The God Files: Freyr
Key Words/Concepts
FRITH
PEACE
GROWTH
MALE SEXUALITY
FERTILITY
SACRED KINGSHIP
“Frey is best
of all the exalted gods
in the Æsir's courts:
no maid he makes to weep,
no wife of man,
and from bonds looses all.” (Lokasenna 37, Thorpe)
Though Njord may be the true patriarch of the Vanir gods, it is Freyr who is most commonly viewed as foremost among the Vanir masculine gods. His name itself means “Lord,” a role which he encompasses beyond compare in the Vanir pantheon of gods.
Freyr is a god associated heavily with the Norse concept of frith, a term with no equal cognate in English but often compared in meaning to peace. The keeping of frith in Norse culture involved much more than mere peacekeeping however. It encompassed values such as honor, loyalty, and community, as well as abundance in wealth and sustenance. In the case of leaders and kings such as Freyr, it also compassed strength, prowess, and wisdom. In short, it meant the ability to hold, lead, and protect ones lands and people while maintaining a general sense of abundance and well-being among them. Though compared with the concept of peace, the keeping of frith also involved non-peaceful action when necessary to protect the community. Because of this, we know that not only is Freyr a great and wise king, he was also a fierce warrior when it came to protecting frith among the people.
Freyr represents the ideal male image in Vanir mythos, in the traditional sense. In ancient times and during the Viking Age, he was worshiped as a phallic god, a symbol of virility and fertility, wed to the earth in the figure of Gerd, the source or seed of frith and abundance in all things. He is most heavily associated with agriculture and domestic life, which is a stark contrast to the warrior image of the ideal Aesir male god figures such as Odin or Thor.
Freyr is married to Gerd, a goddess whose name means earth. In the Eddas, Freyr catches a glimpse of her bright, shining arms as he looks out upon the worlds from Odin’s High Seat, and falls madly in love with her. His servant Skirnir, looking to end Freyr’s lovesickness, goes to Gerd with gifts from Freyr in order to claim her hand in marriage. Though these gifts do not impress Gerd at first, Skirnir pushes forward and finally the lady agrees under threat of curse.
Freyr represents the sun and the rains, as most agree that the union of Freyr and Gerd is symbolic of the process of agriculture. Gerd is the earth, Freyr is sun and the rains which in union with his wife produces bounty and wealth in the land. This concept is often symbolized in the rune Fehu, or cattle, representing wealth and fecundity. It is warmth, wealth, abundance, and unity.
Freyr represents fortune and wealth, but it is important to note that there are important conditions to this good fortune. Freyr symbolizes abundance through effort and hard work, wealth that is grown and sown rather than simply given. Patience is an important lesson found in many of Freyr's tales, for example the torturous period waiting before he was able to wed Gerd. The tale of Skirnir illustrates that there are oftentimes many obstacles and barriers to be crossed before any time of success. In this Freyr is a wonderful god to represent forbearance and the ability to move forward even when results seem far away.
Freyr was a noted warrior, even possessing a sword said to fight of its own will without the help of its wielder. Even so, the historical evidence of worship and his lore itself focuses heavily on the domestic sphere rather than his status as a warrior. He was offered to during times of oathing and wedding, and much of the recorded ritual acts related to him center around bringing families and communities together in some form or fashion, rather than war making. He is a god of connections between individuals and communities, one of the foremost elements that enabling the manifestation of what the Vikings called frith.
Though Freyr is one of the most well known of the Vanir, there is still much about him and his worship that is a mystery to us, as is the case with many of the Vanir gods. We know on a basic level that Freyr was deeply connected to sexuality, particularly in a reproductive, creative sense. We know that some visitors to Viking lands described some rather grotesque descriptions of his idols and their gigantic phalli, and some instances of gender bending behavior among his supposed priests. Beyond this little is known about his exact connections to sex or the nature of his cultus, if one existed. Unless more evidence is uncovered in the future in regards to how Freyr was understood to function in relation to sex, our understanding of his links to sexuality can only be speculated upon, and left up to the individual practitioner to decide.
Though decidedly linked to the living world, there is also much lore surrounding Freyr linking him to death as well. There is much lore connected to Freyr connecting him to the building of burial mounds or barrows, as well as the alfar, whom in many cases can be understood to be the spirits of the deceased themselves. This subject is worthy of a much deeper exploration than I can explore at the moment, so for the time being I leave it only as a suggestion for much more involved contemplation in the future.
There can be no question that the god Freyr is a central player in our understanding of the Vanir divine, and one which is still shrouded in much mystery. It is my hope that in the future more information can be unearthed that can help us shed light on some of his darker mysteries, particularly relating to his connection to death and sex, as well as life and abundance.
IN FRITH
CENA
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