Northern mythology

;
NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY. 197
ence is also pernicious ; seeing that as many fall through
the frantic power of love as before the sword of the god of
war. Her chariot is drawn by cats, an emblem of fondness
and passion. She longs constantly after Od, the
intoxicating pleasure of love, and by him has a daughter,
Hnos, the highest enjoyment. Her tears and ornaments
are of gold ; for she is beautiful and fascinating even in her
grief. She travels far and wide, and assumes many names
and forms among the children of men^, as various as are
her operations on their minds :
for one is the sacred joy of
marriage, whose fruit is a numerous offspring ; for another,
only the impure pleasure of the senses.
The nature of Frey and Freyia seems quite comprehensible,
if we confine ourselves to the accounts in the
Eddas, and not mingle with them the ideas
of other nations.
As god of the year, Frey presides over sunshine
and rain, without which no seed would germinate. Frey
and Freyia denote, in the Scandinavian and kindred
tongues. Master and Mistress. Frey is particularly represented
as lord of men; and Snorri remarks that from
Freyia high-born women are called freyior (frur), Dan.
Fruer; Ger. Frauen. The word freyr (the feminine of
which is freya) denotes either the fructifying, or the mild,
joyous ; Ger. froh. Both these interpretations spring from
a common root, which is to be found in many tongues,
having reference to earthly fertility,
comp. Lat. fruor, frumentum.
enjoyment, joy, etc.
Frey obtained dominion over the Light-elves in the beginning
of time, i. e. of the year (i ardogum). Skirnir
(from skirr, pure, clear) is the clarifier, that which brings the
pure, clear air. Gerd (Ger^r) is from gera, to do, make, as
in akrger'S, agriculture. As she dwells in the mansion of
Gymir, the allusion may possibly be to the word gar^, enclosure,
court, garth. When represented as Frigg^s rival,
^ Pages 32, sqq.