Symbolic portrayal:

A leitmotif in medieval Norse literature

by W.T.J.S. Kaviratne Ambalangoda Special Cor.

The majority of the themes of Norse mythological poems found in Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are fatalistic and didactic in nature and the gods and goddesses and numerous other supernatural beings are symbolically portrayed as victims of insatiable passions, temptations and blind desires.

Desire or temptation leads to agony, hatred, violence and suffering and this universal truth is vividly portrayed in almost all the Norse mythological poems found in Poetic Edda and Prose Edda considered as the greatest medieval literary works of Iceland.

Freya the Goddess of Love and Beauty and the Thrym Giant of Storm were not exceptions to the outcome of temptation. Freya the Vanir Goddess (Earth Goddess) of love, beauty and fertility was married to handsome Odur.

Goddess Freya and her brother Frey the Lord of Weather were Vanir children of Niord and his wife Skadi. Goddess Freya and Odur lived in the mansion of Folkvanger in Asgard. She was in the habit of moving to Midgard which was the abode of humans.

Goddess Freya never ignored the young lovers in the Midgard who had experienced the agony and ecstasy of love for the first time. Freya had also experienced both aspects of joy and sorrow considered as the inherent traits of love common to the supernatural beings and the humans. Freya and her husband Odur lived happily in Asgard with their two lovely daughters born to them.

Impermanence

But in tune with the universal law of impermanence, their joy and happiness did not last long as a result of temptation and the mad desire to possess the most beautiful gold necklace known as the

'Brisingamen' made by the Black Dwarfs living in their abode of 'Svartalfheim'.

In the same manner 'Thrym the Giant of Noise' infatuated by the beauty of Goddess Freya had an insatiable desire to make her his wife. But he was destined to be killed by Thor, disguised as Goddess Freya. Frey the Lord of the Weather was the brother of Goddess Freya and he ruled over 'Alfheim the abode of Light Elves' which was frequented by Freya. One fateful day she reached the boundary of 'Svartalfheim the abode of Black Dwarfs.'

Triggered by the strong feelings of passion aroused by the beauty of Goddess Freya, Dvalin the Black dwarf with the assistance of his three brothers exploiting the frailty of Goddess Freya resorted to a secret machination to trap her.

Brisingamen necklace

Dvalin and his three brothers made use of a forge kept in a wide cave to make the most beautiful gold necklace known as

'Brisingamen', the first of its kind ever to be made anywhere in the whole world. This was a cunning device to lure Goddess Freya to their cave till the finishing touches were given to Brisingamen Gold Necklance in her presence.

Goddess Freya who was highly fascinated by the dazzling beauty of 'Brisingamen' did not want to leave the cave of the Svartalfheim of Black Dwarfs without buying the necklace. She made several offers of large amounts of gold and silver but they refused to sell the necklace even for all the gold available in the whole world.

Goddess Freya asked the Black Dwarfs for what treasure they would sell the necklace. She said she could not imagine of a life without the necklace. At last Black Dwarfs said all four of them agreed to sell Brisingamen for the treasure of her love. Clarifying the offer they said that she should be wedded to four of them for a day and a night and at the end of the proposed wedding, Goddess Freya could be the covetous owner of the Brisingamen.

Enticed by the beautiful gold necklace and its hypnotic effect on her made her easily forget her commitments, her beloved husband Odur and two fair daughters. Freya the Goddess of Love and Beauty forgot even the fact that she was one of the queens of Aesir.

She gave her consent to wed the four Dark Dwarfs as agreed for a day and a night. Neither the Gods in Asgard nor her husband Odur were aware of this unholy wedding contract agreed between Freya and Black Dwarfs.

But Loki, the conman as usual was vigilant of everything evil happening in the world. Even the unholy wedding Contract taken place at Svartalfheim between Freya and Black Dwarfs did not escape the attention of ever vigilant Loki.

Once back in Asgard, Goddess Freya repented realising the gravity of the wrong doing and her misbehaviour to obtain the necklace. She took utmost care to hide the Brisingamen from others view thinking if it was seen by others' the Nefarious behaviour of hers could be revealed.

Loki steals Brisingamen

Loki the conman and 'shape changer' took immediate action to meet Odur the husband of Goddess Freya and revealed everything what he heard and seen about Freya and necklace in her possession. Odur flatly refused to believe what Loki narrated about his wife Goddess Freya. Odur felt that Loki was trying to defame Goddess Freya by spreading baseless rumours. Loki told Odur that Goddess Freya was in the possession of the most beautiful gold necklace known as Brisingamen. Odur told Loki unless he had stolen the Brisingamen necklace and brought through it to him he could not believe what Loki said about his wife Goddess Freya.

