Norse Goddess Magic (7 page)
PART TWO
Frigg and Her Women
The Lore and Trance Methods for Finding the Goddessess
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IT'S ALL VERY WELL TO STUDY the practice of tranceworking, but
the only way to really understand it is to experience it. The next best way is
to read accounts of the experiences of others to give you an idea of what you
might expect.My original intention in taking up tranceworking was not to experience the
process for its own sake, although I must admit I usually find it very enjoyable
and satisfying, but to gain insight and information and to grow closer to my
gods and goddesses. To fully share what I've experienced, I want to show the
whole process I followed, both the intellectual and the experiential.I have therefore included descriptions of thirteen Norse deities,
specifically Frigg and the twelve Asynjur, or Aesir goddesses, typically
associated with her. These pieces are based on both research and interpretation
and include narratives of what I experienced with these goddesses in trance and
suggestions for ritual workings. I know some people dislike reading about how
others have experienced a certain deity or symbol in meditation or trance
because they feel it will influence their own workings, so the trance sections
are set in a different typeface. That way, these people can avoid reading them
until they're ready.I also want it to be very clear as to which information came from texts and
sources that can be verified and which emerged from my personal experiences. The
latter, of course, you can accept or not, whichever seems best to you. I have no
delusions that the way I personally experience a goddess is the way she is or
should be to everybody. Still, it's often fascinating to discover how many
people will come up with similar images. Hopefully, someday, by working
together, we will find enough common lore to enable us to reclaim our knowledge
of these lost gods and goddesses.FRIGG AND THE ASYNJUR
In dealing with Frigg, we must take into account the other
goddesses listed among the Asynjur. Snorri Sturluson gives a brief account of
the goddesses below in the Gylfaginning section of the
Prose Edda
. Many
of these are so similar to Frigg that they seem to be mere aspects or hypostases
of her, rather than separate goddesses; but whether forms of Frigg or individual
deities, Frigg, as their queen, oversees them. Hence their qualities may be said
to be hers as well, as a manager is responsible for the work of all those under
her.Saga
lives in a large estate of her own called
Sokkvabekk, or “Sinking Brook,” which stands among cool waves. She and Odin are
supposed to get together every day to drink out of golden cups and exchange
stories.Eir
is said to be the best of doctors. She also shows up
in the Svipdagsmál of the
Elder Edda
as one of the maidens who accompany
Menglod, usually associated with Freyja, on the Lyfjaberg, a hill said to cure
sick women who climb it.Gefjon,
designated a maiden by Snorri, receives those
women who die unmarried. In the beginning of the
Prose Edda
there is a
story about how she won a large piece of land from the Swedish King Gylfi by
plowing it up with four oxen, which were in reality her four sons by a giant;
this would indicate that she herself was not a virgin. Loki also accuses her of
having had sex with a boy in return for a necklace (although Loki might say
anything).Fulla
is also a maiden, pictured with loose hair fastened
by a circlet. Her name suggests that she was a goddess of prosperity and plenty.
In the “Second Merseburg Charm,” an old German spell, she is called Frigg's
sister and appears with her as a healer. She keeps Frigg's casket of jewels and
her footwear and is her special confidante and advisor.Sjofn
is greatly concerned with turning the thoughts of
men and women to love. Affection or love-longing was called
sjafni,
after
her name.Lofn
is reputed to be particularly gracious and kind to
those who call on her. She can get the permission of Odin and Frigg for people
to marry, even though it has been denied before, and this permission was called
lof
after her name, which is praised (
lofat
) among humans.Var
listens to the vows (
várar
) and contracts made
between men and women and takes vengeance on those who break them.Vor
is wise and searching, and nothing can be hidden from
her. Therefore, there was a saying that a woman became “aware” (
vör
) of
what she came to know.Syn
guards the door of the hall and locks it against
those who should not enter. She is also called on in legal assemblies for the
defense by anyone who wants to deny an accusation; thus people used to say
syn
(denial) is made.Hlin
protects those whom Frigg especially favors; thus
one who escaped danger was said to “lean” (
hleinir
). She is also
mentioned in the Völuspá, where it says that when Odin goes to fight the wolf at
Ragnarok (and subsequently is slain), another hurt would come to Hlin.Snotra
is said to be wise, gentle, and moderate, and thus
a prudent man or woman was called
snotr
.Gna
is Frigg's messenger and travels through the
different worlds on her errands. She rides a horse called Hofvarpnir, or
“Hoof-Thrower,” who can travel through air and water.
