Freyr: Encyclopedia II - Freyr - Gesta Danorum

Freyr - Gesta Danorum

The Danish Gesta Danorum describes Freyr, under the name Frø, as the "viceroy of the gods".

Frø quoque deorum satrapa sedem haud procul Upsala cepit, ubi veterem litationis morem tot gentibus ac saeculis usurpatum tristi infandoque piaculo mutavit. Siquidem humani generis hostias mactare aggressus foeda superis libamenta persolvit. — Book 3

"There was also a viceroy of the gods, Frø, who took up residence not far from Uppsala and altered the ancient system of sacrifice practised for centuries among many peoples to a morbid and unspeakable form of expiation. He delivered abominable offerings to the powers above by instituting the slaughter of human victims." — Fisher's translation

That Freyr had a cult at Uppsala is well confirmed from other sources. The reference to the change in sacrificial ritual may also reflect some historical memory. There is archaeological evidence for an increase in human sacrifices in the late Viking Age (Davidson 1980, p. 55) though among the Norse gods human sacrifice is most often linked to Odin.

Another reference to Freyr is found earlier in the work, where the beginning of an annual "blót" to Freyr is related.

Siquidem propitiandorum numinum gratia Frø deo rem divinam furvis hostiis fecit. Quem litationis morem annuo feriarum circuitu repetitum posteris imitandum reliquit. Frøblot Sueones vocant. — Book 1

"[I]n order to mollify the divinities he did indeed make a holy sacrifice of dark-coloured victims to the god Frø. He repeated this mode of propitiation at an annual festival and left it to be imitated by his descendants. The Swedes call it Frøblot." — Fisher's translation

The sacrifice of dark-coloured victims to Freyr has a parallel in Ancient Greek religion where the Chthonic fertility deities preferred dark-coloured victims to white ones.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Gesta Danorum", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki