Freya: Love One Another

 

 

 

A beautiful lady is an accident of nature. A beautiful old lady is a work of art. -Louis Nizer

Freya, whose name means “Lady”, is a Norse Goddess of beauty, gold, war and death, along with the usual fertility, sex, lust and sorcery.  She had very high recognition and said to be of the same level as Odin.  She was, also, a priestess of sacrificial offerings.  There was a belief that people who died were picked by Freya and some soldiers, who died in battle, were chosen to be part of her Army.  She is said to have loved travel and was seen riding in her chariot pulled by two black or gray cats.  She had a cloak of falcon feathers that is pure magic.  It allowed her to fly and see what was going on down on earth.  She would loan this cloak when they needed to hurry to someone, down here on earth and the other four realms, to give aide.  Sometimes, when she was going to do battle, she had a boar that she rode.  The boar was actually her human lover in disguise so no one will know she had a human for a lover.  She was beautiful and had many suitors amongst the gods, the fairies, the elves, the dwarves and the giants.  Many wanted her as a bride.  She was offered fine jewelry to wed some. Sometimes she used her beauty to get such gifts.   One piece of jewelry she obtained was a fiery necklace that glowed.  She asked some Dwarves if she could buy it but they refused and said, if she would sleep with each of them, they would give it to her.  She did.  The necklace became hers.  Yes, she was what we would call a “party girl’. 

During the Christianization, of Scandinavia, many of the pagan names were given new names.  Milkwort was a plant called ‘Freya’s Hair’ but when Christianized, it was later name Virgin Mary’s Hair.  The Danish national anthem is called ‘Freya’s Hall’, in her honor.

“There is a lovely country it stands with broad beech-trees, near the salty eastern shore It bends itself in hill, valley, its name is old Denmark and it is the hall of Freya.”

That necklace?  It became a sign of her shame for being wanton.  She wore it until she met and married Odr, god of summer until he disappeared.  Her love was so great for him when Odr was a mortal she asked Odin and the other gods to allow him in Valhalla and make him a god even though he did not die in battle. Freya's wish was granted she was happy until Odr left her and Valhalla.

Oh, she was accused of all sorts of things because of her past.  The more she was blamed, the more she had to prove herself.  She chose love as a way to prove them wrong.  Loki was a pervert, truly and accused her of all sort of made-up things, to win favor.  She forgave him over and over.  Loki was the God of tricks and he constantly caused trouble for Freya.  He stole her necklace, accused her of many false allegations about sleeping with all sorts of males.  He even said he had.  Perhaps he was jealous he could never have her?

Also, the frost giants all wanted her and most were afraid of them.  It was Freya who said she would give them food and drink.  She was kind and this was always taken wrong.  She went around tossing dew and light of morning sun and spring flowers everywhere she went.  She would not let negativity stop her from loving in all those awesome ways.  She also became the goddess of peaceful deaths.  She would cry a lantern to help souls climb the stairs to heaven.  She taught all the gods and goddesses art, music, dance and poetry.  Of course, she gave them all magic as well.  Love was her magic, of course.  And forgiveness! 

Freya was different from all of her family of gods and goddesses.  She was love and beauty personified but you never wanted to anger her.  She could also be scary and serious and dangerous when there was wars of any kind.  It was not until Norse forgot their goddess that religion made her the goddess of the hunt and wican religion.  She has survived right to modern day because of her all-abiding love for all things and her sense of justice and forgiveness.  She has grieved, and in her grief of losing her parents and hr husband, she became more and more loving through sweetness and kindness and toughness and bravery.  It is said, when she did die, she died of grief. 

It is said, she still hovers on the edge of knowing and loves seeing love in action.  She enjoys beautiful men, beautiful and fancy things and believes that war is only needed when there is no chance for love. 

I think many of us have been a Freya in some ways.  Who has not been gossiped about?  Who has not been blamed for something they never did?  Who has turned the other cheek because peace is better than warring?  Who, in spite of how hard life can be, is still not a loving person?  Yes, we have loved.  Yes, we have hung our heads in shame, betimes.  Yes, we have learned to forgive and how important that is to one’s peace of mind.  In spite of it all, have we learned to love one another?

©Carol Desjarlais 10.28.21