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In Norse Mythology and Germanic Mythology , Freyja (sometimes anglicized as '''Freya''') is sister of Freyr and daughter of Njord . She is usually seen as a Norse Fertility Goddess . ''Freyr'' and ''Freyja'' come from Germanic words meaning "the Lord" and "the Lady" respectively (cf. Gothic ''Fráuja'' "lord, master", ''Fráujo'' "lady, mistress", Old Norse ''Frú'' "mistress, lady, woman", Danish ''Frue'', Swedish ''Fru'', German ''Frau'' "miss, woman, wife", Old High German ''Frouwa'', Anglo-Saxon ''Freo'', ''Frea''). While there are some sources Oddrúnargrátr , Volsunga Saga , Hálfs Saga , ancient farmlands named after Freyja suggesting that she was called on to bring fruitfulness to fields or wombs, in the Eddas , she was portrayed as a Goddess of Fertility , Love , Beauty , and Attraction . Freyja was also a goddess of War , Battle , Death , Magic , Prophecies and Wealth . Freyja is cited as receiving half of the dead lost in battle in her hall Fólkvangr , whereas Odin would receive the other half. in a painting by Nils Blommér .]] Frigg and Freyja are the two principle Norse goddesses, and the highest amongst the Asynjur . Frigg is the foremost of the Æsir cult, while Freyja is the foremost of the Vanir cult. They were especially worshipped. In Droplaugarsona Saga , it is described that in a temple at Ölvusvatn in Iceland , statues of Frigg and Freyja have been seated upon higher thrones opposite those of Thor and Freyr. These statues were arrayed in drapery and ornaments of gold and silver. In his Heimskringla , Snorri Sturluson told us that most temples and statues of Heathen Deities were raided and destroyed by Olaf Tryggvason and Saint Olaf . In ''History of the Norse Kings'', Freyja is a mythological Princess of Sweden. Her father Njord is seen as the second Mythological King Of Sweden , and her brother Freyr is the third. Freyr and Freyja's mother is Njord's sister, as it is a custom of the Vanir. THE PROSE EDDA Gylfaginning In Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda , Freyja is introduced as follows. Freyja's attendants are named right after her in ''Gylfaginning'' (35): Sjöfn (a goddess of love), Lofn (a goddess of marriage), and Vár (a goddess of oaths between men and women). It is unclear whether these minor goddesses are simply different aspects/names of Freyja herself (cf. Avatar ). Skáldskaparmál "How should one periphrase Freyja? Thus: by calling her Daughter of Njord, Sister of Freyr, Wife of Ódr, Mother of Hnoss, Possessor of the Slain, of Sessrúmnir, of the Gib-Cats, and of Brísingamen; Goddess of the Vanir, Lady of the Vanir, Goddess Beautiful in Tears, Goddess of Love." ''Skáldskaparmál (20)'', Brodeur's translation {Link without Title} "How should gold be periphrased? Thus: by calling it Ægir's Fire, and Needles of Glasir, Hair of Sif, Snood of Fulla, Freyja's Tears, Talk and Voice and Word of Giants, Draupnir's Drop and Rain or Shower of Draupnfir, or of Freyja's Eyes, Otter's Ransom, Forced Payment of the Æsir, Seed of Fýris-Plain, Cairn-Roof of Hölgi, Fire of all Waters and of the Hand, Stone and Reef or Gleam of the Hand." ''Skáldskaparmál (32)'', Brodeur's translation {Link without Title} "Gold is called Freyja's Tears, as was said before. So sang Skúli Thorsteinsson: Many a fearless swordsman Received the Tears of Freyja The more the morn when foemen We murdered; we were present. And as Einarr Skúlason sang: Where, mounted 'twixt the carvings, The Tear of Mardöll lieth, We bear the axe shield-splitting, Swollen with Serpent's lair-gold." ''Skáldskaparmál (37)'', Brodeur's translation {Link without Title} Appearances in Myths
:The war I remember, the first in the world, :When the gods with spears had smitten Gullveig, :And in the hall of Hor had burned her, :Three times burned, and three times born, :Oft and again, yet ever she lives. :On the host his spear did Odin hurl, :Then in the world did war first come; :The wall that girdled the gods was broken, :And the field by the warlike Wanes was trodden. :Then sought the gods their assembly-seats, :The holy ones, and council held, :Whether the gods should tribute give, :Or to all alike should worship belong. The war ended in a peace treaty, and both sides exchanged hostages. Njord was chosen by the Vanir, and sent from Vanaheim to Asgard where he later begot two fair children, as written in ''Gylfaginning'':
"How should one periphrase Heimdall ? By calling him Son of Nine Mothers, or Watchman of the Gods, as already has been written; or White God, Foe of Loki, Seeker of Freyja's Necklace..." ::''Skáldskaparmál'', Brodeur's translation {Link without Title} "How should one periphrase Loki ? ... Thief of the Giants, of the Goat, of Brísingamen, and of Idunn's Apples, Kinsman of Sleipnir, Husband of Sigyn, Foe of the Gods, Harmer of Sif's Hair, Forger of Evil, the Sly God." ::''Skáldskaparmál'', Brodeur's translation {Link without Title} brings Brisingamen back to Freyja.]]
