The Germanic god Freyr is referred to by many names in Old Norse poetry and literature. Multiple of these are attested only once in the extant record and are found principally in Skáldskaparmál. Some names have been further proposed by scholars to have referred to the god in the Medieval period, including one from Old English literature.
Names
| Name (Old Norse) |
Name (Anglicised) |
Name meaning | Attestations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Árguð2 | Argud | God of the Fertile Season3 | Skáldskaparmál (14) | |
| Ballriði4 | Ballridi | Bold rider5 | Lokasenna 37 | |
| Bani Belja6 | Bani Belja | Beli's bane7 | Gylfaginning (61), Skáldskaparmál (262) | |
| Belja dólgr2 | Belja dolg | Adversary of Beli3 | Skáldskaparmál (14) | |
| Blótgoð svía8 | Blotgod svia | Sacrificial god of the Svear9 | Ögmundar þáttr dytts | |
| Fégjafa2 | Fegjafa | God of Wealth-Gifts3 | Skáldskaparmál (14) | Also attested as a heiti for Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál (13) |
| Folkvaldi goða10 | Folkvaldi goda | Foremost of the gods,11 Great general of the gods12 | Skírnismál (3) | |
| Ingunar-Freyr4 | Ingunar-Freyr | Ingunar-Freyr13 | Lokasenna (43), Separate Saga of St. Olaf (Prologue) | |
| Ǫflugr Atriði2 | Oflug Atridi | The mighty attacking rider9 | Skáldskaparmál (261) | Compare with Atriðr, a name for Odin14 |
| Son Njarðar2 | Son Njardar | Son of Njördr3 | Skáldskaparmál (14), Skírnismál (38, 39) | |
| Svía goð15 | Svia god | God of the Svear9 | Viðbœtir við Olafs sögu hins helga (Chapter 11) | |
| Vanaguð2 | Vanagud | God of Vanir3 | Skáldskaparmál (14) | Also attested as a heiti for Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál (13) |
| Vananið2 | Vananid | Kinsman of the Vanir3 | Skáldskaparmál (14) | Also attested as a heiti for Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál (13) |
| Vanr2 | Van | Wane3 | Skáldskaparmál (14) | Also attested as a heiti for Njörðr in Skáldskaparmál (13) |
| Vaningi10 | Vaningi | Member of the Vanir16 | Skírnismál (37) | Also attested as a heiti for boar in Nafnaþulur (97) |
| Veralldar gud,17 Veraldargoð18 | Veralldar gud, Veraldargod | God of the world,19 God of this world20 | Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta (Flateyjarbók I Chapter 323),Ynglinga Saga (Chapter 13) | Compare with the Sámi god Vearalden Olmai (Man of the World)9 |
| Yngvi18 | Yngvi | Yngve21 | Ynglinga Saga (Chapter 12) | |
| Yngvifreyr,18 Ingifreyr22 | Yngvifrey | Yngve Frey21 | Haustlöng (10), Nafnaþulur (22), Sturlaugs saga starfsama (Chapter 19), Ynglinga Saga (Chapter 14) |
Proposed names
Scholars have proposed names that may have been used historically to refer to Freyr. In contrast to the first table, these names rely to varying extents on speculation and are not unequivocal.
| Name (Old Norse or Old English) |
Name (Anglicised) |
Name meaning | Attestations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Álfr23 | Alf | Elf23 | Skáldskaparmál (69), Vafþrúðnismál (46,47) as a component of the sun kenning álfröðull | Proposed by Alaric Hall due to Snorri's description of Freyr ruling over the sun's shining, the name of his servant Skírnir is derived from skírr ('bright'), and the partial synonymity between álfr and vanr.23 |
| Alfwalda24 | Alfwalda | Ruler of elves25 | Beowulf (Line 1313) | Argued by Paul Beekman Taylor to refer to Freyr, based on the association between Freyr and elves seen in the Dvergatal, in which both Yngvi and Álfr are listed, and in Grímnismál, when he is described as ruling over Álfheimr.25 Alaric Hall describes the reading of alfwalda, rather than amending to alwalda (all-ruler), as reasonable but notes the argument is highly speculative.23 |
| Fróði | Frodi, Frode | Wise26 | Ynglinga saga (Chapter 12) | In the euhemeristic Ynglinga saga, Fróði's Peace began under the rule of the Freyr, and was maintained after his death through offering him blót and veneration. Referring to the figure after which the period of peace is named, Rudolf Simek states that "it has been realized for a long time that Fróði and Freyr are identical."27 In Skírnismál (1), Freyr is also referred to as Old Norse: inn fróði (the wise one).1028 |
| Þrór2930 | Thror | Related to Old Norse: Þróaz ("to grow, to increase"). Has been proposed to mean "The sexually prolific" and "The thriving".313233 | Grímnismál (49), Ynglingatal (51) | A name for Óðinn, proposed by John McKinnell to have been a name for Freyr due to the description of the Norwegian branch of the Ynglings as 'Þrór's descent' (Old Norse: niðkvísl Þrós) and its use as a heiti for boar in Nafnaþulur (97).32 Olof Sundqvist supports this idea, noting also that Freyr is described as Þroskr in Skírnismál.31 |
References
References
- Lindow 2001, p. 121.
