Freya, one of the prominent figures of Scandinavian mythology, is the goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, attraction, passion, fertility and war. He also has the ability to see and change the future, so he can drag his enemies into disaster and save his friends from danger. Let’s get to know this important goddess, known by different names such as Freyja, Freja and Frua.
Goddess Freya is the daughter of the god Njord, also known as Njordr, who is associated with the sea, seafaring, fishing, wealth and fertility. It is unknown who his mother was, but there are those who say that she may have been Nerthus, the goddess of fertility and peace in Germanic mythology. His brother Freyr is also a god associated with prosperity, wealth, good weather and masculinity.
Freya is a goddess whose beauty is legendary. Many stories emphasize what an attractive being he is. For example, in one of these stories, a hill giant comes to Asgard, the place of the gods, and says that he can build a very good castle that will protect them from the giants called “jötnar”, that is, their enemies. In return, he asks for the Sun, the Moon and to marry Freya. The gods argue a little about the offer and accept it on the condition that the castle be completed by the first day of summer. The giant says that this is only possible if he gets help from his stallion Svadilfari, and the gods agree to this condition.
The giant begins his task and comes close to finishing the job, thanks to Svadilfari’s help. Seeing this, the gods become very worried and realize that they will indeed lose Freya to Jötunheimr, the world of giants. As a solution, he decides to make it difficult for the giant to complete the construction. This is where the god Loki, famous for his cunning, steps in and distracts the stallion by transforming himself into a mare.
Seeing that the castle cannot be completed, the giant becomes very angry. The gods also call out to the god Thor for help. Thor responds to the calls and brings down his legendary hammer called “Mjölnir” on the giant. Thus, the gods both prevent Freya from marrying the giant and have a new castle to protect themselves from dangers. From the mating of Loki and Svadilfari in the form of a mare, a horse named Sleipnir is born. Loki will gift this very smart horse, which stands out with its 8 legs, to the god Odin.
Freya is from the group of gods called “Vanir” and also leads this group. Another major group of gods plays an important role in ending the war between the Aesir and the Vanir. When the two parties come together for a peace agreement, the god Odin inspects the sacrifices offered by the parties upon his request. The goddess ensures that peace prevails and that the world order continues where it left off. In this way, she turns into a figure praised and the name “Freya” comes to represent not only her, but all high-status women.
It is also necessary to mention Freya’s helpfulness and generosity. Ottar, the goddess’s favorite servant, wants to know where his lineage is based on a bet he made and asks for Freya’s help. Freya turns him into a wild pig named Hildisvíni and takes him to the wise woman Hyndla. The wise woman does not want to give information about Ottar’s lineage, but when Freya threatens to kill herself, she has no choice. Freya is worried that Ottar might forget what Hyndla told her, so she makes Ottar drink beer that strengthens memory. Thus, Ottar does not forget who his ancestors are, and it becomes clear how generous Freya is in helping those who pray to her.
Freya, who found a place in Denmark’s national anthem “Der er et yndigt land” (There is a Lovely Land), is often described as a goddess who pursues pleasure and pleasure, but she is much more than beauty and love. We hope we hear his name more often in popular culture – just like Loki, Thor and Odin.
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