[This part and the forthcoming sequels are an elaborated version of the original article entitled “The Norse Goddesses behind the Asir Veil: The Vanir Mothers in Continental Scandinavia—a late Shamanistic Branch of the Old European Civilization?” by Märta-Lena Bergstedt & Kirsten Brunsgaard Clausen, included in Goddesses in Myth, History and Culture (Mago Books, 2018) Edited by Mary Ann Beavis and Helen Hye-Sook Hwang.]
FRÖJA – The Vanir Maiden, Guardian of Growth and Sejd
Fröja is the most important goddess in the Asir pantheon, familiar from the world-famous Eddas. Older translations of the Eddas have maintained the apparently original Fröja or Fröa/Fröe, but the modern trend, to let the Icelandic language act as a representative for all the old northern cultures, made translators favor the Icelandic spellings of her name, Freja, Freyia, Freyja, instead.[1] But whereas the Icelandic word, freyja/freja/freya has no meaning in Scandinavian languages, Fröja/Fröa/Fröe from frö (seed) is perfectly understandable in both Old Norse as in all the modern continental languages.
As carrier of all future seeds (frö) in her cosmic womb, Fröjapersonifies the abstract and ultimate feminine principle, the life-giving (rather than the creating).[2] If to judge solely from the innumerable geographical place-names all over Denmark, Norway and Sweden, like Fröabjär, Frövi, Fröadalen, Fröagölen, Frölunda, many of which are known as old shrines and holy places, there would be no doubt left to her original name being Fröja or Fröa (same pronunciation) – but no old Freja-names found.[3] Old expressions have: “Fröa is out to see if rye is ripe” or “Fröa makes fire with steel and flint.”[4]
The earliest ON word for mature womanwas frö/fru (seed-carrier). In the patriarchal, medieval Icelandic language it got a twist, and became a title, signifying only married women, fróvur.[5] As such, it matches the modern Scandinavian words Fru (Mrs), Fröken (Miss) and Jungfru (Virgin, maiden). Interestingly, besides being a title of a married woman, the German word Frau and the Dutch Vrouw managed to keep its original meaning, a woman. And for sure, the VanirFröja was never wife of, or second to, any man, by free will. She owns herself. She owns her own life-giving ability. The door to her private chamber was locked – unless she wished to open it, the Eddas inform.[6]
In Asgård, goddesses are portrayed still to own relative autonomy and independence, probably a reflection the situation of women in contemporary time, still enjoying a certain, though limited, amount of freedom, lingering on from their sovereignty in days-gone-by.
The Bride of Spring Fröja, and Her Twin Brother Fröj
Fröja is growth, the power that awakens in the sleeping seeds when winter is over. Like the power of the life-giving potential is awakened in the young maiden, Fröja is therefore the symbol of maturity, and the universal Bride of Spring.[7] In Scandinavia she was once also known as BRAIDO (bride). Into the holy mountain at Himmelstalund, Norrköping covered with Bronze Age rock art figures (1800-500 BCE), her runes were carved into the rock as late as 200-400CE (Fig. 24).[8] The Braido-runes are the oldest rune letters known to be carved on the face of bedrock. They witness still that “Bride was here.”
Fröja personifies the colorful, blooming beauty of spring and youth, and the sexually mature and independent, young woman at the peak of her procreating power – not yet having birthed children. She is the symbol and guardian of all new life sprouting, ranging from physical life to abstract ideas and projects to be launched. Her power lies within every menstruating or pregnant female being, woman and animal, as well in the seed and fruit of all female plants. She is not a creatrix goddess, if creatrix means modelling out creation based on imagination (as known from male creators); rather she personifies the feminine life-giving potential, meaning to give birth to new individuals. She is the power itself to grow and re-new. She is connected to the birth-giving, breastfeeding, and to the care of the newborn.[9] Her twin brother, Frö or Fröj mirrors the masculine life-giving potential and fertility (not a creator either).[10]
Like their sibling parents, this twin couple, Fröja and Fröj also makes a sibling-based parental pair. Contrary to what the Eddas says in Lokesenna 32; “Foulest of witches (völva), you lay in the arms of your brother. Here the bright gods caught you,” they are not lovers. Their beloved respectively, with whom they beget children, is another matter to which we will return.
The brother Fröj is identified by his over-sized phallus in Viking iconography; once in earlier societies the phallus was seen as the un-perverted symbol of blessing, health and happiness of life (Fig. 25, 26).[11] As Nor (oceans), also Fröj (rain) is linked to water. Fröj is rain and raindrops, sustaining life. He will shower and sustain Fröja with fresh drops of water during her summer-season of pregnancy, life-giving, and growth. But as Nor’s salty waters cannot mate with the fertile earth, neither does Fröj’s falling rain automatically spark new life to grow. For sure, it rains all year round, but pouring autumn and winter rain will not lure any seeds to start growing.
