Freyr
FREYR (Lord), the son of Njǫrðr and the brother of Freyja, is one of the Vanir hostages in Ásgarðr and is the main fertility god of ancient Scandinavia. According to Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241), Freyr is said to be handsome and powerful. The noblest of the gods, he rules over rain, sunshine, and growing plants. People invoked him for peace, good crops, and wealth. He made women happy and freed captives (Lokasenna, st. 37). He is a courageous fighter, and his name occurs in poetic circumlocutions for warrior, such as "spear-Freyr." He is represented as the ancestor of the Swedish kings under the name Yngvi-Freyr (Yngvi is the eponym of the royal family of the Ynglings), a name also associated with Ing (Gmc. Ingw[az]) in the Old English Runic Poem and the eponym of the Germanic tribal group the Inguaeones, but the relationship between Freyr, Yngvi, and Ingwaz is not fully understood.
Among Freyr's prized possessions is the dwarf-made ship Skíðblaðnir (Built of Slats; Grímnismál, st. 44); according to Snorri, it can be folded up and carried in a pouch, but, when needed, it can carry the whole company of the Æsir, weapons and all, and always sails with a favorable wind.
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