"Frey" redirects here. For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation).

"Frey and his Steed, Golden-Bristle" by Jacques Reich.

Freyr (sometimes anglicized Frey)^[1] is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and Freyr was highly associated with agriculture, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals". The word phallus can refer to an erect Penis, or to an object shaped like a penis In polytheistic religions and mythologies a fertility god is a male deity who is responsible for ensuring human Fertility. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was especially associated with Sweden and seen as an ancestor of the Swedish royal house. Yngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr In sources such as Heimskringla and Ynglinga saga there appear early Swedish kings who belong in the domain of Mythology, but it is often suggested that

In the Icelandic books the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, Freyr is presented as one of the Vanir, the son of the sea god Njörðr, brother of the goddess Freyja. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval Manuscript Codex Regius. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. Njörðr is a Vanir god in Norse mythology. In surviving sources Njörðr is the father of the major deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. The gods gave him Álfheimr, the realm of the Elves, as a teething present. Alfheim redirects here For other uses see Alfheim (disambiguation Álfheimr or Alfheim ( Elf-home) is the abode of the An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming He rides the shining dwarf-made boar Gullinbursti and possesses the ship Skíðblaðnir which always has a favorable breeze and can be folded together and carried in a pouch when it is not being used. Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate Gullinbursti (meaning "Gold Mane or Golden Bristles" is a Boar in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology, Skíðblaðnir (the name can be anglicized as Skídbladnir, Skídhbladhnir or Skíthblathnir) is the ship of He has the servants Skírnir, Byggvir and Beyla. Byggvir is a figure in Norse mythology. The only surviving mention of Byggvir appears in the prose beginning of Lokasenna, and stanzas 55 through 56 of Beyla is one of Freyr 's servants along with her husband Byggvir, in Norse mythology.

The most extensive surviving Freyr myth relates Freyr's falling in love with the giantess Gerðr. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" A jötunn, sometimes anglicized as jotun (pronounced yotun is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength Gerðr is a Jötunn in Norse Mythology most well known as the wife of the Norse god Freyr. Eventually, she becomes his wife but first Freyr has to give away his magic sword which fights on its own "if wise be he who wields it". The term magic sword refers to any kind of mythological or Fictional Sword imbued with magical power to increase its strength or grant it other Although deprived of this weapon, Freyr defeats the giant Beli with an antler. In Norse mythology Beli is probably a giant. He was killed by Freyr. Antlers are the usually large and complex horn -like appendages of most Deer species mostly worn by males only for some species such as Caribou by both However, lacking his sword, Freyr will be killed by the fire giant Surtr at Ragnarok, the end of the world. For the moon of Saturn named after Surtr see Surtur (moon. In Norse mythology, Surtr ( Old Norse "black" In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (rɑgnɑrɔk Old Norse "Final destiny of the gods" refers to a series of major events including a great battle foretold

Adam of Bremen

Written around 1080, one of the oldest written sources on pre-Christian Scandinavian religious practices is Adam of Bremen's Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum. Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum is a historical Treatise written between 1075 and 1080 by Adam of Bremen. Adam claimed to have access to first-hand accounts on pagan practices in Sweden. He refers to Freyr with the Latinized name Fricco and mentions that an image of him at Skara was destroyed by a Christian missionary. In the practice of Religion, a cult image is a man-made object that is venerated for the Deity, spirit or Daemon that it embodies or represents Skara (pop 10700 is a city in Västergötland, Sweden, an Episcopal see and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland His description of the Temple at Uppsala gives some details on the god. The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods

Later in the account Adam states that when a marriage is performed a libation is made to the image of Fricco. A libation (spondee in Greek) is a Ritual pouring of a drink as an offering to a god.

