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Freyja
"Heimdallr returns the necklace Brísingamen to Freyja" by Swedish painter Nils Blommér. In the Eddas, Freyja is portrayed as a goddess of love[4], beauty[4], and fertility[4]. Blonde,[5] blue-eyed,[6] and beautiful,[4] Freyja is described as the fairest of all goddesses,[7] and people prayed to her for happiness in love.[8] She was also called on to assist childbirths[9] and prayed to for good seasons.[10] Freyja was also associated with war, battle, death, magic, prophecy, and wealth. She is cited as receiving half of the dead lost in battle in her hall Fólkvangr, whereas Odin would receive the other half at Valhalla.[11] The origin of Seid was ascribed to Freyja.[12][13] Frigg and Freyja are the two principal goddesses in Norse religion,[14] and described as the highest amongst the Asynjur.[15] Freyja is the goddess most honoured after or along with Frigg, and her worship seems to have been even the more prevalent and important of the two.[16] In the Droplaugarsona Saga, it is described that in a temple at Ölvusvatn, Iceland, statues of Frigg and Freyja have been seated upon higher thrones opposite those of Thor and Freyr. These statues were arrayed in drapery and ornaments of gold and silver. In Heimskringla, Freyja is also presented as a mythological Princess of Sweden. Her father Njörđr is seen as the second mythological King of Sweden, and her brother Freyr is the third. Freyr and Freyja's mother is Njörđr's sister (who has been often linked to the ancient Germanic goddess Nerthus[17]), as it is a custom of the Vanir and allowed by their laws.[12] Further in Heimskringla, it is written that many temples and statues of native pagan gods and goddesses were raided and destroyed by Olaf Tryggvason and Saint Olaf during the gradual and violent process of the Christianization of Scandinavia. During and after the extent that the process of Christianization was complete, Freyja and many things associated with her were demonized[18] by the growing influence of Christian missionaries. After Christian influence was cemented in law, traces of belief went increasingly underground into mainly rural areas, surviving into modern times in Germanic folklore and most recently reconstructed to varying degrees in Germanic neopaganism.
Etymology
A silver decoration showing Freyja, in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. Freyja's name, however, is potentially related to Frigg's name (cognate to the Swedish verb att fria, "to propose marriage"), because "woman" and "marriage/love" are ultimately related, and Freyja and Frigg are often thought to be avatars of each other (cf. Frige, Friia, Frija, Frea). Poetic EddaFreyja appears in various poems of the Poetic Edda, a compilation of poems composed around the 9th to the 11th century rooted in Skaldic poetry from much oral tradition. GrímnismálGrímnismál ("The Sayings of Grímnir") features stanzas devoted to describing the realms of major Norse deities. Fólkvangr, Freyja's dwelling, is among the twelve abodes of the gods mentioned in the poem:
It was written by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda that "whenever she rides to the strife, she has one-half of the slain". The stanza above describes Freyja's realm. The name Fólkvangr can be translated to "People-Field" or "Army-Field"[20]). Her hall, Sessrúmnir, can be translated as "Seats-Roomy".[20] These names indicate a parallel to Valhalla, which houses the Einherjar, an army of the dead preparing for Ragnarök.[20] VöluspáVöluspá ("Prophecy of the Seeress") is the first and one of the primary poems of the Poetic Edda.[20] In the poem, a Völva ("Seeress") professes much information about past and future events to Odin. Freyja is mentioned briefly in the poem:
These two stanzas are part of the story mentioned in the Prose Edda, when the gods tried to break the deal with the owner of Svadilfari in order to protect Freyja. Here Freyja is mentioned as "Óđr's bride", and the one with "venom the air had filled" is Loki. Parts of this scropt were lost because the Völuspá manuscript, like most other Eddic Poems, was in very poor shape. In his books[21] , Viktor Rydberg had another idea. He thinks that these stanzas are connected to the story of the execution of Gullveig (which is mentioned right before this part), and that Gullveig was executed because she gave Freyja to Jötunheim. Rydberg's explanation is not unsupportable, because given Völuspá's poor state, many Eddic editors sorted the poem differently. ŢrymskviđaŢrymskviđa ("The Song of Thrymr") is arguably the best and oldest of all Eddic poems.[7] The poem begins with Thor one day finding his legendary hammer, Mjolnir, stolen. Thor goes with Loki to Fólkvangr to borrow Freyja's hawk's plumage.
