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.
History
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 Though there are conflicting reports in historical documents, there is evidence to believe that she is also wife to the god Odin, and is the one in the same with the goddess Frigga.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.
How to Train Your Dragon (Franchise)
As shown in "Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Young Man", the Dragon Riders are trapped inside an ice cave trying to solve one of the clues to find the treasure of Hamish II. The clue states:
| “ | Call on Magni; you'll go astray. Freya, though, will show the way. [src] | ” |
| — Third Clue |
Snoutlout 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 strenghth and Freya is the goddess of fire.
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.
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.
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".
- In the actual Norse mythology, Freya isn't the Goddess of Fire. She is instead, the Goddess of Love, Beauty and Fertility.