Historians are divided on the reliability of Adam's account. ^[2] While he is close in time to the events he describes he has a clear agenda to emphasize the role of the Archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen in the Christianization of Scandinavia. The Archdiocese of Bremen is a historical Roman Catholic diocese and a former eccesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with His timeframe for the Christianization of Sweden conflicts with other sources, such as runic inscriptions, and archaeological evidence does not confirm the presence of a large temple at Uppsala. On the other hand, the existence of phallic idols was confirmed in 1904 with a find at Rällinge in Södermanland. ^[3]

Prose Edda

When Snorri Sturluson was writing in 13th century Iceland the indigenous Germanic gods were still remembered though they had not been openly worshiped for more than two centuries. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician

Gylfaginning

In the Gylfaginning section of his Prose Edda, Snorri introduces Freyr as one of the major gods. Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi (c 20000 words is the first part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda after The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an

Several Scandinavian gold plaques have been interpreted as showing a meeting between Freyr and Gerðr.

This description has similarities to the older account by Adam of Bremen but the differences are interesting. Adam assigns control of the weather and produce of the fields to Thor but Snorri says that Freyr rules over those areas. Snorri also omits any explicitly sexual references in Freyr's description. Those discrepancies can be explained in several ways. It is possible that the Norse gods did not have exactly the same roles in Icelandic and Swedish paganism but it must also be remembered that Adam and Snorri were writing with different goals in mind. Either Snorri or Adam may also have had distorted information.

The only extended myth related about Freyr in the Prose Edda is the story of his marriage.

The woman is Gerðr, a beautiful giantess. Gerðr is a Jötunn in Norse Mythology most well known as the wife of the Norse god Freyr. A jötunn, sometimes anglicized as jotun (pronounced yotun is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength Freyr immediately falls in love with her and becomes depressed and taciturn. After a period of brooding, he consents to talk to Skírnir, his foot-page. He tells Skírnir that he has fallen in love with a beautiful woman and thinks he will die if he cannot have her. He asks Skírnir to go and woo her for him.

The loss of Freyr's sword has consequences. According to the Prose Edda, Freyr had to fight Beli without his sword and slew him with an antler. In Norse mythology Beli is probably a giant. He was killed by Freyr. Antlers are the usually large and complex horn -like appendages of most Deer species mostly worn by males only for some species such as Caribou by both But the result at Ragnarök, the end of the world, will be much more serious. In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (rɑgnɑrɔk Old Norse "Final destiny of the gods" refers to a series of major events including a great battle foretold Freyr is fated to fight the fire-giant Surtr and since he does not have his sword he will be defeated. For the moon of Saturn named after Surtr see Surtur (moon. In Norse mythology, Surtr ( Old Norse "black"

Even after the loss of his weapon Freyr still has two magical artifacts, both of them dwarf-made. Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate One is the ship Skíðblaðnir, which will have favoring breeze wherever its owner wants to go and can also be folded together like a napkin and carried in a pouch. In Norse mythology, Skíðblaðnir (the name can be anglicized as Skídbladnir, Skídhbladhnir or Skíthblathnir) is the ship of The other is the boar Gullinbursti whose mane glows to illuminate the way for his owner. Gullinbursti (meaning "Gold Mane or Golden Bristles" is a Boar in Norse mythology. No myths involving Skíðblaðnir have come down to us but Snorri relates that Freyr rode to Baldr's funeral in a wagon pulled by Gullinbursti.

Skaldic poetry

Freyr is referred to several times in skaldic poetry. The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic In Húsdrápa, partially preserved in the Prose Edda, he is said to ride a boar to Baldr's funeral. Húsdrápa is a skaldic poem partially preserved in the Prose Edda where disjoint stanzas of it are quoted

In a poem by Egill Skalla-Grímsson, Freyr is called upon along with Njörðr to drive Eric Bloodaxe from Norway. Egill Skallagrímsson (910-c990 was a Viking Skald and the great Anti-hero of Icelandic literature. Njörðr is a Vanir god in Norse mythology. In surviving sources Njörðr is the father of the major deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed Eirik Bloodaxe ( Old Norse: Eiríkr blóðøx, Norwegian: Eirik Blodøks) (c The same skald mentions in Arinbjarnarkviða that his friend has been blessed by the two gods. The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic Arinbjarnarkviða is a skaldic poem by Egill Skalla-Grímsson in praise of his friend Arinbjörn

Nafnaþulur

In Nafnaþulur Freyr is said to ride the horse Blóðughófi (Bloody Hoof). Nafnaþulur is a listing in poetry of various categories such as gods giants people and objects According to Þulur, Blóðughófi ( Bloody Hoof, sometimes Anglicized Blodughofi) is the horse of Freyr.

