Allmother's Blessing ~ Handmade Candle inspired by Frigg

‘Allmother’s Blessing’: A Homemade Artisanal Candle Inspired by Frigg, the Norse goddess of Marriage, Motherhood, Prophecy, Clairvoyance, and Fertility

She who weaves the unseen and watches the world from cloud and storm

Allmother’s Blessing is a gentle, steady presence inspired by Frigg, the quiet strength of one who sees far and holds much. The scent begins with bright top notes of mandarin and lemon, fresh and light like morning sunlight. In its heart, bergamot and ginger offer warmth and clarity, evoking the calm wisdom of a mother who listens more than she speaks. As it settles, jasmine and white tea linger softly in the air like a comforting hush at the end of a long day, where threads of care and insight are gently held.

Allmother’s Blessing is a scent of grace and quiet power, of wisdom veiled in kindness, of a goddess whose love is both shelter and shield.

Curious about how the layers of scent unfold? Learn more about scent profiles ~ top, heart, and base notes at this blog post: Scent Profiles, Top, Heart, and Base Notes.

Our candles are lovingly handcrafted in our home studio, Nimue’s Lair, nestled in Walnut Creek, CA. Each one begins with a luxurious blend of coconut-apricot wax, carefully infused with premium fragrance oils. Poured by hand into elegant glass vessels and amber jars, they’re finished with hand-cut labels and enchanted final touches. Every candle is a small ritual, infused with magick, intention, and the quiet glow of story.

Content Warning:

This post explores ancient myths that include themes of violence, including assault and warfare, which may be sensitive for some readers. Please proceed with care and be mindful of your well-being while engaging with these stories.

Frigg: The Beloved Weaver of Fates and Queen of Asgard

Frigg, the Queen of Asgard and the highest-ranking goddess of the Aesir, is a complex and multifaceted figure in Norse mythology. Known as the goddess of marriage, motherhood, clairvoyance, and fate, she occupies a central yet mysterious role within the pantheon.

Frigg's myths reveal a goddess as powerful as she is vulnerable, embodying the tensions between love and loss, autonomy and duty, foresight and powerlessness. Though her tales are few, they are rich with cosmic symbolism and emotional depth, cementing her as an enduring figure of reverence.

Fensalir is a seat of power and a haven for the souls of the happily married in the afterlife. This parallels Freyja's Folkvangr, though the two realms are distinct in tone and purpose. Where Folkvangr is a field of warriors, Fensalir is a tranquil retreat, reinforcing Frigg's association with love, loyalty, and the bonds of marriage.

Indeed, in mythology and modern interpretations, Fensalir symbolizes stability and refuge. It embodies Frigg's character's nurturing, protective aspects, providing solace for mortals and the goddess herself, whose stories often carry the weight of grief and loss.

Though Fensalir's exact location is never detailed, its watery, ethereal nature reflects the mysterious origins of its mistress, whose powers span the tangible and intangible worlds. Historically, the concept of Fensalir may have roots in the Migration Period (400–700 CE), when Germanic tribes venerated divine couples such as Frija and her consort Odr. Frija, a seeress with powers of divination, was believed to foresee the fate of her people and guide their actions through supernatural insight. This archetype of the divine wife likely influenced the development of Frigg in Norse mythology.

Frigg and the Norns: Mistress of Fate and Foresight

Frigg's powers extend far beyond her roles as wife and mother. As a spinner of fate, she is intricately linked to the Norns, the goddesses who weave the threads of destiny. Frigg's spinning wheel (distaff), Friggerock, is said to be reflected in the night sky as the constellation Orion's Belt, symbolizing her cosmic influence over the flow of time and events. Through the magical art of seidr, Frigg can perceive and shape destiny. However, she often chooses to remain silent about what she knows.

Unlike Freyja, whose use of seidr often leans toward assertive action and manipulation of outcomes, Frigg's strength lies in her restraint and foresight. Her calm authority, combined with a deep understanding of fate's intricacies, sets her apart as a figure of stability amidst the chaos of the divine world. Frigg's silence on certain matters, such as her foreknowledge of Baldr's death, highlights a poignant aspect of her character: recognizing when to act and accepting what cannot be changed. This duality of power and limitation adds a profoundly human dimension to her divine role, making her relatable as both wise and vulnerable.

The practice of seidr, which involves divination and the manipulation of fate, places Frigg alongside Freyja as a master of this sacred magic. Both goddesses embody the dualities of creation and destruction, love and loss, mirroring the intricate dance of life itself. Frigg's foresight, however, is not absolute. Her inability to prevent the death of her beloved son Baldr underscores the boundaries of even divine power, presenting her as a tragic yet resilient figure. In her grief, she embodies the maternal strength to continue despite the devastating loss, a characteristic that resonates deeply with human experiences of love and mourning.

