Freyja
Freya
Goddess of love, beauty and seiðr magic, who also receives half of those who die in battle.
Freyja rides a chariot pulled by two cats and owns a cloak of falcon feathers that lets the wearer fly. Half the fallen warriors go to her field, Fólkvangr, the other half to Odin. When her husband Óðr wandered away, she wept for him, and her tears turned to red gold.
Symbols
Necklace Brísingamen Falcon-feather cloak Chariot pulled by cats
In the ancient sources
The Eddas and sagas
- Vanadís
- “lady of the Vanir” Gylfaginning 35
- Mardöll
- “perhaps 'sea-brightener'” Gylfaginning 35
- Gefn
- “giver” Gylfaginning 35
- Grímnismál 14 Freyja rules Fólkvangr and chooses half of the slain each day; Odin has the other half.
- Gylfaginning 24, 35 She owns the hall Sessrúmnir, drives a chariot drawn by cats, and weeps tears of red gold for her absent husband Óðr.
- Þrymskviða 3, 13 She lends Loki her feather-cloak; asked to marry the giant Þrymr, her fury shakes the hall and bursts her necklace Brísingamen.
- Hyndluljóð 7 She rides the golden-bristled boar Hildisvíni, made for her by two dwarfs.
- Ynglinga saga 4 A priestess of the Vanir, she first taught the Æsir the magic of seiðr.
Friday is usually traced to Frigg rather than Freyja, and scholars still debate whether the two were once one goddess.
Cross-checked against these texts and records, in public-domain or freely available versions where they exist. Line, section and chapter numbers follow the standard editions, so a particular translation may differ slightly.
Correspondences Explore all
- Planet
- Venus
- Stones & metals
- Amber
- Tarot
- The Empress
These mix ancient attributes with modern associations from contemporary pagan and magical practice; the modern ones weren't part of her original worship.