Poetic Edda

A detail from a rune- and image stone from Gotland, in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (known in Swedish as Historiska museet or more formally Statens historiska museum) is a Museum located ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The three men are interpreted as Odin, Thor and Freyr. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism

Freyr is mentioned in several of the poems in the Poetic Edda. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval Manuscript Codex Regius. The information there is largely consistent with that of the Prose Edda while each collection has some details not found in the other.

Völuspá

Völuspá, the best known of the Eddic poems, describes the final confrontation between Freyr and Surtr during Ragnarök. Völuspá ( Prophecy of the Völva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda.

Some scholars have preferred a slightly different translation, in which the sun shines "from the sword of the gods". The idea is that the sword which Surtr slays Freyr with is the "sword of the gods" which Freyr had earlier bargained away for Gerðr. This would add a further layer of tragedy to the myth. Sigurður Nordal argued for this view but the possibility represented by Dronke's translation above is equally possible. Sigurður Nordal (1886&mdash1974 was an Icelandic Scholar, Writer, and Poet.

Grímnismál

Grímnismál, a poem which largely consists of miscellaneous information about the gods, mentions Freyr's abode. Grímnismál ( Sayings of Grímnir) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda.

A tooth-gift was a gift given to an infant on the cutting of the first tooth. Since Alfheimr or Álfheimr means "World of Álfar (Elves)" the fact that Freyr should own it is one of the indications of a connection between the Vanir and the obscure Álfar. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming Grímnismál also mentions that the sons of Ívaldi made Skíðblaðnir for Freyr and that it is the best of ships. In Norse mythology, the Sons of Ivaldi are a group of dwarves or dark-elves, who fashion Skidbladnir, the Ship of Freyr, and the

Lokasenna

In the poem Lokasenna, Loki accuses the gods of various misdeeds. Lokasenna ( Loki's flyting, Loki's wrangling, Loki's quarrel) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES He criticizes the Vanir for incest, saying that Njörðr had Freyr with his sister. Incest refers to any sexual activity between closely related persons (often within the immediate family that is illegal or socially Taboo. Njörðr is a Vanir god in Norse mythology. In surviving sources Njörðr is the father of the major deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed He also states that the gods discovered Freyr and Freyja having sex together. The god Týr speaks up in Freyr's defense.

Lokasenna also mentions that Freyr has servants called Byggvir and Beyla. Byggvir is a figure in Norse mythology. The only surviving mention of Byggvir appears in the prose beginning of Lokasenna, and stanzas 55 through 56 of Beyla is one of Freyr 's servants along with her husband Byggvir, in Norse mythology. They seem to have been associated with the making of bread.

Skírnismál

The courtship of Freyr and Gerðr is dealt with extensively in the poem Skírnismál. Skírnismál ( Sayings of Skírnir) is one of the poems of the Poetic Edda.

AM 748 I 4to, one of the two manuscripts to preserve Skírnismál, has notes on the margin indicating the speaker of each verse. AM 748 I 4to is an Icelandic vellum manuscript fragment containing several Eddaic poems. Some scholars consider this a clue that the poem might have been performed as a theatrical work.

Freyr is depressed after seeing Gerðr. Njörðr and Skaði ask Skírnir to go and talk with him. Freyr reveals the cause of his grief and asks Skírnir to go to Jötunheimr to woo Gerðr for him. Jötunheimr (often anglicized Jotunheim) is the world ( Heim 'home homeland' of the Jötunn (two types rock (or hill giants and frost (or Freyr gives Skírnir a horse and his magical sword for the journey.

When Skírnir finds Gerðr he starts by offering her treasures if she will marry Freyr. When she declines he gets her consent by threatening her with destructive magic.

