Common Icons and Symbols:
Ingwaz, Boar, Stallion, Phallus, Colors Gold Green Brown, Sun and the sun wheel, Rain, the Alfar (both as "light elves" and mighty male ancestors), Sword, Antler, Crown, Sickle, Sheaf of grain, Wain (wagon), Ship, Bells (reference in Saxo), Holts (stony hillocks) and burial mounds

Blóðughófi (Bloody-Hooved) - Freyr's battle stallion.

Skíðblaðnir - The magical ship which can sail over land and sea and also be folded up and stored in a pouch.

Gullinbursti (Gold-Bristled) or Slíðrugtanni (Cutting-Tusked) - a boar, one of the gifts forged by the dwarves at Loki's behest. He could "run over air and water, night and day, better than any horse, and it would never be so dark at night or in mirk-worlds, that it would not be bright enough where he fared, his bristles gave off such light".

Servants: According to Lokasenna, Freyr has two servants, a married couple named Beyla (perhaps "bee" or "cow", "cow-keeper" - difficult etymology) and Byggvir ("barley"). The latter may perhaps bear some relationship to the British "John Barleycorn". If Beyla does indeed mean "bee", the two of them could be read as the givers of the basic materials for brewing - grain for ale, honey for mead.


Pervue:
In brief: Sun and rain for crops, fertility, fecundity, peace, prosperity, sex, shamanic ecstacy, sacred kingship, defensive battle, death and the life cycle, the natural world, creativity (my UPG).

Lord of the Fields and Woods: In the natural world, Freyr is the giver of sunlight, fair winds and light rain and all that is needed for the crops to grow. His might is known in the bright and warm weather of a good harvest-time.

Though in the Lore Freyr is mainly shown in agricultural terms, he seems to have had a connection to wild nature as well. In modern times Freyr is often seen as a god of ecology. This stems from many sources, but may be most directly due to his associated animals (boar, stag and stallion), his association with the Alfar, and his holy places being rocky, hilly areas or groves. If his association with the non-Norse deities is accurate, then there is an even stronger case for this.

Sacred King and Frith Keeper: Freyr is good to keep in mind in matters of leadership, building frith and grith, settling disputes and conflicts, presiding over ceremonies and rites for the folk. At the funeral of Baldr, it is told how, "Battle-wise Freyr rides first on his gold-bristled boar to the hill (pyre) of Óðinn's son, and leads the hosts" (Úlfr Uggason, "Húsdrápa" 7). This could be thought of as an example of sacral kingship - functioning as a Master of Ceremonies for an important rite of passage for the tribe.

One of the best examples of Freyr as a sacred king, a builder of a nation as well as of peace and prosperity is the "Peace of Fróði" mentioned in Saxo. This was a sort of Norse Golden Age when frith (fruitful peace) ruled throughout the Northlands and attributed to Freyr by the Swedes. Fróði is assumed to be an euhemerized Freyr character; the best of all possible rulers.

Frith was also a great part of his holy places and seemingly typical of Vanic cult in general. Weapons and outlaws could not be brought nor blood shed. Víga-Glúms saga shows Freyr as being particularly angered by the Óðinnic Glúmr, who did all these things in Freyr's holy places (Turville-Petre, Myth and Religion, pp. 69-70).

Bede tells us that the Anglo-Saxon high priest was not allowed to carry weapons, or ride any horse other than a mare. Similarities have often been seen between these rules and Freyr's giving away his own horse and sword to win Gerðr.

Holder of Oaths: He is almost certainly a god of oaths as is evidenced by the sacrificial Yule boar (dedicated to him and Freyja) being used for the swearing of holy oaths. Participants would (and do now) lay a hand upon the beast and speak their public oaths (or private messages to the God) before it is sacrificed. The animal being used as a messenger. Oaths, of course, are part and parcel of keeping the frith.

King of the Alfar: Alf (plural Alfar) is a confusingly general term meaning simply "spirit" and has had many applications both in the Lore and beyond. The Vanir as a whole are sometimes refered to as Alfar, as are male ancestral spirits, as are spirits of nature (esp. Ljosalfar "light alfs"). This last useage is further confused when we consider its modern English derivative - "elf" which in folkore and popular culture has lost any meaning beyond "nature spirit," Tolkien's race of graceful beings not withstanding.

