Belief originally had it that Frigg had originated from a much older and more widely worshipped Earth Mother Goddess, and there were other Earth Mother Goddesses that included Jorth, Fjorgyn, and Nerthus. Even though the Prose Eddas may have identified Frigg as the daughter of Fjorgyn, she was still lacking the qualities necessary for her to be a true Earth Mother Goddess. The early Germanic tribes worshipped the Earth Mother Goddess, which they then adapted to suit their particular needs. Then they took those adapted attributes and divided them between Frigg and Freyja. Frigg was given the qualities that were necessary for her to be a Goddess of Motherhood and Female Wisdom, while Freyja received the qualities of a Goddess of Human Love and Magick. The problem that exists seems to stem from the fact that neither Frigg nor Freyja displayed the qualities necessary to be a true Earth Mother Goddess. Looking back even farther, however, what the Eddas actually do show, is that the ancient Earth Mother Goddess actually did survive, although she had not done so as Frigg, nor even as Freyja. Rather, the Earth Mother Goddess had survived as “Jord,” whose name, when translated, means “Earth.” Jord had been Odin’s first wife, and it was she who was the mother of the mighty God Thor.
When Frigg won Odin’s love and then became wife, she became an extremely powerful Goddess. Odin was the leader of the Norse Gods, and when Frigg and he were married she became the “Asynjur” and as such, she gained all the privileges that came with that position. The Asynjur was the highest title that a Goddess could have within the Norse pantheon. When Frigg ascended to that role, she became known as the “Mother of the Aesir,” and the "Queen of the Heavens." It is for those reasons that Frigg is probably the most important Goddess that the Norse and Germanic religions have ever seen.
When she married Odin, Frigg assumed the roles of the Goddess of Love and the Goddess of the Household, and when she was in those particular roles she symbolized fertility, physical love, foresight, cunning, wisdom, the moon and love. Since she was also a Seeress and the Goddess of Foresight, Frigg had knowledge regarding the future, as well as the ability to see what a person’s destiny would be. She never mentioned it, however, nor did she ever reveal what she had seen; not even to Odin, even though he was well aware that she had those particular abilities.
Frigg was also the Goddess of Social Order and the Goddess of the Home and the Family. Women frequently called upon her to help them protect their marriages, or to become pregnant. When a woman prayed to Frigg, her prayer appeared as steps in a progression. First, she would pray to Frigg to help her become pregnant. Then, when she became pregnant, she would pray to Frigg again, but this time her prayer was for as painless a delivery as possible. Finally, she would pray to Frigg one last time, so that she might receive help in choosing her new child’s name.
Many different symbols are associated with Frigg, and the spindle is one of great importance. When people would see at a spindle, they would automatically think of Frigg, in much the same manner that whenever they saw a hammer, they would automatically think of Thor.
Frigg lived in a Hall known as Fensalir, or "Marsh Halls," in Odin's Heavenly Kingdom of Asgaard, and she had two sons. Her first son was the fair and beautiful Baldur, the God of Light, who Frigg constantly tried to protect. Her other son was Hoder, the Blind God of Darkness, and it was he who was tricked into accidentally killing Baldur, using only a small sprig of mistletoe. The story of Baldur's death is well known.
When Baldur first told his mother that he had been having dreams in which his life was in danger, Frigg was able to see that the danger actually did exist, so she set out across the earth, asking every single entity that she came across to refrain from harming her beloved son, Baldur.
The Gods viewed Frigg’s efforts as being rather amusing, so they began to hurl large weapons at Baldur. Those actions really did not matter, because as soon as someone hurled an object at Baldur, it was simply deflected away.
Loki, the trickster demigod, looked upon Frigg’s devotion to her son as being disgusting, so he decided to do that which he did best; which was to cause trouble. It was then that Loki disguised himself as an old woman, and then went to visit Frigg. During that visit, Loki learned from Frigg that she had not required a young sprig of mistletoe to take the vow that promised not to harm Baldur.