Ynglinga saga

Snorri Sturluson starts his epic history of the kings of Norway with Ynglinga saga, a euhemerized account of the Norse gods. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. Here Odin and the Æsir are men from Asia who gain power through their prowess in war and Odin's skills. But when Odin attacks the Vanir he bites off more than he can chew and peace is negotiated after a destructive and indecisive war. Hostages are exchanged to seal the peace deal and the Vanir send Freyr and Njörðr to live with the Æsir. At this point the saga, like Lokasenna, mentions that incest was practised among the Vanir.

Odin makes Njörðr and Freyr priests of sacrifices and they become influential leaders. Odin goes on to conquer the North and settles in Sweden where he rules as king, collects taxes and maintains sacrifices. After Odin's death, Njörðr takes the throne. During his rule there is peace and good harvest and the Swedes come to believe that Njörðr controls these things. Eventually Njörðr falls ill and dies.

Yngvi-Freyr constructs the Temple at Uppsala in this early 19th century artwork by Hugo Hamilton. The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods

Freyr had a son named Fjölnir, who succeeds him as king and rules during the continuing period of peace and good seasons. Fjölnir, Fjölner, Fjolner or Fjolne ( 1st century BC - early 1st century AD was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling Fjölnir's descendants are enumerated in Ynglingatal which describes the mythological kings of Sweden. Controversy The historicity of the matter in Ynglingatal has been a contention among scholars since the 19th century In sources such as Heimskringla and Ynglinga saga there appear early Swedish kings who belong in the domain of Mythology, but it is often suggested that

Ögmundar þáttr dytts

The 14th century Icelandic Ögmundar þáttr dytts contains a tradition of how Freyr was transported in a wagon and administered by a priestess, in Sweden. Ögmundar þáttr dytts ok Gunnars helmings is one of the Icelandic þættir. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Freyr's role as a fertility god needed a female counterpart in a divine couple (McKinnell's translation 1987^[5]):

In this short story, a man named Gunnar was suspected of manslaughter and escaped to Sweden, where Gunnar became acquainted with this young priestess. He helped her drive Freyr's wagon with the god effigy in it, but the god did not appreciate Gunnar and so attacked him and would have killed Gunnar if he had not promised himself to return to the Christian faith if he would make it back to Norway. When Gunnar had promised this, a demon jumped out off the god effigy and so Freyr was nothing but a piece of wood. Gunnar destroyed the wooden idol and dressed himself as Freyr, and then Gunnar and the priestess travelled across Sweden where people were happy to see the god visiting them. After a while he made the priestess pregnant, but this was seen by the Swedes as confirmation that Freyr was truly a fertility god and not a scam. Finally, Gunnar had to flee back to Norway with his young bride and had her baptized at the court of Olaf Tryggvason. Olaf Tryggvason ( Old Norse: Óláfr Tryggvason, Norwegian: Olav Tryggvason) (960s &ndash September 9 ? 1000 was King of

Other Icelandic sources

Worship of Freyr is alluded to in several Icelanders' sagas. The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing

The protagonist of Hrafnkels saga is a priest of Freyr. Hrafnkels saga ( is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It tells of struggles between chieftains and farmers in the east of Iceland in the 10th century for the town in Nepal see Gothi Nepal A goði or gothi (plural goðar) is the Old Norse term for a Priest He dedicates a horse to the god and kills a man for riding it, setting in motion a chain of fateful events.

In Gísla saga a chieftain named Þorgrímr Freysgoði is an ardent worshipper of Freyr. Gísla saga Súrssonar (Gisli Sursson's Saga is one of the Sagas of Icelanders, written between 1270-1320 A When he dies he is buried in a howe.

Hallfreðar saga, Víga-Glúms saga and Vatnsdœla saga also mention Freyr. Hallfreðar saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It relates the story of Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld, an Icelandic poet active around the year 1000 Víga-Glúms saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It tells of a chieftain who kills several people and tries to cover his guilt Vatnsdœla saga is one of the Sagas of Icelanders.