7
The Influence of the Queen of the Gods on Germanic Culture
Frigg was one of the more widely worshipped Germanic
goddesses, appearing in Scandinavia, Britain, and on the Continent. Snorri names
her the foremost of the Asynjur, a group of goddesses described as being equal
in holiness and authority to the male Aesir (Gylfaginning, ch. 20).
Nevertheless, very little is known about her worship, and until recently she has
often been overshadowed by the better-known figure of Freyja.
Frigg is the wife of the Aesir's leader, Odin, and the mother of Balder the
Beautiful, who was slain by his blind brother, Hod, through the machinations of
the god Loki. Her name comes from an Indo-European root meaning “love” or
“pleasure” and could be interpreted as “beloved,” “lover,” or “wife.” She has a
dwelling called Fensalir (“Hall of Mists,” “Sea Halls,” or “Marsh Halls”), which
is described as “most grand” (Gylfaginning, ch. 35). The sixth day of our week,
Friday, was named for her and was traditionally considered a good day for
marriages.
There are some place names connected with Frigg in Sweden, particularly in
Västergötland and Ãstergötland, where Frigg and Odin were especially revered.
1
There are even more traces on the Continent, particularly in southern Germany.
Her name is also associated with a number of plant names and other natural
objects. An herb known as
friggjargras
(“Frigg's grass”) was used to make
love potions and was also called
hionagras
(“marriage grass”). The Romans
associated Frigg, as well as Freyja, with their goddess Venus, and the planet
Venus has been called
friggjarstjarna
(“Frigg's star”).
2
In the Lokasenna (st. 26), Frigg is called
Fjörgyns mær
(“Fjörgynn's
maiden”), which can mean either Fjörgynn's daughter or his mistress. Since Loki
goes on to accuse Frigg of infidelity in the same stanza, “mistress” may be a
likely interpretation. The giant Fjörgynn may form a divine pair with the
giantess Fjörgyn, who is sometimes said to be the mother of Thor and who seems
similar, if not identical, to the goddess Jord (ON Jörð, “earth”). Frigg is also
often seen as an earth goddess, whereas Jord represents an earlier, more primal
form of the earth. Frigg can be seen as the tilled, managed earth, fruitful and
blessed, the earth that has become transformed by her alliance with humans.
As an earth goddess, Frigg has strong associations with water, as suggested
by the name of her hall. Her German counterparts are worshipped at holy wells
and streams and are often seen bathing or washing. Frigg scries in a magic
mirror, a practice that also can be performed in a container of water, and her
powers of divination are traditionally associated with the watery element in
Western magical tradition.
Frigg can also be seen as representing the old Indo-European concept of a sky
queen,
3
and in this aspect she controls the atmosphere, clouds, and
wind. Whereas Odin is a deity of the high skies and stormy winds, Frigg is the
air nearest the earth, the air that sustains the life on it. She owns a hawk
plumage with which she can fly like a bird, soaring through the heavens. Her
clothing is white, dark blue, or gray, representing the different aspects of
both the clouds and the goddess. As mistress of Asgard, she is sometimes
pictured wearing a golden girdle from which hangs a ring of keys, a symbol of
the authority of the mistress of a household.
Frigg is very concerned with domestic affairs and crafts and thus was the
special patron of the Norse housewife. An accomplished weaver and spinner (the
clouds are said to be her handiwork), she is the goddess of all skills of
housekeeping and husbandry. In Sweden the constel-lation we know as Orion's belt
was called
Friggerock
(“Frigg's distaff ” or “spindle”). Norwegians
believed that if chains of knitting were cut through on Friday, the day holy to
Frigg, the weaving would be unsuccessful.
4
Frigg is a goddess of
practical, homely knowledge as Odin is a god of abstract, scholarly knowledge
and magical lore.
A WISE COUNSELOR
One of Frigg's functions is ruling as queen of Heaven. She sits
on the council of Aesir judges, as mentioned in the Skáldskaparmál of the
Prose Edda
(ch. 1), and she alone shares with Odin the throne of Hlidskjalf,
from which they can look over all the Nine Worlds. Kveldulf Gundarsson,
well-known author on Germanic Paganism and magic, emphasizes that the
responsibilities of a Germanic noblewoman included acting as counselor to her
husband and family and as peacekeeper and diplomat to her own household, her
husband's followers, and visitors and foreign guests.
5
In fact, one
of the kennings for women was
fridowebban
(“peace weavers”).
6
In this role, Frigg seeks to uphold social and cultural order and stability, a
good balance to her more innovative husband.
