Freyja
Freyja is the Vanic goddess of life, death, love, beauty, sexuality, war, and magic. Her other epithets include Heiðr, Kneppedís, Nøgendís, and Vanadís. She is also the twin sister of the god Freyr, and is said to be the progenitrix of the House of Ettlingar Freyu.
Contents
Symbols
Broadly speaking, Freyja is associated with all female animals, especially domestic animals in heat or giving birth. She is often depicted as wearing a falcon-feathered cloak, which grants the wearer the power of flight via shapeshifting into a falcon, and/or driving a chariot pulled by two cats, Bygul and Trjegul. Furthermore, mythological texts also connect her with mares and swine, especially a boar named Hildisvíni.
Appearance
Freyja is usually depicted as a female human with blue eyes and long blonde hair. In Froyalanish culture, she was depicted as “a sweet and kind deity who radiates goodness and love, and is very gentle, loving and generous to those She favors”.
This “smouldering sexuality” became a staple of praise to the deity. Vanic worshippers would often claim to witness visions and visitations of the goddess, though, over time, the depictions of Freyja became progressively more stylized.
Domains
Freyja has a number of domains, but the most common are love, sexuality, fertility, beauty, self-worth, death, animals, magic, and, in her role as a warrior goddess, protection from evil.
Attributes
- Colors: Black (protection and revenge), red (physical love), silver, green
- Day of the week: Friday
- Plants: Elder, apple, birch, bramble, feverfew, mint, mugwort, rose, tansy, thyme, valerian, vervain, yarrow
- Runes: Fehu, kaunaz, tiwaz, urus
- Stones: Amber, emerald, jade, malachite, moonstone
- Metals: Copper, gold, silver
- Symbols: Boars, Brísingamen, cats, falcons, the full moon, horses, necklaces, the number 13, five-pointed stars, and swords