Loki then used the feathered cloak to transform into a bird to seek for Thor's hammer. He met Thrymr, King of the Rime Jötuns, who admitted that he had hidden the hammer somewhere, and demanded to marry Freyja in return.
Loki came back to Asgard and went to Fólkvangr again.
Freyja was so wrathful that all the gods' dwellings were shaken and the necklace Brísingamen broke off from her neck.
Since Freyja refused, gods and goddesses hold a council. And following Heimdallr's advice, Thor and Loki borrowed Brísingamen. They went to the wedding disguised as "Freyja and her maid", where Thrymr jubilantly welcomed his new bride.
At the banquet, Thrymr was shocked as "Freyja" ate an ox, eight salmons, and drank three casks of meads, but Loki was quick to make lies.
The Jötuns eventually gave "Freyja" the hammer.
Thor took back his hammer, sprang out from his disguise, slew Thrymr and all his kin. This myth is also recorded in a Swedish folksong called the Thor song (18th Century), where Freyja is called miss Frojenborg, "den väna solen" (the fair sun).[23] LokasennaLokasenna ("Loki's Wrangling") was found only in one edition of the Poetic Edda, the Regius. Most references in this poem are not mentioned anywhere else either, and whether the poet was influenced by Christianity or not is debated, because he seems not to have any respect for pagan deities. Following the events of Hymiskviđa, Ćgir obtained a mighty kettle, brewed mead and invited the Ćsir and the Alfar. Of all the gods came Odin, Njörđr, Freyr, Bragi, Týr, Heimdallr, Vidar. Of all the goddesses came Frigg, Freyja, Gefjun, Iđunn, Skađi, and Sif. Although not invited, Loki appears. There, he kills one of Ćgir's servants and accuses the gods and goddesses of various vices. Gods and goddesses exchange hurtful comments with Loki, and the poem continues until Thor intervenes. At the end of the poem, a prose ending part relates that shortly afterward, Loki is caught by the gods and bound to a rock until Ragnarök. The exchange between Freyja and Loki reads as follows:
Beside Frigg and Freyja; other goddesses like Iđunn, Gefjun, Sif, Skađi, and even Týr's wife (who is unknown) are also insulted by Loki in the same way. Lee M. Hollander theorized that Lokasenna was intended to be humorous and that the accusations thrown by Loki in the poem are not necessarily to be taken as "generally accepted lore" at the time it was composed. Rather they are charges that are easy for Loki to make and difficult for his targets to disprove, or which they do not care to refute.[24] HyndluljóđHyndluljóđ ("The Lay of Hyndla") was found only in a late edition of the Poetic Edda (around 1400), where it is preserved in a very poor shape. The poem is in fact two poems mixed up together, the semi-historical "Lay of Hyndla" and another labelled by Snorri as "The lesser Völuspá". The date it was composed is generally accepted as around 12th century.[7] In this poem, Freyja rode on her boar Hildisvini to enlist the help of the giantess Hyndla (She-Dog) to find the pedigree of Óttar, her protégé. Óttar here is maybe another name of Freyja's husband, Óđr.[21] Freyja arrived at Hyndla's cave and called her to Valhalla. But Hyndla quickly realized that the boar is Óttar in disguise.
Hyndla came with Freyja, riding on a wolf. On the road, Freyja explained her duty, and how Óttar had induced her to help him: "For me he built a hörgr with rocks; those stones are now turned to glass; as he reddened it with fresh blood of cattle". (Hörg hann mér gerđi hlađinn steinum; nú er grjót ţat at gleri orđit; rauđ hann í nýju nauta blóđi).
Hyndla gave a very long list of heroes' names as Óttar's ancestors (this is the main part and purpose of the poem). Freyja then confirmed that the boar is Óttar in disguise. She further requested Hyndla to give Óttar a potion that would enable him to remember all that he had been told. But the giantess refused.
