Written c. 1080, one of the oldest written sources on pre-Christian Scandinavian religious practices is Adam of Bremen's Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum.

Swedish Museum of National Antiquities inventory number 14232. Freyr’s original Proto-Germanic name seems to have been *Ingwaz, which became Ing amongst the Anglo-Saxons and Yngvi (or Yngvi-Freyr or Ingunar-Freyr) amongst the Scandinavians. This makes sense when you consider the reach of the ancient Norse, and the varying regional belief systems that were later consolidated to create a … The daughter of Njord, the sea god, and an unnamed mother, Freya was born into the Vanir tribe of gods, but she later became an honorary member of the Aesir gods. Þá er Njörðr var með Vönum, þá hafði hann átta systur sína, því at þat váru þar lög; váru þeirra börn Freyr ok Freyja. Adam assigns control of the weather and produce of the fields to Thor but Snorri says that Freyr rules over those areas. It is possible that the Norse gods did not have exactly the same roles in Icelandic and Swedish paganism but it must also be remembered that Adam and Snorri were writing with different goals in mind. Gesta Danorum 3, Fisher's translation. [10], And now, too, a thing happened which seemed strange and new. Freyr is the most renowned of the Æsir; he rules over the rain and the shining of the sun, and therewithal the fruit of the earth; and it is good to call on him for fruitful seasons and peace.

No snow lodged on the south side of Thorgrim's howe, nor did it freeze there.
Then began in his days the Frode-peace; and then there were good seasons, in all the land, which the Swedes ascribed to Frey, so that he was more worshipped than the other gods, as the people became much richer in his days by reason of the peace and good seasons.

Þat var einn dag er Freyr hafði gengit í Hliðskjálf ok sá of heima alla. A later Danish chronicler lists Ingui was one of three brothers that the Danish tribes descended from. Alter Wodan, id est furor, bella gerit, hominique ministrat virtutem contra inimicos. Other Icelandic sources referring to Freyr include Íslendingabók, Landnámabók, and Hervarar saga. Ynglinga saga 13, Schultz's edition, When it became known to the Swedes that Frey was dead, and yet peace and good seasons continued, they believed that it must be so as long as Frey remained in Sweden; and therefore they would not burn his remains, but called him the god of this world, and afterwards offered continually blood-sacrifices to him, principally for peace and good seasons. Thus, it’s hard to overestimate the size of the role played by Freyr in the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic peoples, as well as the esteem with which they thought of him. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This page was last edited on 30 September 2020, at 11:04. Ynglinga saga 12, Schultz's edition, Frey took the kingdom after Njord, and was called drot by the Swedes, and they paid taxes to him. Freyr tók sótt; en er at honum leið sóttin, leituðu menn sér ráðs, ok létu fá menn til hans koma, en bjoggu haug mikinn, ok létu dyrr á ok 3 glugga. Freyr ("Lord") (Frey) is the God of fertility, sun and rain. I’ve also written a popular list of The 10 Best Norse Mythology Books, which you’ll probably find helpful in your pursuit. 1948. This is supported by Tacitus, who wrote about the Germans: "In their ancient songs, their only way of remembering or recording the past they celebrate an earth-born god Tuisco, and his son Mannus, as the origin of their race, as their founders. Unde patet, quam remotum a lascivia animum habuerit, qui ne eius quidem spectator esse sustinuit. Gylfaginning XXXVII, Brodeur's translation. He also kept sacred horses in his sanctuary at Throndheim in Norway. Frey fell into a sickness; and as his illness took the upper hand, his men took the plan of letting few approach him. While this site provides the ultimate online introduction to the topic, my book The Viking Spirit provides the ultimate introduction to Norse mythology and religion period. His father is Njord, and his mother is Njord’s unnamed sister[6] (presumably Nerthus). In Norse mythology, Freyr is a Vanir and the central male god of fertility. Then he entered Swedish territory where he spent seven years in a leisurely stay with the sons of Frø, after which he departed to join Haki, the lord of Denmark, for, living at Uppsala in the period of sacrifices, he had become disgusted with the womanish body movements, the clatter of actors on the stage and the soft tinkling of bells. Frøblot Sueones vocant. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was especially associated with Sweden and seen as an ancestor of the Swedish royal house.