That was all the ammunition that Loki needed, so he went out and immediately found a small shaft of mistletoe, which he brought back to the hall. It was then that Loki tricked Hoder into using the shaft of mistletoe as an arrow. That was that all it took. When Hoder shot the arrow made of mistletoe it hit his brother, killing Baldur at once.
Frigg has frequently been called "the weeping goddess," because she so greatly mourned her son’s death; and when she cried, she shed tears of gold. Those golden tears were one of the many characteristics that Frigg and Freyja shared, since Freyja also cried tears of gold. Similar as well to Freyja is the fact that Frigg wore a cape that had been made from the plumage of falcons and hawks, which she used, just like Freyja, to travel in the form of a bird.
Frigg was a loving and protective mother, and when Baldur died she sent Hermod the Bold to the Underworld, to plead with the Goddess Hel on her behalf. She hoped that her plea might convince Hel to allow Baldur to return to the world of the living. Loki, however, like a thorn that was stuck in Frigg’s side, proceeded to interfere one last time. He purposely convinced Hel, who also happened to be his daughter, to refuse to release Baldur until Ragnarok.
Frigg had another aspect whose name was Saga, and whose role was that of a Seer. That was an ability that Thor’s wife, Sif, also had. The name Saga, however, was not recorded as a separate and independent Goddess until the late mediaeval period, and when you compare the attributes of both Goddesses, it will strike you right away that Frigg and Saga are actually one and the same Goddess. Only once did the Eddas ever suggest that Saga might be an Aesir Goddess.
What the Eddas do say, however, is that Frigg and Saga both lived in low-lying halls, and that both halls were surrounded by lakes. Frigg's hall was known as Fensalir, or "Marsh Hall," and she spent her days there with Odin, talking and drinking from golden cups. Saga lived in a palace known as "Sokkvabekk," where she and Odin also spent their time drinking from golden cups.
The possibility that Frigg may have had Vanirian Roots has occasionally been brought up. That is because even though Frigg was considered to be Aesir, she also exhibited many qualities that were more closely related to the Vanir, then the Aesir; and while Frigg may have practiced Seidr Magick, that does not necessarily mean she always had the knowledge or the ability to do so. It is quite possible that she may have learned it from Odin, who had learned it at an earlier period in time from Freyja.
Frigg did, however, have the ability to see into the future, and even though she may have had that knowledge, never once did she ever share it with anyone. Even though she was well aware that her beloved Baldur was going to be killed, she kept that knowledge totally to herself; and it was through that silence that Frigg did what she had to, which was to allow destiny to follow its own proper course.
Frigg has often been described or pictured holding a distaff, which instrument ties her closely to the Norns. The Norns are the Norse and Germanic form of the Greek Morai or Fates, and they have been described as three maidens, spinning or weaving the fate of men and Gods alike. The names of the Norns were Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, which mean the Past, the Present and the Future. They were believed to live near the world tree known as Yggdrasill, which was located under Urd's well, and they were linked to both good and evil. The Norns were also called the Disir.
The distaff was an implement used in weaving. It was also a symbol of major importance, because Frigg’s use of the distaff indicated that she was a Weaver of the Thread of Life, and by wearing that role, Frigg was placed in charge of that which rules life itself. In other words, while she may have had the ability to see into the future, she never uttered a single word about what she had seen, and by withholding that knowledge, Frigg’s actions became those of a knowing silence. Having the “sight” was a totally natural ability to Frigg, rather then a skill that she learned. She had been born with that ability. Odin, on the other hand, had not.
When mentioning the Norns or Fates, it should always be remembered that no one was immune to whatever destiny they might weave; and that neither man nor God could change that which had been woven into the Fabric of Life. It was because of this fact, that the Gods came to realize for the very first time, that there was something that was more powerful then themselves. That may have been the reason why Frigg was unable to either do or say anything that could change an event, after it had been woven by the Norns; even when it concerned her beloved Baldur’s death, although she certainly did try.
While Frigg may have been known as the “Weeping Goddess,” the idea that she wept uncontrollably after Baldur’s death is inconsistent with every other surviving myth about her. What actually might be a lot closer to the truth, is that the part of the myth which claimed that she cried uncontrollably after her son's death was added, in all likelihood, at a much later period in time. In all likelihood, it was probably added during the period when Christianity became an extremely powerful force. If that actually was the case, then that would explain why this myth appears to be inspired by the death, and subsequent resurrection, of Jesus Christ. Saxo Grammaticus, the medieval historian, recorded the Story of Baldur in detail, and by doing so, he confirmed that the myth grew out of a much later period in time. In Grammaticus’ version of this myth, however, it was Baldur’s assailant who was considered to be the hero, since he was supposedly rescuing his beloved from Hoder’s sexual advances.
In the more ancient period of the Norse and Germanic traditions, Frigg took on the role of the perfect woman, having an authority that was equal to that of her husband, and it is obvious, as well, that Frigg’s ability to see into the future gave her great power in her marriage to Odin.
In the Germanic religion, men and women played out separate and distinct roles. Traditionally, a man’s role was based upon his physical prowess, and since this was the case, then it appeared completely natural for women to possess the more spiritual and magickal powers, which made them appear to be much closer to the divine.
It was quite unusual, during that particular period in time, for men and women to switch roles, and when and if they did, then a substantial price had to be paid. Warrior women were considered to be "unfeminine," and the few men who happened to practice sorcery, were considered to be “effeminate” or “weak.” These views continued to grow stronger and stronger until, by the late Viking Age, any man who happened to perform magick was considered to be a perversion. No one was immune to these views; not even Odin, who was accused of being effeminate when he performed Seidr magick.
Seidr Magick had always been considered to be female magick, and for that reason it was seen as belonging to the Goddesses. Freyja happened to be Vanir, and as such she practiced her magick in much the same manner that the Vanir always had. She was always creating potions or spells, which she used to perform her magick, thereby attempting to get immediate results. The Aesir were the complete opposite of the Vanir, and to Freyja, it appeared that they were just sitting around waiting for fate to happen.
On the other hand, Frigg was believed to be Aesir, and the Aesir traditions used a straightforward knowledge of the future. Since Frigg was a seer, she was able to advise her followers before any disaster could occur. She was also known as the "Heavenly Spinner," and she used her spinning in much the same manner that a Norn might; dispensing destiny to all mankind.
The spindle was an extremely powerful symbol, because it represented positive feminine traits such as wisdom, industry and virtue. During the Viking Age, the women were usually the ones who worked by spinning and weaving the cloth. By doing that, women were able to earn enough money to support their families, and to make sure that they never starved. Women were frequently the major breadwinners in their families during that particular period in time, and by working extremely hard and earning enough money to support their families, those women held immense power. Frigg and the Norns both used the spindle as a very powerful magickal weapon. Freyja was also a spinner, and that may have been connected to her magickal abilities, as well.
During the Middle Ages, the spindle was considered to be more then just an important object; it was an extremely necessary one. Every household had at least one spindle in it, if not more, because by having the spindles in their homes women could use them as often as possible, so that they could constantly create the yarn that was required for weaving. While the distaff may have been an extremely important symbol, the spindle held a much greater mythological significance, and it was for that reason, that whenever the spindle was compared to the distaff, the spindle would always take on the major role.
The spindle was considered to be an instrument of great importance because the spinner used it to create the thread. Mythologically speaking, spinning was seen as more then just a way of obtaining and working magick; it was also considered to be a creative power. Throughout mythology, the Fates used spinning as a way of producing life and by them doing so, they kept the life and fate of mankind exactly where it belonged, which was in the capable hands of women.
Frigg was an extremely important Goddess, whose greatest role was that of the Goddess and Patron of Women. It was in that prticular role that she taught young women the skills that they needed to know when they would become old enough to enter into the adult world. Frigg was always there for them, by protecting them and giving them inspiration. She was always there for the adult women, as well, and she inspired and protected mothers and housewives alike.
Frigg also protected her worshippers by bending fate. When you combine that with her spinning, it becomes easily apparent why Frigg is considered to be one of the most powerful Goddesses in history, as she used her many diverse powers to help all of mankind.
