Norse Mythology · deity

Freyr

Freyr
deityfertilitythe sun (in some accounts)peacethe sea

God of fertility, peace, and the sea, of the Vanir; he gives his sword to a dwarf and is slain by Surt at Ragnarök.

Viking-age ship burial (archaeological) — The Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad Ship · Unknown (Viking craftsmen) · c. 890 CE · Viking Ship Museum, Oslo (Vikingskipshuset) · CC BY-SA 3.0
The account

Who they are

Freyr is a god of the Vanir (a second divine tribe), associated with fertility, peace, the sun (in some accounts), and the sea [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗. He owns the ship Skíðblaðnir (which folds up to fit in a pocket) and the boar Gullinbursti, and he is the one who gives a sword that fights by itself to a dwarf [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗. His tragedy: to win the giantess Gerðr, he gives away his magic sword — and at Ragnarök, he is forced to fight Surt the fire-giant without it, and is slain [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗. Freyr is a god of peace and plenty, whose loss of his weapon is the price of his love [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Worth knowing
  • Of the Vanir; god of fertility, peace, the sea [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
  • Gave his sword to a dwarf to win Gerðr, and is slain unarmed by Surt at Ragnarök [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
  • Owns the ship Skíðblaðnir and the boar Gullinbursti [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Freyr's 'sun' association is later; the earliest Freyr is a fertility god of the Vanir [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗[S3]S3 · Skaldic poetry (various)9th–13th c. CEtext.
Relationships (7)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFNjord — Njord (with Skaði) is the parent of Freyr.[S2]
SIBLING_OFFreyja — Freyr and Freyja are siblings.[S2]

Partners

PARTNER_OFGerðr — Freyr loves the giantess Gerðr (and gives his sword to win her).[S2]
PARTNER_OFGerðr — Freyr loved Gerðr and gave his sword away to win her.[S2]

Conflict & enmity

KILLEDSurt — Freyr will be slain by Surt at Ragnarök (having given away his sword).[S1] [S2]
KILLEDSurt — Freyr will be slain by Surt at Ragnarök.[S1] [S2]
KILLEDSurt — Surt will slay Freyr at Ragnarök.[S1] [S2]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world

View
hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusFreyrNorse
NORSE · 40variantvariantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥BrísingamenGjallarhornDraupnirGungnirSkíðblaðnirMjölnirAngerboagiantthe giantess mother of the monsters4 relationsAuðhumblacreaturethe primordial cow2 relationsBestlagiantthe giantess mother of the gods3 relationsBúrideitythe first god3 relationsFriggdeitymarriage2 relationsGerðrgiantthe giantess beloved of Freyr2 relationsGinnungagaprealmthe void2 relationsHöðrdeitythe blind brother of Baldr4 relationsHrungnirgiantthe giant of the iron head2 relationsJárnsaxa (Járnsaxa)giantthe giantess mother of Thor's sons2 relationsLokitrickstercunning11 relationsMuspel (fire)realmfire0 relationsNannadeitythe wife of Baldr3 relationsNiflheim (ice)realmice0 relationsNjorddeitythe sea3 relationsSídgiantthe giantess who bore Sleipnir (in one accou…2 relationsSifdeitythe wife of Thor2 relationsSkaðideitythe huntress1 relationsSurtgiantthe fire-giant3 relationsTýrdeitywar1 relationsYmirgiantthe primordial giant5 relationsBorrdeitythe ancestor of the gods4 relationsFenrirmonsterthe great wolf8 relationsFreyjadeitylove3 relationsFreyrdeityfertility7 relationsHeldeitythe dead3 relationsJörmungandrmonsterthe world-serpent4 relationsSleipnircreaturethe eight-legged horse of Odin2 relationsOdindeitywisdom15 relationsVédeityone of the three brothers who made the world5 relationsVilideityone of the three brothers who made the world5 relationsBaldrdeitylight10 relationsHeimdalldeitythe watchman3 relationsThordeitythunder10 relationsVálideitythe avenger of Baldr2 relationsVíðarrdeitysilence2 relationsFosite (Forsétir)deitypeace3 relationsMagnideitystrength3 relationsMóðideitystrength4 relationsUllrdeitythe archer1 relations
zoom 3.39× · close
  • parentage
  • marriage ♥

far = primordials · medium = all · close = detail — scroll/pan, click a deity to focus

Myths featuring Freyr

1 story

Ragnarök (The Fate of the Gods)

At the end of the world, a great winter (the Fimbulwinter) precedes Ragnarök. The bonds break: Fenrir breaks free, Jörmungandr rises from the sea, and the ship Naglfar (built from the nails of the dead) sails with the hosts of the dead. Heimdall sounds the horn Gjallarhorn; the gods ride to the field of Vígríðr. In the great battle, Odin is swallowed by Fenrir (avenged by Víðarr), Thor slays Jörmungandr but dies of his venom, Freyr is slain by Surt (having given away his sword), and Heimdall and Loki kill each other. Surt's fire destroys the world; from the ashes, a new world rises [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.

READ THE STORY →

Artworks

Depictions

Viking-age ship burial (archaeological) — The Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad Ship · Unknown (Viking craftsmen) · c. 890 CE · Viking Ship Museum, Oslo (Vikingskipshuset) · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Gokstad Ship · c. 890 CE
← Norse MythologyAll galleries