By Nick Babalis, Andrew Kolaitis-Antzoulet & Kolatos George
Tales about beauty are as old as time and, as a consequence, so are myths in which heroes are punished for their beauty or lack of thereof. Here, we will be focusing on one such case, the one of Freyja. While Freyja (frequently spelled Freya) has seen a surge in baby name lists in English and Norse speaking countries over the last few years, few still know the myths that surround the goddess.
But first, who is Freyja? No, really. People nowadays, due to the popularity of the name, think she was the most powerful female in the Norse cosmos and I have even heard that some think she was Oðin’s wife‽ No. While Freyja was certainly a major goddess, she was not born an Æsir, like Oðin or Thor, but rather a Vanir and was later incorporated into the former as part of a peace treaty. She was also the twin sister of Freyr, god of stewardship, and daughter of Njörðr, god of seafaring. She was associated with seiðr, the Norse version of magic, and spent her time as a priestess for the Æsir.
Freyja was also associated with beauty and was considered the most beautiful woman across all Norse Realms. It should come to no surprise that, even though she had a family, she was desired by several mortals that wanted to make her theirs. And the day her husband, Óðr, mysteriously disappeared, leaving her to cry golden tears, things only got worse…
In the time of the Scandinavian gods, many could transform themselves. People believed that the animals and monsters they saw in their dreams were their loved ones who had departed from life. But even in everyday life, you could never be sure who the enormous bear staring at you might be, or the seal you were wrestling with, or that unbelievably annoying fly that kept biting you while you were working in the forge.
Transformation is, after all, a kind of deception. So it was no surprise that Loki had perfected this art. And sometimes he used it for the benefit of the Æsir. Perhaps that is why some gods—and especially Thor—enjoyed the company of this trickster.
In the battle between the Æsir and the Vanir, the stone wall that surrounded Asgard collapsed. The gods wanted to rebuild it, but the work was very hard and no one volunteered to do it. No one—until the builder arrived. He appeared alone, riding a beautiful horse, and the god Heimdall, who guarded the entrance to that world, stopped him.
-“What do you want?”
“I have a proposal for the gods,” said the builder.
So the gods and goddesses gathered in the palace of Gladsheim, and Odin said:
-“Well?”
-“I will rebuild your wall,” said the builder. “Stronger and taller. No one will be able to pass it.” And he paused.
Odin understood the meaning of that pause. “On the condition…?”
-“…that Freya will become my wife.”
Freya felt a wave of rage take hold of her. The wife of a human? Never! She was so furious that her palace, Sessrúmnir, shook. Wild cries were heard everywhere.
Odin pointed his finger at the builder. “Leave at once.”
-“I also want the Sun and the Moon,” said the builder. “These three: Freya, the Sun, and the Moon. That is enough.”
Pandemonium followed.
But a strong voice rose above the others. “Wait a moment.” It was Loki. “Let’s at least think about it.”
So the builder left, and the gods remained to discuss the matter. Freya wept golden tears. The other gods cursed Loki.
-“It’s impossible to build such a wall in eighteen months,” said Heimdall.
-“That’s exactly what I’m betting on,” said Loki. “Let’s agree to his terms. When eighteen months pass, he won’t have managed to do what he promised. We won’t owe him anything. And we’ll keep the part of the wall he has completed by then. We’ll definitely come out ahead.”
No one liked the idea, but they could find nothing wrong with Loki’s reasoning.
Odin called the builder again.
“Six months. That is your deadline. Build the wall in six months and you will receive Freya, the Sun, and the Moon.”
-“The time is very short,” said the builder.
-“These are the terms. If it is not finished in six months, you will receive nothing.”
The builder looked at Freya, enchanted by her beauty. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Allow me to have the help of my horse, Svaðilfari, and we have an agreement.”
Odin objected. But once again, Loki’s voice was heard.
- “Shall we cancel the agreement now? The horse may offer a little help, and we need a wall.”
