Frige

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(You can see a photo of my Frige shrine here. The following article is a version of what I just submitted for the GFS clergy program, although parts of it were actually written years ago.)

Frige (pronounced Free-ya), wife of Woden, is a much-undervalued Goddess in contemporary Heathenry, often overshadowed by the more flamboyant Gefeon-Freo (Freyja). Yet Brian Branston points out (in The Long Gods of England) that—judging from place-names such as Fryup, Freefolk, Freebury, and Froyle—She must have been an important Goddess in Heathen England, perhaps even more so there than elsewhere. It is also worth noting that it was Her name (and not Freo’s) that was given to the sixth day of the week, Friday or Frigesdaeg, and that it was She whom the Romans equated with their own Goddess Venus as the patroness of love and beauty.

The name Frige itself is a nickname, deriving from the Indo-European root prij, meaning “beloved,” and She is often still referred to as the Beloved by those who honor Her today. If She originally had a more personal name as well, it has not come down to us in any of the surviving literature. (Though I do have a couple of theories on the subject, which I will go into in a future post.)

Old Norse sources refer to Frige as the daughter of Fjorgynn, a name which is cognate to the Gothic fairguni and Old English fyrgen, both of which mean “mountain.” Due to the fact that in Old Norse the double-n ending in names is masculine, it has been assumed by many that this Fjorgynn is probably an otherwise-unknown male Etin. However, Fjorgyn (without the double n) is also a by-name of the Earth Goddess Jord, so it may be that Frige is actually Jord’s daughter (and thus a half-sister to Thunor). That She is said to live in a fenland seems to reinforce this earthy connection, and Her role as a Goddess of Earth would make Her a perfect complement to Woden’s dominion over the skies. In Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, Jord is generally identified with Erce/Nerthus, making Frige possibly of Wanic origin. This would certainly, if true, explain a great deal about Her nature, as well as many people’s tendency to conflate Her with Gefeon-Freo. (I will note here that I personally do not believe these two to be the same Goddess—not least of all because They are invoked together in so many places in the lore, as well as being named as rivals by Snorri–though I don’t think it out of the realm of possibility that They are sisters.) In this scenario, Frige’s marriage to Woden may possibly have been a politically-arranged match designed to cement peaceful relations between the two tribes, the Esan and the Wanes.

Frige is portrayed as the patroness of marriage and childbirth (Her interest in protecting children possibly stemming from the loss of Her own son, Balder), the Goddess of domestic affairs, and the defender of social and cultural norms. In modern times, we are often tempted to dismiss domestic affairs and housework as unworthy and demeaning, but in the days of our spiritual ancestors the household was also a center of industry, where food and clothing were produced not only for the needs of the family but also as a source of extra income, and running a large household—for example, that of a king, such as Woden—was a daunting task. Even in early medieval times, queens were often called upon to do a great deal of the work of actually running the household, its staff, and the various industries that supported the king’s family and retinue. Being the lady of the house, far from a demeaning position, was one of great honor—as well as considerable power, as symbolized by the ring of keys Frige is often portrayed as wearing at Her belt.

As Queen of the Gods, She often plays the role of frith-weaver among Them; She gives wise counsel, bestows blessings and protection, and intercedes in quarrels, helping to maintain the bonds of frith in Her family when some of its more stubborn members (including Her husband) are unwilling to compromise. As Goddess of domestic crafts, She is closely associated with the arts of spinning and weaving, and these activities also connect Her with the Weird sisters or Norns; it is sometimes said that Frige spins the raw material of being—unformed potential reality—into the thread which the Weird sisters use to weave the fabric of Wyrd. Wortcunning (medical herbalism) is another art which would, in my opinion, fall under Her domain, since in Anglo-Saxon times physicians would have been few and far between, so responsibility for the health of the family would have fallen on the lady of the house. She is also connected with the art of spae, and it is said that She is a seeress who knows the fates of all men and Gods, but does not speak of these things. For me, there is a quiet but deep sense of peace and grace (in the sense of sanctification and divine assistance) about Frige.

Yet there is still more to Frige than this. A good deal of evidence points to Her being the same Goddess as the German Holda or Frau Gode (Mrs. Gode, or Mrs. Woden), and my own gnosis also tells me that this is the case.

Holda is a patroness of domestic arts, spinning and motherhood, like Frige—yet she is also said to be, like Woden, a leader of the restless spirits of the Wild Hunt (although in Holda’s case, the spirits are those of children, which would be entirely appropriate for Frige as well). Holda is also a Goddess of witches whose craft relies heavily on spells, knotwork, and potions—a magic more closely aligned with Woden’s galdr, runecraft, and herbcraft, as opposed to the deep trancework and direct manipulation of the mind and soul associated with Freo’s seidhr magic.

If Holda and Frige are indeed one and the same Goddess—and I believe They are–Frige is a far more complex Goddess than many sources make Her out to be, as well as a quite formidable and fitting counterpart to Woden Himself.

Coming soon: my speculations about Frige, Gunnlod, and Saga.

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