Blurb

Thoughts, lessons, and theology from an eclectic witch from a varied background.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

30 Days for Freyr: Day II - Frith & Fertility

If you're familiar with Heathenry, you will be aware of the concept of frith. Frith is in modern belief more than a calm environment or a state of non-aggression. It encompasses a place and state of peace, security, and neutrality where even the bitterest of enemies put aside their disagreements for the sake of it. It is something that is associated with Freyr.

It is a fairly common belief that Freyr blesses and protects they who protect the state of frith where ever it is. As such, people who are in law enforcement and public service (such as EMTs and firefighters) are held to be under his auspices. We're not entirely sure how his role of maintaining frith in the ancient communities played out. There is a good deal of theorizing that his role as a god of frith is highlighted in his role as a hostage at the end of the Æsir-Vanir war. Some people have argued that his marriage to Gerda and surrendering his sword is another example of frith making, but I think that is a bit of a stretch considering the mythos.

Along with frith, Freyr is a god of fertility. He is a god associated with life in many, many aspects. As a fertility deity, Freyr was called upon in antiquity to bless the herds and crops of farmers to provide for their needs and give them prosperity. I suspect that he was also invoked to bless people who were attempting to conceive children. Fertility in many ways has changed to a more abstract concept for modern followers of Freyr.

Instead of asking his blessing over their non-existent farm, Freyr is asked to bless people's endeavors to gain prosperity. He is still very much a deity invoked to assist childless couples to conceive children. While the blessings of prosperity are not directly fertility related, there is still a measure of that spiritual concept behind it because it is the energy of increase. For some people engaged in creative efforts, Freyr is at times asked to bless their efforts with the more abstract fertility of the mind. It is a bit of a linguistic play and mental gymnastics to phrase fertility in this fashion, but I have gotten the impression that Freyr is happy to help in such things because of the way it brings peace and prosperity into the world.

I have personally known the blessings of Freyr in the areas of frith and fertility. When Beloved and I were struggling to conceive our children, he was one of the deities that was invoked to help us. I don't think it was mere coincidence that a few short months after said invocation, I became pregnant with my elder child. I am more than a little bit sure that Freyr had blessed my home to be a place of peace years ago. As Freyr has become more active in my life, I have found that greater blessings of prosperity have appeared across my path.

No comments:

Post a Comment