Both Fröja and Fröj personify metaphorically the abstracts: growth and fertility. The Vanir greeting, Till Árs ok Frid (For Good Harvest, Harmony and Peace) is connected to Fröja and Fröj.[12] Among the many Fröja and Fröj fertility symbols, the sow and boar are well-known. Fröj rides a golden boar, Gyllenborste/Hildisvin. And as the only mammal to give birth to 25-30 piglets, even twice a year, the sow is the self-evident fertility symbol of Fröja. Syr (sow)[13] is another name for Fröja; and at geographical Fröa/Fröja-sites, oral legends will sometimes tell that these places are guarded by a Drottning Tryne (Queen Snout/Sow).[14] In a common legend tied to such Fröja-Sow-places, a priest from the new religion (Christianity) has been called for to give an old lady her last communion before dying. Suspecting the old place wild and immoral, he arrives reluctantly, only to find he has been made a fool of – because in the bed lies an old sow! He runs off just in time to see the whole pagan dwelling swallowed by the lake.[15]
Fröja´s Lover – The Sun Ull
Together, as the two sprouting powers, growth and rain, Fröja and Fröj will each year care for her summer-children. But Fröja´s lover is someone else. He is by all means the Vanir, Ull – an aspect of the sun. He is the reliably warm flow of sunbeams in summer. The Nordic word, Ull is identical with the English word, wool. Literally, Ull would mean curling locks of the sun. According to the Eddas,Ull was from the northern lands, where the sun shines 24 hours a day in summertime. His synonym name, Svipdag, (Sweeping Shimmering Daylight), speaks for itself of sun-connection. He is pictured also as the archer, shooting off long shimmering arrows (sunrays); and also as the winter skier, drawing long straight and glittering traces through the white snow. Ull´s mother was Siv with golden hair, shining like the sun. She too is a sun-aspect. The Danish and Swedish siv and säv are still common words for the yellow rushes fringing lakes or the golden locks of grain fields.[16] Ull came to Asgård along with his mother Siv, also a völva (Sibylla, Snorri says).[17] The thundering high-god Thor, second in command took Siv as his wife.
In Icelandic mythology, Ull and Fröja are known also as Svipdag and Menglöd (meaning “round jewel-lover,” or “lover-of-the-round-sun, the jewel-of-the-sky”). Otherwise, Ull is sparsely mentioned in the Eddas, but in contrast, the landscape of continental Scandinavia has a substantial number of geographical Ull-places sprinkled all around. The close relationship of the loving pair Fröja and Ull is also convincingly reflected in the landscape, too. Fröja´s other name is Härn, Hör (Dk. Hörren), and even Hlin (Sw. Lin), both meaning flax, and the shining white linen.[18] Ull-sites and Härn/Hör-sites always indicate old shrines (vi),[19] and the two lovers are so closely interconnected that Ull- and Härn-shrines will always be found located within a few kilometers from one another, e.g. Ullevi and Härnevi, Sweden – Ull´s and Härn´s Holy places[20].
At her bosom, close to her heart, Fröja always wears the indescribably shining brooch, the Brisinga-mén[21] (Shining-flaming-jewel-of-fire), the Eye of the Sun and synonymous with Ull himself. (Fig. 27) The Swedish bon-fire celebration, Valborg on the 30th of April (the Celtic Beltain) is an old sun-festival to the two young lovers, Ull (Walpurgis) and Fröja – honoring the springtime Sun and Growth.[22] Possible, the couple (Fröja-Fröj or Fröja-Ull) could even be identified as the institution of the Sun Maiden and her twin brother, discussed by Kristiansen and Larsson.[23]
Despite her firm relations with both her twin brother Fröj, and with her lover Ull; Fröja, when taken into Asgård soon got married away to Od (an aspect of Odin[24]). Snorri informs that the tears of gold or amber, constantly rolling from her eyes were tears for the longing of her new husband, Od, who was never at home.[25] But, Fröja, also known as Gefn, Giver-of-Life,[26] had never agreed to be any man´s wife! She remained the symbol of the free, autonomous young maiden, choosing lovers at her will. The Asirs called her “man-crazy”.[27]
Asir-belief transformed Fröja into a warrior goddess, and forever her flowering young body came to be the prototype and emblem of martial victories. For her beauty and her close connection to Odin, she was guaranteed one half of the butchered corpses from battlefield for herself.[28] The transfer to the other side, Valhall was therefore often depicted as an erotic journey — at least maybe a tempting and consoling thought for a dying young warrior on battlefield.[29] Her right to share the slain heroes with Odin grants her a particularly high status in Asgård. Her Asir greatness is preserved also in the fact that she, as the only female among the high-warrior-gods, Tyr, Odin, and Thor, giving name to week-days, had one day named after her, namely Friday.[30] It was called the day of love, for which reason vikings preferred to marry on a Friday, and drink to Fröja before going to bed.[31] In Christian time, Fröja´s Friday became a day of bad luck, especially if dated the 13.th Thirteen is the specific woman number of old from the time when calendars were worked out according to the identical moon cycles and cycles of the woman body; having one year counting thirteen moon cycles and thirteen moon-blood cycles. A thirteen-month-year will count 28 days per month (plus one spare-day), making the 13th each month – a Friday!
