Freyja: Norse Goddess of Sexuality, Death, Magic and Love
Is Freyja truly the goddess of love?
Is that really her primal realm, as she has so often been presented in modern interpretations, or has this characterization obscured a far more complex and enigmatic figure?
This talk questions the long-standing categorization of Freyja, suggesting that her identity has been shaped and perhaps even constrained by scholarly traditions dating back to the 19th century. By critically examining these inherited frameworks, we open the possibility that Freyja’s nature has been simplified in ways that reflect the romantic and cultural ideals of that era rather than the full scope of her mythological presence.
Drawing on a range of sources, including Old Norse texts, Scandinavian folklore, and contemporary forms of devotion, this presentation explores the many dimensions of Freyja’s character. Rather than a singular goddess of love, she emerges as a multifaceted and dynamic figure whose attributes span magic, death, desire, and life force itself.
We reconsider Freyja as a powerful practitioner and transmitter of seiðr, the ancient form of Norse magic, which she is said to have taught to the Æsir and even to Oðinn himself. In this role, she stands not only as the figure of the vǫlva, but as a bearer of esoteric knowledge and transformative power.
At the same time, Freyja appears as a formidable goddess of death, receiving half of those slain in battle into her own realm, something often overlooked comparing to the more familiar association of the afterlife with Oðinn and Valhall. This aspect positions her within the sphere of war, fate, and the liminal boundary between life and death.
Finally, we encounter Freyja as a deity of autonomous and sovereign sexuality—one who chooses freely when and with whom she shares her ecstatic life force. This dimension challenges reductive interpretations and instead presents a figure defined by agency, vitality, and profound independence.
These are just three of the realms Freyja reside over. The list goes on including fertility, healing, agriculture and crafts, showing her central role in ancient Scandinavian society.
Through this exploration, Freyja is revealed not as a static symbol of love, but as a richly layered and compelling presence whose true nature resists simple categorization.
Speaker Bio:
Olof is a Vitki, Seiðrman and folklorist. He grew up close to nature on Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea from a family of folklorists. The many sacred sites and living folklore of the island gave him a profound connection to the footprints of his ancestors. For over thirteen years he has worked with the Nordic Wisdom Tradition in a way that is animist, shamanic, and rooted in the soil beneath our feet. He facilitates a two-year training which takes people on the path of the Vitki/Völva, both in Sweden and the Netherlands. His work has a strong emphasis on honouring and communicating with the landscape with all its inhabitants. Olof is also a painter, dancer and singer, bringing creative and embodied energy into his teachings.
Curated & Hosted by:
Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience
don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day
