According to the 13th-century Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson, Freyr was the most renowned Norse deity in Christian Iceland. In some ways this is surprising. He surpassed Odin the All-Father and Thor the god of thunder and protector, and he was not even an Aesir god, but one of the Vanir gods sent to live among the Aesir.
What does Norse mythology say about Freyr and why did he emerge as such a popular and important god by the end of the Viking Age?
Freyr’s Origin Story
In Norse mythology, there is more than one clan of gods. There are the Aesir gods, led by Odin the All-Father who live in Asgard. They seem to have been gods of the ordered world and ruled over arenas such as war and justice. There were then the Vanir gods, who were gods connected with nature. The Jotun (giants) would also be considered another race of gods since they are very similar to the Aesir and the Vanir in terms of their capabilities. They also had children with the gods, frequently. Thor was the son of Odin with the giantess Jordr. In this case, the Jotun would be gods of chaos.
Near the beginning of time, the Aesir tribe and the Vanir tribe went to war. This seems to have been a cultural clash, with the Aesir considering the Vanir chaotic and immoral. One particular problem seems to have been the fact that the Vanir normally married brother and sister. There may also have been disputes over who was to receive sacrifices from mankind.
The war ended in a stalemate and the two tribes of gods came to a truce. As part of that truce, hostages were exchanged. The Vanir god Njord, and his twin children Freyr and Freyja, were sent to live in Asgard. Freyr was married to his sister Freyja, but their marriage was annulled when they arrived. But the Vanir were quickly accepted among the Aesir, and also appointed the priests of the Aesir temples.
This may be connected to the fact that the Vanir were also associated with Seidr magic. Perhaps this made them uniquely qualified for the position. We never hear of Njord or Freyr using Seidr, as it was considered a feminine art. But Freyja was a master and taught Seidr to Odin.
Freyr the Fertility God
Freyr’s name simply means “lord” in Old Norse, and gives little indication of how he was viewed. But the sources suggest that he was a fertility god linked with things such as sunshine, fair weather, and good harvest. He also represented masculinity and virility, as shown by the fact that he was a phallic fertility god, often represented by a large phallus. The sources also suggest that Freyr could bring peace and prosperity and grant good luck.
There are marked similarities between Freyr and Thor. As the god of Thunder, Thor was also a weather god and linked with the fertility of crops. He was considered a protected, who defended the world against the chaotic forces of the giants. Considering their similarities, it is possible that they could have “battled for attention” as the principal fertility deity.
Adam of Bremen, in his 11th-century Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum, focuses on Thor as the principal god of the wind and the harvest. He based this one first-hand observation of Norse pagan culture. In the 12th century, Snorri Sturluson connected these things with Freyr. While Sturluson was a native of Iceland, he was a Christian, and he used the Latinized name Fricco for Freyr. He mentions a cult image of Freyr at Skara in Sweden that was destroyed by a Christian missionary.
Temples of Freyr
Adam of Bremen describes a temple in his text that saw Odin, Thor, and Freyr worshipped alongside one another.
In this temple, entirely decked out in gold, the people worship the statues of three gods in such wise that the mightiest of them, Thor, occupies a throne in the middle of the chamber; Woden and Frikko have places on either side. The significance of these gods is as follows: Thor, they say, presides over the air, which governs the thunder and lightning, the winds and rains, fair weather and crops. The other, Woden—that is, the Furious—carries on war and imparts to man strength against his enemies. The third is Frikko, who bestows peace and pleasure on mortals. His likeness, too, they fashion with an immense phallus.
God of Kingship
Freyr was also associated with Viking kingship. In the 8th to 10th centuries, the ruling Yngling dynasty of Sweden claimed to be descended from Freyr. As an early member of the Swedish royal family, Yngvi Freyr, as he is called, is described as building the first temple at Uppsala. This connects with Freyr being considered a priest among the gods. He is credited with presiding over good harvest seasons and enriching the land.
This King Freyr is also described as dying but continuing to rule. Offerings of silver and other precious items were taken to Freyr’s burial mound, and the lands continued to prosper. In this way, Freyr is treated like one of the honored dead.
This ties in with information about Freyr in Norse mythology which says that he was the ruler of Aflheim, the land of the light elves. The text says that Aflheim was given to Freyr as a tooth gift, which was a gift commonly given to infants when they cut their first tooth.
