Frigg

Goddess of marriage, fertility and childbirth. Frigg was the daughter of Fjorgvin. (Others said that she was the daughter of Jörd (Fjörgyn), goddess of the earth, and therefore Frigg was possibly the sister of Thor.)

She lived in the hall Fensalir, where she was attended by her handmaiden Fulla ("Bountiful"), who was also an Asynia (female Aesir).

Like the Greek goddess Hera, she was queen of heaven, as wife and consort of Odin. She was the mother of Balder (dying god), Höd (blind-god) and Hermod (herald of the gods). Though Odin had slept with many goddesses, giantesses and mortal women, unlike Hera Frigg was never jealous of Odin's frequent love affairs.

In the Lokasenna, Loki accused Frigg of being as shameless and wanton as Freyja. Whenever Odin was absent, Loki contemptuously pointed out that she would sleep with Odin's brothers, Vili and Ve. Snorri also wrote in the Ynglinga Saga of the arrangement between Frigg and Odin's brothers.

She was the weeping mother goddess, because her blind son Höd (Hod) accidentally killed her other son. It was foretold that Balder would die. Frigg wandered the world and exacted an oath from all living creatures, plants and inanimate objects to not harm her son. Frigg thought the shrub, the mistletoe, was too insignificant to harm her son. Unfortunately, she did not bother to exact an oath from the mistletoe.

Loki disguised himself as a woman and found out Balder's weakness from Frigg. Loki then tricked Höd into throwing mistletoe, the only object that could harm Balder.

Even though Balder was dead, Frigg was determined to free him from Hel. She learned that Hel would release Balder, allowing him to live, if every creatures in the world would shed tears for her son. Frigg asked every creature to mourn for Balder. Only one giantess named Thokk or Thanks refused to weep, and therefore Balder remained dead. Loki was punished for his involvement with Balder's death. (See Death of Balder in Ragnarok for the full story.)

Some writers confused Frigg with the former Vanir, Freyja. The Romans and the Germans knew her as Frija or Frea, and the Romans named Friday after Frigg.