I'm currently working my way through the Eddas (Bellows translation) and I saw an interesting footnote a while back concerning Freyja choosing half of those killed in battle:
[Notation on verse 14 of the Grimnismol] "... Half of the dead: Mogk as made it clear that Freyja represents a confusion between two distinct divinities: the wife of Othin (Frigg) and the northern goddess of love. This passage appears to have in mind her attributes of Othin's wife. Snorri has this same confusion, but there is no reason why the Freyja who was Freyr's sister should share the slain with Othin."
Have any of you heard this before or is there more support for this assertion? It really does make sense, at least as someone approaching the source material for the first time. Yet, I've never heard this before. I've even heard heathens chastise people for calling Freyja a "love goddess" because "she's also a bad-ass war goddess who even chooses the slain warriors before Odin!"
In retrospect, though, it does seem to make more sense that it would be Frigg who does this. Considering all sorts of other inconsistencies that show up in these late-written transcriptions, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a transcription error. Has anyone else come across this interpretation before?
[Notation on verse 14 of the Grimnismol] "... Half of the dead: Mogk as made it clear that Freyja represents a confusion between two distinct divinities: the wife of Othin (Frigg) and the northern goddess of love. This passage appears to have in mind her attributes of Othin's wife. Snorri has this same confusion, but there is no reason why the Freyja who was Freyr's sister should share the slain with Othin."
Have any of you heard this before or is there more support for this assertion? It really does make sense, at least as someone approaching the source material for the first time. Yet, I've never heard this before. I've even heard heathens chastise people for calling Freyja a "love goddess" because "she's also a bad-ass war goddess who even chooses the slain warriors before Odin!"
In retrospect, though, it does seem to make more sense that it would be Frigg who does this. Considering all sorts of other inconsistencies that show up in these late-written transcriptions, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a transcription error. Has anyone else come across this interpretation before?
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