Other Icelandic sources referring to Freyr include Íslendingabók, Landnámabók and Hervarar saga. Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a Legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas

Íslendingabók, written around 1125, is the oldest Icelandic source to mention Freyr, including him in a genealogy of Swedish kings. Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. Landnámabók includes a heathen oath to be sworn at an assembly where Freyr, Njörðr and "the almighty áss" are invoked. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the Hinn almáttki áss (the almighty áss "god" is an unknown divinity evoked in a legal oath sworn on a Temple ring. Hervarar saga mentions a Yuletide sacrifice of a boar to Freyr. Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a Legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas

Gesta Danorum

The 12th Century Danish Gesta Danorum describes Freyr, under the name Frø, as the "viceroy of the gods". Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate"

That Freyr had a cult at Uppsala is well confirmed from other sources. This article discusses cult in the original and typically ancient sense of "religious practice" (cultus The reference to the change in sacrificial ritual may also reflect some historical memory. There is archaeological evidence for an increase in human sacrifices in the late Viking Age^[6] though among the Norse gods human sacrifice is most often linked to Odin. Human sacrifice is the act of Homicide (the Killing of one or several Human beings in the context of a Religious ritual ( ritual killing Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. Another reference to Frø and sacrifices is found earlier in the work, where the beginning of an annual blót to him is related. The blót ( Old Norse plural same as singular refers to Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and Elves. King Hadingus is cursed after killing a divine being and atones for his crime with a sacrifice. Main article Haddingjar. Hadingus was one of the earliest Legendary Danish kings according to Saxo Grammaticus '

The sacrifice of dark-coloured victims to Freyr has a parallel in Ancient Greek religion where the chthonic fertility deities preferred dark-coloured victims to white ones. Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean

In book 9, Saxo identifies Frø as the "king of Sweden" (rex Suetiae):

The reference to public prostitution may be a memory of fertility cult practices. Such a memory may also be the source of a description in book 6 of the stay of Starcatherus, a follower of Odin, in Sweden. Starkad, Old Norse: Starkaðr or Störkuðr, Latin: Starcaterus, and during the late Middle Ages, also known as Starkodder

Yngvi

Main article: Yngvi

A strophe of the Anglo-Saxon rune poem (c. Yngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr The Rune Poems are three poems that list the letters of Runic alphabets while providing an explanatory poetic stanza for each letter 1100) records that:

Ing was first among the East Danes seen by men

This may refer to the origins of the worship of Ingui in the tribal areas that Tacitus mentions in his Germania as being populated by the Inguieonnic tribes. East Dane is an Anglo-Saxon ethnonym which was used in the epic Beowulf as a Kenning for the Geats, the people of Götaland Yngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Germania ( Latin title De Origine et situ Germanorum, English for the Origin and Situation of the Germans) written by Gaius A later Danish chronicler lists Ingui was one of three brothers that the Danish tribes descended from. The strophe also states that "then he (Ingui) went back over the waves, his wagon behind him" which could connect Ingui to earlier conceptions of the wagon processions of Nerthus, and the later Scandinavian conceptions of Freyr's wagon journeys. Nerthus is a Goddess in Germanic paganism associated with fertility.

Ingui is mentioned also in some later Anglo-Saxon literature under varying forms of his name, such as "For what doth Ingeld have to do with Christ", and the variants used in Beowulf to designate the kings as 'leader of the friends of Ing'. Beowulf is an Old English Heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between The compound Ingui-Frea (OE) and Yngvi-Freyr (ON) likely refer to the connection between the god and the Germanic kings' role as priests during the sacrifices in the pagan period, as 'Frea' and 'Freyr' are titles meaning 'Lord'. Germanic monarchy, also called barbarian monarchy, was a monarchical systemof government which was predominant among the Germanic tribes of Late Antiquity

The Swedish royal dynasty was known as the Ynglings from their descent from Yngvi-Freyr. Ynglings were the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty It can refer to the following clans: The Scylfings ( Old Norse: Skilfingar) the This is supported by Tacitus, who wrote about the Germans: "In their ancient songs, their only way of remembering or recording the past they celebrate an earth-born god Tuisco, and his son Mannus, as the origin of their race, as their founders. Tuisto (or Tuisco) is the divine ancestor of the Germanic peoples attested in Tacitus ' Germania ( 98 CE) Mannus is a Germanic mythological figure attested by the 1st century Roman historian Tacitus To Mannus they assign three sons, from whose names, they say, the coast tribes are called Ingaevones; those of the interior, Herminones; all the rest, Istaevones". The Ingaevones or Ingvaeones ("people of Yngvi " as described in The Irminones, also referred to as Herminones or Hermiones, were a group of early Germanic tribes settling in the Elbe watershed and by the The Istvaeones, also called Istaevones Istriaones Istriones Sthraones Thracones Rhine Germans and Weser-Rhine Germans ( Istwäonen, Weser-Rhein-Germanen

