FREIA

Real Name: Freya (original spelling)

Occupation: Goddess of beauty and fertility, former Valkyrie

Legal Status: Citizen of Asgard

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Freia except as a mythological deity.

Other Aliases: Eostra, Ostara (Saxon names), Gondul

Place of Birth: Vanaheim

Marital Status: Separated, possibly Widowed

Known Relatives: Njord (father), Gaea (mother, alias Nertha), Skadi (former step-mother), Nertha (aunt), Frey (brother), Ve (first husband, alias Lodur), Hnossa (daughter by Lodur), Idunn, Nanna, Syn, Sjofn, Sigyn, Lofn, Var, Snotra (daughters by Iwaldi), Odin (brother-in-law), Frigga (sister-in-law), Thor,  Hermod, Hoder, Heimdall (nephews), Balder, Bragi, Loki (nephews/sons-in-law),

Group Affiliation: Gods of Asgard, The Valkyries

Base of Operations: Sessrumnir Hall at Folkvanger in Asgard

First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #114

History: Freia is the daughter of the sea-god, Njord and Gaea in her impersonation of their aunt, the earth-goddess, Nertha. Exceedingly beautiful, she was once married to Lodur, brother of Odin, but he left her for reasons unknown to explore Midgard (Earth). Among the early Germans, she was worshipped as Eostra, and lent her name to the Christian holiday of Easter. In Scandinavia, she took a mortal named Ottar to be her lover, but to prove his worthiness to be near her, she revealed him to the goddess Hyndla and revealed to her that Ottar was a descendant of the great German hero, Sigurd.

Freia, however, loved gold and had dwarves create her many treasures such as the necklace Brisingamen. To pay for their services, she gave herself to their father, Iwaldi, many times and had several daughters, among them Nanna, wife of Balder, Idunn, wife of Bragi, and Sigyn, wife of Loki. The dwarves also reputedly created for her Hildisvini, a great boar of solid gold whom she rode to show her way through the dark, who was very much like Gullinbursti, her brother’s mount.

Loki, meanwhile, heard about her indiscretions and told Odin who requested that he bring to him Freia and her Brisingamen. Loki meanwhile absconded with the necklace rather than bring it to Odin. When Freia reported its theft, Odin told her he could retrieve it only after she spent a certain time in servitude to him as one of his Valkyries claiming the souls of the slain. As the Valkyrie Gondul, Freia delivered the spirits of dead heroes to Valhalla as a part of her penance and Odin then sent Heimdall to retrieve Loki with the stolen necklace. After serving her penance, Freia retired to her home Sessrumnir outside Asgard.

In recent years, the giant Thrym stole Mjolnir, the hammer of the gods, and refused to return it until Freia promised to wed him. Freya refused to be a part of this chicanery than allow herself to be bartered away, but Thor borrowed her wedding dress to deceive Thrym and once more retrieved his hammer.

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 375 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

Strength Level: Freia possesses superhuman strength enabling her to lift (press) almost 30 tons under optimal conditions.

Known Superhuman Powers: Freia possesses the conventional physical attributes of the Asgardian gods. Like all Asgardians, she is has an enchanted youth factor and is extremely long-lived, but she is not immortal like the gods of Olympus. She has not aged since reaching adulthood and cannot die by any conventional means. She is immune to all Earthly diseases and is resistant to conventional injury. If she were somehow wounded, her godly life force would enable her to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of her bodily molecules to cause her a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of significant power, such as Odin or for a number of Asgardian gods of equal power working together to revive her. Freia also possesses superhuman strength and her Asgardian metabolism provides her with far greater than human endurance in all physical activities. (Asgardian flesh and bone is about three times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the Asgardians' superhuman strength and weight.)

Freia seems to have mystical powers of an unknown nature to grant fertility to the earth, allowing plants to grow where they could not grow before. She can also bless fertility upon living things to procreate. As one of the Valkyries, she could see the glow around individuals as they were about to die and could carry their astral spirits (souls) to Valhalla. 

Weaponry/Paraphernalia: Freia has a mystical cloak of feathers which she uses to change form and take the appearance of a falcon. Loki once stole it and gave it as a gift to Storm of the X-Men, but it is once more back in her possession.

Pets: Freia is often surrounded by rabbits, which became a symbol of rebirth and fertility and sometimes rides a winged horse. In ancient times, she rode a golden-skinned boar called Hildisvini.

Clarifications:  Freia is not to be confused with:  

Last updated: 05/06/06

 

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