Hyndla was forced to give the memory-mead, but did not forget to curse it first.
OddrúnargrátrOddrúnargrátr ("Oddrún's Laments") belongs to the myths of heroes. In this heroic lay, after giving birth, Princess Borgny called upon Frigg and Freyja to bless Oddrún.
Prose Edda
"Freya" (1901) by Johannes Gehrts. GylfaginningIn Gylfaginning, the first book of the Prose Edda after the prologue, Freyja is introduced as follows:
The three minor goddesses mentioned immediately after Freyja in Gylfaginning (section 35) are often regarded as her attendants:[14] Sjöfn (a goddess of love), Lofn (a goddess of marriage), and Vár (a goddess of oaths between men and women). SkáldskaparmálIn Skáldskaparmál, various informative kennings are written for Freyja: "How should one paraphrase Freyja? Thus: by calling her Daughter of Njörđr, Sister of Freyr, Wife of Óđr, Mother of Hnoss, Possessor of the Slain, of Sessrúmnir, of the Gib-Cats, and of Brísingamen; Goddess of the Vanir, Lady of the Vanir, Goddess Beautiful in Tears, Goddess of Love." (Skáldskaparmál (20))[26] Further, in Skáldskaparmál, various kennings for Freyja focus on the tears she weeps, which are made of red gold: "How should gold be paraphrased? Thus: by calling it Ćgir's Fire, and Needles of Glasir, Hair of Sif, Snood of Fulla, Freyja's Tears [...] Rain or Shower of Draupnfir, or of Freyja's Eyes [...]" (Skáldskaparmál (32))[26] "Gold is called Freyja's Tears, as was said before. So sang Skúli Ţórsteinsson:
And as Einarr Skúlason sang:
Appearances in MythsFreyja appears in many myths recorded in the Prose Edda.
Sagas of IcelandersThe various Sagas of Icelanders contain numerous mentions of Freyja. HeimskringlaAccording to the Ynglinga saga:
After the deaths of Odin, Njörđr, and Freyr:
In King Hĺkon the Good's saga, Freyja is mentioned twice. First, regarding the sacrifices for the goddess (16): And first Odin's goblet was emptied for victory and power to his king. Thereafter, Njörđr's and Freyja's goblets for peace and a good season Secondly, Freyja's golden tears for her husband are referenced:
The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturlson, Samuel Laing transl. (1844). Other SagasIn Egils saga, when Ţorgerđr threatened to commit suicide, she said: "No supper have I had, and none will I have till I sup with Freyja. I can do no better than does my father: I will not overlive my father and brother." In Hálfs saga, Queen Signy, wife of King Alfrek, prayed for the help of Freyja in an ale-brewing contest. Her opponent, Geirhild, however, had the help of Odin, who gave her his drools as yeast. And so Signy lost. Frithiof's Saga mentions the tale of Freyja and Óđr:
According to Njáls saga: "There had been a change of rulers in Norway, Earl Hacon was dead and gone, but in his stead was come Olaf Tryggvason. Along with that was heard that there had been a change of faith in Norway; they had cast off the old faith, but King Olaf had christened the western lands, Shetland, and the Orkneys, and the Faroe Isles. Then many men spoke so that Njal heard it, that it was a strange and wicked thing to throw off the old faith..." Then, Hjalti Skeggiason, an Icelander newly converted to Christianity, wished to express his contempt for the native gods, so he sang:
Hjalti was found guilty of blasphemy for his infamous verse and he ran to Norway with his father-in-law, Gizur the White. Later, with Olaf Tryggvason's support, Gizur and Hjalti came back to Iceland to invite those assembled at the Althing to convert to Christianity.[30][31] The Saga of King Olaf Tryggvason, composed around 1300, describes that following King Olaf Tryggvason's orders, to prove their piety, people must insult and ridicule major heathen deities when they are newly converted into Christianity. Hallfređr vandrćđaskáld, who was reluctantly converted from paganism to Christianity by Olaf, also had to make a poem to forsake pagan deities. Freyja is named among those major deities.[32] 
