The poem, despite its Christian veneer, hint[s] at the queens oracular powers The Hrothgar/Wealhtheow association as presented in the poem is an echo of an earlier more robust and vigorous politico-theological conception.[10]. Godan did so, "so that they should defend themselves according to his counsel and obtain the victory". When Odin encouraged him to steal the necklace, Loki transformed himself into a flea and slipped into Freyas sealed bedroom tower. The Prose Edda. Nerthus. The Prose Edda. Translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur. Her father is Njord. Spinning Seir. Odin and Frigg The names of the two goddesses are also particularly interesting in this regard. Baldr (Old Norse: ; anglicised Balder, Icelandic: Baldur) is the god of light, joy, purity, and the summer sun in Norse mythology, and a son of the god inn and the goddess Frigg. Mythological Women: Studies in Memory of Lotte Motz, 1922-1997, Fassbaender, 2002, Edwardes and Spence (1913); in Swedish both, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frigg_and_Freyja_common_origin_hypothesis&oldid=1148494998, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 14:23. The poem featured Ottar, Freyas favorite servant, wanting to know his ancestry in order to settle a bet. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. My grandfather, a decorated Norwegian captain, first went to see on a tall ship named Freia (wiki cite). Friday is named for Frigg, see e.g. Required fields are marked *. Nearly all sources portray her as the wife of the god Odin. Slipping away one day, Freya came upon a cave where four dwarves were at work crafting a necklace (while the story does not identify it specifically, this necklace was undoubtedly Brsingamen). In Heimskringla: ea Sgur Noregs Konunga. 2022 Wasai LLC. Her role just overlaps, like many Gods, with Freya's a lot, which is why people have suggested a connection. Freya. In Freyas words: To my boar now bring the memory-beer, [4] Snorri Sturluson. "[20] The scene switches to Odin and Frigg sitting in Hliskjlf, "look[ing] into all the worlds. One such item was a cloak made of falcon feathers that gave the gift of flight to anyone who wore it. Living recluse in harmony with the nature and forcefully bound to Midgard since Odin cursed her, she provides crucial help to Kratos and Atreus, most notably saving the life of the latter. His eldest son is Thor, god of thunder, born to him by Jr, the personification of the Earth. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When she was not wearing it herself, Freya lent the cloak to companions and collaborators who agreed to do her bidding. [17] Snorri Sturluson. [16] Grimm, Jacob. While Loki was in the form of a mare, Svadilfari successfully impregnated him with Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse that eventually became Odins mighty steed. So that all thy words, that well thou hast spoken, Teutonic Mythology, Volume 1. The setting of the poem was a dinner party at which Loki, deep in his cups, accused every woman (including Frigg) of having slept with others promiscuously. Freyja is a goddess of war, but Frigg is the Mother. In the 18th century, Gustav III of Sweden, king of Sweden, composed Friggja, a play, so named after the goddess, and H. F. Block and Hans Friedrich Blunck's Frau Frigg und Doktor Faust in 1937. Frigg is also associated with fate and destinythe idea that human actions have already been foretoldthough she does not reveal her knowledge or make predictions. Hel was one of the children of the trickster god Loki, and her kingdom was said to lie downward and northward. while Geirrd, my foster son, is a king residing in his country.' Internet Sacred Text Archive. 2006. There are many shared characteristics between the two goddesses Frigg and Freya and sometimes it is said that they were both the same goddess. McCoy, Daniel. In Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about her, she is associated with marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance and motherhood, and dwells in the wetland halls of Fensalir. This would happen for all eternity until a true Christian (who turned out to be Olaf Tryggvason, the Christian King of Norway from 995-1000 CE) arrived to end the war. Fidelity was prized. High says that "highest" among them is Frigg and that only Freyja "is highest in rank next to her." [9] Regarding a Freyja-Frigg common origin hypothesis, scholar Stephan Grundy comments that "the problem of whether Frigg or Freyja may have been a single goddess originally is a difficult one, made more so by the scantiness of pre-Viking Age references to Germanic goddesses, and the diverse quality of the sources. I feel like you misunderstand miss Morgan, In my opinion these interpretations were not depicting her as a loose woman or a whore but as a liberated woman whose sexuality should be recognized as a gift and weapon in the Godess arsenal. Internet Sacred Text Archive. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. "[2], The names Freyja and Vanir (the group of gods to which Freyja belongs) are not attested outside of Scandinavia, as opposed to the name of the goddess Frigg, who is mentioned as Frg in Old English and as Frja in Old High German, all stemming from Proto-Germanic *Frijj. ago I like the way assassin's Creed Valhalla did it. It was likely that Freya was another version of Frigg (Odins wife), and as such it appears that Odr may have actually been Odin. Can I use an 11 watt LED bulb in a lamp rated for 8.6 watts maximum? Similar to maiden mother crone. https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-vanir-gods-and-goddesses/nerthus/. [5] Price, Neil S. 2002. Its a cognate of the modern German word Frau, which is used in much the same way as the English title Mrs. In the Viking Age, Scandinavian and Icelandic aristocratic women were sometimes called freyjur, the plural of freyja. Freyja was a peace between the two. In one of the Eddic poems, for example, Loki accuses Freya (probably accurately) of having slept with all of the gods and elves, including her brother. r is an obscure and seldom-mentioned character in Old Norse literature. Depiction of Freyja This is probably because in English the day Friday looks a bit like the name Frigg, while in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, the day is spelled Fredag, and looks like Freya. At the end the reality is that Frigg and Freyja probably descended from the same pre-viking age goddess, and that with time they separated. Frigg and Freya's names are often thought to come from different root words, but they are very similar. This is due to the fact that Freya journeyed many times into the mortal world under various names in search of her lost husband. As the patron of wool-spinning and the home, she can be called upon for fiber arts and other domestic arts as well. Additionally, Friday was likely named after Freya. Fridays are named after her and so Friday is considered the best day to get married on. What an interesting thread. Which ability is most related to insanity: Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution, or Intelligence? Who Were the Indo-Europeans and Why Do They Matter? Here again we can discern the ultimate reducibility of both goddesses to one another: ones name is identical to the others attributes, and the other name is a generic title rather than a unique name. The request successful, the sir make sport of Baldr's newfound invincibility; shot or struck, Baldr remained unharmed. The Prose Edda. While it was not true that Geirrr was inhospitable with his guests, Geirrr did as instructed and had the wizard arrested. None of the other Germanic peoples seem to have spoken of Frija as if she were two goddesses; this approach is unique to the Norse sources. According to High, Baldr once started to have dreams indicating that his life was in danger. Ambra and Assi then asked the god Godan for victory over the Winnili, to which Godan responded (in the longer version in the Origo): "Whom I shall first see when at sunrise, to them will I give the victory. [12][13] Many scholars have tried to differentiate between Freya and Frigg by asserting that the former is more promiscuous and less steadfast than the latter,[14] but these tales suggest otherwise. The truth is, it is not known for sure because of the lack of evidence left by these people. Translated by James Steven Stallybrass. What I've learned is that the word "Freya" literally means "lady", so one explanation would be that "Freya" started out as the goddess's title and then evolved into the name of a separate goddess. With Odin, her children included Freya (whom many believe is Frigg in another form) and Baldr, who is later killed. The episode began when a hill giant approached the gods and offered to build an impregnable fortress that would protect the gods from enemy jtnar. Frigg (pronounced FRIG; Old Norse Frigg, Beloved[1]), sometimes Anglicized as Frigga, is the highest-ranking of the Aesir goddesses. Hyndlulj.Poetic Edda. She is considered queen of the gods and her name means Beloved. Her mother is the jtunn Fjrgynn (Mother Earth, or Jr). Thus, its hard to see Freyas husband as anything but an only nominally distinct extension of Odin. Are you saying that this is something you can determine? [19] Frigg, meanwhile, comes from an ancient root that means beloved.[20] Friggs name therefore links her to love and desire, precisely the areas of life over which Freya presides. Freya made her home at the palace of Sessrmnir (seat room,") located in the field of Flkvangr (field of the host,") where half of the dead slain in battle went to spend eternity; the other half went to Odins hall, Valhalla. Its a cognate of the modern German word Frau, which is used in much the same way as the English title Mrs. In the Viking Age, Scandinavian and Icelandic aristocratic women were sometimes called freyjur, the plural of freyja. The History of the Danes. This constant syncretization of The Lady with The Whore is annoying. Freyja is not. "Freya" means ruler, while "Frigg", as noted, means "beloved". And who were the people that wrote a lot of the stories depicting her as a whore ? Her name translates to "Lady" which is actually more of a title than her actual name. The best that can be done is to survey the arguments for and against their identity, and to see how well each can be supported. It only takes a minute to sign up. . [13] Snorri Sturluson. Internet Sacred Text Archive. It is said that Frigg heard their prayers and told Odin what they asked. Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? Frigg is the most prominent goddess of the Aesir, while Freya is the most prominent among the Vanir. It was also the root of the wordfrauin modern German, the honorific title for married women. They are two separate Gods. In Heimskringla: ea Sgur Noregs Konunga. With what authority? Frigg is also the goddess of marriage and her name comes from the verb frja = to love. [17] Later in the poem, when the future death of Odin is foretold, Odin is referred to as the "beloved of Frigg" and his future death is referred to as the "second grief of Frigg". Among the Norse gods is Frigg, one of the greatest goddesses, wife of Odin and leader of the sir, Origins and myth of Frigg Frigg was a goddess of Scandinavian and Germanic mythology of great importance, as she was the wife of Odin, the lord of all the gods of Northern Europe called Asi. They dressed Thor as Freya, adorning him with her prized necklace and a bridal veil, so that he could enter Thryms hall undetected. [6][7], Both Frigg and Freyja are associated with weaving, combining the aspects of a love goddess and a domestic goddess. there are even sources (even less trustworthy) that claim Monday is Frigg's day and Friday is Freyja's day. Lokasenna, verse 26. In England she was worshiped by her Saxon name, Frije, or Frea. When Freya approached Odin about the theft, he revealed his knowledge of her promiscuity with the dwarves. A few Icelandic writers appears to have called it "Freyjudagr" (it would for sure fit better with the Latin name), but this did not catch on and the modern name is derived from Frigg's. In wider Germanic mythology, she is known in Old High German as Frja, in Langobardic as Fra, in Old English as Frg, in Old Frisian as Fra, and in Old Saxon as Fr, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Frijj. Translated by James Steven Stallybrass. Associated with fertility and femininity, later writers sometimes portrayed her as a type of femme fatale or immoral harlot. In Old High German and Old Norse sources, she is specifically connected with Fulla, but she is also associated with the goddesses Lofn, Hln, Gn, and ambiguously with the Earth, otherwise personified as an apparently separate entity Jr (Old Norse: 'Earth'). 1964. As with all religions location and area determine a lot on who Frigg/Freyja were. Apel, Thomas. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Mythopedia. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Freya (Fria) is the Teutonic goddess of love, beauty, and fecundity (prolific procreation). Would value your collective thoughts. I have observed The Lady across the globe. The first mention occurs at the beginning of the section, where the sir and synjur are said to have once held a banquet in a hall in a land of gods, Asgard. What Does The Phrase Horse And Foot Mean? Freya is a Vanir. In Icelandic stories, she tried to save her son's life but failed. Unmarried women especially were not sleeping around, they were highly encouraged to find a life partner. That both figures refer to the same ancient archetype, whether on the human or the divine plane, is certain. Historically, most scholars considered Frigg to be an aspect of Freya, a goddess of the Vanir tribe, as her basic characteristics aligned closely with those of Frigg. The moral of the story is dont be to careful, and teaches you anything can hurt you and threaten your life. While her mothers identity was ultimately unknown, some speculated that Freya was the daughter of Nerthus, an old Germanic deity known as a goddess of peace and plenty." While somewhat veiled, this is ultimately still the case in Old Norse literature. [1] Orel, Vladimir. In the most popular modern representations of Norse mythologythe Marvel comics and filmsFreya was notably absent. Edited by Anders Andrn, Kristina Jennbert, and Catharina Raudvere. [25], Later in Gylfaginning, Gangleri asks about the synjur, a term for Norse goddesses. As theGrmnismlof thePoetic Eddaread: The ninth is Folkvangr, where Freyja decrees He wasnt a god, the others were. He is the father of Forseti, and he has numerous brothers, such as rr and Vli. The wife of the warbands leader, according to the Roman historian Tacitus, held the title of veleda, and her role in the warband was to foretell the outcome of a suggested plan of action by means of divination and to influence that outcome by means of more active magic, as well as to serve a special cup of liquor that was a powerful symbol of both temporal and spiritual power in the warbands periodic ritual feasts. A deleted scene in Thor: The Dark World confirms it was his adopted mother, Frigga (Rene Russo), who taught him this ability. The builder countered with a condition of his ownhe would build the wall in the time allotted so long as he could get help from his stallion, Svadilfari. "[28] The woman asks Frigg if all things have sworn not to hurt Baldr, to which Frigg notes one exception; "there grows a shoot of a tree to the west of Val-hall. Did Sif (the Norse Goddess) ever become a Warrior in mythology? False. Freya. Mythopedia, March 08, 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/freya. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Both Freyjudagr (from Freyja) and Frjdagr (from Frigg) are used. How did Loki become such an expert in magic? [4], Freyas occupying this role amongst the gods is stated directly in the Ynglinga Saga, and indirect hints are dropped elsewhere in the Eddas and sagas. [2] [12] In Lokasenna and the Ynglinga Saga, Odin was once exiled from Asgard, leaving his brothers Vili and Ve in command. Sinless thou art not thyself; Christianity invented slut-shaming.. Upon the 9th night, Grmnir is brought a full drinking horn by Geirrr's son, Agnar (so named after Geirrr's brother), and the poem continues without further mention or involvement of Frigg. Frigga is a significant goddess and the female equivalent of her husband, in. If not who is and reference to the comment above in reference to the morning star is he meaning she is Lucifer? So much symbolism throughout literature as well as differing thought processes among individuals. For the question of identity, I will refer to this question. Like most Norse gods and goddesses Freya had countless names and nicknames. Brsingamen was made by dwarves and purchased at a dear price. Venus' Day In most languages with Latin origins, the day is named after the fertility goddess and planet Venus, like Italian venerdi and French vendredi. Not true. 2006. They stayed on the croft for one winter, during which the couple separately fostered the two children: the old woman fostered Agnar and the old man fostered Geirrr. Geirrr has Grmnir tortured and sits him between two fires for 8 nights. She is identified with the Norse goddess Freya. "[21] Away went the ship and Geirrr walked to a house, where he was greeted with joy; while the boys were gone, their father had died, and now Geirrr was king. In Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes and Interactions. [8] In Sweden and some parts of Germany, the asterism of Orion's Belt is known as her distaff or spindle. The author describes Frigg as the wife of Odin, and, in a case of folk etymology, the author attempts to associate the name Frigg with the Latin-influenced form Frigida. [9], Frigg and Freyja common origin hypothesis. According to the saga, Freya was said to be the last of the godsthis claim appeared nowhere else in Norse tradition, however. TheSrla ttr, a fourteenth century narrative written (tellingly) by Christian priests, contained a particular lurid account of Freyas lasciviousness (one admittedly told through the moralizing lens of Christians, who were ill at ease with the customs and behaviors of the pagan Norse). rev2023.5.1.43405. Grmnisml.Poetic Edda. Frigg was also noted for sleeping with both of Odins brothers while Odin was exiled. Who shall have seats in the hall; So the goddess Frigg took an oath from fire and water, iron and all metals, stones and earth, from trees, sicknesses and poisons, and from all four-footed beasts, birds and creeping things, that they would not hurt Balder. waas taken over (ON friadagr) instead of a native name It seems that there is very good evidence that Frigg and Freya are one in the same. [9], Frigg is referenced in art and literature into the modern period. [16], Frigg receives three mentions in the Poetic Edda poem Vlusp. [14] Snorri Sturluson. He even accuses Freya of sleeping with her brother, Freyr. (See Death and the Afterlife.). Accomplished-Emu4076 8 mo. Holda came first, then Freyja, then Frigga. The word for Friday in Germanic languages (including English) is named after Frija,[18] the Proto-Germanic goddess who is the foremother of Freya and Frigg. Why, then, are they presented as nominally distinct in the late Old Norse sources? it has been determined that she is an exact duplication of Freya. Upon reading and listening to educated sources on the topic. In another Frigg and Freja are completely separate queens. The two names come from the same word and have the same meaning. p. 279-328. [15] Ellis-Davidson, Hilda Roderick. During modern times, Frigg has appeared in popular culture, has been the subject of art and receives veneration in Germanic Neopaganism. "[25] According to High, the two had many sons, the first of which was the mighty god Thor. The Vandals, ruled by Ambri and Assi, came to the Winnili with their army and demanded that they pay them tribute or prepare for war. [7] Several place names refer to Frigg in what are now Norway and Sweden, although her name is altogether absent in recorded place names in Denmark. The best that can be done is to survey the arguments for and against their identity, and to see how well each can be supported. [32], In Ynglinga saga, the first book of Heimskringla, a Euhemerized account of the origin of the gods is provided. Again, Freya agreed. It is also possible that in different regions the myth took different shapes. And the dwelling great of the gods was shaken, Like in, she is giant-descended. Godan saw the Winnili, including their whiskered women, and asked "who are those Long-beards?" As with mostNorse gods and goddesses, little was known of Freyas childhood and early development. Other accounts mention her as to have been associated with a form of witchcraft involving some kind of divination. Freya has no affiliation with other religions. Women having sex with multiple partners especially unmarried women was quite unremarkable in the European pagan world. Seeking protection, the gods called upon Thor for aid: And straightway the hammer Mjllnir was raised aloft; he paid the wrights wage, and not with the sun and the moon.[5]. Gro Stensland's Fornnordisk Religion (if you can read Scandinavian) or Etymology Online. Required fields are marked *. I thought Freya was the true mother of Thor? Your email address will not be published. Freya was a lover of fine material possessions, more specifically jewelry. Middle English - Fridai ..when the Roman week-day names were translated, Venus was so You can safely ignore the less trustworthy sources. Frigg is a older goddess than freya, and if you study the old norse mythology it is more likely that freya is a replica of frigg and not the other way around.
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