In Norse mythology, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess linked to love, beauty, fertility, war, gold, and seiðr (a type of magic used to see and influence the future). Freyja owns the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chariot pulled by two cats, is accompanied by a boar named Hildisvíni, and has a cloak made of falcon feathers that lets her change into a falcon's shape. She is married to Óðr and has two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi. Freyja is part of the Vanir group, which includes her twin brother Freyr, her father Njörðr, and her mother (Njörðr’s unnamed sister). The name Freyja comes from Old Norse and has modern forms such as Freya, Freyia, and Freja.

Freyja rules Fólkvangr, a heavenly field where she receives half of the warriors who die in battle. The other half go to Odin’s hall, Valhalla. Inside Fólkvangr is her hall, Sessrúmnir. Freyja helps other gods by letting them use her feathered cloak, is called upon in matters of love and fertility, and is often pursued by powerful jötnar (giants) who want to marry her. Her husband, Óðr, is often away, and she cries golden tears for him while searching for him under different names. Freyja has many names, including Gefn, Hörn, Mardöll, Sýr, Vanadís, and Valfreyja.

Freyja is mentioned in the Poetic Edda, written in the 13th century using older stories; in the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century; in several Icelandic sagas; in the short story "Sörla þáttr"; in poetry by skalds (poets); and in Scandinavian folklore today.

Scholars have discussed whether Freyja and the goddess Frigg may have originally been the same goddess among Germanic people. They have also linked Freyja to valkyries (female warriors who choose fallen soldiers) and studied her connections to other figures in Germanic mythology, such as Gullveig/Heiðr, Gefjon, Skaði, Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr, Irpa, Menglöð, and the 1st-century CE "Isis" of the Suebi. In Scandinavia, many plants were once named after Freyja, such as "Freyja’s tears" and "Freyja’s hair" (a type of plant called Polygala vulgaris). These names were changed during the Christian era to honor Virgin Mary. People in rural Scandinavia continued to believe in Freyja as a supernatural figure until the 19th century, and she has inspired many works of art.

Name

The name Freyja clearly means "lady, mistress" in Old Norse. It comes from the Proto-Germanic word *frawjōn, which also meant "lady, mistress." This word is related to Old Saxon "frūa" and Old High German "frouwa," both meaning "lady" (similar to the modern German word "Frau"). Freyja is also closely connected in origin to the name of the god Freyr, which means "lord" in Old Norse. The name Freyja is believed to have started as a title or nickname, used instead of a personal name that is no longer known.

In addition to Freyja, Old Norse sources refer to the goddess by the following names:

Attestations

Freyja is mentioned or appears in several poems from the Poetic Edda, including Völuspá, Grímnismál, Lokasenna, Þrymskviða, Oddrúnargrátr, and Hyndluljóð.

In Völuspá, a stanza refers to Freyja as "Óð's girl," noting that she is married to Óðr. The stanza describes how Freyja was once promised to a builder, later revealed to be a jötunn, who was killed by Thor. This story is detailed in Gylfaginning chapter 42 of the Prose Edda. In Grímnismál, Odin (disguised as Grímnir) tells Agnar that Freyja chooses half of the fallen warriors to join her in her hall, Fólkvangr, while Odin takes the other half.

In Lokasenna, Loki accuses many female gods of being unfaithful. When Loki criticizes Freyja, she tells him he is foolish and claims Frigg knows everyone’s fate. Loki calls her a witch and says she has had lovers among the gods and elves. Freyja denies this, and Loki claims she is to blame. Njörðr intervenes, saying that having a lover other than one’s husband is not a crime, and calls Loki a pervert.

In Þrymskviða, Loki borrows Freyja’s feather cloak, and Thor disguises himself as Freyja to trick the jötunn Þrymr. Thor’s hammer, Mjöllnir, is missing, so he asks Freyja to lend him her cloak. She agrees, and Loki uses it to reach Þrymr, who demands Freyja as his bride to return the hammer. The gods dress Thor as a bride and Loki as his maid. When Þrymr sees "Freyja," he is shocked by her appetite and her fierce eyes. Loki explains she has not eaten or slept for eight days. The disguise works, and Thor retrieves his hammer.

In Oddrúnargrátr, Oddrún helps Borgny give birth to twins. Borgny thanks Freyja, Frigg, and other deities. In Hyndluljóð, Freyja helps Óttar learn about his ancestry. She turns Óttar into her boar, Hildisvíni, and forces the jötunn Hyndla to reveal the information. Freyja praises Óttar for building an altar and making sacrifices to her.

Freyja appears in the Prose Edda books Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál. In Gylfaginning chapter 24, High says Freyja and Freyr are children of Njörðr. Freyja is described as the most glorious goddess, with a hall called Sessrúmnir and a chariot pulled by two cats. She is known for helping people with love and is called fruvor by noble women. In chapter 29, High mentions Freyja’s necklace, Brísingamen, and her daughter Hnoss. Freyja weeps gold tears when Óðr is away.