Under the cover of night, Loki disguised himself as a tiny 'fly' and managed to enter the room through a hole so small even to put a needle through it and reached the bed where he found Freya in deep slumber with the necklace Brisingamen around her neck. As she was sleeping over the hook of the necklace it was not possible to unfasten it without awaking her.

Loki again transformed into a 'flea' and bit her face which made her half wake up but continued to sleep but this time revealing the hooks of the necklace. Loki removed the Brisingamen easily from the neck of Goddess Freya without disturbing her and brought it before Odur.

Seeing the Brisingamen, Odur believed everything narrated by Loki about his wife Freya. Dashing the Brisingamen on the floor at once with deep sorrow Odur left Asgard and disappeared to an unknown destination. Goddess Freya found in the morning that someone had entered her chamber and stolen her highly treasured Brisingamen.

Punishment

Having understood that the secret could have been exposed, weeping bitterly Freya tried to reach her husband Odur to plead for forgiveness for her misbehaviour but to her great dismay she found he had already left Asgard. Goddess Freya made a confession to God Odin.

She said she would continue to wander around the whole world till she could find her beloved husband Odur appealing him to forgive her for her misbehaviour and the wrong she had committed to obtain Brisingamen.

Father God Odin approved what she planned to do as a punishment for the evil she had committed and decreed her to wear the Brisingamen necklace also in memory of her sin she had committed.

She told God Odin that someone who had entered her chamber had stolen the Brisingamen. God Odin said Loki who was ever vigilant of evil happenings in the world could have seen who had stolen the Brisingamen. Odin requested Heimdall the watchman of Asgard whether he had seen Loki.

Heimdall responded that he saw Loki disguised as a seal and hiding by the rocks of 'Singastein.' Heimdall reached the spot where Loki was hiding and requested him to come out to receive the message sent by the God Odin but Loki disguised himself as a seal went deep down to the bottom of the sea.

Heimdall himself disguised as a seal chased after Loki in disguise and attacked him.

The fierce fight between Heimdall and Loki in disguise under the sea continued for a short while But Heimdal brought Loki under control and brought him to Asgard with Brisingamen necklace in hand.

In accordance with the decree of God Odin, Goddess Freya wore Brisingamen around her neck and went weeping from land to land in search of his husband Odur narrating the consequences of temptation and giving sermons on the values of chastity, good behaviour, faithfulness towards husband and wife and of true love to everyone she met on her way.

Weapon

Thus Odin assigned Freya a role of a priest or a preacher to promulgate cardinal values leading to happy lives. Frey the brother of Goddess Freya was highly worried of his sister's long absence in Asgard and blamed God Odin for sending her away in search of her husband Odur. Thor, the God of Thunder found his powerful hammer-Miolnir known all over the world was missing. All the Aesir Gods and Goddesses in Asgard were shocked to hear the portentous news because Thor's hammer-Miolnir was an indispensable weapon in annihilating the Giants in Jotunheim in the the impending war between Gods and Giants.

Thor's hammer Miolnir was also known as the Terror of Giants. Loki volunteered to find the thief of Thor's hammer on condition Goddess Freya lend her feather cloak.

Wearing the feather cloak, Loki flew towards Jotunheim and reached Thrymheim the domain of Noise Giants. Loki found Thrym the King of Noise Giants and said Thor had lost his hammer-Miolnir and the Aesir (in Asgard) had sent him to locate it.

Giant Thrym said that he had hidden Thor's hammer eight miles deep under the sea. Thrym said he would never allow anyone to trace the Thor's hammer till the Gods and Goddesses in Asgard agreed to send beautiful Goddess Freya to be his wife.

Loki met Thor by the entrance to Asgard and said the hammer was hidden deep down in the sea and the Giant Thrym and the hammer could not be released unless Goddess Freya was sent to him as his wife. Thor appealed Freya to become the wife of Thrym Giant. Goddess Freya got wild and blamed Thor for the proposal.

Thereafter Heimdall designed a plan for Thor to go to Giant Thrym disguised as Freya. Thor went to meet Giant Thrym disguised as Freya the bride. Loki acted as the bridesmaid.

The two goats known as Gaptooth and Cracktooth were harnessed to Thor's chariot which brought Thor and Loki in disguise as Bride Freya and bridesmaid to Jotunheim.

Thrym the Bridegroom ordered to bring the hammer Miolnir and to keep on Bride's lap as Bride-Price. Thor at once grasping the hammer - Miolnir firmly lifted it saying that hammer was the token of wedlock and dropping brides attire and revealing his real self, Thor killed Thrym in one blow of Miolnir.

It was the fate of all other Giants who attended the Wedding Feast of Giant Thrym. Thor and Lokii returned to Asgard safely with the hammer Miolnir.