List of names of Freyja - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Norse mythology

Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

, Freyja (Old Norse

Old Norse

Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....

the "Lady

Lady

The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman...

") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, gold, seiðr

Seiðr

Seid or seiðr is an Old Norse term for a type of sorcery or witchcraft which was practiced by the pre-Christian Norse. Sometimes anglicized as "seidhr," "seidh," "seidr," "seithr," or "seith," the term is also used to refer to modern Neopagan reconstructions or emulations of the...

, war, and death. Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen

Brisingamen

In Norse mythology, Brísingamen is the necklace of the goddess Freyja.-Beowulf:...

, rides a chariot driven by two cats, owns the boar Hildisvíni

Hildisvini

In Norse mythology, Hildisvíni is Freyja's boar which she rides when not using her cat-drawn chariot.It is also said to be Freyja's human lover, Ottar, in disguise, and is the reason why Loki consistently accuses her of being "wanton" by riding her lover in public.It was also the helmet of Áli...

, possesses a cloak of falcon

Falcon

A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....

feathers, and, by her husband Óðr

Óðr

In Norse mythology, Óðr or Óð, sometimes angliziced as Odr or Od, is a figure associated with the major goddess Freyja...

, is the mother of two daughters; Hnoss

Hnoss

In Norse mythology, Hnoss is the daughter of Freyja and Óðr, and sister of Gersemi.-References:* Orchard, Andy . Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2...

and Gersemi

Gersemi

In Norse mythology, Gersemi is the daughter of Freyja and Óðr, and sister of Hnoss.-References:* Orchard, Andy . Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2...

.

Freyja is attested as having nine additional names; Gefn, Hörn, Mardöll, Skjálf, Sýr, Thröng, Thrungva, Valfreyja, and Vanadís. Some of these names have posed etymological problems for scholars, while others are more straightforward to translate. Most of Freyja's names point to apparent attributes and associations, and at least one, Hörn, appears in place names in what is now Sweden.

An explanation is presented for Freyja's many names in the Prose Edda
Prose Edda
The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...

book Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...

, where the enthroned figure of High

High, Just-As-High, and Third

High, Just-As-High, and Third are three men that respond to questions posed by Gangleri in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning...

details that Freyja is married to the god Óðr

Óðr

In Norse mythology, Óðr or Óð, sometimes angliziced as Odr or Od, is a figure associated with the major goddess Freyja...

, who goes on long travels. While Óðr is absent, Freyja stays behind and, in her sorrow, weeps tears of red gold. High says that Freyja has many names because she adopted them while looking for Óðr and traveling "among strange peoples".

Names

Name (Old Norse Old Norse Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300.... )	Name meaning	Attestations	Notes
Gefn	'the giver'	Gylfaginning Gylfaginning Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology... , Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...	The name Gefn likely means "she who gives (prosperity or happiness) and is generally considered connected to the goddess name Gefjon Gefjon In Norse mythology, Gefjon or Gefjun is a goddess associated with ploughing, the Danish island of Zealand, the legendary Swedish king Gylfi, the legendary Danish king Skjöldr, foreknowledge, and virginity... , but the etymology of the name Gefjon has been a matter of dispute. 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 names Gefjun and Gefn are both related to the Matron groups the Alagabiae or Ollogabiae. Scholar Richard North theorizes that Old English geofon and Old Norse Gefjun and Freyja's name Gefn may all descend from a common origin; gabia a Germanic goddess connected with the sea, whose name means "giving".
Hörn	'flax Flax Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent... en'(?)	Gylfaginning Gylfaginning Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology... , Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...	Appears in the Swedish place names Härnevi and Järnevi, stemming from the reconstructed Old Norse place name Hörnar-vé (meaning "Hörn's vé Vé (shrine) In Germanic paganism, a vé or wēoh is a type of shrine or sacred enclosure. The term appears in skaldic poetry and in place names in Scandinavia , often in connection with a Norse deity or a geographic feature. The name of the Norse god Vé, refers to the practice... "). In addition, the name Hörn* also appears as the name of a troll Troll A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology... -wife in Nafnaþulur.
Mardöll	'sea-brightener'(?) or possibly 'the one who makes the sea swell'	Gylfaginning Gylfaginning Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology... , Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...	May be connected to the god name Heimdallr.
Skjálf	'shaker'	Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...	Also the name the daughter of a Finnish king in Ynglinga saga Ynglinga saga Ynglinga saga is a legendary saga, originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. It was first translated into English and published in 1844.... . Due to necklace imagery in the Finnish Skjálf's tale (Freyja herself owns Brísingamen Brisingamen In Norse mythology, Brísingamen is the necklace of the goddess Freyja.-Beowulf:... ) there may be a connection between the two.
Sýr	'sow'	Gylfaginning Gylfaginning Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology... , Skáldskaparmál Skáldskaparmál The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined... , Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...	The pig was an important symbol of the Vanir Vanir In Norse mythology, the Vanir are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr . After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir... and sacrificial practices (blót Blót The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons... ) associated with the group, particularly in association with Freyja and her brother Freyr Freyr Freyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"... .
Thröng	'throng'	Skáldskaparmál Skáldskaparmál The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...
Thrungva	'throng'	Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur Nafnaþulur is a subsection of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the last part of the Skáldskaparmál. It is a listing in verse of names that may be used in poetry for various items, such as gods, giants, people, animals, and weapons...
Valfreyja	'Lady of the Slain' or "Freyja of the Slain'	Skáldskaparmál Skáldskaparmál The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...
Vanadís	'the dís Dis - Academic institutions :* DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad, an English language study abroad program located in Copenhagen, Denmark* Dili International School, DIS an International School in Dili, Timor Leste - Companies :... of the vanir Vanir In Norse mythology, the Vanir are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr . After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir... '	Skáldskaparmál Skáldskaparmál The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...	The name "van-child" ('child of the Vanir') for "boar" may be connected.

Names

See also