Freya, also seen spelled Freyja or Freja, is the Norse goddess of fire, love, beauty, and fertility. She is mentioned several times throughout the How to Train Your Dragon books and franchise.
Mythology[]
According to traditional Norse beliefs, Freya is the daughter of the sea god Njord and an unknown giant mother. Though there are conflicting reports in historical documents, there is evidence to believe that she is also wife to the god Odin, and is the one in the same with the goddess Frigga. While Odin takes many heroic dead to reside with him in Valhalla, Freya takes others to reside with her in her hall of the dead; Sessrumnir. She is also said to be the chief of the demi-goddesses, the Valkyries, who serve in both halls.
Freya is also believed to access magic with which she could prophesy and shape shift. She's most commonly illustrated to take the form of a falcon, and accompanied by gray cats.
Gold on the earth and amber in the sea are believed to have once been Freya's tears, which she shed while searching for her husband who was lost during battle. Giving the world beautiful things during her mourning is due to a glittering necklace as an emblem of the earth's fruitfulness. The winter constellation Orion was perceived by the Vikings to instead be of Freya, and Orion's Belt to be "Freya's Girdle".
There are also writings that suggest Freya had golden hair that blooms with flowers and white arms that light up the underworld when she visits.
Freya is said to be married to the god Od and have two daughters with him. However, he is constantly traveling abroad, leaving Freya at home. She is saddened by this, and weeps tears of gold.
Appearances[]
Dragons: Riders of Berk[]
As shown in "Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man", the Dragon Riders follow a treasure map from Hamish II to a glacier on Berk. The clue states:
| “ | Call on Magni; you'll go astray. Freya, though, will show the way. [src] | ” |
| — Third Clue |
Snotlout then partly breaks the ice, setting off a trap that nearly kills him. Fishlegs and Hiccup then realize that the clue is telling them to use fire rather than strength, because Magni is the god of strength and Freya is the goddess of fire.
Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 2[]
In "Snotlout Gets the Axe", Freya is mentioned in the Viking Union recitation, as read by Tuffnut while Fishlegs is attempting to show the twins what Viking weddings are like:
| “ | Doest thou Fishlegs Ingerman, child of Odin, takest Ruffnut Eugene Thorston, daughter of Freya, as your betrothed? [src] | ” |
| — Viking Wedding speech |
As the goddess of beauty and fertility, it's sensible that Freya would be referenced during a wedding ceremony, specifically as the birthgiver of the bride.
Dragons: Race to the Edge, Season 5[]
| “ | And it was then that our Wingmaiden tribe was charged with a divine mission. A mission given to us by Freya herself, and one we fulfill with great honor to this day. [src] | ” |
| — Atali |
In "Snotlout's Angels", the Wingmaidens are introduced, who are an all female tribe who worship Freya. They say they were given the task of caring for baby Razorwhips by Freya herself centuries earlier. To celebrate the end of nesting season, they hold a feast they call the "Feast of Freya", at which they serve a "sacred stew" that has taken days to prepare.
Games[]
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
A statue of Freya and her boar, Hildisvini, is a seasonal decoration that was introduced in the game with the 1.54 update. It costs 2000 Freya's Flowers and requires 4 hours to be built.
Dragons: Titan Uprising[]
Freya is mentioned in the description of the Thunderclaw called Gyllentalon.
| “ | The Gyllentalon is one of the few dragons in the Archipelago that had a cult following. Due to the uniqueness of its golden coloration, a folk tale arose among the aboriginal people of Odin's Grassland about this singular dragon. According to the tale, When the goddess Freya was grieving the disappearance of her husband, Od, she wept tears of gold that fell onto an unwary lizard sunning itself on the rocks below. The tears transformed the hapless Thunderclaw into the Gyllentalon, blessed with the grief of the Goddess of Love. The Aboriginal People of Odin's Grassland brought offerings of food to Gyllentalon's lair, in the hopes that their missing loved ones would return through the blessings of the Goddess. The people who held this belief wandered north long ago, but the Gyllentalon remains. It may be hard to prove that its will bring the luck of the Goddess, but there is only one way to find out. Even without this blessing, however, the Gyllentalon's gifts of valor make it a formidable addition to any fighting team. | ” |
| — Dragons: Titan Uprising |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Though mumbling in terror and not captioned, Astrid sounds to call for Freya's help immediately after Toothless snatches her up in the first movie. Immediately after which curses "Odin's ghost".
- Fishlegs No-Name utters an exclamation - "Frittering Freya" during a treasure hunt on the Isle of the Skullions in How to Be a Pirate. This is Book 2 of the How to Train Your Dragon Book series.
References[]
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