Archaeological record

Rällinge statuette

In 1904, a Viking Age statuette identified as a depiction of Freyr was discovered on the farm Rällinge in Lunda parish in the province of Södermanland, Sweden. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. The depiction features a cross-legged seated, bearded male with an erect penis. He is wearing a pointed cap and stroking his triangular beard. The statue is 9 centimeters tall and is displayed at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities. Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (known in Swedish as Historiska museet or more formally Statens historiska museum) is a Museum located ^[7]

Skog Church Tapestry

This part of the Skog Church Tapestry, a Viking Age Swedish tapestry, is interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed and tree flanked Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr holding up an ear of corn. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history.

A part of the Swedish 12th century Skog Church Tapestry depicts three figures often interpreted as allusions to Odin, Thor and Freyr. ^[8] The figures coincide with 11th century descriptions of statue arrangements recorded by Adam of Bremen at the Temple at Uppsala and written accounts of the gods during the late Viking Age. The tapestry is originally from Hälsingland, Sweden but is now housed at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities. is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. It borders to Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad

Parallels

Traditions related to Freyr are also connected with the legendary Danish kings named Fróði, especially Frotho III or Peace-Fróði. The legendary kings of Denmarks are the predecessors of Gorm the Old, half history and half legend Fróði (from Old Norse Fróðr) or Froda ( Old English) is the name of a number of legendary Danish kings in various texts including He is especially treated in Book Five of Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum and in the Ynglinga saga. "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. His reign was a golden age of peace and prosperity and after his death his body was drawn around in a cart.

In Catholic Christianity several saints have domains and rites similar to those of Freyr. In some areas of Western-Europe, Saint Blaise was honored as the patron saint of plowmen and farmers. Saint Blaise ( Greek: Άγιος Βλάσιος Agios Vlasios; Armenian: Սուրբ Բարսեղ was a physician and Bishop The benediction of grain prior to seeding was associated with him and on Saint Blaise's Day, February 3, a procession was held in his honor. In the procession, a man representing the saint was drawn on a cart throughout the countryside. In some villages, Saint Blaise was also considered a patron of human fecundity and young women wishing to marry prayed before his statue. ^[9] Also noteworthy in this context are the phallic saints who were patrons of human fertility. Phallic saints were actual Saints or local deities who were invoked for Fertility.

In Scandinavia and England, Saint Stephen may have inherited some of Freyr's legacy. His feast day is December 26 and thus he came to play a part in the Yuletide celebrations which were previously associated with Freyr, such as the consumption of the traditional Christmas ham. St Stephen's Day, or the Feast of St Stephen, is a Christian Saint's day celebrated on 26 December in the Western Church and A Christmas Ham or Yule Ham is a traditional dish associated with modern Christmas, Yule and Scandinavian Jul. ^[10] In old Swedish art, Stephen is shown as tending to horses and bringing a boar's head to a Yuletide banquet. ^[11] Both elements are extracanonical and may be pagan survivals. Christmas ham is an old tradition in Sweden and may have originated as a Yuletide boar sacrifice to Freyr. A Christmas Ham or Yule Ham is a traditional dish associated with modern Christmas, Yule and Scandinavian Jul.

Another saint with a possible connection to Freyr is the 12th century Swedish King Eric. Eric ( IX) of Sweden (or Erik the Lawgiver or Erik the Saint. The farmers prayed to St. Eric for fruitful seasons and peace and if there was a year of bad harvest they offered a corn ear of silver to him or gave horses to the church. At May 18, his feast day, the relics of St. Eric were drawn in a cart from Uppsala to Gamla Uppsala. The cult of St. Eric was the only cult of a saint which was allowed after the reformation. ^[12]

Notes

References