Frô

By Steve Anthonijsz

 

 

ON: FreyR; Ingunar-FreyR

Dan: Frö

Sw: Frö

Goth: Fráuja

A-S: Freá

 

 

Frô has always been one of the most important gods of our Volk. His powers include fertility, fridu, prosperity, sex, sacral kingship, battle and death—that is, all the areas connected with the cycles of life and one’s community! Entstehen – Sein – Vergehen zum neuen Entstehen[1]! Furthermore, although one of the Wanâ, he was given the ruler-ship of Alpâheim, and is, therefore, the king of the Alp race. Although references are conflicting, this reign seems to extend to the Tunchelapâ as well (although not the Suarzalpâ/Tuercâ).

 

In ancient times Frô’s renowned was greatest in Scandinavia and, thus, most of the source material about him that has been preserved is in Old Norse. There, the Swedish kings claimed the right to rule as a result of their being scion of Frô. From Norway we see saga references to temples and priests of Frô. Landnamabók and Laxdæla Saga further describe FreyR giörR af silfri (F. made of silver) being addressed during the drawing of lots (runen-wort?).

 

More than anything else, Frô is today known for fertility and sex. Most of the evidence of his associations with fertility is based on Icelandic saga references and on ithyphallic images carved in his likeness.

Despite references in mythological writings that suggest that he was concerned with the fertility of crops[2] it is my personal opinion that he is a god specifically of animal and human fertility, leaving the realm of crop-growing to other deities (e.g.: Sibbia, Donar). In the ancient days, when our Volk were predominantly hunters, Frô would have been likely venerated as a god of the woodlands, a god connected with the herds of deer, horse and boar they hunted as these animals are sacred to him. When our altmâgâ ceased to be hunting nomads and settled down into agricultural communities they would have worshipped Frô as the one who imparts fertility on their livestock and themselves. 

 

In addition to Fertility—and perhaps more importantly to the Edda and saga writers—are Frô’s attributes as a bringer of fridu (‘fruitful peace’ or ‘a condition of cultural/social health’) and of wealth. One of the bynames most commonly attributed to Frô in Sweden is Friþguð (fridu-god). A common mistake among modern writers is to interpret ‘fridu’ to mean an austere ‘peace’. This is a gross oversimplification. Fridu implies peace, but the two words are not synonymous. This may be demonstrated by the fact that Frô is not a pacifist—but instead, is one who loves peace so much that he is more than willing to fight for it. Thus, one might see his role as more like a national guardsman or sheriff (“peace officer”) than as the stereotypical hippie peacenik. Skírnismál 3 even refers to him as “leader of the hosts of the gods” in reference to the Alpâ as the first line of defence against the Rîsi[3].

 

Frô’s role as a death god is often overlooked, and as a result, his significance among the Alpâ is obscured. Of all the gods, none are more associated with the burial mound than Frô[4]. This alone associates Frô with all manner of ancestor worship, including útiseta (ON “out-sitting” --a procedure of gaining esoteric wisdom) and sitja á haugi (ON “to sit on a burial mound” –a technique of obtaining advice or other aid from deceased ancestors). Frô is associated with the Alpâ just as much as he is the Tunchelalpâ, as he was made landlord of Alpâheim as a tooth fee[5]. It seems reasonable to assume that, accepting Frô’s associations with burial mounds, necromancy and so forth, that he would bear lore as a psychompomp, although this seems lacking in both the Eddiac accounts and in Saxo. This does not mean that such lore didn’t exist, but if it did we certainly do not have any surviving records of it.

 

Much of the lack of literature regarding Frô as a death god, though, may be due to his more common depiction as a romantic. All the gods have multiple sides of their personalities, just as we humans do. Wuotan, for example, is the inspirer of poetry, but is generally more recognized as the leader of the furious host. Similarly, Frô is very much a god of death, but is generally seen as a giver of fecundity and happiness. He is often depicted as the hopeless romantic, almost like a minstrel among warrior gods. Although this may be true to a point, it is a caricature of his true nature. It is as a provider of fridu and social order that demands Frô maintaining the utmost in morality. While all the other gods may have made questionable ethical decisions, Frô could never be accused of such[6]. Even across the lines of religions, with their changing of ethics, Frô is held beyond reproach. When christianism usurped the old religion in Europe, and most of the gods of our ancestors were equated with demons, Frô’s name was used to mean ‘God’ in the translations of the Bible offered to our Volk[7].

 

Like all the Wanâ, Frô is a provider of wealth. But each offers wealth in his or her own way, and Frô is no exception. Just as Nirdu offers the wealth of the sea and of shipping, and Frija offers the wealth of the land and the home, so Frô offers wealth through social order and cooperation. When we see the local library expand or the value of a farming community’s crops recognized, Frô ought to be toasted. As we watch our children graduate from school and become their own independent contributors to society we should encourage Frô to accompany them. When we see gangs, drugs, and other disruptions to our community life become rampant, we know that we have failed to please Frô.

 

Some of the myths of Frô have been confused over the years with those of Heimo. This state of affairs has been further complicated even more due to the Icelandic appellation of ‘Yngvi-Scef’ (a byname of Heimo) being confounded with that of ‘Ingunar-FreyR’[8], leading to the later Norse designation of ‘Yngvi-FreyR’. Adding to this, faulty etymology has lead to the commonly accepted notion that Frô is mentioned in the Old English Rune Poem by the name Ing. The only ‘evidence’ offered to support this opinion is that the Anglo-Saxon name ‘Ing’ sounds a lot like Gothic ‘Engus’ or Old Norse ‘Yngvi’[9].