She enlists the help of a slave, offering herself in return for his assistance in removing and stealing the statue's gold. While the theft succeeds, Odin discovers Frigg's role in the plot upon his return. Ashamed of his wife's actions, Odin imposes exile upon himself, demonstrating his internal struggle with their contentious relationship. However, this account diverges significantly from traditional Norse portrayals of Frigg and reflects the Christian moral framework of Saxo Grammaticus, who sought to reinterpret Norse deities through a lens of sin and punishment.

The Ynglinga Saga, a 13th-century text, provides another account of Frigg's infidelity. During another one of Odin's prolonged absences, his brothers Vili and Vé are left to rule in his stead. Believing Odin is dead or lost forever, the brothers divide his possessions, and Frigg shares her bed with them to maintain the continuity of the ruling lineage. When Odin eventually returns, he uncovers the betrayal, though Frigg's actions are portrayed as pragmatic rather than malicious. Loki later alludes to these circumstances in Lokasenna ("Loki's Taunts") from the Poetic Edda, using them to publicly humiliate Frigg. Freyja, however, rises to her defense, warning Loki to respect the queen of Asgard, whose power and knowledge surpass his understanding.

The Christianization of Scandinavia likely influenced these retellings, emphasizing infidelity as a cautionary tale to uphold Christian ideals of marital fidelity and wifely submission and frame female autonomy as dangerous or suspect. Such narratives may have been exaggerated or selectively preserved to reinforce patriarchal values. For example, Loki's taunts in Lokasenna, where he mocks Frigg for her relationships with Odin's brothers, reveal a cultural shift toward controlling and judging female independence. This contrasts sharply with Odin's own celebrated infidelities, which were framed as demonstrations of his virility and power, underscoring the double standards introduced by these later retellings.

Despite these narratives, Frigg's intelligence, foresight, and maternal strength shine through. Her ability to navigate a complex relationship with Odin highlights the resilience and agency that characterized powerful women in Norse mythology. While Christianized accounts may have sought to diminish her independence, the underlying Norse reverence for her wisdom and cunning endures, offering a window into a culture where women were celebrated for their intellect and adaptability and recognized as autonomous individuals capable of many – if not all – of the same sorts of behavior as men. Moreover, Frigg's marriage is a microcosm of the cultural and religious tensions that shaped the Norse myths we know today. By examining her stories with a critical eye, we can disentangle the original depictions of a powerful, multifaceted goddess from the patriarchal layers imposed by later Christian interpretations.

Indeed, Frigg’s relationship with Odin is not defined solely by submission or devotion but by a dynamic interplay of love, manipulation, and mutual respect. Frigg's actions may seem morally ambiguous by modern standards, yet they align with the Norse cultural value of cunning and independence as a form of power, where women were celebrated for their intelligence and independence.

Frigg and the Grímnismál: The Wager Over Geirröth’s Hospitality

Another tale of Frigg's cleverness appears in Grímnismál ("The Lay of Grimnir") from the Poetic Edda. In this story, Frigg manipulates Odin to reveal the failings of his foster son, Geirröth, and to prove her own point about human character.

The story begins with two brothers, Geirröth and Agnarr, who are shipwrecked and taken in by a peasant couple. The couple, in reality, are Odin and Frigg in disguise. Odin fosters Geirröth, while Frigg tends to Agnarr. When the brothers return to their kingdom, Geirröth betrays Agnarr by kicking his boat back into the water, ensuring that he alone reaches their homeland. Geirröth takes the throne, while Agnarr is left adrift.

Watching from their celestial throne in Asgard, Odin boasts about Geirröth's success, while Frigg accuses him of being inhospitable and cruel. Confident in his foster son's character, Odin wagers that Geirröth will be a gracious host if he visited. Disguising himself as a traveler named Grimnir, Odin sets out to test Geirröth's hospitality. However, Frigg, determined to expose Geirröth's shortcomings, sends her handmaiden Fulla ahead to warn the king. Fulla tells Geirröth to beware of a wizard who will arrive soon and to identify him by his uncanny ability to pass by even the fiercest dogs unchallenged.

When Odin arrives at Geirröth's hall, the dogs refuse to attack him, marking him as the wizard of Fulla's warning. Geirröth, suspicious, orders Odin's arrest. He has him bound and tortured by placing him between two roaring fires for eight nights. On the ninth night, Geirröth's son, also named Agnarr after his uncle, takes pity on the silent traveler and offers him a horn of ale. Touched by the boy's kindness, Odin reveals his true identity, praises Agnarr's compassion, and foretells his future ascension to the throne.

Realizing his grave error, Geirröth rushes to free Odin but stumbles and impales himself on his sword, fulfilling Frigg's accusation of his cruelty. With Geirröth dead, the younger Agnarr takes his place as king. This tale illustrates Frigg's sharp mind and ability to manipulate events to expose character flaws. Even when pitted against Odin, the god of wisdom, Frigg demonstrates her strategic brilliance and commitment to justice.

Seizing this opportunity, Loki ventured west of Valhalla to retrieve a sprig of mistletoe. Crafting it into a sharp projectile, he returned to Asgard. He approached Hodr, Baldr's blind brother, who sat apart from the games, unable to participate. Loki offered to guide Hodr's aim, enabling him to join the fun. Unbeknownst to Hodr, the mistletoe dart was deadly. As it flew through the air, it pierced Baldr's heart, killing him instantly.

A horrified silence fell over Asgard as the gods wept for their fallen kin. Frigg, stricken with grief, begged for someone to journey to Hel and plead for Baldr's return. Hermod, the swift messenger god, and Baldr's half-brother, volunteered for the perilous task. Riding Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, Hermod descended into the misty realm of Niflheim. There, he found Baldr seated in a place of honor beside Hel herself, his wife Nanna having joined him after succumbing to heartbreak.

Hel agreed to release Baldr and Nanna under one condition: all beings, living and dead, must weep for him. Hermod returned this message to Asgard, and the gods sent emissaries across the cosmos. Tears flowed from every creature, animate and inanimate, as the Nine Realms mourned the loss of Baldr. Yet their efforts were thwarted by a lone giantess named Thokk, who refused to shed a single tear, proclaiming, "Let Hel hold what she has." Thokk was revealed to be Loki in disguise, ensuring that Baldr would remain in the underworld.

Frigg's grief was immeasurable. She had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect her son, yet fate and trickery had conspired against her. Baldr's death marked a turning point for the gods, a prelude to the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök. For Frigg, it was an eternal wound, her sorrow resonating across the cosmos as a symbol of maternal love and the inevitability of loss.

This story is not merely a tale of tragedy; it reflects the universal human experience of grief. Frigg's sorrow is divine and profoundly relatable, portraying her as a mother whose love transcends even the boundaries of life and death. Her lament echoes through the ages, a reminder of the fragility of even the most radiant beings.

Speculation about Frigg and Freyja's connection is further complicated by the oral traditions of Norse mythology, which were only recorded during the Christian era.

Without primary sources from the pagan period, it is impossible to determine whether the goddesses developed independently or diverged from a single archetype. Some scholars propose that Freyja's prominence in surviving myths reflects her enduring popularity, while Frigg's quieter, more elusive character is a remnant of her association with earlier Germanic traditions.

Despite these uncertainties, the interplay between Frigg and Freyja highlights the fluidity of Norse mythology, where deities often embody multiple, sometimes contradictory, aspects of existence. Their stories reflect the complexities of human experience, encompassing love, power, and the tension between order and chaos.

Modern Neo-Pagan and Wiccan movements have shaped distinct roles for Frigg and Freyja, offering new perspectives on their significance. While Freyja is celebrated for her bold sensuality, warrior spirit, and connection to raw, untamed nature, Frigg is revered for her steady wisdom, maternal strength, and ability to navigate the intricacies of fate with calm authority. These differing interpretations allow us to engage with the goddesses in ways that resonate with their individual experiences, highlighting the enduring relevance of their myths in contemporary spiritual practices.

While patriarchal interpretations of mythology often seek to diminish the roles of female figures, the Norse myths frequently depict neither Frigg nor Freyja as secondary to their male counterparts. Both goddesses are fully realized figures embodying autonomy and power within their respective realms. This balance has allowed their stories to remain potent symbols of feminine strength and versatility, even in the face of later cultural reinterpretations that may have sought to frame their actions through a more patriarchal lens.

Frigg's Enduring Legacy: The Weaver of Life's Tapestry

Frigg's story is one of profound love and quiet strength. As a mother, wife, and goddess, she embodies joy and sorrow, power and vulnerability. Her myths remind us of the interconnectedness of all things, the inevitability of change, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Through her spinning wheel, Frigg weaves the threads of fate, crafting a tapestry that reflects the beauty and fragility of existence. In honoring Frigg, we celebrate a goddess and the timeless truths of life, love, and destiny. Her enduring appeal lies in her ability to embody the joys and sorrows that define the human condition.

As a weaver of fate and a goddess who understands the limits of even divine power, Frigg resonates deeply with the human experience of striving for control in an unpredictable world. Her survival into modern Neo-Paganism as a symbol of love, wisdom, and strength underscores her timeless relevance, inviting us to find inspiration in her stories and see our struggles as part of life's intricate design.

References:

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Illes, J. (2010). Encyclopedia of spirits: The ultimate guide to the magic of fairies, genies, demons, ghosts, gods & goddesses. Harper Collins.

Littleton, C. S. (2002). Mythology: the illustrated anthology of world myth & storytelling. Duncan Baird.

Mark, J. J. (2021, August 27). Frigg. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Frigg/

McCoy, D. (n.d.). Frigg. Norse Mythology for Smart People. https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/frigg/

McCoy, D. (2016). The Viking spirit: An introduction to Norse mythology and religion. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

"Frigg is the foremost. She owns the dwelling called Fensalir, and it is splendid in all ways."

Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson