Norse Goddess Magic (11 page)
Weaving is also associated with the Norns and with magic. It is the process
of forming a textile by interlocking two sets of threads, the passive,
lengthwise warp with the active, crosswise weft, or woof. This process is
dependent on the interconnectedness of the threads and hence is often seen as
symbolic of the web of life, where lives and events overlap to create a pattern
that is only observable by stepping back to view the finished product as a
whole.
Linen, the cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant, which the goddess
Holda is said to have given to humans, is one of the most difficult and
challenging fabrics to spin and weave, and thus is an appropriate symbol for the
goddess of handicrafts. The practice of harvesting and preparing flax and linen
is to this day a ritualized process, fraught with tradition and secrecy. The
fibers are removed from the tough and woody flax stalks and then laid out in the
fields for about six weeks to absorb the dew. After a second drying, the fibers,
which look remarkably like human hair, are cleaned and combed. They are
difficult to work with because of their lack of elasticity, and the best results
are obtained from “wet-spinning” and weaving in rooms heavy with humidity. In
fact, Europeans used to weave linen in caves, one of Holda's favorite dwelling
places.
Techniques for finishing the linen vary and are usually carefully kept
secrets. In the past, the finished cloth was again laid out in the fields to be
bleached in the sun, rain, and dew, and this may still be done in some places
even today. Those bleaching fields are another favorite haunt of the spinning
goddesses, and Holda's association with rain and snow may have some connection
with the bleaching of linen out in the elements.
Flax and linen thus have a hint of mystery and magic about them. The tiny
blue flowers produced by the flax plant are extremely fragile, lasting only a
few hours, but the linen cloth the plants produce is one of the most durable
materials on earth. The concept of turning a bunch of woody stalks into one of
the most elegant and valued fabrics in the world reminds one of the old tales of
spinning straw into gold. One of the most famous of these, the Grimms' tale of
“Rumpelstiltskin,” bears many resemblances to the legends of Lauma, a Lithuanian
goddess of earth and weaving. Like Holda and Berchte, she can be found bathing
on the beach and is said to steal children. She appears in the homes to help the
girls weave and can create a fine piece of linen in record time. When she's
done, Lauma will give the cloth to the girl if she can guess the goddess's name.
54
As mentioned before, Frigg is said to have great powers of magic and the gift
of foresight. Spinning and weaving can be seen as the key to her powers, and the
spindle is the symbol of her might in the same way the spear symbolizes Odin's
or the hammer symbolizes Thor's. Spinning is one of the great deeds of might
that can attract the attention of the gods and other powerful wights. The magic
of spinning lies in its shaping, manifesting action. To spin is to make order
out of chaos, to create something from nothing. The drafting zoneâthe place
between the loose fiber and the growing thread where the drawing out takes
placeâis the point of the eternal present, the place of that-whichis-becoming,
the cutting edge of time where deeds are drawn from the unmanifest future and
are joined to the skein of the past. This is the same present that exists within
the holy stead, where the worlds overlap and exist as one for a time, the place
where magic happens.
Weaving is also a work of magic and fate. The interconnectedness of all the
threads, the overlaying of layer upon layer of action, the pattern that is
undiscernible as you work on it at close range and only becomes clear when you
step back and look at the work as a wholeâall these mirror the workings of the
universe and of ørlög. This word, used to describe the Norse concept of fate,
literally means “primal layers.” It is a concept of destiny that is based not on
a preordained future but on the pattern of past actions. Each layer of past
deeds creates a pattern that determines how each subsequent deed must evolve.
There is no such concept as being “born again” in Norse philosophyâit would
be impossible and inconceivable to wipe the past clean and start over. This does
not mean that you are bound to pursue one rigid course of action, like a robot,
without the ability to change. You always have choices, but the deeds of the
past limit and direct those choices, leaving some paths open to you while
closing off others. Similarly, weaving builds on the patterns that have already
been laid down, each thread and layer growing from what has gone before. You can
add new colors or change the pattern somewhat as you go along, but you have to
do it based on the web that has already been created.
Thus, Frigg's power to know all ørlög probably stems from her might in
weaving and spinning. Weaving implies an ability to view the universe
holistically, to see the interrelationship of past and future actions with the
ever-becoming present. Frigg's reluctance to speak of what she knows may arise
from the intrinsic difficulty of explaining such knowledge to anyone else. To
see the pattern as a whole, to know in your gut where a thread will eventually
lead or from what point in the past an event has grown, are ways of knowing that
each person must discover and experience for herself.
The magic of spinning and weaving is the power to shape events, to bring
ideas into manifestation. Although Frigg is never shown going into battle
herself, as Odin and Freyja do, it is quite possible that she holds the power to
magically shape events from a distance. Some believe that the women described by
Tacitus as accompanying their men into battle were there not only as healers and
to give moral support but also to aid the battle with their magical workings and
prophecy.