In chapter 42, High describes how the gods agreed to give Freyja to a builder in exchange for building Valhalla. When the builder is revealed to be a jötunn, Thor kills him. Loki, in the form of a mare, is impregnated by the jötunn’s horse, Svaðilfari, and gives birth to Sleipnir. In chapter 49, High notes that Freyja attended Baldr’s funeral.

In Skáldskaparmál, Freyja is among eight goddesses at a banquet for Ægir. Chapter 56 describes how Loki uses Freyja’s "falcon shape" to rescue Iðunn from the jötunn Þjazi.

Later Scandinavian folklore

Although the Christianization of Scandinavia tried to make the native gods seem evil, people still believed in and respected the gods, including Freyja, even during the modern times. This belief mixed with Scandinavian folklore. Britt-Mari Näsström [sv] notes that Freyja was especially targeted during this time:

However, Freyja did not disappear. In Iceland, people called on Freyja for help using magical staves as late as the 18th century. In the 19th century, Freyja was still seen as a fertility goddess by some rural Swedes.

The Old Norse poem Þrymskviða (or its source) became part of Scandinavian folk songs over time. The poem changed and was adapted as it spread. In Iceland, it became known as Þrylur. In Denmark, it was called Thor af Havsgaard, and in Sweden, it was called Torvisan or Hammarhämtningen. A part of the Swedish Torvisan describes Freyja being changed into "the fair" (den väna) Frojenborg.

In the province of Småland, Sweden, a story connects Freyja to sheet lightning. Writer Johan Alfred Göth described an event in 1880 where men were looking at nearly ripe rye in the fields. One man, Måns in Karryd, said, "Now Freyja is out watching if the rye is ripe." Göth also recalled another mention of Freyja in the countryside:

In Värend, Sweden, Freyja was believed to arrive on Christmas night. She would shake apple trees to ensure a good harvest, so people left some apples in the trees for her. However, it was dangerous to leave the plough outdoors, because if Freyja sat on it, it would no longer be useful.

Today, many Asatru practitioners honor Freyja as a goddess of fertility, abundance, and beauty. A common practice for modern worshippers is to bake foods connected to love, such as chocolate. Freyja is also called upon for protection, especially in situations involving domestic violence.

Eponyms

Several plants were named after Freyja, including Freyja's tears and Freyja's hair (Polygala vulgaris). However, during the Christianization process, the name of the goddess was replaced with the name of the Virgin Mary. Before Christianity spread, the Orion constellation was known as either Frigg's distaff or Freyja's distaff (in Swedish, Frejerock).

Place names in Norway and Sweden show respect for the goddess Freyja. For example, the Norwegian place name Frøihov originally meant "Freyja's hof," while Swedish names like Frövi come from "Freyja's vé." A study by M. Olsen found at least 20 to 30 place names in Norway that include Freyja's name. Three of these names likely come from *Freyjuhof, meaning "Freyja's hof." Other names often combine Freyja with words for "meadow" or other land features. These names are most commonly found on Norway's west coast, though they also appear frequently in the southeast.

In Sweden, place names containing Freyja are even more common and varied. Many are found in Uppland, with some derived from Freyjuvé ("Freyja's vé") and Freyjulundr ("Freyja's sacred grove"), which suggest public worship of Freyja. Some names, like Frøal and Fröale, include parts similar to words meaning "temple" in other languages, though other interpretations are possible. Freyja's name also appears in place names describing geographic features such as fields, meadows, lakes, and rocks.

The name "Hörn" appears in Swedish place names like Härnevi and Järnevi. These names likely come from the Old Norse place name *Hörnar-vé, meaning "Hörn's vé."

Archaeological record and historic depictions

A priestess was buried around the year 1000 with great ceremony in Hagebyhöga, Östergötland. She was buried with her wand and received many valuable items, including horses, a wagon, and an Arabian bronze pitcher. A silver pendant found with her shows a woman wearing a wide necklace around her neck. This type of necklace was worn only by the most important women during the Iron Age. Some people believe the pendant represents Freyja’s necklace, called Brísingamen. The pendant might show Freyja herself.

A 7th-century phalara, discovered in a "warrior grave" in what is now Eschwege, Germany, shows a female figure with two long braids. Two creatures resembling cats are on either side of her, and she holds a staff-like object. This figure has been thought to represent Freyja. This image may be connected to certain B-type bracteates, known as the Fürstenberg-type, which also show a female figure. These images "depict a woman in a short skirt with braided hair, holding a staff or scepter in her right hand and a cross-like symbol in her left."

When the Oseberg ship burial from the 10th century was discovered, it was found to contain a ceremonial wagon. One side of the decorated wagon shows nine cats. Scholars have connected this image to Freyja’s chariot, which is said to be pulled by cats. This also links the Vanir gods to wagons.

A 12th-century carving on a wall in the Schleswig Cathedral in Northern Germany shows a woman wearing a cloak but otherwise naked, riding a large cat. Next to her is another woman wearing a cloak but otherwise naked, riding a distaff. Because these figures look similar to descriptions in written records, some believe they represent Freyja and Frigg, two Norse goddesses.

