Freya -2-

Freya lived in Folkvang (battlefield) and each day chose half of the slain warriors to split with Odin. She somehow lost her husband, Od, and cried golden tears for him. Many believe Od is Odin.

Norse legend tells of Freya, whose chariot was pulled by two black cats. Some versions of the tale claim they became swift black horses, possessed by the Devil. After serving Freya for 7 years, the cats were rewarded by being turned into witches, disguised as black cats. The cats also played around her ankles as a symbol of her domesticity.

Freya owned the precious Brisinga-men's necklace, which she acquired by sleeping with four dwarves. She also owned a feather coat which she could use to fly between the worlds. Freya was also known as the goddess of magic and divination.

Freya was one of the few Norse female characters who had a major role, an exception to the general rule of lower status for goddesses compared to gods. She was revered by women.
Friday is named after her.

Both Aphrodite and Freya are goddesses of love and fertility/reproduction. In keeping with the apparent Norse acceptance of infidelity, Freya is much more a goddess of lust, being identified with sexual freedom. In this way she was almost identical to Aphrodite, as both were well-known for their numerous partners. While one of Freya's prized possessions was her famous necklace, Aphrodite, similarly, was renowned for her girdle. In many stories, both goddesses were asked to "lend" these adornments to others.

Because of her association with divination, Freya has some of the characteristics which the Greeks assigned to Apollo.

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