So the gods agreed, and the builder began his work.
He spread out a net and piled enormous boulders on top of it. Then the builder tied this massive load to his horse and shouted loudly. The horse lunged forward, and its hooves echoed on the rocky ground. It proved even stronger than its master. The two of them worked all night. As the days, weeks, and months passed, the gods watched the wall rise. It was bigger, taller, better than ever before. And it was almost finished.
The builder and his horse were terrifying. What would the Æsir do if the builder succeeded? How would they live without the light and warmth of the Sun, without the magic of the Moon? And poor Freya—would she marry a boorish stranger? She stood in the middle of a pool of golden tears that kept growing and pounding. Everything was so dreadful!Odin called a council. Everyone blamed Loki. But Loki had the solution. He would make sure the builder would not finish his work—by any means necessary. It was clear to Loki that the horse was the key to the riddle. Without it, the builder could carry only one stone at a time up the hill.
That night, as the builder was leading Svaðilfari back to the quarry, a mare emerged from a grove of trees. Her neck was long and graceful, her mane seemed to ripple like waves, and her tail fell like a shower of falling stars. She kicked powerfully into the air with her hind legs. Her hooves gleamed.The builder’s horse went mad. It bolted at a gallop, its reins trailing behind, chasing the mare. The builder shouted for his horse, screaming until his throat closed. Svaðilfari did not even glance back.
In the morning, when the reins returned alone, the builder realized that one lost night of work had cost him the completion of the wall. He exploded with rage until he burst and the builder took on his true form. He was a gigantic stone giant. The gods and goddesses were furious. No one could appear before them transformed and hope to escape, especially not a giant.It was outrageous! Thor struck the giant on the head with his hammer, Mjölnir. The giant’s skull shattered and he was sent straight to Niflheim.
A few months later, Loki who had been absent all that time returned to Asgard. With him was a foal with eight legs. Loki had been that mare who enchanted Svaðilfari, and together they had produced the magnificent foal, Sleipnir.Odin was delighted as soon as he saw the foal. After all, what would Loki do with it? He was a terrible father, and certainly had no desire to be a mother. So Loki gave Sleipnir to Odin.
They say the gods were beautiful in the Scandinavian cosmos.
Among the most beautiful was Thor’s wife, Sif, with her golden hair, which Loki had cut off, and which she now wore as an even more beautiful golden wig. But Freyja, the sorceress, was far more beautiful than Sif. She had become part of the Æsir as a gift of peace after their war with the Vanir. At first her position was difficult and lonely. But fate brought it so that Freyja fell in love with Óðr, and together they had two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi. Freyja’s new life seemed to be going well.
Yet Óðr liked to wander. One day he abandoned Freyja. Her embrace was left empty. She suffered greatly. She could not understand why he left or where he had gone. So she wrapped herself in her cloak of falcon feathers and went out to search for him. But where was he? Where? Her tears fell like rain, transforming the rocks into small pools with a golden-red color wherever they fell.Freyja’s life would have been endless grief if not for her beautiful daughters. Just by looking at them, she calmed down. Soon she realized that she wanted nothing more than to gaze upon beautiful things. She especially loved gold. Freyja had a chariot drawn by two cats, while at other times she rode on the back of her wild boar, Hildisvíni, or flew with her falcon-feathered cloak, always searching for beautiful objects to soothe her pain, which never completely left her.
One night, shortly before dawn, Freyja put on her most beautiful dress. But she did not summon her chariot, nor her boar, nor did she fly with her feathered cloak. She left her palace, Sessrúmnir, and crossed the bridge Bifröst. Loki happened to be wandering nearby. As soon as the goddess passed in front of him, he sprang to his feet. Where could she be going at such an hour? Dressed so beautifully? On foot? He suspected it might be a good opportunity to cause trouble, and he followed her.
