Freyja

Also known as: Freyia / Gefn / Horn / Mardol / Syr / Vanadis · Family: Vanir · Role: goddess · First appears: Elder Edda · The Lay of Thrym, or the Hammer Recovered

In the Lay of Thrym, when Thrym demands Freyia as his bride in exchange for returning Thor’s hammer, Freyia refuses to go to Jotunheim. Thor is her old friend, and Thrym’s demand names her as Njord’s daughter.

In the Fooling of Gylfe, Njord begets Freyja at Noatun, and she is wedded to Oder, with whom she has a daughter, Hnos. When Oder goes far away, Freyja weeps tears of red gold. In the Lay of Hyndla, she calls Hyndla her friend and speaks of the young Ottar as her man.

In Brage’s Talk, Loki, threatened with death or torture after Idun is taken, promises to bring her back and borrows Freyja’s falcon-guise. In Æger’s Feast, she joins Odin and the other gods at Æger’s feast in Asgard, after he invites them to visit.

Relationship record

Life events

• Thrym reveals that he has Thor's hammer and demands Freyia as his wife for its return.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Thrym, or the Hammer Recovered · 📍 Jotunheim)
  • With: Thrym Thor
  • “I have Hlorridi's hammer hidden eight rasts beneath the earth; it shall no man get again, unless he bring me Freyia to wife.”
• Freyia refuses to go to Jotunheim as Thrym's bride.(Elder Edda · The Lay of Thrym, or the Hammer Recovered)
  • “Know me to be of women lewdest, if with thee I drive to Jotunheim.”
• Njord begat Freyja.(Younger Edda · The Fooling of Gylfe · Chapter VIII · The Asas · Part 2 · 📍 Noatun)
  • With: Njord
  • “and a daughter, by name Freyja.”
• Freyja is wedded to Oder.(Younger Edda · The Fooling of Gylfe · Chapter X · The Goddesses (Asynjes))
  • With: Oder
  • “She is wedded to the man whose name is Oder;”
• Oder went far away from Freyja.(Younger Edda · The Fooling of Gylfe · Chapter X · The Goddesses (Asynjes))
  • With: Oder
  • “Oder went far away. Freyja weeps for him, but her tears are red gold.”
• Threatened with death or torture, Loke promised to bring Idun back and borrowed Freyja's falcon-guise.(Younger Edda · Brage's Talk · Chapter II · Idun and her Apples · 📍 Jotunheim)
  • With: Loki Idun
  • “Then Loke was seized and brought into the council, and he was threatened with death or torture. But he became frightened, and promised to bring Idun back from Jotunheim if Freyja would lend him the falcon-guise that she had.”
• Æger hosted Odin and the gods at a feast after inviting them to visit him.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · Æger's Feast · 📍 Asgard)
  • With: Æger Odin Njord Frey Tyr Bragi Vidar Loki Frigg Gefjun Skadi Idun Sif
  • “On this journey went Odin, Njord, Frey, Tyr, Brage, Vidar, Loke; and also the asynjes, Frigg, Freyja, Gefjun, Skade, Idun, Sif.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Thrym, or the Hammer Recovered

• admirer: Thrym “it shall no man get again, unless he bring me Freyia to wife.”
• parent: Njord “now they bring me Freyia to wife, Niord's daughter, from Noatun.”
• protégé: Thor “That I would give thee, although of gold it were, and trust it to thee, though it were of silver.”

Elder Edda · The Lay of Hyndla

• friends with Hyndla “Wake, maid of maids! Wake, my friend! Hyndla! Sister! who in the cavern dwellest.”
• with Ottar (Lover/partner) “while thou thy man hast on the dead-road, the young Ottar, Innstein's son.”

Younger Edda · The Fooling of Gylfe · Chapter VIII · The Asas · Part 2

• parent: Njord “Njord, in Noatun, afterward begat two children: a son, by name Frey, and a daughter, by name Freyja.”
• with Odin (They each receive half of the slain who go to Folkvang.) “The other half is Odin’s.”

Younger Edda · The Fooling of Gylfe · Chapter X · The Goddesses (Asynjes)

• married with Oder “She is wedded to the man whose name is Oder; their daughter’s name is Hnos, and she is so fair that all things fair and precious are called, from her name, Hnos.”
• child: Hnos “She is wedded to the man whose name is Oder; their daughter’s name is Hnos, and she is so fair that all things fair and precious are called, from her name, Hnos.”

Younger Edda · Brage's Talk · Chapter II · Idun and her Apples

• protégé: Loki “But he became frightened, and promised to bring Idun back from Jotunheim if Freyja would lend him the falcon-guise that she had. He got the falcon-guise, flew north into Jotunheim, and came one day to the giant Thjasse.”

Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · Thor's Journey to Geirrod's

• friends with Thor “But the battle-hastener, Freyja’s old friend, With swift hands caught In the air the beam”

Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · Æger's Feast

• patron: Æger “Æger made a visit to Asgard, but when he was ready to return home he invited Odin and all the asas to come and pay him a visit after the lapse of three months. On this journey went Odin, Njord, Frey, Tyr, Brage, Vidar, Loke; and also the asynjes, Frigg, Freyja, Gefjun, Skade, Idun, Sif.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Eddas. Made with Rho MD.