The association between Freyr and Alfheim fuels scholarly speculation about connections between the Vanir gods and the light elves. The elves are sometimes described as nature sprites, while at other times, they seem to be connected with the honored dead. As a Vanir good, Freyr is also associated with nature, and Freyr also occupies the position of honored dead when he is buried as the King of Sweden.
That the elves were akin to the gods may also be supported by the fact that they are often referred to in old Norse poetry with an alliterative phrase in the same breath as the Aesir gods – Aesir ok Alfar – suggesting that they two were closely connected in some way.
Divine Attributes
Like Thor has his hammer Mjolnir, and Odin is a one-eyed god who carries the spear Gungnir, Freyr has several attributes.
Freyr had a ship called Skidbladnir that was big enough to carry all of the Aesir and their steeds in full armor but could also be folded down and carried in a pouch when not in use. The ship was also enchanted always to have a fair wind, which would link with Freyr’s association with the weather. According to the story, Loki procured this ship, among other treasures, from the dwarven craftsmen and gifted it to Freyr to win his favor. Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, and Odin’s spear, Gungnir, were also procured at this time.
Freyr also has a special weapon, a magical sword, though it does not seem to have had a name. It had the power to fight on its own and never missed its mark. Freyr will lose this sword before Ragnarok, with disastrous consequences.
Freyr also possessed a golden boar called Gullinbursti. The god himself was often represented by an image of a boar. Warriors would place images of Gullinbursti on their helmets and shields, probably to invoke the luck, protection, and prosperity that Freyr has the power to bestow.
Gullinbursti, which means Golden Mane, is said to have shone so brightly that it could illuminate even the darkest night. It could also run through the air and over water and was better than any horse. According to Snorri Sturluson, Freyr rode in a chariot pulled by Gullinbursti. But according to the skaldic poem by Ulfr Uggason, Freyr rode the golden boar itself. He is said to have ridden the boar to Balder’s funeral. It became common to sacrifice a boar to Freyr at Yule.
Freyr’s twin sister Freyja was also associated with boars. This may suggest a general association between the Vanir gods and this animal. This may reflect the perception that the Vanir were wild and unpredictable compared to their Aesir counterparts.
Freyr Norse Mythology Stories
Only one surviving story about the Norse gods focuses squarely on Freyr, and it relates to his falling in love with and marrying the giantess Gerdr. It is recorded in the Prose Edda.
One day Freyr went and sat on the throne of Odin, a seat that allowed the All-Father to look out over all of the Norse cosmos. While doing so, Freyr caught sight of the beautiful giantess Gerdr, and instantly fell deeply in love.
This led the fertility god to become depressed and taciturn as he had no idea how he could make this lovely woman his.
After a period of brooding and questioning by his father Njord, he finally agrees to discuss the matter with his servant Skirnir. He eventually asks the servant to woo the giantess for him. Skirnir agrees, but in return, he wants Freyr’s sword that can fight by itself. Receiving his prize, Skirnir convinces Gerdr to meet with the god nine days later and marry him.
The main purpose of this story seems to be to explain why Freyr did not have his magical sword in his hand at Ragnarok.
We are told in another story from the Poetic Edda that Freyr was forced to fight with the giant Beli without his sword because he had given it to Skirnir. Freyr still manages to kill the giant, but with an antler.
Freyr at Ragnarok
The main purpose of Freyr’s story of seeking love seems to be to explain why Freyr must fight at Ragnarok without his sword. This means that Freyr is forced to face the fire giant Surtr alone in the final conflagration. The two kill one another.
In the Poetic Edda, Freyr is referred to by the kenning “Beli’s slayer”, which brings to mind Freyr’s loss of the sword. Nevertheless, Freyr is described as the shining sword of the god who takes on Surtr on their behalf.
Freyr is only one of the many gods to be killed in the Ragnarök apocalypse. But that Freyr’s fate is provided in the prophecy highlights Freyr’s importance among the Norse deities. We hear about what happens to Odin, killed by Fenrir; Thor, who dies freighting Jormungandr; Heimdall, who fights to the death with Loki; and Tyr, who fights to the death with Garm. That Freyr’s role in Ragnarok is mentioned is further evidence that he was considered among the most important Norse deities.
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