Winter covered Midgard with snow and ice. Freyja’s tears had frozen and fell with a metallic sound, coloring the gravel beneath her feet golden-red. Daylight did not last long, but she managed to reach a region of tall cliffs. There, following a narrow path, she arrived at a damp cave. She stood still and listened. Water was dripping from the cave’s ceiling. And yes—there it was. That sound. Clank, clank.
The blows of a hammer upon an anvil, somewhere far away. That sound magnetized her and pulled her into the depths of the earth.The air grew hot and so stifling that the goddess became soaked with sweat. Before her stood four dwarves—Alfrigg, Dvalin, Berlingr, and Grerr—who were forging a golden necklace. When Freyja looked at it, the metal spun and struck like her heart. It was calling to her. And she needed it.The four dwarves stood speechless before the magnificent goddess. She was beautiful like a vision; her beauty surpassed even their wildest dreams.
-“Sell me that necklace,” Freyja said, smiling, her teeth lighting up the dark workshop. “Tell me your price.”
-“It is called Brísingamen,” said one of the dwarves. “And it is not for sale.”
You see, the dwarves, like Loki, recognized an opportunity when it presented itself. They remained cold and indifferent, and bargained: they would give Freyja the necklace if she slept with each of them for one night. Their bargain was vile. But Freyja no longer had a husband, and Brísingamen could comfort her. With half a heart, she agreed.
Loki waited outside the cave all that time. Finally, four days later, Freyja emerged wearing the necklace Brísingamen. Loki immediately understood what had happened during those four nights. Without wasting time, he went to Odin and told him everything.Odin knew that Loki was a miserable liar, but his words tempted him. The thought that those disgusting dwarves might have enjoyed her drove him mad with jealousy. He demanded that Loki bring him that dazzling necklace.
Loki went to where Freyja slept in Sessrumnir and found the door locked. He was not discouraged, however. He transformed himself into a fly and began searching for a hole to enter. But the door was double-locked, and the keyhole was so narrow that only air could pass through. Finally, he found a tiny crack under the roof. Thus he slipped into the room.
Freyja was sleeping on her back, and the clasp of the necklace was beneath her neck, where she could not reach it.
Loki transformed again, this time into a flea. He bit her cheek. The goddess twitched and turned onto her side. Loki resumed his normal form and unclasped the necklace. He left through the door without worrying about being recognized. There was no longer any need to hide.
When Freyja awoke, her hand went to her neck. The magnificent golden necklace, which had cost her so dearly, was nowhere to be found. This was surely Loki’s work. Who else could have done it? And to have such audacity, he must have had Odin’s protection.
Freyja went immediately to Valaskjalf and found Odin sitting on his high throne.
“Where is my necklace?”
“You will never see it again…” said Odin, “…unless you do exactly as I tell you.”
Odin proposed that she provoke a war between two kings of men, in Midgard. And every time a soldier died, Freyja would have to use her magic to bring him back to life so that he could continue fighting. Odin’s command was very harsh. Such is the way it is when someone has been poisoned by jealousy.
Freyja felt shame wash over her—so much shame that she wanted the earth to open and swallow her. All this because of her beauty. Beauty was Freyja’s curse. Her beauty made men desire her. Her love for beautiful objects gave them the power to fulfill their desire.
A tragedy! But even a powerful goddess was helpless before such a strong enemy.
She stretched out her hand to take the necklace.
Freyja took the necklace, and Odin’s punishment began. In Midgard, two kings were driven into endless war. Each time a warrior fell, Freyja was forced to use her magic to bring him back to life so the fighting could continue.
The war dragged on for years, filling the world with suffering. At last, Odin’s jealousy faded, and he ended the conflict. Peace returned to Midgard, and the dead were allowed to rest.
Loki brought back the necklace, and Odin returned it to Freyja. She placed it around her neck, but its beauty no longer brought her joy. It reminded her of the price of jealousy and the sorrow even the gods can cause.
