Chapter LIII: Section III: Frey

Njord had two children—a son Frey and a daughter Freyju, both fair and mighty. Frey is one of the most celebrated of the gods. He presides over rain and sunshine and all the fruits of the earth, and should be invoked to obtain good harvests, and also for peace. He moreover dispenses wealth among men. He is called van and vanagod, yeargod and goods-giver (_fégjafi_). He owns the ship Skidbladner and also Goldenbristle (_gullinbursti_) or Slidrugtanne (the sharp-toothed), a boar with golden bristles, with which he rides as folk-ruler to Odin’s hall. In time’s morning, when he was yet a child, the gods gave him Alfheim (home of elves) as a present.

Of Frey’s ship Skidbladner, we have before seen (see p. 220) how it was made by the dwarfs, sons of Ivald, and presented to Frey. It was so large that all the gods with their weapons and war stores could find room on board it. As soon as the sails are set a favorable breeze arises and carries it to its place of destination, and it is made of so many pieces, and with so much skill, that when it is not wanted for a voyage Frey may fold it together like a piece of cloth and put it into his pocket.

Njord had the consolation, when he was sent as hostage to the gods, that he begat a son whom no one hates, but who is the best among the gods. Thus the Elder Edda, in Æger’s banquet to the gods, where Loke also was present:

NJORD:

It is my consolation—
For I was from a far-off place
Sent as a hostage to the gods—
That I begat that son
Whom no one hates,
And who is regarded
Chief among the gods.

To which LOKE makes reply:

Hold thy tongue, Njord!
Subdue thy arrogance;
I will conceal it no longer
That with thy sister
A son thou didst beget
Scarcely worse than thyself.

But TYR defends Frey:

Frey is the best
Of all the chiefs
Among the gods.
He causes not tears
To maids or mothers:
His desire is to loosen the fetters
Of those enchained.

LOKE:

Hold thy tongue, Tyr!
Never thou couldst
Use both hands,
Since thy right one,
As I now remember,
The wolf Fenrer took from you.

TYR:

I lack a hand,
Thou lackest good reputation,—
Sad it is to lack such a thing;
Nor does the wolf fare well,—
In chains he pines
Till the end of the world.

LOKE:

Hold thy tongue, Tyr!
Thy wife and I
Had a son together,
But thou, poor fellow,
Received not a farthing
In fine from me.

FREY:

The wolf I see lie
At the mouth of the river
Until the powers perish.
Mischief-maker!
If thou dost not hold thy tongue
Thou also shalt be bound.

LOKE:

For gold thou bought’st
Gymer’s daughter,
And sold thy sword
At the same time;
But when the sons of Muspel
Come riding from the dark woods,
What hail thou, poor fellow,
To rely upon?

Frey has a servant by name BYGVER, who responds to Loke:

Know that, were I born
Of so noble a race
As Ingun’s Frey,
And had I
So glorious a hall,
I would crush the evil crow,
Break his bones to the marrow!

LOKE then turns upon Bygver, and calls him a little impertinent thing, that always hangs about Frey’s ears and cries under the millstone (can the reader help thinking at this moment of Robert Burns’ famous poem, _John Barleycorn?_); a good-for-nothing fellow, who never would divide good with men, and when the heroes fought they could not find him, for he was concealed in the straw of the bed.

Frey’s maid-servant is Beyla, Bygver’s wife, whom Loke calls the ugliest and filthiest hag that can be found among the offspring of the gods. Of course Loke exaggerates and uses abusive language, but it was in truth a sorry thing for Frey that he traded his sword away, for it is to this fact he owes his defeat when he encounters Surt in Ragnarok.

Frey’s wife was Gerd, a daughter of Gymer, and their son was Fjolner. Frey was worshiped throughout the northern countries. In the common formula of the oath his name was put first: HJÁLPI MÉR SVÁ FREYR OK NJÖRÐR OK HINN ALMÁTTKI ÁS! that is, So help me Frey and Njord and the almighty Asa (Odin). On Jul-eve (Christmas eve) it was customary to lead out a boar, which was consecrated to Frey, and which was called the atonement boar. On this the persons present laid their hands and made solemn vows; and at the feast, where the flesh of the sacrificed animal was eaten by the assembled guests, there was drunk, among other horns, a horn to Njord and Frey for prosperous seasons and for peace.

Everything about Frey goes to show that he is the god of the earth’s fruitfulness. The sea, Njord, rises as vapor and descends in rain upon the land, making it fruitful. There has been much dispute about the etymological meaning of the word Frey. Finn Magnússon derives it from _frœ_, Norse _frö_, meaning seed. Grimm, on the other hand, thinks the fundamental idea is mildness, gladness (compare German _froh_, Norse _fryd_). A derived meaning of the word is man, masculine of Freyja (German _frau_), meaning woman.