The Goddess Frig: Reassessing an Anglo-Saxon Deity

This article critically examines the evidence for the existence of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Frig, exploring toponyms, day names, Old English textual sources, archaeology, and comparisons with continental Germanic mythologies. Challenging previous assertions that she was the consort of the god Woden a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Preternature 2014-09, Vol.3 (2), p.284-310
Main Author: Doyle White, Ethan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Christianity
Creation myths
Deities
Etymology
Figurines
Mythology
Naming conventions
Paganism
Philology
Place names
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Summary:This article critically examines the evidence for the existence of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Frig, exploring toponyms, day names, Old English textual sources, archaeology, and comparisons with continental Germanic mythologies. Challenging previous assertions that she was the consort of the god Woden and was associated with love and motherhood, it furthermore contends that this scholarly misinterpretation of the deity has had wider repercussions, affecting the way that contemporary Pagans interpret this particular divinity. Ultimately, it argues that far less can be said about Frig with any certainty than has been previously supposed, suggesting that a case can even be made that she had never existed as a deity in Anglo-Saxon England at all.
ISSN:2161-2196
2161-2188
DOI:10.5325/preternature.3.2.0284