THE POETIC EDDA Freyja appears in various poems of the Poetic Edda . Grimnismál ''Grimnismál'' (The Sayings of Grímnir), Benjamin Thorpe's translation {Link without Title} "Fólkvangr is the ninth, there Freyja directs the sittings in the hall. She half the fallen chooses each day, but Odin the other half." It was written by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda that "whenever she rides to the strife, she has one-half of the slain". Finnur Magnússon arranged the twelve abodes of Norse deities mentioned in ''Grimnismál'': ::01. Ydalir - Ullr : Sagittarius / November (Ninth month) ::02. Alfheim - Freyr : Capricorn / Decemcer (Tenth month) ::03. Valaskjolf - Váli : Aquarius / January (Month of Janus) ::04. Sökkvabekkr - Sága : Pisces / February (Month of festivals) ::05. Gladsheim - Odin : Aries / March (Month of Mars) ::06. Thrymheim - Skadi : Taurus / April (Month of Aphrodite) ::07. Breidablik - Baldur : Gemini / May (Month of Maia) ::08. Himinbjorg - Heimdall : Cancer / June (Month of Juno) ::09. Fólkvangr - Freyja: Leo / July (Month of Julius Caesar) ::10. Glitnir - Forseti : Virgo / August (Month of Augustus) ::11. Nóatún - Njördr : Libra / September (Seventh month) ::12. Landvidi - Vidar : Scorpio / October (Eighth month) Magnússon's arrangement is fascimating and accurate, for example, Ullr is the archer, Odin is god of war, Sága is goddess of feasts. Freyja is associated with cats ( Leo ), and battles ( Julius Caesar ). Her abode, Fólkvangr , means Folk's Field, which can be interpreted as Field of Dead People, or Battle Field. Völuspá ''Völuspá'' (Prophecy of the Seeress), Benjamin Thorpe's translation {Link without Title} "Then sought the gods their assembly-seats, The holy ones, and council held, To find who with venom the air had filled, Or had given Ódr's bride to the giants' brood. In swelling rage then rose up Thor, Seldom he sits when he such things hears, And the oaths were broken, the words and bonds The mighty pledges between them made." These two stanzas is part of the story mentioned in the Prose Edda, when the gods tried to break the deal with the owner of Svadilfari to protect Freyja. Here Freyja is mentioned as "Ódr's bride". Parts of this story was lost because Völuspá, like most other Eddic Poems, were in very poor shape. Þrymskviða ''Þrymskviða'' (The Song of Thrymr), Benjamin Thorpe's translation {Link without Title} Thor 's mighty warhammer Mjolnir was stolen. He came with Loki to Fólkvangr to borrow Freyja's hawk's plumage.
"Wilt thou me, Freyja, thy feather-garment lend, that perchance my hammer I may find?"
"That I would give thee, although of gold it were, and trust it to thee, though it were of silver." Loki then used the feathered cloak to seek for Thor's hammer. He discovered that Thrymr , King of the Rime Jotuns had hidden the hammer somewhere, and demmanded to marry Freyja in return. He came back to Asgard.
"Bind thee, Freyja, in bridal raiment, for we two must drive to Jotunheim."
"Know me to be of women lewdest, if with thee I drive to Jotunheim." When saying this, she was so wrathful that the mighty necklace Brísingamen broke off from her neck. Later, in the council of the gods and goddesses...
