Freya Goddess Of Love Essay, Research Paper

Freya: Goddess of Love And Beauty

Freya, also known as Freya, was the Norse goddess of sexual love and beauty. Freya the goddess of love was well known for her beauty. “She was the Scandinavian material equivalent to the Greek Aprodite, the goddess of love and beauty” (Wilson 39).

Freya had a twin brother named Frey, also known as Freyr, who was the Norse god of Peace and prosperity. Freya’s father was Niord and her mother was Skadi. Her father, Niord, who was the ruler of the Vanirs went to war with the Asgard. Both of them grew weary and came in peace. To show his respect with the Asgard he lived in Asgard and ruled the wind and seas.

Freya and her husband, Odur, lived happily in Folkvanger. They had “two lovely daughters as fair as jewels, whose joy was in all beautiful things” (Green 84).

Freya was very popular for her beauty. She was loved and adored by many people. Men from every where desired and wanted her.

One day a strange giant appeared in Asgard and offered to rebuild the wall that has been destroyed in the war between the Aesir and Vanir. In return Loki, the god who always knew when trouble was taking place, would give the giant the sun, the moon and the goddess Freya. Loki gave him from the first day of winter to the first day of summer to finish the wall or else he will not get his reward. The stranger asked if he could use his stallion to rebuild the wall and Loki agreed, not knowing that it was the stallion that helped speed up the work. Time passed, until there was three days left until summer and the stranger was almost done. The gods were frightened, that the strange man was going to finished in time, so Loki came up with an idea. That night a beautiful mare appeared and whinnied the giant’s stallion. These continued for the next few days, until the giant realized that the wall would not be finished in time, so he broke into a rage. He was angry that he was not going to get the sun, the moon, and the goddess Freya. Then Thor saw him and strucked him on the head with his hammer, instantly killing him.

Freya was also known for her infidelity. Although Freya was very much in love with her husband, Odur, she had affairs with other men, even her own brother, Frey. It was also believed that she had an affair with Odin. Freya not only loved her husband, Odur, but she also loved jewelry. She specially loved gold, but her desire for gold has cause an awful problem between her and her husband.

One day as Freya wondered through Midgard and through Alfheim, and she came across where the Black Dwarfs lived. There Dvalin and his three brothers set up a trap for her. In the opening of a cave they had laid the most wonderful necklace of gold. It was called Brisingamen, the Brising necklace. Freya was so overwhelmed with the necklace that she wanted it. She asked to have the necklace in trade for a treasure of silver, but the dwarfs said no. Then she asked for the necklace in trade for a treasure of gold, but they said no. She became frustrated and so she asked what kind of treasure would they want in trade for the necklace. The Dwarfs said they wanted her love. Her love for the necklace pushed her into having a one night stand with each of the dwarfs. When Freya returned home she was so ashamed at what she did, that she only wore it to bed. Loki knew what had happened and reported it to Odur. Odur said he would believe his story if Loki could steal the necklace from Freya and bring it to him. So Loki went and sneaked into Freya’s bedroom and stole the necklace and brought it back to Odur. Odur became furious and took off out of Asgard. The next morning when Freya woke up, she realized the necklace was gone and so was Odur. Freya went out weeping and searched and searched until she found her husband. Soon she found her husband and got his forgiveness.

Freya was the Norse goddess of love and beauty. She was the wife of Odur and twin sister of Frey. She was known for her love for gold and her beauty. She was also known for her affairs with other men, which cause difficulties her her marriage.

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Green, Roger Lancelyn. Myths Of The Norsemen. Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, 1960.

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Page, R.I. Norse Myths. Avon: Bath Press, 1990.

Wilson, David M. The Northern World. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1980.