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FREYA, , & THE : NAMES & MEANINGS

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TAURUS TWELVE: ARTICLES SERIES I

TAURUS TWELVE

XII FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

FREYA, ODIN, THOR & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

TAURUS TWELVE: ARTICLES SERIES I

WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY Jarrod Camiré

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TAURUS TWELVE

XII

2 FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

FREYA, ODIN, THOR & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

TAURUS TWELVE: ARTICLES SERIES I

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: ARTICLES SERIES Page 4

FREYA, GODDESS OF LOVE AND BEAUTY Page 5

FREYA NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS Page 6

FREYA OTHER NAMES Page 7

ODIN, RULER OF Page 10

SOME OF ODIN NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS Page 11

SOME OTHER NAMES OF ODIN Page 17

THOR, GOD OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING Page 18

THOR NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS Page 19 Sample file THOR OTHER NAMES Page 20

VALKYRIES: SHIELDMAIDENS OF THE NORTH Page 22

TERM DESCRIBING VALKYRIES Page 23

VALKYRIES NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS Page 24

3 FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

INTRODUCTION: ARTICLES SERIES

ne of the advantages when you are a freelancer is that from time to time you have the chance to keep your publishing rights regarding some of your creations. This is the case with the following articles about Freya, Odin, Thor, and the Valkyries, which have previously been published separately O on the web site of Kobold Quarterly. This version is, of course, slightly different. This quartet of articles comes as one, and has been enhanced with many illustrations. Inside you’ll find a short description about each god or goddess mentioned above followed by a list that explains the meanings of the deity’s various epithets. We don’t pretend to have found every name for a given entity, but on the other hand this article should prove useful to add a touch of authenticity to some legendary deities and heroines or to better define their various roles in the Norse’s daily life. If you ever looked for a fearsome battle name for your character you’ll have plenty to choose from in the following pages as well...

We sincerely hope that you’ll like the fruits of our researches and that the next Articles Series will prove as useful as this one, regardless the subject covers.

Our most sincere regards...

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4 FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

Freya, goddess of love and beauty

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Freya by J. Doyle Penrose (1862-1932)

5 FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

Freya, goddess of love and beauty

In , Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, gold, seiðr, war, and death, and also the one who leads the Valkyries. Freya owns many fabulous objects and some fantastic animals; the most noteworthy are the necklace Brísingamen — a unique piece of jewelry made from gold and silver that shines likes a liquid flame — a chariot driven by two cats, the boar Hildisvníi — which Freya rides when not using her chariot — and a feathered cloak that enables her to shape-shift into a falcon.

Although half of those who die in battle go to and Odin, the other half is for Freya, who receives such valorous warriors in Fólkvangr, The Field of the Host in Asgard — this field is also where her hall, called Sessrúmnir, is located. It is mostly from this place that she assists the other gods, often by allowing them to use her falcon feathered cloak. Another interesting fact about Freya is that when her husband Odin is away she cries tears of red gold for him; when such tears fall upon the trees of these late ones are transmuted into amber. The goddess also searches for Odin under assumed names while she travels The Nine Worlds, and some of them — along with their significations — are presented below.

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Freya names and their meanings

• Ðrungva, Drungva or þrungva — "Longing for her partner"

• Gefn — "The Giver" or "The Giving"

• — "Gold-drink", "Gold Mad", "Gold-power", or "Intoxicated by Gold"

• Heidh — "Of the Heat", "Radiant" or "Witch"

• Heidr — "Beaming", "Bright", "Fame", "Shinning" or "Splendor"

• Hörn, Hørn, Horn or Härn — "Flax", "Flaxen" or "Linen"

6 FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

• Mardöll, Mardoll or Marþoll — "Sea-brightener", "The One Shining over the Sea" or "The One who Makes the Sea Swell"

• Mengloð or Menglod — "The One"

• Skjálf or Skjalf — "Shaker"

• Sýr or Syr — "Sow" or "The Sow"

• Thröng or Thrungva — "Throng"

• Valfreyja — "Lady of the Slain" or "Freya of the Slain"

• Vanadís or Vanadis — "The Dís of the " or "The Woman of the Vanir"

Freya other names

Stemming from (meaning Lady, Mistress, Noblewoman, The Lady, or Woman) modern forms of the name include Freya, Freja, Freyia, Frøya, and Freia.

Other forms of her name are Frea, Fraying and Ereyja. Sample file • Freja — common Danish and literary Swedish form.

• Frija — variant of Friia

• Frøya, Fröa — common Norwegian, and rural Swedish form.

• Reija — Finnish form

• Freya — English form

7 FREYA, ODIN, THOR, & THE VALKYRIES: NAMES & MEANINGS

In poetry she has been referred to as The Daughter of Njordr, Sister of , Wife of Odr, Mother of , Possessor of the Slain, of the Gib-Cats, of Brísingamen; Goddess of the Vanir, Lady of the Vanir, Goddess Beautiful in Tears, and Goddess of Love.

Freya is also known as The Fair One, The Seer, The Great Goddess, The Sage, Freyja of the Black Swordhand, and The Queen of the Valkyries.

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Freya (1882) by Carl Emil Doepler

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