 

The references to Frô in the myths are ubiquitous, but each reference tends to be rather brief. To really understand his role in the myths, one has to consider his part in all of them.

 

Frô’s earliest mythic appearance occurs when a peace compact is made between the divine clans. Frô and his father, Nirdu, are given to the Ensi as hostages as a sign of peace offered by the Wanâ. Wuotan also marries Frija--Nirdu’s sister and Frô’s mother. Similar offerings are made between the races by the Rîsi and by the Ensi[10].

 

The next appearance of Frô occurs in the story of Locho’s machinations to turn the Suartzalpâ against the gods through a contest comparing the craftsmanship of the Tuercâ to those of Mîmi’s sons[11]. It is through this contest that Frô obtains his ship, called in the Edda Skíðblaðnir (ON “assembled from thin wood”). The ship is a well-known symbol of the passage of the dead to the otherworld in many mythic cycles around the world, reminding us of Frô’s associations with burial mounds and ancestor worship. Due to Locho’s trickery, hostility is formed between the Ensi and the Tuercâ. In an attempt to keep the peace, Nirdu sends Frô to be fostered by the Tuercâ.

 

In a similar episode, Locho designs to divide Mîmi’s grandchildren—the sons of Brokk and of Sindri, respectively—through a wager[12]. It was through this contest that Frô was awarded his boar called both Gullinbursti (“gold bristled”) and Slíðrugtanni (“cutting-tusked”) in the Eddiac accounts.

The association with the boar is extremely significant in understanding the mysteries of Frô. He is coupled with the boar just as his sister, Frûâ, is coupled with the sow. This may seem difficult for modern people to understand, as separated from nature as we have become in our urbanized society. Today we might see only a vicious, ugly, dirty, wild beast. But our altmâgâ, living much closer to natural world than most of us do today, saw traits in the boar such as loyalty to its own; a desire and the ability to fiercely defend itself and its family; and gentle nurturing of its kin; and a familiarity with its surrounding that seems almost mystical to those not ‘initiated’ into this wisdom. Our altmâgâ were so enamoured by the boar’s fierce loyalty that many warriors were known to wear a helm depicting a boar into battle or, less frequently, a helmet shaped like a boar’s head[13].

 

The next time that Frô appears in the myths is one of his lesser-known tales, but one of the more interesting. Weyland and Locho conspire to remove Frûâ from Ensigart while she is under a spell cast by Gullveig. Their plan is successful, and Frûâ is handed over to Beli’s clan in Rîsiheim as a captive. Gullveig casts similar spells on Frô and Ôstarâ. Soon after Weyland and Egil (descendants of Ivaldi) surrender their foster son over to the same Giant clan[14]. Nirdu, Hadu, and another god (Phol?) attempt a rescue mission, but they fail[15]. After a long series of events causing a fimbul winter (Phol’s death, Weyland turns against the gods, Wuotan sacrifices his eye, &c.), Egil[16], an Alp, with the help of his sons Wuldar and Swipdag, finally rescue Frûâ and Ôstarâ. Although the Alpâ try to rescue Frô as well, he refuses to accompany them, ashamed that, as “protector of the world” he could not even protect himself. 

Later, Nirdu returns to liberate his son. Frô slays Beli and returns to Ensigart with his father. It is likely that it was about this time that Frô espied Garta[17], falling in love with and, soon after, married her.[18] It is at this time that he gives up his sword[19], a choice which haunts him both at the feast in Lokasenna and at the battle of Goddotuom[20].

 

Next we see Frô drawn into both the Battle on the Ice and the battle on Moin’s Heath[21].

 

To both the Wanâ and the Ensi Gullveig was held in contempt due to her witchery. And the Wanâ began to suspect that Frô’s love-sickness during his time with Beli’s clan was caused by the magic of this Holtzruna. But the unholda woman was also Frô’s mother-in-law, and therefore it was the duty of the Wanâ to demand recompense for her death at the hands of the Ensi[22]. This leads to the war between the gods. The Wanâ win the war. Wuotan is exiled, and Wuldar becomes the king of the gods[23]. Although Wuotan is given his throne back ten years later, the system of sacrifice that men make to the gods had been changed under Wuldar’s rule. This new system has remained, and it defines the way that Irminists make offerings to the götter today.

 

The last time the myths allow us to see Frô is at the battle of Godotuom[24]. Here, Frô remains at the edge of Ensigart (most likely leading an army of Alpâ, although this in not mentioned in the text). As he had given his sword away to win the love of Garta, he uses a stag’s antler as a weapon. Völuspá 51-55 tells us of the death of the most well known gods, including Frô. Frô and Swart (a fire-giant) slay one another, Swart killing Frô with the same Sword of Revenge that had bought Garta’s love.

 

Archaeological and literary evidence inform us that Frô, in ancient times, was venerated both in outdoor, natural environments as well as in enclosed temples.  Communion with Frô may be achieved by invocation, as is so with most of the other gods. However, to win his favour it is necessary to act. He is not one easily supplicated through a sip of mead or a hand-carved gift—although he does appreciate these things and will take them into consideration. Rather he is one to respect the individual whose actions are in conformity with his efforts, one who promotes fertility, fridu in the community, and all the other things from which Frô is known. All his gifts are ones that require cooperation; he cannot afford show-offs and politicking, emotionally handicapped individuals interfering with his labours. But he remembers those who contribute toward that work.

 

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