Historically, during the Christianization of Norway, King Olaf Tryggvason used elaborate ways to kill those who refused to Christianize. FlateyjarbókSörla ţáttr is a short story in the later and extended version of the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason[33] in the manuscript of the Flateyjarbók, which is written and compiled by two Christian priests, Jon Thordson and Magnus Thorhalson, in 14th-15th century.[34] The story borrows parts of Heimskringla (of how heathen deities are euhemerised), parts of the poem Lokasenna (of Gefjun sleeping with a boy for a necklace), parts of the Húsdrápa poem (of Loki stealing Brisingamen), and the eternal battle Hjađningavíg. In the end of the story, the arrival of Christianity dissolves the old curse that traditionally was to endure until Ragnarök. "Freyja was a human in Asia and was the favorite concubine of Odin, King of Asialand. When this woman wanted to buy a golden necklace (no name given) forged by four dwarves (named Dvalinn, Alfrik, Berling, and Grer), she offered them gold and silver but they replied that they would only sell it to her if she would lie a night by each of them. She came home afterward with the necklace and kept silent as if nothing happened. But a man called Loki somehow knew it, and came to tell Odin. King Odin commanded Loki to steal the necklace, so Loki turned into a fly to sneak into Freyja's bower and stole it. When Freyja found her necklace missing, she came to ask king Odin. In exchange for it, Odin ordered her to make two kings, each served by twenty kings, fight forever unless some christened men so brave would dare to enter the battle and slay them. She said yes, and got that necklace back. Under the spell, king Högni and king Heđinn battled for one hundred and forty-three years, as soon as they fell down they had to stand up again and fight on. But in the end, the great Christian lord Olaf Tryggvason arrived with his brave christened men, and whoever slain by a Christian would stay dead. Thus the pagan curse was finally dissolved by the arrival of Christianity. After that, the noble man, king Olaf, went back to his realm."[35] This late work of Christian saga authors[21] is quite obviously a propaganda, and does not represent an authentic pagan tradition (here Odin, the chief pagan god, somehow talked about Christianity, the religion that considers Odin and other pagan deities "devils"[36]). The Christian priests Jon Thordson and Magnus Thorhalson, who respectively wrote and revised the Olaf sagas in the Flateyjarbók, put this line in their manuscript: "May God Almighty and the Virgin Mary bless both the one that wrote and the one that dictated!"[34] The battle of Högni and Heđinn is recorded in the skaldic poem Ragnarsdrápa and in Skáldskaparmál (section 49): king Högni's daughter, Hildr, is kidnapped by king Heđinn. When Högni comes to fight Heđinn on an island, Hildr comes to offer her father a necklace on behalf of Heđinn for peace; but the two kings still battle, and Hildr resurrects the fallen to make them fight until Ragnarök.[26] Both these earlier sources never mention Odin or Freyja, much less king Olaf Tryggvason, the historical figure who Christianized Norway and Iceland in the 10th Century. The stealing of Brísingamen is recorded in the skaldic poem Húsdrápa and Skáldskaparmál of the Prose Edda: Loki one day steals Brísingamen, Heimdall contends with Loki at Singasteinn, where he wins and returns Brísingamen to Freyja. Here the story is borrowed and changed that Heimdall is removed.[26] In both the Elder Edda and the Younger Edda, as well as many old skadic poems preserved in Skáldskaparmál, Freyja is the wife of Óđr,[37] not a concubine of Odin. The part of how Freyja obtained a golden necklace does not exist in any sources beside Sörla ţáttr, and curiously, in Lokasenna, when Loki accuses goddesses for various vices, he does not even mention that. On the other hand, Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum wrote a somewhat similar story about Frigg sleeping with a servant to obtain a device to steal Odin's gold; in both stories, the chief pagan god Odin is depicted as a cuckold. But Saxo, as a follower of Archbishop Absalon, repeatedly stated that "Odin is a false god and together with Thor and others they borrowed the name and divinity of Latin and Greek gods to trick Scandinavians into recognizing them as a gods", and his accounts are heavily romanticized such as Baldr (Balderus) and Höđr (Hřtherus) were not brothers, but love rivals over Nanna (in this account is a princess of Norway).[38] Gesta DanorumIn Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum, Freyja is theorized as appearing under the name of Sýr (Syritha), a beautiful woman wanted for marriage by a giant, and she travelled seeking for Óđr (Otharus) who had slain the giant to save her.[21][16] Oral TraditionsRural Scandinavians remained dependent on the forces of nature, fertility gods remained important and in rural 19th century Sweden, Freyja retained elements of her role as a fertility goddess.[39] In the province of Smĺland, there is an account of how she was connected with sheet lightning in this respect:[39]
