozen seeds in the ground sprouted, and Freyr sent sunshine and rain so that everyone could celebrate his happiness with an abundant harvest.
Freyr was known for possessing two gifts made by the dwarfs. In order to please the gods, the dwarfs made several treasures. Freyr was given the magic ship Skidbladnir. The ship would always find breezes and could be carried in a pocket when it was not in use. Freyr was also given a golden boar called Gullenbursti. It could run through the sky and across the sea. Its bristles always gave off light, even in the dark.
According to Norse mythology, the end of the world would be a great battle against evil. The battle was called Ragnarok. Freyr was destined to be one of the first killed because he had given his magic sword to his servant.
Origins and Cults
As a Norse god, Freyr was worshipped in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden, Iceland, and Norway.
Freyr’s chariot was pulled by a golden boar, and he was associated with a boar cult. Boars were sacrificed to him during harvest festivals, and cakes were made in the form of boars at Yuletide.
In Iceland, the priests and priestesses of Freyr took a statue of Freyr through the countryside. They traveled in a chariot, as the god Freyr himself did. People celebrated when Freyr arrived in their village. They stopped working and held festivals.
Freyr was called Fricco in Sweden. He had a cult that was centered in the city of Uppsala. It is said that he founded a temple there. Human sacrifices may have been made to him during rituals.
Freyr had a magic ship that could be folded until it was small. This may have inspired the use of ships in certain rites. Some ships were constructed and used for ritual purposes, not for sailing on the sea.
Freyr was frequently depicted in artwork. Paintings often showed him as a beautiful youth. A small statue from around 800 CE was discovered in Sweden in 1904. It shows a seated man who has been identified as Freyr. The man has a large phallus, which is typical of fertility gods, and this image is often shown as one of Freyr’s characteristics. A woven Swedish tapestry that was discovered later and that dates from about 1100 CE shows three figures that are identified as Odin, Thor, and Freyr. In the tapestry, Freyr holds an ear of corn, an image that depicts his role as a fertility god.
Literature often mentions Freyr under many names. He is mentioned in Old Norse heroic poetry, in Icelandic sagas, and in Germanic literature.
Bibliography
Cotterell, Arthur. The Illustrated A-Z of Classic Mythology: The Legends of Ancient Greece, Rome and the Norse and Celtic Worlds. Wigston: Lorenz, 2013. Print.
Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings. London: Penguin, 2011. Print.
Daniels, Mark. The Midas Touch: World Mythology in Bite-sized Chunks. London: O’Mara, 2013. Print.
D’Aulaire, Ingri, and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire. D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths. 1967. New York: New York Review, 2005. Print.
Leeming, David Adams. The Handy Mythology Answer Book. Detroit: Visible Ink, 2015. Print.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Treasury of Norse Mythology: Stories of Intrigue, Trickery, Love, and Revenge. Washington: National Geographic, 2015. Print.