Freyja

Freyja

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Freyja was one of the most renowned goddesses of the Norse culture. Freyja could be seen riding around on two pretty sweet rides. The one is a boar, and the other, a pair of cats pulling a chariot. I believe that both these methods of transportation say something about Freyja as a woman. One thing that I (and most other people) know about boars is that they can be very dangerous creatures. I find this interesting because Freyja, according to Norse Mythology for Smart People, was considered to be a goddess that was, "... a passionate seeker after pleasure and thrills..." but also feared by those who new her because of her magical abilities. I believe that the boar represents her ability to use her magic (seidr) against those who oppose her, which would in turn make her a dangerous character. I also believe that the boar would more often be seen as representing male characters, however, Freyja being portrayed with a boar also shows her ability to be a dominant and fear inducing character.

Cats are often depicted with royalty and gods and goddesses so I was not so surprised to find that Freyja was depicted being pulled in a chariot by these animals. One aspect that I found on many of the websites I searched was that Freyja could be seen as a sensualized figure which I believe fits with the depiction of cats (i.e. Catwoman, Catsuit). Cats are also closely tied to magic and mysticism which also fits with Freyja's characteristics as she is, according to Holy Mother, Healer and Queen: Papers on the Feminine Devine, a magic practitioner, has gifts of divinity, and has the prowess of a feline.

Freyja and her Felines

Freyja does not necessarily participate in hand to hand combat. What I found was that Freyja was able to help a group called the Warband by using her skills at divinity to discover wether their, "...suggested plan..." would fail or succeed, she was also asked to sway the the outcome of the battle to their benefit. According to the White Moon Gallery, Freyja is most known for her influence on women, she was, "a empowering and inspirational Goddess with which to work. As She also rules over elements such as personal power and courage, She is especially good for those with low self-confidence or self-esteem." In fact, Freyja was so well known and praised that women of rank began to call themselves Freyja or fruvur after her. 

Freyja was said to have first taught the Aesir (a tribe of Gods) magic.

According to White Moon Gallery, Freyja was the patron saint of the liminal realms between

Earth and the spirit world via oracles and female spirits.

I chose Freyja because one of the chapters of my sorority is named after Freyja and I wanted to do a bit more research about her. Since one of our goals is Unity Amongst all Women, I think it obvious why they chose Freyja. I found some pretty interesting facts that I was also able to relate to my Arthurian Literature class. Recently I was able to go to a Renaissance Fair and learned that the Falcon was a bird that was owned by those of prestigious positions. What I found interesting was that Freyja had a shawl like object made of Falcon feathers that gave her the ability to shape shift. The material that the shawl was made out of says something of the position that Freyja has within her society. 

I also found it interesting that Freyja did not necessarily have to be active on the battlefield but she still played an important role. Not only did Freyja help turn the tides of battle, she collected the souls of fallen warriors and led them to Valhalla. It was said that she and Odin who was her husband, split the souls between them. Freyja can also be seen crying red and gold tears when she learns of the disappearance of her husband and throughout her search for him, which I believe shows the balance between warrior and woman.

Works Cited

FreyjaFirst.com, freyjafirst.com/cats.aspx.

“Freya.” Norse Mythology for Smart People, norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-vanir-gods-  and-goddesses/freya/.

Freyja: Lady of Magic, Sexuality and Battle, www.orderwhitemoon.org/goddess/freyja-magic/index.html.The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Freyja.” Encyclopædia Britannica, EncyclopædiaBritannica, inc., 8 May 2014, www.britannica.com/topic/Freyja.

“Holy Mother, Healer and Queen: Papers on the Feminine Divine.” Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=2rMrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA103&lpg=PA103&dq=freyja%2Band%2Bmagic%2Fdivinity&source=bl&ots=GJ9GKS3z2x&sig=nQ0zIqeWK9-yZCWuFhXKDI3ggUM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1isin_ZnXAhWT0YMKHQ7fDf4Q6AEIQDAH#v=onepage&q=freyja%20and%20magic%2Fdivinity&f=false.