In the Vafþrudnismál (sts. 1â4) we can see an example of Frigg's role as
counselor. At the beginning of the story Odin asks Frigg what she thinks of his
visiting the giant Vafthrudnir to match wits with him. Frigg warns Odin of the
danger involved in the venture, but because he definitely wants to go, she gives
him her blessing, which seems to be a magical warding. In this brief
conversation we see the respect Odin has for his wife's advice, the careful and
wise counsel she gives, and Frigg's understanding of Odin's pride and need for
knowledge, which spur him on to the adventure, despite the acknowledged danger.
As Odin's first and foremost wife, Frigg has precedence over his other
mistresses or concubines (Skáldskaparmál, ch. 19). They include Jord, an earth
giantess, mother of Thor; Rind, the reluctant mother of Vali, Balder's avenger;
Grid, another giantess, mother of the silent god Vidar; and Gunnlod, from whom
Odin won the mead of poetry and who is possibly the mother of Bragi, the god of
skalds, or poets. However, one finds no myths showing Frigg in a jealous rage
over these ladies, as the Greek Hera, for example, ranted over her husband
Zeus's infidelities. Richard Wagner does present Frigg as a bit of a shrew in
his operas, but there is no support for this anywhere in the Eddas. Frigg does
not pursue Odin's other women or persecute their children. One presumes that she
is concerned with more important matters and is secure enough in her position
not to bother.
Frigg herself is sometimes accused of being unfaithful. Loki reproaches her
for sleeping with Vili and Ve, the two brothers of Odin who helped him create
the world (Lokasenna, st. 26). Of course, one can't always believe Loki. This
accusation might allude to one of Odin's long absences, mentioned in the
Ynglinga saga
(ch. 3), when he left his brothers to rule Asgard and they
allegedly shared his queen as well.
Saxo Grammaticus tells of a similar incident in the
Gesta Danorum
(book 1, ch. 7). Here Odin's absence is prompted by the infidelity of his wife
Frigg, who bribes some workmen to strip down one of Odin's statues to make
herself a necklace or ornament in return for her favors in bed. The kingdom in
Saxo's version is taken over by a magician named Mithotyn. Finally, the real
Odin returns, whereupon the false “Odin” flees and the world returns to normal.
In another section of the
Gesta Danorum
(book 3, ch. 4), Saxo tells of
Odin being exiled by the other gods for unseemly behavior, namely disguising
himself as a woman. (Considering how often Odin is said to have done this
without repercussions, it's likely that it was Saxo, rather than the Aesir, who
took offense.) In this case Odin's throne is assumed by Ollerus (Ull), the
winter god of hunting, skiing, and skating. Again, Odin later returns and drives
away his usurper.
These stories can be viewed as representative of the winter king versus the
summer king myth that appears in many cultures, showing the two rival seasons
endlessly conquering and succeeding each other. In one folk custom in Germany, a
man clad in furs was pelted with flowers by the May king. This might be seen as
a representation of this myth, with Odin as the May king and the false Odin as
the winter king.
7
As far as Frigg's virtue is concerned, Saxo's version of the defaced statue
contains many elements of doubtful authenticity and is probably an altered
version of an earlier myth, perhaps even a variant of the tale of Freyja's
necklace in which Frigg is confused with the Vanic goddess. In the stories that
show Frigg engaging in sexual relations with Odin's usurper, her supposed
infidelity would seem to be a function of her role as queen and earth goddess.
In many cultures the rulership of a kingdom is only obtained by the king's
consummating his marriage with the queen, or in some cases with the land itself
in a symbolic marriage. In this sense Frigg is not so much being unfaithful as a
wife as she is fulfilling her role as queen and, by doing so, maintaining the
social and natural order. As a deity of fertility, Frigg can't let the earth go
barren just because Odin won't stay home. It's her job as goddess to continue to
be fruitful, just as it is Odin's to quest after wisdom.
A POLITICAL LEADER
Odin and Frigg are more interested in politics than in marital
indiscretions. The seventh-century text
Origo Gentis Langobardum
tells of
an occasion when Frigg influenced the outcome of a battle in Midgard in which
Odin had a stake. In this tale the leaders of the Vandals ask Odin for victory
in battle, but he says he will favor those whom he sees first at sunrise,
possibly assuming that it will indeed be the Vandals. Frigg, however, is
solicited for help by the queen of the Winniles and her sons. Frigg advises her
favorites to have all their people get up early the next day. She also instructs
their women to plait their hair over their chins like beards, put on armor and
weapons, and march at the head of the army. The goddess next waits until Odin is
asleep and then turns his bed around to face the Winniles.