"Let us clothe Thor with bridal raiment, let him have the famed Brisinga necklace. Let by his side keys jingle, and woman’s weeds fall round his knees, but on his breast place precious stones, and a neat coif set on his head."
"Me the Æsir will call womanish, if I let myself be clad in bridal raiment."
"I will with thee as a servant go: we two will drive to Jotunheim." Thor and Loki borrowed Brísingamen. They went to the wedding banquet as "Freyja and her maid", where the Jotuns eventually gave "Freyja" the hammer. Thor sprang out from his disguise, killed Thrymr and all his kin, and robbed all his numerous treasures. "Laughed Hlorridi’s soul in his breast, when the fierce-hearted his hammer recognized. He first slew Thrymr, the Thursar’s lord, and the Jotun’s race all crushed." This is the reason why the Frost Giants are amongst the gods' enemies at the final battle, but they have no leader. Ægisdrekka or Lokasenna ''Lokasenna'' (Loki's Wrangling), Benjamin Thorpe's translation {Link without Title} After the giant Ægir got a mighty kettle, he brew ale and invited the Æsir , Asynjur , and Alfar . Of all the Æsir came Odin , Njord , Freyr , Bragi , Týr , Vidar . Of all the Asynjur came Frigg , Freyja , Gefjon , Idun , Skadi , Sif . Loki came although he was not invited. There, he slew one of Ægir's servant, gods and goddesses traded insults with him. Loki called the Asynjur "sluts", while the goddesses all called him a "shameless liar".
to Idun : "Be silent, Idun! of all women I declare thee most most fond of men, since thou thy arms, carefully washed, didst twine round thy brother´s murderer." to Gefjon : "Be silent, Gefjon! I will now just mention, how that fair youth thy mind corrupted, who thee a necklace gave, and around whom thou thy limbs didst twine?" to Frigg : "Be thou silent, Frigg! Thou art Fjorgyn´s daughter, and ever hast been lustful, since Ve and Vili, it is said, thou, Vidrir´s wife, didst both to thy bosom take."
"Be thou silent, Freyja! I know thee full well; thou art not free from vices: of the Æsir and the Alfar, that are herein, each has been thy paramour."
"False is thy tongue. Henceforth it will, I think, prate no good to thee. Wroth with thee are the Æsir, and the Asyniur. Sad shalt thou home depart."
"Be silent, Freyja! Thou art a sorceress, and with much evil blended; since against thy brother thou the gentle powers excited. And then, Freyja! what didst thou do?"
to Skadi : "Milder was thou of speech to Laufey´s son, when to thy bed thou didst invite me. Such matters must be mentioned, if we accurately must recount our vices." to Sif : "So alone shouldst thou be, hadst thou strict and prudent been towards thy mate; but one I know, and, I think, know him well, a favoured rival of Hlorridi, and that is the wily Loki." After this, Thor came and drove Loki away. Loki cast himself into the waterfall of Franangr, where the [Æsir eventually caught him, and bound him with the entrails of his son Nari. His other son, Narfi, was changed into a wolf. (In Prose Edda , it is said that Narfi killed Nari after becoming a wolf). Skadi took a serpent, and fastened it upon Loki’s face. The venom trickled down from it. Sigyn, Loki’s wife, sat by and held a basin under the venom; and when the basin was full, she carried the venom out. Meanwhile the venom dropped on Loki, who shrank from it so violently that the whole earth trembled, causing earthquakes. (This prose ending part of the poem does not make it clear, but all these punishments are for the murder of Baldur.) Hyndlulíoð ''Hyndlulíoð'' (The Lay of Hyndla), Benjamin Thorpe's translation {Link without Title} Freyja rode on her boar Hildisvini to enlist the help of the giantess Hyndla (She-Dog) to find the pedigree of Ottar , her favorite disciple. Hyndla quickly realized that the boar is Ottar in disguise.
"False art thou, Freyja! who tempest me: by thy eyes thou showest it, so fixed upon us; while thou thy man hast on the dead-road, the young Ottar, Innstein's son."
"Dull art thou, Hyndla! methinks thou dreamest, since thou sayest that my man is on the dead-road with me; there where my hog sparkles with its golden bristles, hight Hildisvini, which for me made the two skilful dwarfs, Dain and Nabbi." Hyndla came with Freyja, riding on a wolf. On the road, Freyja explained her duty, and how Ottar had induced her to help him.