In Värend, Freyja could also arrive at Christmas night and she used to shake the apple trees for the sake of a good harvest and consequently people left some apples in the trees for her sake.[39] Moreover, it was dangerous to leave the plough outdoors, because if Freyja sat on it, it would no longer be of any use.[39] Potential continental Germanic SourcesRecorded during the 9th or 10th Century, though dating to an unknown earlier time, one of the two Merseburg Incantations, from Merseburg, Germany mentions a figure named Frîia or Frűa (Frôwa)[16], who places an enchantment on the wounded horse of Balder and Wodan (Odin). This figure has been theorized as Freyja[42][16] and as Frigg.[20] More to this confusion, the Origo Gentis Langobardorum (Origin of the Lombards, written in the 7th Century) mentions Frea, a goddess of love; and Historia Langobardorum (History of the Lombards, written in the 8th Century) also mentions the story of Frea (Freja)[43] and how she gave the Lombards their name. But this goddess is described as the wife of Godan (Odin), which in Norse accounts is Frigg. On the other hand, it is Freyja, not Frigg, who is the goddess of love in Norse accounts.[44] Tacitus in his work Germania (1st Century) briefly mentioned the worship of a mother goddess, a female Freyr, that is Freyja.[16] Tacitus also mentioned the goddess Nerthus, whom has been linked to Njörđr, Freyja,[17] and Freyr.[16] Receiver of half the slainFreyja receives half of the spirits of warriors who had died bravely in battle. Snorri writes in Gylfaginning (24) that "wherever she rides to battle, she gets half the slain".[45] Further, from Grímnismál:
Freyja is also called Eigandi valfalls (Possessor of the slain)[46] and Valfreyja[47], Mistress of the slain and of the Valkyries in general.[16] In Egil's Saga, Thorgerda (Ţorgerđr), threatens to commit suicide in the wake of her brother's death, saying: "I shall not eat until I sup with Freyja". This should be taken to mean that she expected to pass to Freyja's hall upon her death. Another point of view explains a difference between Odin's Einherjar and Freyja's; the oral tradition, or Óđal property, explains that Odin's warriors are "the offensive", or those who dedicate their life to fighting. Freyja?s warriors are "the defensive", or those who only fight to protect their families, clans or goods. The historian Else Roesdahl noticed that a difference between the two cultures in regards to burials containing weapons. In those in Norway the buried warriors had defensive shields, and in Denmark they had only offensive weapons.[48] Possessions
Freyja, depicted in a painting by J. Penrose. BrísingamenBrísingamen is Freyja's famous necklace reputedly made of gold, which also appears in Beowulf. In some mythological writings, Brísingamen is assigned to Frigg.[7] In Skáldskaparmál (31), it is written that women often wore "stone-necklaces" as a part of a woman's apparels, to indicate their social status. That is the reason why woman is periphrased with reference to jewels and agates. Falcon CloakFreyja owns a cloak of falcon feathers, which can give her the ability to change into the guise of any birds, and to fly between worlds. It is called Valshamr, the "hawk's plumage", "falcon skin", or "falcon-feathered cloak" in different translations. The same magical cloak was also assigned to Frigg in some tales. Cat-drawn Chariot
A depiction of Freyja riding a cat-driven chariot and flanked by Italian Renaissance-inspired putti by Swedish painter Nils Blommér. Freyja is considered a warrior goddess among her many roles. The chariot also is a warlike attribute and often given to exalted deities only.[16] This does not mean that every exalted Germanic deity must have a wagon, but most of them have special rides. Odin and Heimdallr have horses, Thor has a chariot drawn by goats, Freyr has a boar, but Freyja has both chariot and boar. HildisviniFreyja also rides a golden-bristled boar called Hildisvini (Battle-Swine) which appeared only in the poem Hyndluljóđ. Later we are told that the boar is her protégé, Óttar, but it seems that Óttar was temporarily disguised as Hildisvini, not that Hildisvini is Óttar. The boar has special associations within Norse Mythology, both relative to the notion of fertility and also as a protective talisman in war. In Skáldskaparmál (14), Freyr is described as riding on another golden-bristled boar, Gullinbursti, which may be one and the same with Freyja's.