- Skáldskaparmál (ON).
- Brodeur 1916.
- Lokasenna (ON).
- Sundqvist 2013.
- Gylfaginning (ON).
- Young 1992.
- Ögmundar þáttr dytts.
- Sundqvist 2013, pp. 11–35.
- Skírnismál (ON).
- Bellows 2004, Skírnismál.
- Orchard 2011, För Skírnis.
- Bellows 2004, Lokasenna.
- Atriða.
- Viðbœtir við Olafs sögu hins helga.
- Simek 2008.
- Ólafs saga Tryggvasonar (ON).
- Ynglinga saga (ON).
- Gunnell 2017, p. 123.
- Laing, Sturluson & Foote 1961, p. 15.
- Laing, Sturluson & Foote 1961, p. 14.
- Sturlaugs saga (ON).
- Hall 2007.
- Beowulf.
- Taylor 1998, pp. 99–106.
- Kruken 1995.
- Simek 2008, p. 92.
- Bellows 2004, Skírnismal.
- Grímnismál (ON).
- Ynglingatal (ON).
- Sundqvist 2002.
- McKinnell 2005, p. 148.
- Mallet 2018, p. 546.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Primary
- "Beowulf on Steorarume [Beowulf in Cyberspace]: Bilingual Edition (OE text & translation)". heorot.dk. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- "Grímnismál (Old Norse)". heimskringla.no. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- "Gylfaginning (Old Norse)". Heimskringla. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- "Lokasenna (Old Norse)". Heimskringla. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "Ögmundar þáttr dytts – heimskringla.no". heimskringla.no. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- "Ólafs saga Tryggvasonar (Old Norse)". Heimskringla. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- "Skáldskaparmál (Old Norse)". Heimskringla. Retrieved 12 January 2022.≈
- "Skírnismál (Old Norse)". Heimskringla. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- "Ynglingatal – heimskringla.no". heimskringla.no. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- "Ynglinga Saga (Old Norse)". Heimskringla. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "Viðbœtir við Olafs sögu hins helga – heimskringla.no". heimskringla.no. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- "Sturlaugs saga starfsama, chapter 19". Perseus Digital Library. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- Bellows, Henry Adam (2004). The Poetic Edda : The Mythological Poems. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. ISBN 0486437108.
- Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (1916). The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson. New York, The American-Scandinavian Foundation. OCLC 752661114.
- Laing, Samuel; Sturluson, Snorri; Foote, Peter Godfrey (1961). Heimskringla. Part two, Sagas of the Norse Kings. London: Dent. OCLC 959899910.
- Orchard, Andy (2011). The Elder Edda : a book of Viking lore. London: Penguin Books. p. 60. ISBN 9780141393728.
- Wills, Tarrin (2 September 2020). "Skaldic Project - Atriða". Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- Young, Jean (1992). The prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson : tales from Norse mythology. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press. p. 89. ISBN 9780520273054.
Secondary
- Gunnell, Terry (2017). Blótgyðjur, Goðar, Mimi, incest, and wagons oral Memories of the religion(s) of the Vanir. The Milman Parry Collection of Oral Literature, Harvard University. p. 123. ISBN 9780674975699.
- Hall, Alaric (2007). Elves in Anglo-Saxon England : matters of belief, health, gender and identity. Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1843835097. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- Lindow, John (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0.
- Kruken, Kristoffer (1995). Norsk personnamnleksikon (2. utg. / ved Kristoffer Kruken ed.). Oslo: Norske samlaget. ISBN 8252144837.
- Mallet, Paul Henri (2018). Northern Antiquities. Franklin Classics. ISBN 9780343421724.
- McKinnell, John (2005). Meeting the other in Norse myth and legend. Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: D.S. Brewer. ISBN 1843840421.
- Simek, Rudolf (2008). A Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Hall, Angela. BOYE6. ISBN 9780859915137.
- Sundqvist, Olof (2002). Freyr's offspring : rulers and religion in ancient Svea society. Uppsala, Sweden: Uppsala universitet. ISBN 9155452639.
- Sundqvist, Olof (2013). "On Freyr - the 'Lord' or 'the fertile one'?: Some Comments on the Discussion of Etymology from the Historian of Religions' Point of View". Onoma. 48: 11–35. doi:10.2143/ONO.48.0.3223612. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- Taylor, Paul Beekman (1998). Sharing story : Medieval Norse-English literary relationships. New York: AMS Press. ISBN 0404641652.