"A wager was made in the foreign metal Ottar the young and Angantir, We must guard, for the hero young to have His father's wealth, the fruits of his race. For me a shrine of stones he made And now to glass the rock has grown Oft with the blood of beasts was it red In the goddesses ever did Ottar trust. Tell to me now the ancient names, And the races of all that were born of old..." Hyndla gave a long list of heroes' names as Ottar's ancestors (this is the main part and purpose of the poem). Freyja then confirmed that the boar is Ottar in disguise. She further requested Hyndla to give Ottar a potion that would enable him to remember all that he had been told. The giantess refused.
"Hence shalt thou fare, for fain would I sleep From me thou gettest few more favors My noble one, out in the night thou leapest As Heidrun goes the goats among To Ódr didst thou run who loved thee ever And many under thy girdle have crawled."
"Around the giantess flames shall I raise So that forth unburned thou mayst not fare."
"Flames I see burning, the earth is on fire And each for his life the price must lose Bring then to Ottar's hand the cup Of venom full for an evil fate."
"Thine evil words shall work no ill Though Jotun maid, bitter thy baleful threats A drink full fair shall Ottar find Of all the gods the favors I get." Oddrúnargrátr ''Oddrúnargrátr'', Benjamin Thorpe's translation {Link without Title} This poem belongs to the myths of heroes. In this song, Princess Borgny called upon Frigg and Freyja to bless Oddrun. "At last were born a boy and girl, Son and daughter of Hogni's slayer; Then speech the woman so weak began, Nor said she aught ere this she spake: "So may the holy ones thee help, Frigg and Freyja and favoring gods, As thou hast saved me from sorrow now." Frigg and Freyja are the two foremost Norse goddesses, and both are goddesses of fertility. OTHER SAGAS Ynglinga Saga : "Njord's daughter Freyja was priestess of the sacrifices, and first taught the Æsir the magic art, as it was in use and fashion among the Vanir. While Njord was with the Vanir he had taken his own sister in marriage, for that was allowed by their law; and their children were Freyr and Freyja. But among the Æsir it was forbidden to intermarry with such near relations." After the deaths of Odin, Njord, and Freyr: "Freyja alone remained of the gods, and she became on this account so celebrated that all women of distinction were called by her name, whence they now have the title Frú (Frau in German); so that every woman is called frú (frau in German), or mistress over her property, and the wife is called the house-Frú (Ehefrau in German). Freyja continued the blood-sacrifices. Freyja had also many other names. Her husband was called Ódr, and her daughters Hnoss and Gersemi. They were so very beautiful, that afterwards the most precious jewels were called by their names." Egils Saga : When Þorgerðr threatened to commit suicide, she said: "No supper have I had, and none will I have till I sup with Freyja. I can do no better than does my father: I will not overlive my father and brother." Hálfs Saga : Queen Signy, wife of King Alfrek, prayed for the help of Freyja in an ale-brewing contest. Her opponent, Geirhild, however, had the help of Odin, who gave her his drools as yeast. And so Signy lost. As written in Harbardsljod , while Odin was popular with warriors, Thor was popular with peasants, but Freyja was especially popular with noblewomen, who expect go to Fólkvangr in the afterlife. Freyja and her husband Ódr represent the common situation of noble families in old Scandinavia: due to harsh environments and war campaigns, the man often goes away long journeys, the woman is left in charge of the house and has considerable powers (as also written in the Prose Edda, Gylfaginning (35)). Húsdrápa : A part of this poem relates the story of the theft of Brísingamen by Loki. When Freyja wakes up she enlists the help of Heimdall to help her search for it. Eventually they find the thief, who turns out to be Loki who has transformed himself into a seal. Heimdall turns into a seal as well and fights Loki. After a lengthy battle, Heimdall wins and returns Brísingamen to Freyja. The rivalry of Loki and Heimdall for Brísingamen is an important event, as they are destined to fight again and slay each other at the end of Ragnarök . Saga Of King Olaf Tryggvason : Following King Olaf Tryggvason's orders, to prove their piety, people must insult and ridicule major heathen deities when they are newly converted into Christianity. Freyja is named among those major deities, including others like Odin, Thor, Freyr, and Frigg. Norse gods and goddesses are evil demons in Christian point of view. of Norway , King Olaf Tryggvason used gruesome ways to kill people who refused to become Christian .]] 