Other namesForms of "Freyja"
Other forms
In the famous Njal's Saga, another title of Freyja is mentioned: Valfreyja, which means "Mistress of the Chosen", "Mistress of the Slain" (cf. Valfadir "Choosing Father" (Odin), Valkyrja "Chooser of the Slain"). Kennings
"It is proper to join 'tears' with all the names of Freyja, and to call gold by such terms; and in divers ways these periphrases have been varied, so that gold is called Hail, or Rain, or Snow-Storm, or Drops, or Showers, or Water falls of Freyja's Eyes, or Cheeks, or Brows, or Eyelids." (The Prose Edda, The poesy of Skalds or Poetical Diction (37), Snorri's teachings of how Freyja and Hnoss's names can be used as kennings for fair things like gold, jewels, and gems). EponymsPeople
A painting named "Freja" (1901) by Swedish painter Anders Zorn. FridayThe name Friday comes from the Old English frigedćg, meaning the day of Frige the Anglo-Saxon form of Frigg, a West Germanic translation of Latin dies Veneris, "day (of the planet) Venus." However, in most Germanic languages the day is named after Freyja?such as Fr?atag in Old High German, Freitag in Modern German, Freyjudagr in Old Norse, Vrijdag in Dutch, Fredag in Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish?but Freyja and Frigg are frequently identified with each other. MiscThe chemical element Vanadium is named after Freyja via her alternative name Vanadís. The Orion constellation was called Frigg's distaff or Freyja's distaff (Frejerock).[53] HomologuesIt has been proposed that Freyja may be the most direct mythological descendant from Nerthus.[17] Nerthus, a goddess associated with a number of Germanic tribes as described by Tacitus in the 1 AD in his work Germania, is sometimes identified with Njörđr through etymological connections. The first name is the exact older linguistical stage of the latter. Njörđr married his sister; they have a son, Freyr, and a daughter, Freyja. This secondary pair of deities may be an "emanation" of the first.[54] Like Freyja's chariot, the early Germanic goddess Nerthus was also often described as riding a wagon. Britt-Mari Näsström posits in her "Freyja: the Great Goddess of the North" that there is a tenable connection from Freyja to other goddesses worshiped along the migration path of the Indo-Europeans who consistently appeared with either one or two cats/lions as companions, usually in the war goddess aspect but occasionally also as a love goddess. These would include: Durga, Ereshkegal, Sekhmet, Menhit, Bast, Anat, Asherah, Nana, Cybele, Rhea, and others.[55] Freyja in Modern CultureDer Ring des Nibelungen
Freyja and the apple tree at the end of the world as depicted in an illustration by Arthur Rackham. 
Freyja taken away by the giants as depicted in an illustration by Arthur Rackham. 
