well i know a good site that has the descriptions etc of the norse gods... and being a french site i translated it specialy for you. :bg: lol! it's really good so i spend some time on it to read all the descritions, so i knew the great lines of Odin's descrition before posting it... ^^
oh and melichan talked about Freyia and Freyr ^^. good choices! ;)
Freyr:
he is the most important of the gods of fertility. his virile power gives life to any vegetation. he decides richness and success of men. he is the god of the enlightened sky and of the sun, and the Master of the fairies and the imps, he controls the rain and the good weather. his magic sword is called Mimming; it can fight without Freyr having to hold it in his hands. in his splendid boat, Skibladner, Freyr can cross sea and ground. when he does not have the utility of it, the boat can yield and line up in a small purse. his companions are the gilded boar, Gullinbuste, and Blodughuva the horse. one venerates Freyr to ensure oneself of a good harvest, peace, wellbeing and of a pleasant life for the cattle. one sacrifices pigs and horses in his honor. Freyr married Gerd, a very beautiful giant woman. she then changed form goddess of winter into the goddess of spring. Freyr lives in Alvheim.
Legend
this legend comes from the Edda Prose and of Edda Poetic where he is entitled Skirnismal. (i'm not sure for the translation of the "Edda Prose" and the "Edda Poetic")
one day Freyr went to sit down in Hlithskjalf, the high tower of Odin from where one can see everything in the Last nine Worlds. as Freyr looked in direction of Jotunheim, he saw a beautiful and large residence where a young woman was held. when the young woman raised her arms to open the doors, her arms shone so brightly that they illuminated the sky and the sea. after this vision Freyr became sad and silent. he did not sleep any more and did not speak any more with anybody, he did not take any food or drink and all were afraid of him to speak.
Niord, his father, called Skirnir, the servant of Freyr and asked him to go speak to Freyr and discover the cause of his concern. Skirnir agreed to do him but he expected to be rejected.
Skirnir went to Freyr and asked him why he sat alone and with a heavy heart all day in the hall. Freyr answered that on top he had seen the halls of Gymir and in these halls he had seen a girl whose arms were so brilliant that they illuminated the sea and the sky. he said to him that the girl had become very dear to his heart. but Freyr also knew that Ases wanted that he and this giantess remained foreigners. Freyr then required of Skirnir to go in Jotunheim and to court this woman for him. Skirnir asked for Freyr to lend his horse, his mysterious ring with the wavering flame and also his sword which fought the Trolls. Freyr agreed to lend all these things to him and Skirnir was put on a journey.
Skirnir went to Jotunheim to the court of Gymir. there were wild dogs attached to the door of the fence of arbour of Gerda. Skirnir then went to see a shepherd who had sat on a monticule and asked him how he could enter to Gerda. the shepherd answered him that it was not possible to go to the apartments of the nice girl of Gymir. Skirnir made his horse jump over the wall of flames and then he arrived in the hall of Gymir. Gerda accomodated him and required of her maidservant to make the foreigner sit under the arbour and to offer hydromel even if she could fear some reproach of her brother.
Gerdaa required of Skirnir if he were an Elf, an ESA or a Vane, with what he answered that he was none of these beings, still he came by the ring of fire to contemplate the hall of Gymir. Skirnir offered to Gerda eleven gold apples if she agree to say that she liked Freyr and that she was very dear to his heart. Gerda answered that she would not take apples to give pleasure, no matter whom and that she would not remain either with Freyr as long as they would be alive. Skirnir offered the gold ring to her, Draupnir, if she agreed to like Freyr. Gerdaa answered that she did not want Draupnir, that she did not miss gold in the hall of Gymir.
Skirnir threatened to cut her head if he could not bring back Freyr's love to. Gerda answered him that neither gold nor violence could convince her to do something against her will. she continued by saying to him that if Gymir, her father, were there, Skirnir would be good for a combat to death. Skirnir showed her his sword and said to her that this blade was one of the finest of the world.
Skirnir then threatened to bewitch Gerda. she said to him that it would make her very ugly that no more man would address her a smile nor would any man declare his love to her. she would become such as she would give "a vision to freeze blood" with all the future sighings. she would be imprisoned and would have only sour goat milk to drink. Skirnir who had runes scratched on his magic wand, "the rune of a thurs' and still three", saying he would scratch them of as he had scratched them on if there were not no need for them.
Gerda then offered hydromel to Skirnir in a cup of crystal and said to him that she agreed to be the wife and that she would meet Freur in nine nights.
Skirnir returned to the house and brought back to Freyr the good news. In nine nights Gerda would grant her hand to Freyr.
Freyr answered, which one night it was already long and that two nights would become unbearable, having to wait and he did not know how to await longer.
Then the wedding took place in assigned time. nine nights later, symbol of nine Scandinavianwinter months, Gerda became Fryr's wife.
now to Freyia:
Freyia, the mystic with the blue eyes and golden hair, goddess of love and beauty.
Twin sister of Freyr, she is the goddess of the ground and fertility. it is said that Freyia travels in a carriage drawn by cats.
In love stories, it is towards Freyia that it is necessary to go. she is lenient and good. she has a beautiful magic necklace which is called Brisingamen and carries a skin of sparrowhawk. when her husband, Odr, is longed by her, Freyia cries gold tears, which are transformed into amber when they fall in the sea. her pretty daughter is called Hnoss. Freyia is the most popular among all goddesses, and also the longest venerated one in the Scandinavian countries. as a Vane goddess, Freyia showed the `Seid' (magic) with the Giants and she learned to Odin the astral art. she is regarded as the first among the Valkyrie and receives half of those fallen during engagements. she takes them along in her Sessrumne manor to Folkvang. Odin takes the other half.
waow! i love this thead! :bounce: i just love the norse mythology!!! ^^ thanks for making this thread melichan!!!
23-Jan-2005