Meet with us Freyr, God Of Fertility in the Norse mythology that has countless legends and adventures starring him.
Freyr: God of Fertility
Freyr is a member of the Vanir tribe. There are two tribes of gods in Norse mythology, the Vanir and the Aesir. The Vanir are generally considered fertility gods, while the Aesir are known as warrior gods. As such, it makes sense that Freyr is known as a god of fertility and peace. He is also strongly associated with the sun, which gives us a good idea of his importance.
Across many cultures, sun gods tend to be at, or near, the top of their respective pantheons. Freyr is described in old poems as the foremost of the gods in terms of reputation. Apparently, no one disliked him among all the people.
Origin of Freyr
Since he is such a prominent god in Norse mythology, there are extensive writings about him and his deeds. As in most Norse mythology, we can read about him in the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. There are many archaeological forms of evidence that Freyr has been worshipped, and the earliest written record dates from the year 1125.
The worship of Freyr is especially associated with Sweden, so much so that the Swedish royal house is believed to be directly descended from him. Clearly, he is deeply woven into the culture and history of the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples, a radiant god whose presence can still be felt today in the art and stories of that part of the world.
History
After Freyr was born, he was given a gift to commemorate his first tooth, which is a Norse tradition. That gift was Alfheim, one of the nine worlds in the branches of Yggdrasil and home of the elves. Whether this makes Freyr the ruler of Alfheim is unclear, but it was certainly his home. Throughout his life, Freyr came to possess many treasures, as would be expected of a god of wealth.
Frigga: Queen And Goddess Of Heaven In Norse MythologyOne of his greatest treasures was his ship, Skithblathnir. This ship was an amazing magical vessel that always had a favorable wind, no matter what. However, that was not its greatest trick: Skithblathnir could be folded into a small object that fit inside a pouch. This amazing ship allowed Freyr to travel the seas with ease.
On land he wasn’t forced to go on foot, either. He had a magnificent chariot drawn by boars that carried peace everywhere. One of the most famous stories in history tells us how he fell in love. After the war between the Aesir and the Vanir, Freyr became one of the hostages who joined the Aesir. One day, he decided to sit on Odin’s throne, which had the power to show the user anything in the nine worlds of Yggdrasil.
Giant
From there, he could see the frost giant Gerd. Freyr fell in love instantly. He sent one of his servants, named Skirnir, to find Gerd and propose that she become his wife. He had to do this by going to the hall of her father, Gymir, to be asked permission to marry. This was a rather dangerous journey, so Skirnir asked his lord Freyr for the necessary equipment to complete his mission. Skirnir took many of his master’s magical treasures with him, including his horse and sword.
He also brought gifts to give to Gerd. Skirnir was given golden apples and a golden bracelet with which to try to woo Gerd. Although it was a difficult journey, Skirnir finally managed to stand up to Gerd and make the proposal on Freyer’s behalf. Unfortunately, Gerd was not swayed by the gift offerings. Nor did he care for the threat of beheading her with Freyr’s sword.
Finally, he got her to agree by cursing her with a magic cast with his master’s sword. It is under this threat that he finally swears his love to the Norse god. Skirnir returned to Freyr to give him the news that Gerd would meet and marry him. The sword, however, remained with Skirnir, a price Freyr gladly paid even though it would leave him unprotected when the end of the world, Ragnarok, came. This decision meant that Freyr knowingly condemned himself to death, but he considered it a better fate than a life without Gerd.
Appearance
Freyr is usually depicted as a virile, muscular man with long flowing hair. He often carries a sword and is almost always accompanied by his giant golden-bristled boar, Gullinbursti. Since he is the son of the ocean god and himself the sun god, we can see both themes in artwork depicting him. Some images will show him holding a horn, as in one of his myths he is forced to surrender his sword and must settle for a horn instead. As the god of fertility, he is sometimes shown as a very well endowed man.
Family of Freyr
Like almost all Norse gods, he is part giant, in this case, on his mother’s side. He is the son of the frost giantess, Skadi, and the sea god, Njord. He is also the twin brother of his equally beautiful and famous sister Freyja. His sister rules over much of what this god of fertility and peace does, but he also presides over death and war. Some accounts do not identify Skadi as Freyr’s mother, but as the unnamed sister of Njord. In that case, Freyr’s mother would also be his aunt, but that kind of marriage was not at all uncommon among the gods.
