356
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
[book I.
brates under the name of Freyer must have borne
among us the name of Frea. It is probable that he
enjoyed a more extensive worship in all parts of
Europe than we can positively demonstrate. At
present we are only enabled to assert that the prin-
cipal seat of his worship was at Upsala among the
Swedes. In general there is not much trace in the
North of phallic gods ; but an exception must be
made at once in the case of Freyr. One of the
most beautiful poems of the Edda1 tells how Freyr
languished for desire of the beautiful Gerdr ; it was
for her love that he lost the sword, the absence of
which brings destruction upon him in the twilight
of the Gods. The strongest evidence of his pecu-
liar character is found in the passage already cited
from Adam of Bremen2, and what he says of the
shape under which Frea was represented at Upsala:
“ Tertius est Fricco, pacem, Voluptatemque Iargiens
mortalibus ; cujus etiam simulachrum fingunt in-
genti Priapo.” The fertilizing rains, the life-bring-
ing sunshine, the blessings of fruitfulness and peace
were the peculiar gifts of Freyr3 ; and from Adam
of Bremen again we learn that he was the god of
marriage : “ Si nuptiae Celebrandae sunt, sacrificia
offerunt Fricconi.” In his car he travelled through
the land', accompanied by a choir of young and
ɪ Eor Skirnia. The legend of Geat and MeetShild however must have
been of this character : and thus Woden may have been in some sort a
phallic Hermes.
2 M. Adami Bremensis lib. de situ Daniae. Ed. 1629, p. 23. Ihre,
in his Gloss. Sueogoth. mentions forms dug up in the North which
clearly prove the prevalence of phallic rites.
3 See Grimm, Mythoi, p. 193 seg.
CH. x∏∙J
HEATHENDOM. EREA'.
3δ7
blooming priestesses1, and wherever he came plenty
and peace abounded. The beast sacred to Freyr
was the boar, and it is not improbable that various
customs and superstitions connected with this ani-
mal may have had originally to do with his wor-
ship. It is not going too far to assert that the
boar’s head which yet forms the ornament of our
festive tables, especially at Christmas, may have
been inherited from heathen days, and that the
vows made upon it, in the middle ages, may have
had their sanction in ancient paganism. But it is
as an amulet that we most frequently meet with the
boar in Anglosaxon. Tacitus says of the Æstyi,
that, in imitation of the Suevish custom, “ Matrem
deum venerantur ; insigne superstitionis, formas
aprorum gestant. Id pro armis omniumque tutela ;
securum deae cultorem etiam inter hostes prae-
stat2.” The relation between Frea and the Mater
deorum is a near one. Now the Anglosaxon poems
consider a boar’s form or figure so essential a por-
tion of the helmet, that they use the word eofor,
aρer, for that part of the armour :
hét ðii inberan
eofor heafordsegn,
heaëosteâpne helm.
he commanded them to bring in
the boar (i. e. helmet) the ornament
of the head,
the helmet lofty in battle3.
And still more closely, with reference to the virtues
of this sign :
eoforlic scionon
ofer hleor beran
the forms of boars they seemed
above their cheeks to bear
ɪ Fornman. Sog. ii. 73 seq.
a Germ. xlv.
s Beow. 1. 4299 aey.