He was the ruler of the … © Daniel McCoy 2012-2019. The Swedish royal dynasty was known as the Ynglings from their descent from Yngvi-Freyr. Frø quoque deorum satrapa sedem haud procul Upsala cepit, ubi veterem litationis morem tot gentibus ac saeculis usurpatum tristi infandoque piaculo mutavit. Ynglinga Saga 4-13. [7] Apparently incest is a common and acceptable practice among the Vanir (although amongst the historical Germanic peoples it certainly wasn’t). Quem litationis morem annuo feriarum circuitu repetitum posteris imitandum reliquit. [11] Snorri Sturluson. The god Týr speaks up in Freyr's defense. Scholar Hilda Ellis Davidson says that it has been suggested that the figures are taking part in a dance, and that they may have been connected with weddings, as well as linked to the Vanir group of gods, representing the notion of a divine marriage, such as in the Poetic Edda poem Skírnismál; the coming together of Gerðr and Freyr. The 12th Century Danish Gesta Danorum describes Freyr, under the name Frø, as the "viceroy of the gods". The courtship of Freyr and Gerðr is dealt with extensively in the poem Skírnismál. King Hadingus is cursed after killing a divine being and atones for his crime with a sacrifice.

The Old Norse name Freyr ('lord') stems from a Proto-Norse form reconstructed as *fraujaR based upon the attested runic inscriptions fraui (c. 800 AD) or frohila (from an earlier *frōjila).

Freyr’s residence is Alfheim, the homeland of the elves. The boar was sacred to both.

The foil pieces have been found largely on the sites of buildings, only rarely in graves. Social Studies for Kids - The Monitor and the Merrimack, Frey - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). He rides the shining dwarf-made boar Gullinbursti and possesses the ship Skíðblaðnir which always has a favorable breeze and can be folded together and carried in a pouch when it is not being used. [6] The Poetic Edda. And toward this house went a woman; when she raised her hands and opened the door before her, brightness gleamed from her hands, both over sky and sea, and all the worlds were illumined of her. 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.

Freyr and Freyja figure in many lays and stories of medieval Iceland. According to Adam of Bremen, Freyr was associated with peace and pleasur… In the mythological stories in the Icelandic books the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, Freyr is presented as one of the Vanir, the son of the sea god Njörðr, or Njord, as well as the twin brother of the goddess Freyja. En er hann leit í norðrætt, þá sá hann á einum bœ mikit hús ok fagrt, ok til þess húss gekk kona, ok er hon tók upp höndum ok lauk hurð fyrir sér þá lýsti af höndum hennar bæði í lopt ok á lög, ok allir heimar birtusk af henni. 750-1050)-language text, Articles with dead external links from October 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. During Ragnarok, Freyr and the giant Surt are fated to destroy each other. He repeated this mode of propitiation at an annual festival and left it to be imitated by his descendants. [3] Adam of Bremen. Translated by Angela Hall. The most extensive surviving Freyr myth relates Freyr's falling in love with the female jötunn Gerðr. Ubi cum filiis Frø septennio feriatus ab his tandem ad Haconem Daniae tyrannum se contulit, quod apud Upsalam sacrificiorum tempore constitutus effeminatos corporum motus scaenicosque mimorum plausus ac mollia nolarum crepitacula fastidiret. Freyr immediately falls in love with her and becomes depressed and taciturn. Both the Swedish and the English are said to be descendents of his. The compound Ingui-Frea (OE) and Yngvi-Freyr (ON) likely refer to the connection between the god and the Germanic kings' role as priests during the sacrifices in the pagan period, as Frea and Freyr are titles meaning 'Lord'. Translated by Francis Joseph Tschan. [2] Snorri Sturluson.