God of Death and the Howe: Freyr's roles as Sacred King, Primal Ancestor and Lord of the Alfar come together in his role as a death deity. Though similar, this is not the same as Odin's role as a lord of death and battle. Rather, Freyr is the master of the past. His ship is sometimes seen as a metaphor for the journey from one world to the next. As ruler of the Alfar, he is the keeper of the wisdom of both nature and, more important to most humans, that of our forefathers. It was from the burial mounds of his forefathers that a king got his authority. He also got advice directly from them via the howe by "mound sitting" - the practice of spending the night on an ancestor's bural howe in the hopes that they would speak wisdom.

The Shaman: Some folk regard Freyr as a god of ecstasy, mainly sexual, similar to other such ancient deities. He may thus be linked to early shamanic practices and sorcery. This would be part and parcel with his role as a guide, mediator or bridge between humans and the wild and between life and death. In this context, he may have been associated with ritual sexual ambiguity - a ritual or social expression of the crossing of boundaries seen in several cultures. His priests may have cross-dressed. Saxo Grammaticus' hero Starkaðr fled Freyr's temple at Uppsala because of the "effeminate gestures", the "unmanly clatter of bells", and the "clapping of mimes upon the stage" (Saxo, VI, 185, p. 228).

Tacitus describes a similar phenomenon among the Naharvali, a Germanic tribe: "The Naharvali proudly point out a grove associated with an ancient worship. The presiding priest dresses like a woman; but the deities are said to be the counterpart of Castor and Pollux. This indicates their character, but their name is the Alci. There are no images, and nothing to suggest that the cult is of foreign origin; but they are certainly worshipped as young men and as brothers." (Tacitus, p. 137)


Pre- and Non-Norse Associations:
Freyr was known throughout the Germanic world, perhaps most popualr/important in Sweden (particularly the southeastern part) where he is held to be the progenitor of the Yngling royal line.
The first evidence of worship of Freyr or a similar deity comes from Bronze Age rock-carvings in Östergötland which show a phallic man with a sword and a boar. The distribution of these carvings partly corresponds to place-names containing the name of Freyr. Some Bronze Age carvings show a phallic man with a sun-wheel body, sometimes carrying out a ritual wedding with a female figure.
Freyr's use of the stag's antler has led some to suggest he may be something of a Norse equivalent of the Celtic Cernunnos (Horned One) as seen on the Gundestrup Cauldron, or to the Anglo-Saxon Herne the Hunter. He is among the possible progenitors of such characters as the English Greenman and Alberich (elbe "elves" reix, rex "king"), a sorcerer in the legendary history of the Merovingian dynasty known to Shakespeare fans as Oberon.


History/Archaeology:
There are several finds of what may be images associated with Freyr. The best known of these is the small silver figurine from Södermanland (Viking Age), where the god sits with chin on hand and a substantial erection. This was probably carried in a belt-pouch, like the silver image of Freyr that Ingimundr the Old was said to carry with him in Vatnsdæla saga. From the Celtic and Roman Iron Ages, there are also the phallic wooden figures found in the bogs of Denmark, which, if they do not represent this god himself, showed a deity of very similar character.

The christian historian Adam of Bremen, writing just before A.D. 1200, describes the high temple at Uppsala thus:
"in this temple, richly ornamented with gold, the people worship the images of three gods. Thor, the mightiest of the three, stands in the centre of the church, with Wodan and Fricco on his right and left. Thor, they say, holds the dominion of the air. He rules over the thunder and lighting, winds and rain, clear weather and fertility. The second deity, Wodan, that is to say, 'Rage', wages war and gives man courage to meet his foe. The third is Fricco. He gives to mortals peace and enlightenment, his image having a much exaggerated penis. All their gods are provided with priests, who offer the sacrifices of the people. When plague or famine threatens, sacrifice is offered to Thor; when war is imminent, to Wodan; when a wedding is to be celebrated, to Fricco" (Lost Gods of England, p. 114).

Saxo Grammaticus describes Freyr as being the "satrap" of the gods, and as introducing human sacrifice at Uppsala, Sweden. Earlier, he mentions how the king Hadding had established the yearly feast which the Swedes called Freyr's-blót, when "swarthy" victims were given to the god.
The Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem tells us that "Ing was first seen by men among the East Danes, till he, after that, went over the sea again: his wain ran after him - thus the warriors named the hero."
Freyr also appears to have been popular in Iceland. Gísla saga tells how Þórgrímr is said still to be in the howe, and "he was so dear to Freyr on account of his sacrifices to Freyr that Freyr would have no frost between them" - that is, the barrow-mound stayed green even in the snow. Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða recounts the story of a man who was specifically given to Freyr and shared all his best possessions with the god he loved, especially the horse Freyfaxi.

