Frigga, sometimes called Frigg, is a deity in the Norse pantheon. She is best known as the wife of chief Norse deity Odin.
Description[]
Appearance and personality[]
Frigga stands six feet tall.[1] She appears as a beautiful, mature woman.[2] She is also seen in an animalistic form.[3]
Frigga is exceptionally clever, and regularly outwits her husband Odin.[4] The two have frequent disagreements, and Frigga will often resort to trickery to get her way.[2]
She is said to know all secrets, though she rarely reveals them.[4]
Frigga is true neutral in alignment,[3] though by some accounts she is lawful neutral.
Titles[]
For her marriage to the ruler of the Norse pantheon, Frigga is called Queen of the Gods, and Wife of Odin.[4] She is called Mother Sky.[5]
Abilities[]
As a deity of the Norse pantheon, Frigga is immortal, and cannot be killed by such normal means as disease, poison, old age, disintegration, magical imprisonment or planar banishment, although she can be killed if slain.[3]
Frigga can fly and teleport at will.[4] She can control all forms of weather. She can assume the form of animals and other creatures, preferring to begin battles in the form of a dragon, and later the form of a bird. She can spin flax into gold, which she uses to craft Odin's clothes.[1]
Frigga can cause any husband to fall madly in love with his wife, and can fortell the future, though she often keeps it a secret.[2] She rarely attempts to change the future.[3]
She is exceptionally skilled at arcane magic, and can cast wizard spells instantaneously and without preparation. She has the innate ability to cast various spels such as antilife shell, calm animals, control weather, discern location, divination, foresight, legend lore, mass heal, and true seeing.[3]
She can conjure, control, and speak to animals, and cause them to grow to great size. She can give intelligence to animals and plants, or take it away. She can slay people or creatures, or return them to life at will.[3]
Frigga's sight pierces illusions, and she sees all things for how they really are.[3]
Frigga can see, hear, and sense at a distance of 17 miles from herself, any of her followers or holy sites or objects, or anywhere her name or one of her titles has been spoken. She can sense by smell at a distance of 34 miles.[3] Frigga can also see any place that has a breeze blowing through it.[1]
She can create any magic item, provided that it is light or medium armor, a simple weapon, a bow, or an item related to animal care. Frigga can create even the most legendary of magic items this way.[3]
Portfolio[]
Frigga is a goddess of the atmosphere,[4] clouds, sky, married love, and wives.[2] She is a goddess of birth, fertility, and love. She has power over the domains of air, animal, community, and knowledge.[3]
She can sense anything that affects the welfare of an animal up 17 weeks before it happens.[3]
Worship[]
Dogma[]
Followers of Frigga follow a philosophy of birth and renewal. They are taught to pay attention to signs and omens which show the future. They believe that while one's fate cannot be changed, this does not mean surrendering to events.[3]
Frigga is said to deliver people from peril.[4] However, the chance of being rescued by Frigga is only slight.[1]
Worshipers[]
While the people of Midgard typically worship the Norse pantheon as a collective group, Frigga is particularly revered by housewives and those seeking marriage.[1] She is also followed by some druids, diviners, married couples, and halflings. Farmers who seek fertility in their livestock also pray to Frigga.[3]
Clergy[]
Priestesses of Frigga are usually married women. While it is customary for men in some realms to take multiple wives, this practice forbidden to the husband of a priestess of Frigga, who must be faithful and monogamous. A priestess of Frigga whose husband takes another wife must divorce him immediately.[2] Despite this, Frigga herself is one of Odin's many wives.[3]
Frigga's priestesses serve as midwives. They are famed for their abilities to detect lies and summon storms.[2]
Other duties of the clergy of Frigga include caring for the community, assisting in the birth and care of livestock, and protecting wild animals from injury and attack, even if this means journeying into the wilderness to slay a monster.[3]
Rituals[]
Followers of Frigga pray to her for fertility.[2] Similarly, she is prayed to by farmers who seek fertility in their livestock.[3]
Holy sites[]
Frigga's temples are simple and small, but well defended. They are generous to visitors and offer a welcoming place for travelers to rest, though they encourage self-sufficiency. Temples often include scrying instruments, healing supplies, and hospitals for the care of wild animals. Many halfling communities have a shrine to Frigg.
Holy symbol[]
Frigga's holy symbol is a large cat.[3] The spinning wheel also represents her.[2]
Favored weapon[]
Frigga favors the natural weapons of an animal form, such as claws and teeth.[3]
Relationships[]
Family[]
Frigga is best known as the wife of Odin. She the mother of the gods Balder, Hod, Hermod and Tyr.[2]
Enemies[]
Though an ally of her husband Odin, Frigg often has disputes with him. She once went to war with Odin leading an army of women disguised as men.[5]
Allies and minions[]
Frigga has a great number of servants. The best known are Snotra, whose name means "Wisdom"; Syn, whose name means "Denial"; and Vor, who is so wise that nothing can be hidden from her.[3] Other servants of Frigga include Fulla, Gna, Lofu, Gefjon, Eira, Holda,[4] Vara, Hlin, and Vjofn.[1] Gna has a horse which can run across water or through the air.[4]
Frigga's main divine proxy is Greta Elfanir, a half-elf bard who has lost three husbands to a jealous troll. She travels the world offering marriage counseling.[5]
Artifacts[]
Frigga's necklace, made of black opals, allows her to charm anyone within her sight, leaving them incapable of any action but to flatter the goddess.[1][6]
Frigga has a dagger which causes those struck to be carried away by the wind.[7]
Realm[]
Frigga lives with Odin at his realm, Valaskjalf. She is the only individual, other than Odin himself, who is permitted to sit in Odin's High Seat, Hlidskjalf, which grants vision of any place anywhere in Asgard, Midgard, or Niflheim.[3]
She has her own hall at Asgard, called Fensal or Fensalir.[4][3] It is hidden high in the mountains, and is a peaceful, tidy, and sparsely populated place.[5] Only the most dedicated climbers are able to make the pilgrimage here.[8]
Cultural significance[]
In esoteric mysticism, Frigg is represented by the planet Venus.[9]
History[]
Death of Balder[]
The gods of Asgard sent Frigg to extract an oath from all things, living and inanimate, that they would not harm the god Balder. Frigg overlooked mistletoe, believing it too weak to harm anything. Loki, discovering this, tricked Balder's brother Hod into throwing a dart of mistletoe at Balder, killing him.
Frigg suggested sending a messenger to Hel to ransom Balder. Hel agreed, but only if all things in the world would weep for Balder. Loki refused, and Balder remained in Hel until after Ragnarok.[3]
Current activities and goals[]
Frigga tends to those who wish for fertility. She and Odin sent an apple to the king Rerir, a grandson of Odin, in order to grant fertility.[10]
Frigga sends her avatar to take vengeance on cruel husbands.[2]
She spends much time at her home of Fensalir weaving golden cloth and rainbow clouds.[2]
Frigga controls the use of sheltering spells within Asgard. Those who wish to cast Leomund's tiny hut or Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion require her keys. Frigga often bestows such keys on her followers.[11]
Ragnarok[]
Frigg is destined to be killed alongside the other gods of Asgard in the final battle at Ragnarok.
Publication history[]
Original D&D[]
Frigga first appears in Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes (1976), p.30.
AD&D 1st edition[]
Frigga appears in Legends & Lore (1e) (1984), p.103 and Deities & Demigods (1e) (1980).
AD&D 2nd edition[]
Frigga is detailed in Legends & Lore (2e) (1990), p.176 and the Planescape sourcebook On Hallowed Ground (1996), p.143-146. She is mentioned in Planes of Chaos, Book of Chaos (1994), p.104,106,112.
D&D 3rd edition[]
Frigga appears in Deities and Demigods (3e) (2002), p.177-179.
D&D 4th edition[]
The Norse pantheon does not appear in D&D 4th edition.
D&D 5th edition[]
Frigga is one of twenty Norse gods listed in the Player's Handbook (5e) (2014).
Creative origins[]
Frigga, usually under the spelling Frigg, appears in Norse myth. The English weekday Friday is named for her. Norse specialist Jackson Crawford has a YouTube video on Frigg and Freyja, in which he argues that both Frigg and Freyja may have been considered the same person.
Frigga appears in several poems of the Poetic Edda. In Voluspa, she is described weeping in Fensalir over the death of her son. In Vafthruthnismal, Odin asks Frigg's advice before he leaves to challenge a giant to deadly riddle contest. In the prose introduction to Grimnismal she is described sitting with Odin in Hlidskjalf and peering out over the world.
In Lokasenna, where Loki insults the gods at a feast, Frigg discourages Loki and Odin from bringing up their past follies to insult each other. Loki responds by alleging that Frigg slept with Odin's brothers Ve and Vili.
In the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson calls Odin and Frigg the progenitors of the Aesir. Frigg is said to have a hawk cloak or suit which she lends to Loki to fly, and she is depicted in this form in Deities and Demigods (3e) (2002). Some stories instead say that it is Freya who owns this cloak.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Legends & Lore (1e) (1984), p.103.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Legends & Lore (2e) (1990), p.176.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 Deities and Demigods (3e) (2002), p.177-179.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes (1976), p.30.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 On Hallowed Ground (1996), p.143-146.
- ↑ Encyclopedia Magica Volume Two (1995), p.749.
- ↑ Encyclopedia Magica Volume One (1994), p.363.
- ↑ Planes of Chaos, Book of Chaos (1994), p.112.
- ↑ The Seven Magical Planets, Dragon #38 (Jun 1980), p.26-29.
- ↑ Giants in the Earth, Dragon #41 (Sep 1980), p.18.
- ↑ Planes of Chaos, Book of Chaos (1994), p.104,106.