Asir-Fröja was converted into a goddess of love-and-war, which the old Vanir-Fröja was not. Spretnak has discussed the phenomenon of love-and-war-goddesses in the classical Greek mythology. She showed that the Greek goddesses in the Olympic pantheon, ruled by the new high-god, Zeus were amalgamations from an older layer of mothers, who met fates similar to Fröja’s.[32]
(To be Continued)
(Meet Mago Contributor) Kirsten Brunsgaard Clausen.
[1] Elgqvist, Njordkultens, 89f, and used by translators like e.g Carl Arnold Edwin Jessen, (Sturlason, Gylfaginning, Vølvens Spådom, (Völuspá) (København, 1867), H. G. Møller, (København, 1870), and Frederik Vinkel Horn, (København, 1869), http://heimskringla.no/wiki/. Spelling, Frea appears in Näsström, Fornskandinavisk, 242. Fröe http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Navne_(C._A._E._Jessen)
[2] Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (Lund: C. W. K. Gleerups förlag, 1948). Per Vikstrand, Gudarnas Platser, (PhD diss., Uppsala University, 2001), 55.
[3] Fröa is testified in folk tradition. Näsström, Fornskandinavisk, 283.
[4] Näsström, Fornskandinavisk, 283
[5] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 23.
[6] Fredrik Winkel Horn, ed., Nordiske Heltesagaer, Fortælling om Sørle, trans. Fr. Winkel Horn. (Kjøbenhavn: Forlaget af Samfundet til den danske Litteraturs Fremme, 1876), Cap 2. http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Fort%C3%A6lling_om_S%C3%B8rle
[7] Hultkrantz, Vem är vem, 35.
[8] Arthur Nordén, Norrköpingsbygdens Hällristningar. No.25. (Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand Förlag. 1936), 12f. Arthur Nordén, Sägen och Fornminne i Fiskebybygden. Anteckningar av Arthur Nordén. Fiskeby Aktiebolag1961), 32ff. Brunsgaard Clausen, Braido, 61-67.
[9] Näsström, Fornskandinavisk, 148, 280f; “Fröja help (me) woman to cradle the baby and sing lullabyes,” a role later taken over by Virgin Mary.
[10] Frö is also Frode – fertility (frodig) and peace (fred).
[11] In Asir temples Fröj was honored for his grandiose phallus, converted to symbolize dominance.
Inger-Lise Kolstrup, Fallos – et livskraftig symbol, in Hikuin no. 2 (1975): 159-169.
Hedeager, Iron Age Myth, 108ff.
[12] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 23.
[13] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 34. Hyndlas sang 8
[14] The theme of sow and piglets are frequently connected to ancient burial mound e.g. Marbjerg, Vårbjerg. Lidegaard, Mads. Danske folkesagn, (København: Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, 2001), 149, 198. Piglets symbols of female sexual organs see Näsström, Forntida, 140.
[15] Lidegaard, Danske søer, 47ff.
[16] Mogensen, Himlasagor, 42.
[17] Johansson, Snorres Edda (Prolog), Cap. 4, 56. Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 30
[18] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 34.
[19] Magdalena Forsgren. The Divine Appearance of Härn. In Current Swedish Archaeology no. 18 (2010), 119
[20] Näsström, Fornskandinavisk, 126.
[21] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 34. Johansson, (Skáldskaparmál), Cap. 8, 16, 20. A brooch might even be a völva-token, see Näsström, Fornskandinavisk, 243
[22] Ull´s other name is Walpurgis, Wulþuz: glory, shining. Walpurgis celebration is the festivalfor the mating of Ull and Fröja, Sun and Growth, equaling the Celtic Beltain. Christianity converted it to Valborg´s feast, allotting it to a German Saint Walpurgis from 1400 (Walpurgistag), see Julius Ejdestam, Årseldarnas samband med boskapsskötsel och åkerbruk i Sverige (Uppsala: Landsmåls- och Folkminnesarkivet, 1944), 75.
[23] Kristiansen, and Larsson, Rise of Bronze, 317.
[24] Hedeager, Skuggor, 45.
[25] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 34.
[26] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 34.
[27] Gjellerup, Ældre Edda. Loke-Trætten, 26.
[28] Jónsson, Gudelære (Gylfaginning), Cap. 23.
[29] Likewise for the Greek Afrodithe, love-and-warrior-goddess. No one was afraid of her, on the contrary. Näsström, Forntida, 117, 152.
[30] Except for Icelandic´ weekdays counting one, two etc., naming of week-days followed the Roman pattern. Fröja was chosen to equal the Roman Venus.
[31] Ingela Bendt and Ewa Stackelberg. Madonna, (Stockholm: Arena Förlag, 2016), 212
[32] Spretnak, Lost Goddesses, 103ff. Davis, I begynnelsen, 52, 54.