Frigg: Norse Goddess

Frigg is the goddess of childbirth, healing, and foreknowledge. She is usually depicted with long, flowing hair, and holding a torch or a spear.

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Frigg was Odin’s wife and the mother of Baldur who was loved by everyone in the world, except for the god Loki. Her love for Baldur was so strong that when he told her he was having dreams of his impending death, she went out into the world to get assurances from everyone and everything that no one would hurt her son. Unfortunately, she did not get that assurance from mistletoe. Loki, the cunning and scheming god, used the opportunity to fashion a spear made of mistletoe, and when he tricked Hodr into throwing it at Baldur, it killed him.

Overwhelmed with grief, Frigg sends Odin’s son Hermod to Hel to beg the goddess of the underworld to release Baldur. She agreed to release Baldur on the condition that everything and everyone in the world weep for him to prove that he really is so loved by all. Everyone wept except for one giantess, who was actually Loki in disguise. Baldur was forced to stay in Hel until Rangarök, when he was finally released.

Odin was told by the talking head of wisdom Mimir that he would be defeated at Rangarök by the fearsome wolf Fenrir, who happened to be one of Loki’s sons. When Frigg learned of Odin’s doomed fate, this became her Second Grief, with the first being the loss of her son Baldur.

There is another tale where Frigg was not entirely faithful to Odin. Upon his exile from Asgard, she carried on an affair with his brothers Vili and Ve. This had led to some debate over whether the distinct identities of Frigg and Freya have sometimes been merged throughout the myths, because this tale is something that Freya would have been more likely to do than Frigg.

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Frigg Quick Reference

Parents

Fjorgyn

Domain / Power

• Childbirth
• Healing
• Foreknowledge (practice of Seidr, seeing and being able to alter destiny)

Symbols

• long hair
• torch
• spear

Notable Myths

• Death of Baldur
• Frigg’s Second Grief
• Frigg’s infidelity