Njáls saga
(ch. 157) records a rather gruesome image of twelve women
weaving intestines on a loom weighted with human heads, using a sword and arrow
for beater and shuttle and chanting a description of a battle as they wove.
These magical women were presumably Valkyries, and their actions indicate that
their weaving was shaping the course of the coming conflict. In the
Orkneyinga saga
(ch. 11) the mother of Jarl Sigurd sews a raven banner to
bring her son victory in battle. It was said that when the wind blew, the raven
seemed to be flying. This sort of magic ties in not only with Frigg's power to
shape events or fate but also with her warding and protecting nature.
At any rate, the homely crafts and domestic activities presided over by Frigg
should not be belittled or discounted simply because society has lost respect
for such duties in this day and age. The role of the mistress of the household
in Norse culture was one of vital economic importance to both the family and to
society as a whole, and domestic crafts were not only necessary for survival but
were also filled with magical might. The interwoven social relationships between
individuals were the core and the strength of Germanic society, and an
individual could no more be separated from the roles of mother, father,
daughter, brother, or spouse than a single thread could be removed from a fabric
without spoiling it.
To recap a bit, Frigg is a goddess of weaving and spinning, which
can be extended to include all crafts and skills, such as pottery, agriculture,
smithcraft, carpentry, and, in the modern world, technology. As queen of the
Gods, she represents authority and law, and displays as much interest in
politics and world affairs as Odin does. As a mother goddess, she is the mother
who teaches and rears, rather than the one who bears. She is Allmother to the
gods, not because she is their blood mother, but because she is their mother in
function, raising them and caring for them (one can picture Thor treating her
with the respect and affection of a son and Frigg packing him a large lunch to
take on his adventures). Frigg is the earth transformed by the labor of
humankind, the tilled earth rather than the wild earth. She takes great interest
in the doings of people and their labors and efforts to improve themselves and
their world. On the other hand, those who do poor work and spoil her earth
through greed and carelessness incur her wrath.
FRIGG AND RELATIONSHIPS
Frigg is a goddess to whom relationships are particularly
significant. Many of her functions grow out of her relationships with others:
daughter of Fjörgynn, wife of Odin, mother of Balder, stepmother of Thor,
mother-in-law of Nanna, leader of the Aesir goddesses. Yet this does not mean
she does not possess power and significance in her own right; rather, she rules
over one of the more important areas of all our lives, those areas where we
intersect the lives of others, socially, economically, politically, and
personally. In an era when so many of these relationships seem to be falling
apart, she is a goddess who merits some attention.
As Odin's wife, Frigg complements him both as his queen and his friend. While
he is wild and dangerous, she is calm and comforting; whereas he is innovative
and revolutionary, she stands for social order and convention. Odin brings to
humanity esoteric knowledge, inspiration, and spiritual development; Frigg
brings practical skills and the means of economic survival, and the kind of
personal development that grows out of being able to express one's ideas in
material terms. Odin is the shamanistic priest-king; Frigg is the beneficent
constitutional monarch.
Frigg and Freyja share many functions and traits but are essentially
different in character and spirit. Freyja has many of Odin's traits of wildness,
unpredictability, and innovation, while Frigg is more similar to the god Tyr in
her devotion to order, justice, truth, and honor. Frigg guides people's
development as they act out their many roles as a part of society and of family,
while Freyja stimulates their self-realization as individuals.
All in all, Frigg appears as a woman in her prime, stately and calm, very
wise and patient and kind, the maker of homes and peace and security. She
teaches all men and women the skills they need to survive and be happy and
imparts her knowledge of healing and second sight to some. Frigg supports the
harmonious interaction of men and women, parents and children, people and their
rulers, nation and nation, humanity and the gods, people and the earth. She
shows how to use earth's gifts properly and to the benefit of all.
8
Frigg
The Allmother and a Sample Goddess Ritual
Lore
Little information exists about the worship of Frigg (ON Frigg,
OHG Frija, OE Fricg, *FrijjÅ), but there is no reason to doubt that her cult was
important. Her worship probably centered on family and clan and domestic
concerns, and many of her rituals may have been conducted within the privacy and
intimacy of each individual hall rather than at public holy sites. Also, many of
her rites undoubtedly focused on women and hence may have been overlooked or
discounted by later historians.
Artifacts found at preâViking Age offering sites in Scandinavia include rings
and women's ornaments, cuttings of human hair, and remnants of flax and the
tools used for processing it, which suggests that women left gifts to deities,
most likely female ones, at these places.
1
There is evidence that
Frigg was toasted at weddings and invoked for help in childbirth. Her aid also
appears to have been sought in conceiving children and in baby-naming
ceremonies, and it seems likely that she was petitioned for help in matters
pertaining to the family and the running of the household. Her German
counterparts, Holda and Berchte, were called on in matters of spinning, weaving,
and agriculture and were particularly honored at Yule.
Using what we know about the traditional worship of Frigg as a starting
point, we can add to that information by examining myth and folklore and
discover what sorts of worship are appropriate to her. Although we do not live
today as pre-Christian Germanic people did, we can examine that culture and
discover ways to fit the old folk customs into our modern world. Frigg is a
complex goddess with a substantial number of aspects and functions, so rituals
and workings to her cover a lot of ground.
Archetypal Wife and Mother
In the role of archetypal wife and mother, Frigg can be
petitioned in matters dealing with marriage, children, and the family. She would
be good to enlist in love workings, but only for those leading to committed,
long-term relationships. All matters dealing with betrothals and weddings would
be within her sphere of influence, both as a patron of marriage and as a goddess
concerned with social and civil contracts. You might want to conduct such
ceremonies on a Friday, Frigg's holy day, and you would definitely want to drink
a
minne,
or toast, to her on these occasions. She would be a key figure
in all aspects of the marriage ritual, especially the vows themselves, and in
any working commemorating the bride's change of status from single woman to
wife.
Marriage in early Germanic culture was characterized by detailed financial
arrangements, involving dowries and bride gifts, designed to ensure the
financial support of both partners and especially to provide for any children
produced by the union. Therefore, Frigg might be invoked to witness any
financial arrangements and investments made by a prospective couple, as well as
any prenuptial agreements or marriage contracts setting forth who gets what in
case of death or divorce. Divorce was relatively easy to obtain in Germanic
society, and there was no particular moral stigma attached to it, as long as the
children were provided for. Frigg could be called on to help end a marriage
fairly and with minimal emotional stress and rancor.
Frigg is also strongly tied to motherhood and should therefore be invoked in
rituals to aid conception. One such working that I have used is taken from the
story of King Rerir, in which Frigg persuaded Odin to give a magic apple to help
the king and his wife conceive a son (see
here
). In this working, an
apple or a nut is used in a ritual to Frigg and the dÃsir, serving as a sort of
battery to store the power generated. The couple desiring a child can be
physically present at the ritual, although it seems to work better if they are
not. If they are absent, pictures or other emblems of them can be placed on the
altar. After the apple or nut has been charged, the couple divides it and eats
it together. Sometimes this takes a bit of time to work, in some cases several
years, but it very often proves successful. Another fertility working might
involve leaving gifts or talismans at or in a well or pool, because the souls of
children were said to come from Frau Holda's watery home. Frigg can be appealed
to in matters of birth control and family planning, as well as those dealing
with fertility.
As both mother and healer, Frigg is good to call on throughout a pregnancy,
both in matters related to the health of mother and child and in the
preparations that need to be made for a new baby. The latter include not only
the practical considerations of acquiring money, supplies, and space but also
the psychological preparation of both partners to assume the roles of mother and
father, particularly at the birth of their first child. The move from young
couple to parents is a rite of passage every bit as traumatic as puberty or
marriage. Even more than marriage, parenthood is a long-term commitment, and
anyone with children can tell you how it turns your life upside down.
Frigg, as well as Freyja, was traditionally called on during childbirth by
Norse women in the past and should be included in any birthing ceremonies today.
Gifts of milk and fruit can be made to Frigg when the first contractions begin.
In earlier times, Norse women would begin to weave a red, three-stranded cord at
the onset of labor; this cord would later be used to tie off the baby's
umbilical cord. Even today, when modern hospital practices forbid this,
Scandinavian women will tie the cord around the child's wrist until its naming
day.
2
The work of braiding itself is an act of holiness to Frigg,
similar to weaving and spinning, and serves to draw her attention and blessings
to the worker. The weaver could also concentrate her own will for her child's
luck into the cord as she braids.
Frigg is also connected with naming and ørlög and should be included in the
vatni ausa,
or naming ritual. This takes place nine days after the birth and
is what makes the child a true part of the family and gives him a soul and a
destiny. Frigg might be petitioned early on in the process for guidance in
selecting an appropriate name. Dreams, especially those about deceased family
members, are considered important sources of guidance in such matters, so you
might want to invoke Frigg's help in some sort of dreamwork during this period.
The naming ritual itself consists of the father, or another designated person,
taking the child from the mother, sprinkling him with water, and naming him with
the name previously agreed upon by the parents. After the naming itself, it
would be good to call on Frigg and the Norns, honor them with gifts, and ask
their blessings on the child's path in life. (Remember all those angry fairies
in folktales and what they do when they're slighted on festive occasions? Be
sure to treat these goddesses accordingly.) Despite some similarities to
Christian baptism, this ceremony was practiced in Germanic culture long before
the coming of Christianity. Variants have existed in many cultures throughout
history.
Frigg does not abandon her concern for children once they are born. She is
even more involved in the raising of the family and the running of the household
at that point, and she should be called on in all matters pertaining to these
affairs. This may include things such as obtaining a good place to live;
acquiring the financial stability needed to adequately run your household and
being able to budget what you do have; and attaining and using the skills
necessary to keep a house, including cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening,
household repairs, home security, automobile maintenance, and bookkeeping. She
would be the one to invoke for house blessings and other such rituals.
One simple working is to call on Frigg while cooking and to visualize health,
joy, and goodwill going into your food as you stir it with a clockwise,
spiraling motion. This is particularly effective at large family gatherings
where you suspect some members might start bickering. One can also do this while
making beer or mead, creating a truly ritual brew. If you are brewing for a
particular festival or event, you can visualize qualities appropriate to that
occasion flowing into your beverage.
Caring for Family
All matters related to caring for and teaching children are part
of Frigg's domain. This may include everything from mastering the intricacies of
diapering, bathing, and feeding to arranging for appropriate schooling and
social activities for your children. Frigg is generally seen as a home-loving
goddess, but the myths are also very clear about her ability and willingness to
fare out into the affairs of the world when her interests are concerned. She can
therefore be called on in matters involving school boards, child welfare
agencies, legislative bodies, and other public entities as well as those
involving one's private household.
The concept of family encompasses more than children; it also includes one's
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family elders. Frigg could
therefore be appealed to in matters dealing with caring for the elderly, both
their physical health and emotional wellbeing. Frigg and her German counterparts
often appear in folk stories as teachers, especially of practical skills. In
this aspect Frigg might be invoked in matters involving the education of adults
as well as that of children. In addition to all the human members of the family,
Frigg is also in charge of domestic animals and can be petitioned to help
anything from the family pet to a stable of milking cows.
Craftmaking
Spinning, weaving, and other types of textile crafts are Frigg's
special works, but she can be called on by practitioners of all sorts of craftsâboth practical and artistic. Frigg favors those who can use their hands and get
things done in the material world, and she should be invoked by artisans and
workers of all types. This covers traditional crafts, such as woodworking and
smithing, but may also include more modern crafts, such as motor vehicle and
computer repair.
One way to harness Frigg's might while spinning is to focus a magical intent
into the forming thread while you work. This can also be done with crafts such
as knitting, crocheting, tatting, and others. For example, while knitting a baby
jacket one can strongly visualize the health and happiness of the child who will
wear it. Spinning a magical thread can be an end in itself, with the finished
yarn buried or cast into water as an offering.
Another working to Frigg involves weaving or embroidering a scene that
symbolizes an event or condition that you want to come about, such as you and
your mate with children or yourself happy in a new job or a new house, or a more
general goal, such as the protection of loved ones or spiritual growth. Each
time you work on the piece, let yourself daydream about the end result you want.
You might even consider pricking a finger and letting several drops of your
blood fall on the work, as Sleeping Beauty's mother did when she was wishing for
a daughter. After the work is done, it should be carefully kept, either hidden
in a safe place or proudly displayed in your home, or perhaps given away if the
working was done for someone else.
Hospitality
Frigg should be invoked in affairs involving hospitality and
guest rituals and in all matters promoting friendliness and goodwill among
people. She should be one of the deities called on at any big social undertaking
or festival to ensure that frithâpeace and harmony (see
here
for more on
the meaning of frith)âis kept and that all the mundane concerns run smoothly.
Remember that Frigg values rest and celebration as well as work, provided
each is done at its proper time. She will aid in stopping quarrels, especially
among family members, and is good to invoke to help resolve all civil disputes.
She presides over contracts and civil legal proceedings, especially those
involving marriage, families, children, and property. In her role as queen, she
is involved in political matters, especially those involving the selection of
leaders and the promotion of domestic stability.
Promoting Prosperity and Learning
Frigg will help on all occasions where subtlety and manipulation
are required to achieve one's goals. She can be invoked in rituals for
prosperity, but hers is a comfortable prosperity, which is earned by one's own
work, not a pile of easy riches or excessive indulgence. Many of the myths
suggest that if you want something from the god Odin but are uncomfortable
working with him, or perhaps don't quite trust him, you might do well to
approach him through his wife, or at least to petition Frigg in addition to
Odin. She has proved that she has influence with the Allfather and is often a
more predictable patron than he is.