15TH CENTURY ACCOUNTS Sörla þáttr : "Freyja is said to be a human in Asia. She was the fairest woman at that time and was the favorite concubine of Odin, King of the Asialand. When this woman wanted to buy a beautiful necklace from four dwarves with gold and silver, they said they do not lack of gold, and demanded a night with her for each of them. She agreed, but a man called Loki somehow knew the deal, and he came to tell Odin. King Odin was very angry, he ordered Loki to steal the necklace. Loki turned into a fly to sneak into Freyja's bower and stole the necklace. When Freyja found her necklace missing, she came to ask King Odin. Odin said he would only return the necklace to her if she could put a curse on some Kings to cause an eternal war until the arrival of a great Christian Lord. She said it would be done and got that necklace back. Under the spell, the Kings fought and slew others but as soon as they fell down, they had to stand up and continued fighting. Chaos lasted for hundreds of years. But in the end, King Olaf Tryggvason arrived with his Christian army, and whoever slain by a Christian would stay dead. The evil Heathen curse was finally dissolved, and Christianity brought peace to the land." The necklace in this Christian account has no name, but people assume that it refers to Brísingamen . The story was later rewritten by Gabriel Turville-Petre Turville, Petre. E.O.G. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1964. and some others, with most parts altered and removed to make it sound like an original myth. 19TH CENTURY ACCOUNTS Rural Scandinavians remained dependent on the forces of nature, fertility gods remained important and in rural 19th Century Sweden, Freyja retained elements of her role as a fertility goddess.Schön, Ebbe. (2004). ''Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition''. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 227-228. In the province of Småland , there is an account of how she was connected with sheet lightning in this respect: In Värend , Freyja could also arrive at Christmas night and she used to shake the apple trees for the sake of a good harvest and consequently people left some apples in the trees for her sake. Moreover, it was dangerous to leave the plough outdoors, because if Freyja sat on it, it would no longer be of any use. RECEIVER OF HALF THE SLAIN Snorri writes in Gylfaginning (24) that "wherever she rides to battle, she gets half the slain" (Faulkes translation); he does not say whether or not Freyja actively participates in the battle in any way. Though Freyja receives some of those warriors slain on the battlefield, there is no record of how that occurs. Does Freyja pick them herself? Or do Odin or the Valkyries decide? There are no answers to these questions. It is said in '' Grímnismál '': :The ninth is Folkvang, where bright Freyja decrees :where in the hall warriors shall sit: :Some of the fallen belong to her, :And some belong to Odin. In Egil's Saga , Thorgerda (''Þorgerðr''), threatens to commit suicide in the wake of her brother's death, saying: "I shall not eat until I sup with Freyja". This should be taken to mean that she expected to pass to Freyja's hall upon her death. Any greater associations with Freyja and death are not supported. The oral tradition explains that Odin's warriors are "the offensive", or those who dedicate their life to fighting. Freyja’s warriors are "the defensive", or those who only fight to protect their families, clans or goods. The historian Else Roesdahl noticed that a difference between the two cultures in regards to burials containing weapons. In those in Norway the buried warriors had defensive shields, and in Denmark they had only offensive weapons.Anne Nissen Jaubert. “Vikings, investigation into the secrecies of the Masters of the sea”. Science and life n°80 April 2004. National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research POSSESSIONS Surviving tales regarding Freyja often associate Freyja with numerous enchanted possessions. Jewelry Brísingamen (Necklace of Flame) is Freyja's famous necklace reputedly made of gold and amber. The necklace is thought to represent the sun's fire and the circle of day and night. According to the notes of Saxo Grammaticus , Brísingamen was among the items given to the gods by Alberich . In some mythological writings, Brísingamen is assigned to Frigg. Cloak Freyja owned a cloak of feathers (debatedly, either robin's feathers or hawk feathers), which gave her the ability to change into any bird, and to fly between worlds. It is called "hawk's plumage" or "falcon-feathered cloak" in different translations. The same magical cloak was also assigned