Associated with love, sex, magic, war, prosperity.

Name(s): The word freyja is Old Norse/Old Icelandic for “lady.”

Parents: Freyja’s father is Njord. According to Loki in Lokasenna, Freyja’ mother is the sister of Njord, who is never named (some modern heathens identify her with Nerthus).

Spouse: Freyja is married to Óðr, although his constant travels and absences keep him away from her, and she is known to travel herself in search of him, weeping tears of gold, according to Snorri in Gylfaginning. .

Children: Freyja and Óðr are said to have a daughter named Hnoss (“treasure”); in Ynglinga saga they are said to have two daughters Hnoss and Gersemi (whose name also means “treasure.”)

Affiliations: Freyja is one of the Vanir.

Tales: In Þrymskviða the jotun/giant Thrym steals Thor’s hammer, and Freyja lets him and Loki borrow her feathered cloak to help with the recovery. When Thrym refuses to return the hammer unless he is given Freyja as wife, she also allows them to take her necklace Brisingamen so that Thor can disguise himself to look like her and complete the mission.

In Hyndluljóð Freyja helps her servant Ottar get information from the the Jotun/giant Hyndla in order to gain an inheritance. In this tale Freyja praises Ottar for his piety; he built an altar of stones for her and has made many offerings of blood upon it.

In Lokasenna Freyja appears as one of the many gods insulted by Loki.

Historic evidence: Although items have been found in graves that can be interpreted as related to Freyja, this isn’t certain, in part because of the similar iconography she shares with the goddess Frigg or Frigga.

Toponymic evidence for Freyja’s worship exists in a number of place names translating to terms like “Freyja’s hof,” “Freyja’s grove” and so forth.

Hall: Sessrumnir, Freyja’s hall, is said to be very large and roomy. It stands in her field of Folkvang, where half of those killed in battle will come one day.

Other details: Freyja’s treasures include the necklace Brisingamen, made by the dwarves and highly valuable, although we know of no special properties it may have.

She has a cloak made from falcon feathers that allows her to transform into a bird.

Like her brother, Freyja has a boar on which to ride; hers is called Hildisvini.

She is also known to travel in a chariot pulled by two cats.

In Ynglinga saga Freyja is said to have introduced the magical Vanic practice of seiðr to the Aesir.