Norse goddesses
Alongside the likes of Odin, Thor and Loki, the highly effective feminine deities within the Norse pantheon have been additionally commemorated by the Vikings. Listed here are 4 that performed an integral position in Norse mythology.
The goddess of fertility, motherhood and prophecy, Frigg was the spouse of Odin, and subsequently the loftiest of all the feminine deities. Regardless of her formidable place, she is arguably finest identified for a story of heartbreak by the hands of the trickster god Loki.
Horrified by a prophecy that her beloved son Baldr was quickly to die, Frigg sought out virtually every thing in creation, from fireplace and water to animals, bushes and even illnesses, to safe their promise to not hurt Baldr. Sadly, she missed out the seemingly innocent mistletoe. When Loki found this oversight, he tricked Baldr’s blind brother into throwing mistletoe at Baldr, killing him.
Frigg can also be well-known for giving rise to the phrase Friday, which stems from the Previous English for “day of Frigg”.
Related to love and battle, Freya was additionally a grasp of a type of magic often called seidr. She rode a chariot pushed by cats and had a cloak of falcon feathers that might allow the wearer to fly.
Freya was a ravishing entity who was lusted after by many others in Norse mythology. She discovered herself humiliated by Loki who, throughout a chaotic feast of the gods, accused her of being an evil sorceress who’d had slept with everybody in Asgard, together with her personal brother.
But Freya was way over a hyper-sexualised/objectified feminine determine within the mythology. She was additionally the fierce ruler of a realm referred to as Folkvangr, and had declare over the souls of half the Norse warriors who died in battle. The opposite half went to Valhalla.
Idun was the goddess of spring and youth, whose retailer of magical apples may rejuvenate the gods after they grew too previous. Issues went awry when she was kidnapped by an enormous, who pressured Loki into serving to him plot her abduction. As a consequence, the gods started to age. Determined to regain the apples and the goddess herself, they pressured Loki to make amends by embarking on a rescue mission.
By donning Freya’s falcon cloak, Loki was remodeled right into a falcon himself and was in a position to infiltrate the large’s abode and snatch up Idun in his claws by turning her right into a nut. The large was later killed, whereas youth was restored to the gods.
Though the goddess Sif was a largely passive participant on the planet of Norse mythology, she was vital for being the spouse of the mighty Thor, and for being not directly related with the creation of his legendary hammer.
Based on the legend, Loki determined to play a trick on Sif by reducing off her trademark golden hair. An enraged Thor threatened to destroy Loki if he didn’t by some means substitute the misplaced mane, so the trickster sought out a gaggle of expert dwarves who have been in a position to create a substitute headpiece, in addition to a magical store and Odin’s spear, Gungnir.
An impressed Loki challenged different dwarf craftsmen to give you one thing equally unimaginable. Amongst their creations was the hammer Mjolnir, which might grow to be Thor’s fabled weapon.
For extra articles concerning the historical past and tradition of the Vikings, try our Viking historical past hub.