Frigg: Goddess of Marriage and Fertility

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Frigg (sometimes referred to as Frigga) is the Norse Goddess of Marriage and Fertility. She was also the wife of the all-powerful Odin. She is associated with the gift of prophecy, and in some stories is portrayed as weaving the future of men and gods, although she did not have the power to change their destiny.

Frigg is the only one besides Odin who is allowed to sit on his throne. She is known in some Norse tales as Queen of Heaven. She is also the mother of Balder. A loving mother, Frigg's ability to see into the future caused her great pain as she foresaw the death of her beloved son.

She had a great deal in common with Freya, the goddess of Fertility and War. It's possible that these two goddesses developed from a common Germanic deity, although there is no way of knowing their origins completely.

Frigg was first among the goddesses, and lived in a resplendent hall. She was always spinning yarn with her golden distaff and spindle, while she kept an eye on the households down on earth. When she noticed that a housewife worked her loom hard and well, she would snip off a piece of her yarn and send it down to her. No matter how hard the woman worked at her weaving she could not use up the yarn given her by Frigg, because it never came to an end.

Three lovely young goddesses, Fulla, Gna and Lin were Frigg's special ladies-in-waiting. Lin watched over those men and women whom Frigg had singled out to protect from harm. Gna ran her errands down to earth, because Gna had a very swift horse. Fulla carried Frigg's chest and took care of her shoes, and Frigg kept no secrets from her.

Frigg's tender, nurturing side was widely recognized. Her scared animal was the goose. In Germany she was worshipped as the goddess Holda or Bertha and was the original Mother Goose. In addition to being a protector of women in labor, Frigg ensured fertility and was also the goddess called upon to bring a woman love and marriage. She was also called upon by those who were dying, to ease their transition into the after-life.

Works Cited 

D'Aulaire, Ingri, and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire. D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths. New York: New York Review of, 2005. Print. 

"Frigga." : Norse Goddess of Beauty, Love and Marriage. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/goddess-frigga.htm>. 

"Frigga - Norse Goddess of Marriage and Prophecy." About.com Paganism / Wicca. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/norsedeities/qt/FriggaProfile.htm>.