In order to best prepare you for the launch of God of War Ragnarok, we are offering you a series of articles dedicated to the important characters of the cast and this time we are going to focus on the queen of the valkyries, Freya. A central character in God of War 2018, she will certainly seek to avenge the death of her son in this second Norse epic.
Origin and relationship between characters
Family
Freya or Freyja is one of the main goddesses of the Vanes, a group of gods who were able to oppose the Aesir , the clan of the major gods. Her parents are Njörd (god of the sea and winds) and Nerthus (goddess of fertility). She has a twin brother named Freyr, chief of the Vanes, god of fertility, sun and rain. She has two daughters named Hnoss (" treasure ") and Gersimi (" jewel ") with her husband Odr (who is possibly an incarnation of Odin).
Her name
Freyja's name is derived from a Germanic word meaning " lady " . She is also known by other names such as Vanadis (" beautiful goddess "), Mardöll (" shining sea "), or Syr (" the sow " referring to her fetish animal).
Role and attributes
God of what?
Freyja is the goddess of love, attraction, and fertility , but she is also a warrior goddess . As such, she welcomes into her domain Folkvangr (" the field of the people/army "), like Odin, the fallen warriors . Freya is also a magician goddess adept at Seidr , a magical practice mainly reserved for women, but which the goddess instills in Aesir such as Odin himself.
How can we recognize it?
Freyja is often depicted as a beautiful woman with blue eyes, golden or sometimes red hair .
Her symbolic animal is the sow, the animal figure of fertility. She further possesses two giant cats sometimes named Thofnir and Hogni, which pull her chariot .
Finally, Freyja has objects that set her apart: a necklace, Brisingamen , made of gold and adorned with amber, which made her irresistible when she wore it, as well as a coat named Valshamr (" falcon's plumage ") made of falcon feathers and which gave him the ability to transform into a bird and fly between worlds .
Mythological references and possible connection to the game
Freyja's Tears
Her husband, Odr, disappeared shortly after their marriage. Freyja mourns her loss, shedding tears of red gold which upon falling into the sea turn to amber .
Freyja and Ragnarok
We do not know the fate of Freyja during Ragnarök , this final battle which will see the death of many gods including her twin brother Freyr. She is, however, the one who welcomes half of the fallen warriors into her abode and the first of the Valkyrie .
