Freyr

God of light, rain, fertility and prosperity. Freyr was son of Njörd (Njord) and Njörd's nameless sister (possibly Nerthus). Freyr was the brother of his twin sister Freyja. Like his father and sister, he was originally a Vanir, but he became an important god of the Aesir. Freyr was one of the hostages after their war against the Aesir. Sometimes, the giantess Skadi was said to be his mother, but usually she was his stepmother.

Freyr was sometimes called Yngvi or Yngvi-Freyr. Another name was Ingi-Freyr.

Freyr was originally the husband and lover of his sister, before they moved and lived with the Aesir gods. Though, it was natural for the Vanir deities to have incestuous relation between siblings, incest was obviously not approved in Asgard.

Like his sister, Freyr was the god of fertility and his sacred animals was also the pig. Brokk and Eiti created a wild boar with golden bristles, called Gullinbursti (which literally means "golden bristles"), which drew his chariot. Sturluson also mentioned the boar was probably Slidrugtanni, instead of Gullinbursti. As to the steed (horse), he rode Blodughofi that bore many strong offspring - Atridi, Gils, Falhofnir, Glaer and Skeidbrimir.

Freyr also possessed a collapsible ship made by sons of Ivaldi called Skidbladnir (Wooden-bladed), which can be reduce to size small enough to put in his pocket when he was not on it. (See Gifts of the Dwarves for the full story.)

Freyr was god of light and the sun, or more precisely the god of sunshine. Freyr also appeared to be god of rain and agriculture. He resided in Alfheim and was either ruler or patron god of the elves. Freyr has three companions, his servants, Byggvir ("Barley") and his serving maid Beyla, and his shield-bearer, Skirnir ("Shining One"). Byggvir and Beyla appeared in appeared in the poem Lokasenna, from the Poetic Edda. While Skirnir appeared in the poem, Skirnismal.

Among the Vanir, Freyr was their strongest and bravest god. Several times, he was mentioned as the war leader of the gods. Freyr had possessed a magical sword, but he lose this blade.

Freyr married the giantess Gerd, daughter of the giants - Gymir and Aurboda. Freyr asked his servant Skirnir to help him woo Gerd. Skirnir asked for the great magical sword from his master as payment for this service, Freyr agreed. At first, Gerd refused to marry Freyr, no matter what gifts Skirnir offered her. She only consent to marry the Vanir, when Skirnir threatened her to cause the beautiful giantess to aged into old woman. See the Wooing of Gerd. They were later married and had a son named Fiolnir.

Freyr possessed the stag's antler, which he used to kill the giant, Beli. Freyr was often called Beli's bright slayer.

In Ragnarök (Ragnarok), he fought the fire-giant, Surt, without his magic sword, used the stag's antler as his weapon, but Freyr was the first to be killed. His shield-bearer Skirnir had asked for his sword as payment for his services and his help in getting Gerd to marrying him.

Freyr, like the other Vanir deities, was popular in Sweden, though he was known in Norway and Iceland. A statue was found in the temple at Uppsala, where he was portrayed with a gigantic phallus. Clearly this statue and other statuettes and amulets found in Sweden, showed that Freyr was a fertility god.