Certain geographic features are associated with Freyr, particularly hilly wooded elevations. Such places are seen as being full of might in many cultures. For Freyr, rocky or secluded hills may have been deemed particularly appropriate since he is the god of the burial mound and of the wilderness where men may not live easily.


Gerdr:
We know only one major myth of Freyr - that recounted in the Eddic poem Skírnismál. Freyr had seen the etin-maid Gerðr (Snorri adds that this happened when Freyr was sitting on Óðinn's seat Hliðskjálf) and fallen in love with her, retiring from the company of the other gods in his sorrows. Skaði sends Freyr's manservant Skírnir to find out what is wrong; Freyr then sends Skírnir to woo Gerðr, but must give the messenger his horse and his sword (both often considered symbols of his manhood) so that Skírnir will be able to get past the trolls on the way and ride through the ring of fire surrounding Gerðr. Gerðr is reluctant at first, but when threatened with enchantment, yields and says that she will be wedded to Freyr. It is possible, though not proven, that Skírnír is an hypostasis of Freyr. His name means "radiance," which is a title of Freyr.

As a result of these actions, Freyr will fight only with a stag's antler at Ragnarök (Lokasenna 42), specifically the one he used to kill the giant Beli on his journey to meet Gerdr for their honeymoon. The stag is thus thought of as one of Freyr's beasts. Like the boar and the stallion, it is among the most male of animals and suggests his closeness to the wild.

Many have analyzed this story as an example of Hieros Gamos, of the marriage of heaven and earth for the fertility of the crops. Freyr, who is a solar deity, represents heaven; and Gerðr, who is a giantess, the earth. This seems to be the typical model of the "Spring Drama": the woman may embody the powers of the sleeping earth, the man the sunlight that awakes and makes her fruitful.


Boars:
The most specific beast of Freyr is the boar, which is one of the fertile/verile of ancient farm animals as well as a symbol of indomitable wild nature and of fierceness in battle - a typical motif on armor and in proto-heraldic designs. Images of a man with a boar are found on some Migration Age bracteates, and these may be connected with the cult of Freyr.

Snorri also tells us that one of the gifts forged by the dwarves at Loki's behest was Freyr's boar Gullinbursti (Gold-Bristled) or Slíðrugtanni (Cutting-Tusked), which could "run over air and water, night and day, better than any horse, and it would never be so dark at night or in mirk-worlds, that it would not be bright enough where he fared, his bristles gave off such light".

Lastly, the boar was a holy animal. The Yule-oaths were sworn on the best boar of the herd, which was then given to Freyr and/or Freyja (according to Heiðreks saga) as the Midwinter sacrifice.


Horses:
Freyr also appears to have been connected with horses. He was the owner of a horse called "Blóðughófi", "Bloody-Hooved". Sometimes this has been read as suggesting an injury to the horse's leg, but may describe Freyr's riding forth in battle over fallen foes.

The saga of Hrafnkell Freysgoði tells how Hrafnkell dedicated a horse (Freyfaxi) to Freyr, which only he and Freyr were allowed to ride. Such horses seem similar to the holy horses described by Tacitus in Germania ch. 10: the "white horses, never soiled by human use" who are "yoked to a sacred chariot and accompanied by priest or king or other head of state, who observe their neighing or snorting. No other divination has greater faith placed in it, not only by the ordinary people but by the kings and priests; they are the servants of the gods, but the horses their confidants."

Another horse named Freyfaxi appears in the Vatnsdæla saga, where the sons of Ingimundr, worshippers of Freyr, attended a horse-fight. To EllisDavidson, it seems likely that horse-fights were associated with the cult of Freyr. (Ellis-Davidson, 1964:98). In Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar (Flateyjarbók), it is told how the christian king carried out his attack on a Trondheim hof by riding the stallion of a herd that was dedicated to Freyr.

The Völsa þáttr of St. Óláfr's saga (Flateyjarbók) tells of a family which had a preserved horse-phallus as a holy item; this has also been associated with Freyr.