When Odin awakens, the first thing he sees is a bunch of peculiar-looking
warriors with extraordinarily full whiskers. “What Longbeards are these?” he
exclaims. Now Frigg has him. He's not only seen the Winniles first, he's given
them a new nameâthe Longobarden (Lombards)âand by custom is bound to give them a
name-gift, the victory. Odin good-naturedly concedes that he's been cleverly
tricked and from then on becomes the Lombards' special patron.
8
Perhaps this indicates that those asking Odin for victory would be advised to
enlist the aid of his spouse as well. It certainly shows that Frigg has
influence and power in spheres other than the home, like any good queen; it also
shows that even the great Odin must sometimes yield to Frigg.
The custom in which the bestower of a name must give a gift to seal it was
well established in the North; in fact, any important deal had to be sealed with
gifts. Frigg's actions in the myth of the Lombards suggests that she might have
been one of the deities called upon in such naming rituals, including the
important one of
vatni ausa
(“sprinkling with water”), in which a
nine-day-old child is named and formally accepted into the clan. Many stories
tell of groups of goddesses, the family's norns,
*1
or
dÃsir,
who appear at
the naming of an infant to set its fate by the giving of gifts. Often one of
these dÃsir becomes angry at something and bestows an ill future on the child,
whereupon her sisters try to offset the curse with their gifts.
The story of Sleeping Beauty is an example of these kinds of myths coming
down to us in a folktale. In this story the wicked fairy foretells that the girl
will prick her finger on a spindle and die at the age of sixteen, after which
another fairy declares that the princess will only fall asleep for a hundred
years. The use of the spindle here as the means of the maiden's destruction is
also reminiscent of Frigg, the goddess of spinning. With her connection to
childbirth and the family, as well as her renowned foreknowledge of the future,
Frigg was very likely connected with these rituals of naming and the setting of
an individual's destiny, or
ørlög
. This might also indicate an
association with the Norns or the dÃsir, with whom Frigg has more in common than
Freyja, the goddess often associated with them.
In another story, from the GrÃmnismál, Odin and Frigg, disguised as an old
peasant man and woman, befriend King Hrauthing's two sons, Agnar and his younger
brother Geirrod, who have been lost at sea while fishing. The old couple take
care of the boys through the winter and grow fond of them, Odin favoring Geirrod
and Frigg, Agnar. In the spring they send the boys home, but just as their boat
reaches the shore, Geirrod jumps out first, shouts a curse to his brother, and
pushes the boat back out to sea, where it is carried away. When he arrives home,
Geirrod finds out that his father has died and that he, as the sole surviving
heir, is the new king.
Later in Asgard, Odin teases Frigg that his adopted son is a king, while hers
is living with a giantess in a cave somewhere. Frigg responds that Geirrod is
known to be inhospitable and cruel to his guests, a horrendous crime in the
Norse code. Odin rides off to check this out and Frigg, knowing her accusation
to be a lie, sends her sister and confidante Fulla to Geirrod with a message to
be on the lookout for an evil sorcerer in a blue cloak and a floppy hat, who can
be recognized by the fact that the dogs won't bark at him.
When Odin arrives, Geirrod has him apprehended and tied between two fires
until the supposed wizard confesses what he is up to. The only one to help Odin
is Geirrod's son, Agnar, named after the king's long-lost brother and just ten
years old, the same age as the original Agnar was the last time anyone saw him.
This boy gives Odin a drink and expresses his disapproval of Geirrod's treatment
of his guest. After drinking, Odin begins a long poem about life and the
universe, ending with the announcement that he just happens to be the Allfather,
lord of the Aesir. Geirrod, who's been getting nervous as he begins to suspect
who his prisoner really is, jumps up to free his former patron, falls on his own
sword, and dies, leaving young Agnar to begin a long and prosperous reign.
So, Frigg doesn't fight any fairer than Odin, and she's a match for his wits.
He must have been overjoyed to find a wife with whom he could play these games
of intrigue. Their arguments are chiefly over political and social subjects,
leaving domestic brawls to others.
In the Geirrod myth, Frigg gets her way by means of the kind of deceit and
trickery more in keeping with Odin. However, the result of her actions is to
dethrone the younger brother, who according to custom should not have been king
at all, and replace him with the young Agnar. While Agnar is the usurper's son,
by his name he shows that he is considered to carry the kin-soul of the elder
Agnar, the legitimate heir. Thus Frigg ultimately acts to uphold social and
political norms and traditions.