Theories

Scholars often compare Freyja with the goddess Frigg because of their many similarities. The idea that Freyja and Frigg might have originally been the same goddess in the Proto-Germanic period (a theory called the "Freyja-Frigg common origin hypothesis") is still debated by experts. Scholar Stephan Grundy explains that it is difficult to determine if Frigg and Freyja were once the same goddess. This is partly because there are very few records of Germanic goddesses from before the Viking Age, and the sources that do exist are varied. The best approach, Grundy says, is to examine the arguments for and against their connection and see how strong each is.

The name of Freyja's group of gods, the Vanir, is only found in Scandinavia, unlike the name of Frigg, which is known across Germanic cultures. Frigg's name is believed to have originated in Proto-Germanic as *Frijjō. However, there is no clear evidence of a single Germanic goddess from whom Freyja descended. Scholars suggest this lack of proof may simply reflect missing information.

In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, a figure named Gullveig is burned three times but is reborn each time. After her third rebirth, she is called Heiðr. This event is widely believed to have started the Æsir–Vanir War. Scholars like Gabriel Turville-Petre, Rudolf Simek, Andy Orchard, and John Lindow have suggested that Gullveig/Heiðr is the same as Freyja, and that her actions led to the war.

In addition to theories linking Freyja to Frigg, some scholars, such as Hilda Ellis Davidson and Britt-Mari Näsström, believe other Norse goddesses like Gefjon, Gerðr, and Skaði may represent different roles or ages of Freyja.

Freyja and her afterlife realm, Fólkvangr, where she receives half of the fallen warriors, are connected to the valkyries. Scholar Britt-Mari Näsström notes that Gylfaginning describes Freyja as taking half of the slain in battle and calls Fólkvangr "the field of the Warriors." She explains that, like Odin, Freyja receives fallen heroes, and her home, Sessrumnir, is described as "filled with many seats," similar to Valhalla. Näsström suggests that the two afterlife realms for warriors may reflect different warrior traditions, with one connected to Odin and the other to Freyja. She adds that these examples show Freyja was a war goddess and even appears as a valkyrie, meaning "the one who chooses the slain."

Scholar Siegfried Andres Dobat states that Freyja's role as the chooser of warriors for her realm, Fólkvangr, makes her a model for the valkyries and the dísir.

In 1920, Gustav Neckel linked Freyja to the Phrygian goddess Cybele, suggesting both were fertility goddesses. Some scholars noted that Cybele's chariot, pulled by lions, may have influenced Freyja's image, which includes large cats. This idea was common in Old Norse religion studies until the early 1990s. However, Britt-Mari Näsström (1995) criticized this view, arguing that the similarities are based on misunderstandings about Cybele. She says scholars have not thoroughly compared the two goddesses to support claims of a shared origin.

In art and literature

In the modern period, Freyja was often compared to the Roman goddess Venus in Swedish literature. She was sometimes linked to romantic love or used as a term meaning "desire and strength." In the 18th century, a Swedish poet named Carl Michael Bellman wrote about Stockholm's prostitutes in his work "Fredman's Epistles," calling them "the children of Fröja." During the 19th century, a scholar named Britt-Mari Näsström noted that Swedish Romanticism focused more on Freyja as a sorrowful goddess who mourned her husband, rather than on her sensual traits.

Freyja is mentioned in the first verse of Denmark's national anthem, "Der er et yndigt land," written by Danish poet Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger in 1819. The verse says, "It is called old Denmark and it is Freja's hall." Oehlenschläger also wrote a comedy titled "Freyjas alter" (1818) and a poem called "Freais sal," which features Freyja.

The 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner included Freyja in his opera cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen." In this work, Freyja is combined with Iðunn, another goddess known for carrying apples.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Freyja inspired many artworks. These include a statue titled "Freyja" by H. E. Freund (1821–1822), a painting called "Freyja searching for her husband" by Nils Blommér (1852), a charcoal drawing titled "Freyja's acceptance among the gods" by Carl Ehrenberg (1881), and a drawing titled "Frigg; Freyja" by Carl Ehrenberg (1883). Other works include a painting by Carl Emil Doepler d. J. (1901) and "Freyja and the Brisingamen" by J. Doyle Penrose (1862–1932). In Scandinavia, Freyja's name was also used to describe sweet treats or strong draft horses.

One of Freyja's names, Vanadís, is the origin of the name for the chemical element vanadium. This name was chosen because vanadium forms colorful compounds.

In popular culture

Frigga, sometimes known as Freyja, is a fictional character in Marvel Comics who first appeared in 1963. This character is inspired by Freyja, a goddess from Norse mythology.

In the early 1990s, names based on Freyja began to be used as first names for girls. According to the Norwegian name database from the Central Statistics Bureau, about 500 women in Norway have the first name Frøya, which is the modern spelling of the goddess’s name. Other similar names include Frøydis, a name with two parts that includes the first element of Freyja’s name.

Freyja appears in several video games, such as the 2002 game Age of Mythology by Ensemble Studios, the 2014 game Smite, the 2018 game God of War by Santa Monica Studio, and its 2022 sequel God of War Ragnarök.

“Freya” is a song by the American heavy metal band The Sword from their 2006 debut album Age of Winters. A playable version of the song was included in the 2006 game Guitar Hero II.