Thor, Freyr, Frigg, Odin, and Loki became old due to the loss of Freyja and her apples as depicted in an illustration by Arthur Rackham. Sagan om ValhallaFreyja (in her common Swedish name "Freja") is the central character of Johanne Hildebrandt's book trilogy "Sagan om Valhalla", a fictional account of how Norse mythology took shape. In the novels the gods are ordinary people, their characters built with the myths as inspiration. Freyja is a mighty priestess who can foretell the future, heal the sick and aid warriors in battle. She has a passionate love affair with Thor (although the myths never suggest that the two were lovers), but their love is doomed, as their people are at war with each other. Freyja and Thor are the parents of Iđunn, which they were not in the myths. Influence in Christmas traditions"Christian beliefs combined with existing pagan feasts and winter rituals to create many long-standing traditions of Christmas celebrations. For example, ancient Europeans believed that the mistletoe plant held magic powers to bestow life and fertility, to bring about peace, and to protect against disease. Northern Europeans associated the plant with the Norse goddess of love, Freyja, and developed the custom of kissing underneath mistletoe branches. Christians incorporated this custom into their Christmas celebrations, and kissing under a mistletoe branch eventually became a part of secular Christmas tradition."[56] Potential connectionsFriggFrigg is the highest goddess of the Ćsir, while Freyja is the highest goddess of the Vanir. Many arguments have been made both for and against the idea that Frigg and Freyja are really the same goddess, avatars of one another.[57][58][59][60] Some arguments are based on linguistic analysis, others on the fact that Freyja wasn't known in southern Germany, only in the north, and in some places the two goddesses were considered to be the same, while in others they were considered to be different.[61] GefjunSome modern scholars think that the minor goddess Gefjun is an avatar of Frigg or Freyja because of their many similarities.[62] GullveigDue to a number of similarities, a hypothesis supported by Gabriel Turville-Petre[63] is that Gullveig, a seeress mentioned in Völuspá is another name for Freyja. See alsoReferences
ca:Freia cs:Freya da:Freja de:Freya et:Freya el:?????? es:Freyja fr:Freyja fy:Frija ko:???? hr:Freyja id:Freyja is:Freyja it:Freyja he:???? lv:Freija lt:Fr?ja lmo:Freyja nl:Freya nds-nl:Freia ja:???? no:Frřya (mytologi) nn:Gudinna Frřya pl:Freja pt:Freya ro:Freya ru:????? simple:Freyja sl:Freyja sr:????? sh:Freya fi:Freija sv:Freja vi:Freyja tr:Freyja uk:????? zh:??? Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article
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![[52]](#_note-DENMARKNAME>Statistics Denmark. For 2007, see: [http://www.dst.dk/Statistik/Navne/NamesPop.aspx?period=20071]</ref> The name ''Freya'' was the 23rd (in 2006) and 25th (in 2007) most common given name for baby girls in [[England]] and [[Wales]].<ref>As per the Office for National Statistics' official website, viewable online here:[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/specials/babiesnames_girls.asp]</ref>
===Places===
Many farms in Norway have ''Frřy-'' as the first element in their names, and the most common are the name ''Frřyland'' (13 farms). But whether ''Frřy-'' in these names are referring to the goddess Freyja (or the god Freyr) is questionable and uncertain. The first element in the name ''Frřyjuhof'', in Udenes parish, are however most probably the genitive case of the name Freyja. (The last element is ''hof'' 'temple', and a church was built on the farm in the Middle Ages, which indicates the spot as an old holy place.) The same name, ''Frřyjuhof'', also occur in the parishes [[Hole, Norway|Hole]] and [[Stjřrdal]]. There are also two islands named [[Frřya]] in [[Norway]].
In the parish of [[Seim]], in the county of [[Hordaland]], Norway, lies the farm Ryland ([[West Norse|Norse]] ''Rýgjarland''). The first element is the genitive case of ''rýgr'' 'lady' (identical with the meaning of the name ''Freyja'', see above). Since the neighbouring farms have the names Hopland (Norse ''Hofland'' 'temple land') and Totland (Norse ''Ţórsland'' 'Thor's land') it is possible that ''rýgr'' (lady) here are referring to a goddess. (And in that case most probably Freyja.) A sideform of the word (''rýgja'') may occur in the name of the Norwegian municipality [[Rygge]].
There's Horn in Iceland and Hoorn in Holland, various places in the German lands are called [[Freiburg]] (burg meaning something like settlement).
===Plants===
[[Image:Polygala vulgaris 290504.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[Common Milkwort|Freyja's hair]] - ''Polygala vulgaris'' - a species of the genus ''Polygala''.]] Several plants were named after Freyja, such as ''Freyja's tears'' and ''Freyja's hair'' (''[[Polygala vulgaris]]''), but after the introduction of Christianity, they were renamed after the [[Virgin Mary]], suggesting her closest homologue in Christianity.<ref name=){kind=link}