to Frigg in some tales. Boar Freyja rides a boar called Hildisvini (Battle-Swine) which appeared only in the poem Hyndluljóð . Later we are told that the boar is Ottar, but it seems that Ottar was temporarily disguised as Hildisvini, not that Hildisvini is Ottar. The boar has special associations within Norse Mythology, both relative to the notion of fertility and also as a protective talisman in war. Cat-drawn Chariot According to the Prose Edda , Freyja often rides on a chariot drawn by a pair of large cats. Freyja has special links with cats. She rode this chariot to Baldur's funeral. These cats are called Gib-cats in the Prose Edda. They are often thought to be Norwegian Forest Cats . OTHER NAMES Forms of "Freyja"
In 2005, the name ''Freja'' was the fifth most popular given name for Danish girls born that year and has subsequently become a common female name in Denmark .Statistics Denmark. (January, 13 2006). Fornavne for børn født i 1. halvår 2005 . Other forms , Sweden .]] According to Snorri Sturluson 's '' Gylfaginning '' (35), Freyja also bore the following names:
Some of these names (Hörn, Sýr, Gefn, Mardöll) are also listed in a þula which also supplies:
Kennings Gold is called Tears of Freyja: :Many a fearless swordsman :Received the Tears of Freyja :The more the morn when foemen :We murdered; we were present :Ródi's Roof's great Ice-Lump :For the Rain of Freyja's Eyelids :Grows not less, my fair axe-head; :His age my lord so useth. :I received the Ice of Wed Rims, :With Freyja's golden Eye-Thaw, :From the upright prince high-hearted; :We bear in hand the Helm's Hurt. Gold is called Tears of Mardöll: :Where, mounted 'twixt the carvings, :The Tear of Mardöll lieth, :We bear the axe shield-splitting, :Swollen with Serpent's lair-gold. Gold is called Tears of Ódr's Bride: :The shield, tempest's strong roof-ice, :With tear-gold is unminished, :The Eye-rain of Ódr's Bride: :His age the King so useth. Jewel is called Child of Hörn: :Hörn's Child, the glorious adornment, :I own, gold-wound a jewel :Most fair to the shield's rim :Fast is the golden Sea-Flame: Gem is called Niece of Freyr, Gold is called Tears of Hnoss's Mother: :On the gem, Freyr's Niece, the tear-drift :Of the fore-head of her Mother :She bears; the Raven-Feeder :Gave me Fródi's seed-gold's fostering. Gem is called Child of Njördr's Daughter: :A defence of songs full goodly :He freely gave me, neighbor :Of sea-scales: I praise gladly :Njördr's Daughter's golden gem-child. Fair things are called Daughter of Freyja: :The awesome Stately Urger :Of Odin, he who raises :The struggle stern, gave to me :The courage-stalwart daughter :Of the Vana-Bride, my fair axe; :The valorous sword-mote's Ruler :Led Gefn's girl to the Skald's bed, :Set with the sea-flame's gold-work. "It is proper to join 'tears' with all the names of Freyja, and to call gold by such terms; and in divers ways these periphrases have been varied, so that gold is called Hail, or Rain, or Snow-Storm, or Drops, or Showers, or Water falls of Freyja's Eyes, or Cheeks, or Brows, or Eyelids." (The Prose Edda , The poesy of Skalds or Poetical Diction (37), Snorri 's teachings of how Freyja and Hnoss's names can be used as kennings for fair things like gold, jewels, and gems). NAMED AFTER FREYJA Places Many farms in Norway have ''Frøy-'' as the first element in their names, and the most common are the name ''Frøyland'' (13 farms). But whether ''Frøy-'' in these names are referring to the goddess Freyja (or the god Freyr) is questionable and uncertain. The first element in the name ''Frøyjuhof'', in Udenes parish, are however most probably the genitive case of the name Freyja. (The last element is ''hof'' 'temple', and a church was built on the farm in the Middle Ages, which indicates the spot as an old holy place.) The same name, ''Frøyjuhof'', also occur in the parishes Hole and Stjørdal . In the parish of Seim , in the county of Hordaland , Norway, lies the farm Ryland ( Norse ''Rýgjarland''). The first element is the genitive case of ''rýgr'' 'lady' (identical with the meaning of the name ''Freyja'', see above). Since the neighbouring farms have the names Hopland (Norse ''Hofland'' 'temple land') and Totland (Norse ''Þórsland'' 'Thor's land') it is possible that ''rýgr'' (lady) here are referring to a goddess. (And in that case most probably Freyja.) A sideform of the word (''rýgja'') may occur in the name of the Norwegian municipality Rygge . There's Horn in Iceland and Hoorn in Holland, various places in the German lands are called Freiburg (burg meaning something like settlement). Plants - ''Polygala vulgaris'' - a species of the genus ''Polygala''.]] Several plants were named after Freyja, such as ''Freyja's tears'' and ''Freyja's hair'' ('' Polygala Vulgaris ''), but after the introduction of Christianity, they were renamed after the Virgin Mary , suggesting her closest homologue in Christianity. Schön, Ebbe. (2004). ''Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition''. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 228. Friday See Also: Friday The name Friday comes from the Old English ''frigedæg,'' meaning the day of Frige the Anglo-Saxon form of Frigg , a West Germanic translation of Latin ''dies Veneris'', "day (of the planet) Venus." However, in most Germanic Languages the day is named after Freyja —such as ''Freitag'' in Modern German , ''vrijdag'' in Dutch , ''fredag'' in Swedish , Norwegian , and Danish —but Freyja and Frigg are frequently Identified With Each Other . Misc The chemical element Vanadium is named after Freyja via her alternative name Vanadis. The Orion Constellation was called Frigg's distaff or Freyja's girdle. HOMOLOGUES Freyja might be considered the counterpart of Venus and Aphrodite , although she has a combination of attributes no known goddess possesses in the mythology of any other ancient Indo-European People and might be regarded as closer to the Mesopotamian Ishtar as being involved in both love and war. It is also sometimes thought that she is the most direct mythological descendant from Nerthus . H. R. Ellis Davidson, Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, 1964. Britt-Mari Näsström posits in her "Freyja: Great Goddess of the North" that there is a tenable connection from Freyja to other Goddesses worshipped along the migration path of the Indo-Europeans who consistently appeared with either one or two cats/lions as companions, usually in the war Goddess aspect but occasionally also as a love Goddess. These would include: Durga , Ereshkegal , Sekhmet , Menhit , Bast , Anat , Asherah , Nana , Cybele , Rhea , and others. That the name Freyja translates to the deliberately ambiguous title of "Lady" infers that like Odin, she wandered and bore more names than are perhaps remembered in the modern age. DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN Freyja, in her German variant name "Freia", appears in Richard Wagner 's massive opera cycle, '' Der Ring Des Nibelungen '' which includes Das Rheingold , Die Walküre , Siegfried , and Götterdämmerung . This has led to many portrayals based on Wagner's interpretation, although some are closer to pre-Wagnerian models. Since Wagner's time, numerous depictions and references have entered popular culture to varying extents. In Wagner's depiction, Freyja is the goddess who guards the golden apples. When she was captured by two giants Fasolt and Fafner, Odin had to pay them a hefty ransom including the Ring of Nibelung which he robbed from Alberich to get her back. INFLUENCE IN CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS Christian beliefs combined with existing pagan feasts and winter rituals to create many long-standing traditions of Christmas celebrations. For example, ancient Europeans believed that the mistletoe plant held magic powers to bestow life and fertility, to bring about peace, and to protect against disease. Northern Europeans associated the plant with the Norse goddess of love, Freyja, and developed the custom of kissing underneath mistletoe branches. Christians incorporated this custom into their Christmas celebrations, and kissing under a mistletoe branch eventually became a part of secular Christmas tradition. Restad, Penne. ''Christmas in America: A History''. POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS Frigg See Also: Frigg#Connection_between_Frigg_and_Freyja Frigg is the highest goddess of the Æsir , while Freyja is the highest goddess of the Vanir . Many arguments have been made both for and against the idea that Frigg and Freyja are really the same goddess, avatars of one another. Davidson, Hilda Ellis. (1998). ''Roles of the Northern Goddess,'' page 10. London: Routlege. ''Also:'' Grundy, Stephen, Freyja and Frigg, pages 56-67; Nasstrom, Brit-Mari. Freyja, a goddess with many names, pages 68-77. Billington, Sandra & Green, Miranda (Eds.) (1996). ''The Concept of the Goddess.'' London: Routlege. Some arguments are based on linguistic analysis, others on the fact that Freyja wasn't known in southern Germany, only in the north, and in some places the two goddesses were considered to be the same, while in others they were considered to be different. Welsh, Lynda. (2001). ''Goddess of the North,'' page 75. York Beach: Weiser Books. Gullveig See Also: Gullveig#Turville-Petre Due to a number of similarities, a hypothesis supported by , a seeress mentioned in '' Völuspá '' is another name for Freyja. REFERENCES AND NOTES
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