Page 71 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK

Freyja was worshipped as a
fertility goddess

Doom

feminine attributes, Freyja also played a key
role as the goddess of war and death. As told in
the Eddic poems, she got to choose half of the Freyja’s roaming fortune tellers
warriors who were slain in battle to enter her hall, show her magical side
Sessrúmnir, on the field of Fólkvangr, while Odin
received the rest. As a goddess of aeiðr, Freyja was seen as the archetype of the Völva, a Norse seer. Seiðr was a type of sorcery that
Judging by Egil’s Saga, it has also been assumed could be used to see into the future and was practised by a number of Freya’s followers, who travelled from place
that perhaps women believed they could also go to place delivering their prophecies. Freyja herself was a representation for the wandering seiðr, as she supposedly
to Freyja in the afterlife. Egil’s daughter, Thorgerd, roamed the earth in search for her husband, Oðr, who had vanished.
threatened to starve herself to death when her Völvas held a very prestigious position in society and were treated with great respect. Their status can be confirmed
father refused to eat after the death of his son. through the Völva graves that have been excavated, with the riches inside demonstrating that the women were indeed
She declared, “I have had no evening meal, nor wealthy. Among some of the most common possessions to be discovered in Völva
will I do so until I join Freyja.” Does this imply graves are magical staffs or wands, made from wood, iron or bronze. This is a
that women could hope for an afterlife with the reflection of the title ‘Völva’ itself, which means ‘wand’ in Old Norse.
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goddess? Unfortunately there is little information In Sweden, a Völva was found buried with a piece of silver jewellery in
out there, besides Egil’s Saga, to suggest that Norse the shape of a woman, wearing a necklace. It has been assumed that the
women could go to Freyja after death. necklace is a reference to Freyja and her Brísingamen necklace, which is
Considering existing evidence, it is generally stolen by Loki in the poem Húsdrápa in the Prose Edda.
assumed that while those killed in battle went to
the halls of Freyja and Odin, everyone else went
to Hel. This leads to the conundrum of female
warriors, also known as shield maidens. A Völva would consume a
Whether women actually held roles in the meal made from the hearts of
military continues to provoke heated debates, sacrificed animals before giving
her predictions. She would
particularly when it comes down to recent
be given pride of place in the
archaeological findings, with arguments for and home, usually on a high seat.
against. If women did indeed fight as warriors, it
is certainly worth thinking about whether they
would have been allowed to enter Freyja’s hall,
or even Odin’s, on the basis of their profession Just as the Völva was a devotee of Freyja, she in
rather than their sex. turn had young women who accompanied her
Despite the advantages for women adopting wherever she went. They usually assisted the
Christianity, their devotion to Freyja continued, if Völva with her predictions by performing chants.
the sagas are to be believed. It was said that out of
all of the Norse gods, Freyja became the last living
deity after the death of her brother. She continued
Just as Freyja had a wanton reputatiom, the Völva
to perform sacrificial ceremonies, increasing her
were powerful seductresses. Hallucinogenic drugs
popularity with her worshippers. such as cannabis have been found in Völva graves,
As Christianity tightened its grip across which they may have used to seduce clients.
g
Scandi g adually became assimilated
Scandinavia, Freyja gra
into Scandinavian folklore. Although the role
o men in society and religion
of Norse wom
as paganism began to
g
c changed a So much faith was placed in the prophecies of the
fade, it Völvas that it was said even the god Odin turned
, seems that there was still
some to them to offer predictions on the future.
so e focus on the traditional
m thology and worship of the
myt
f tility goddess.
ferti