The names Gefjun and Gefn are both related to the Alagabiae or Ollogabiae, Matron groups. The root Gef- in Gef-jon is generally theorized as related to the root Gef- in the name Gef-n.' The connection between the two names has resulted in etymological results of Gefjun meaning 'the giving one'. The name Gefn likely means 'she who gives (prosperity or happiness) and is generally considered connected to the goddess name Gefjon, but the etymology of the name Gefjon has been a matter of dispute. In addition to Freyja, Old Norse sources refer to the goddess by the following names: The theonym Freyja is thus considered to have been an epithet in origin, replacing a personal name that is now unattested. Freyja is also etymologically close to the name of the god Freyr, meaning 'lord' in Old Norse.

Stemming from the Proto-Germanic feminine noun * frawjōn ('lady, mistress'), it is cognate with Old Saxon frūa ('lady, mistress') or Old High German frouwa ('lady' cf. The name Freyja transparently means 'lady, mistress' in Old Norse. Rural Scandinavians continued to acknowledge Freyja as a supernatural figure into the 19th century, and Freyja has inspired various works of art. Various plants in Scandinavia once bore her name, but it was replaced with the name of the Virgin Mary during the process of Christianization. In Scandinavia, Freyja's name frequently appears in the names of plants, especially in southern Sweden. They have connected her to the valkyries, female battlefield choosers of the slain, and analyzed her relation to other goddesses and figures in Germanic mythology, including the thrice-burnt and thrice-reborn Gullveig/Heiðr, the goddesses Gefjon, Skaði, Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa, Menglöð, and the 1st century CE 'Isis' of the Suebi. Scholars have debated whether Freyja and the goddess Frigg ultimately stem from a single goddess common among the Germanic peoples. Freyja has numerous names, including Gefn, Hörn, Mardöll, Sýr, Vanadís, and Valfreyja.įreyja is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources in the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, composed by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century in several Sagas of Icelanders in the short story ' Sörla þáttr ' in the poetry of skalds and into the modern age in Scandinavian folklore. She cries tears of red gold for him, and searches for him under assumed names. Freyja's husband, the god Óðr, is frequently absent. Freyja assists other deities by allowing them to use her feathered cloak, is invoked in matters of fertility and love, and is frequently sought after by powerful jötnar who wish to make her their wife. Within Fólkvangr lies her hall, Sessrúmnir. The other half go to the god Odin's hall, Valhalla. Stemming from Old Norse Freyja, modern forms of the name include Freya, Freyia, and Freja.įreyja rules over her heavenly field, Fólkvangr, where she receives half of those who die in battle. Along with her twin brother Freyr, her father Njörðr, and her mother ( Njörðr's sister, unnamed in sources), she is a member of the Vanir. By her husband Óðr, she is the mother of two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi. Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chariot pulled by two cats, is accompanied by the boar Hildisvíni, and possesses a cloak of falcon feathers. In Norse mythology, Freyja ( Old Norse '(the) Lady') is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). For other uses, see Freyja (disambiguation). For people named Freya, see Freya (given name).

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