Ships:
Ships were also affiliated with Freyr. He had the magical ship Skíðblaðnir ("assembled from pieces of thin wood"), made for him by the same dwarves who crafted Óðinn's spear and Sif's gold hair. This ship could be folded up and carried in his pocket, or be put down and grow to be large enough to hold all the gods and goddesses. It has a favorable breeze whenever it is used, and can sail over land as well as sea. The ship is the symbol of death and rebirth dating back to the Bronze Age. Both functions are in Freyr's domain. Death and rebirth are often seen as a journey and Freyr (along with or instead of Odin) may have been seen as a ferryman of the dead. The ship is also a sign of fruitfulness, and the Wanic processions were carried out both in a ship and in a wain.


Worship:
Blot was made to Freyr at key times of the year: Yule Feast (along with Freyja), Missummer Feast, Harvest time (the Freyfaxi festival which included horse fighting) and during weddings. Adam of Bremen reported that "sacrifices to Frey among the Swedes took place at the same time as marriages."

The most typical sacrifice was swine or boar though other offerings are known including Ox. Today, folk often give him bread and grains as well as mead and ale - all harvest goods.

A popular practice associated with Freyr is the procession of his idol in a chariot through the fields. This procession may be the most typical characteristic of the Vanic cult as it may also be associated with Njord/Nerthus (Tacitus). In the tale of Gunnarr Helming (part of the Flateyjarbók in the saga of King Olaf Tryggvason) it is told that the statue of Freyr is taken around to bless the fields during autumn, accompanied by his "wife", a priestess. Today some kindreds have done this ritual using a trailer pulled by a truck instead of by oxen, circumnavigating the town or region and visiting the homes of Heathens in order to make merry and give all a chance to add gifts to Freyr to the wain.
Mound sitting could also be considered a form of worship, though perhaps of a more shamnic or meditative and personal nature.

Because of the reference in Saxo many Freyrsmen wear bells. The boar or sun wheel are also popular symbols for adornment.


My UPG:
Indeed, I see Freyr as the interface, the junction or bridge beteen the world of man and the world of nature. There's no real seperation between the two, of course, but we tend to not perceive this in every day life. Freyr is the expression of joyful harmony between the individual, his/her community and of both the individual and the community with the natural world with which we must interact to survive. More than just survive, but to build good - to develop ourselves as we experience wyrd and set orlog. Frith is the glue binding together the many facets of this process of growth and evolution. Freyr is the embodiment of that frith, that process, that ultimate sense of wholeness.

He is the spirit of the homestead - of living in nature, as a part of it, and harnessing some aspects of it in order to create life, health and livlihood for ourselves. This can only take place in a state of natural peace.

I feel that Freyr is wrathful when this harmony is disrupted. His war is the battle of the father and mother against those who would harm their cubs or their ancestral lands. In that light, he could be a patron of granola tree-huggers, assuming they are rational tree-huggers not blinded to the big picture or slaves to a political ideology (neither of which is practical or natural). He embodies for me the Tao. Freyr's ideology is the wind. His dogma is the seed. His holy book is written on green leaves. His sacrament is berries and honey in melted snow. He has no time for petty arguments or in-fighting or material conquest - there's planting to be done and harvesting to complete before nightfall. He dances through his joyful work and invites us to as well. He teaches us to enjoy life to the fullest and to make it meaningful through experience and action. He is Joy through doing.


My UPG on the Alfar:
There may not be much difference, or any, between nature alfs and mighty ancestor alfs. I feel that after death some souls may choose to, or be drawn to, remain more closely intertwined with Midgard and with humans, particularly their families. Such spirits exist in a state of harmony with Midgard. This harmony is in keeping with Midgard?s basic nature and structure and processes, thus the Alfar are "of the land." I have a strong backing in Asian thought, so I find it easy to compare these spirits to either Kami (the local nature gods of Shinto) and to Bhuddist Bhodhisatvas - enlightened beings who delay entering into a state of Nirvana so as to help mortal beings along the path to enlightenment. I suppose one might also argue that an ancestor Alf is merely a nature alf that has spent some time in a human body. I'm open to such speculation, though I don't worry about it very much.


Recommended Reading:

Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe by H. R. Ellis Davidson

Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H.R. Ellis Davidson

Our Troth Second Edition Vol. I History and Lore by Kveldulf Gundarsson

God of the World by Groa (soon to be updated/expanded, I hear)

Idunna Issue # 57. Harvest, 2003

Frey, God of the World by Ann Groa Sheffield (www.medoburg.org)

A Queston of Universalism...

A friend wrote me recently and asked the following...

I know of some wiccans who equate Freyr to Hern and Cernnunos. What is your UPG regarding this comparison? Are they different personaes or the same god that moved with the folk during migrations?

Answer: