Frey (Freyr) Gossip

Frey (Freyr) Gossip

Spotted... on Mount Olympus or Asgard. xoxo Gossip Shmoop

Along with Odin, Frey was one of the gods associated with human sacrifice during the late Viking age. Yuck. (Source: Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandanavian and Celtic Religions. Manchester University Press, 1999: 55.)

Forget the tooth fairy! The Aesir gods gave Frey the entire Elf-Realm as a "tooth-gift." This part of Frey's myth is based on the medieval Scandinavian custom of tannfé, which is basically giving a gift to a child whose first tooth is coming in. Usually the kid gets money, but hey, Frey will take an Elf-Realm any day. (Source: Cleasby, Richard and Gudbrand Vigfusson. An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 2nd. ed, ed. William A. Craigie. Oxford University Press, 1957: s.v. tannfé.)

The name of Frey’s magical fold-up ship, Skiðblaðnir, literally means "assembled from thin pieces of wood." Doesn't sound so magical to us... (Source: Simek, Rudolf. Dictionary of Northern Mythology, trans. Angela Hall. D.S. Brewer, 2007: s.v. Skiðblaðnir.)

Frey’s ride-able boar, Gullinbursti, whose bristles glow in the dark, was made by the dwarves Sindri and Brokkr from a dried-out pigskin. Dee-lish. (Source: Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda, Skaldskaparmal.)