Freyja's Necklace
:
Asgard Stories Tales From Norse Mythology
"Yes, I really must have some flowers to wear to the feast to-night,"
said Freyja to her husband, Odur.
Freyja was the goddess of love and beauty; she was the most beautiful of
all the Aesir, and every one loved to look at her charming face, and to
hear her sweet voice.
"I think you look quite beautiful enough as you are, without flowers,"
Odur replied, but Freyja was not satisfied; she thou
ht she would go and
find her brother Frey, the god of summer, for he would give her a
garland of flowers. So she wandered forth from Asgard on her way to
Frey's bright home in Alfheim, where he lived among his happy, busy
little elves. As Freyja walked along she was thinking of the feast to
be given that night in Asgard, and knowing that all the gods and
goddesses would be there, she wished to look her very best.
On and on she wandered, not thinking how far she was getting away from
home. Finally the light began to grow fainter and fainter, and Freyja
found herself in a strange place. The sunlight had faded away, but there
was still a little light that came from lanterns carried by funny little
dwarfs, who were busily working. Some were digging gold and gems, others
were cleaning off the dirt from the precious stones, and polishing them
to make them bright, while four little fellows were seated in one
corner, putting the sparkling stones together into a wonderful necklace.
"What can that beautiful thing be?" thought Freyja. "If only I had that,
it would surely make me look more beautiful than any one else at the
feast to-night!" And the more she thought about it, the more she longed
to get it. "Oh, I really must have it!" she said to herself, and with
these words she stepped nearer to the four little men. "For what price
will you sell me your necklace?" she asked.
The dwarfs looked up from their work, and when they saw Freyja's lovely
face and heard her sweet voice, said, "Oh, if you will only look kindly
upon us, and be our friend, you may have the necklace!"
Then a mocking laugh echoed again and again through the dark cavern,
seeming to say, "How foolish you are to wish for these bright diamonds;
they will not make you happy!" But Freyja snatched the necklace and ran
out of the cavern. It did not please her to hear the teasing laugh of
the dwarfs, and she wanted to get away from them as soon as possible.
At last she was once more out in the open air; she tried to be free
and happy again, but a strange feeling of dread came over her, as if
something were going to happen. Soon she came to a still pool of water,
and, putting on the necklace, she bent over to look at her picture in
the clear water. How beautiful the diamonds were! and how they sparkled
in the sunshine! She must hasten home to show them to Odur.
The fair goddess soon reached Asgard, and hurried to the palace to find
her husband. But Odur was not there. Over and over again she searched
through all the rooms in vain; he had gone, and although Freyja had her
beautiful necklace, she cared little for it without her dear husband.
Soon it was time to go to the feast, but Freyja would not go without
Odur. She sat down and wept bitter tears; she felt no joy now for having
the necklace, and no sorrow because she could not feast with the Aesir.
If only Odur would come back, all would be well again. "I will go to the
end of the world to find him!" said Freyja, and she began to make ready
for her journey. Her chariot, drawn by two cats, was soon ready; but
before she could start, she must first ask Father Odin to allow her to
go.
"Allfather, I beg you give me leave to go to look for my Odur in every
corner of the world!"
The wise father replied, "Go, fair Freyja, and may you find whom you
seek."
Then she started forth. First to the Midgard world the goddess of beauty
went, but no one in all the world had seen or heard of Odur. Down under
the earth, to Niflheim, and even to Utgard, the land of giants, she
wandered, but still no one had seen or even heard of her husband. Poor
Freyja wept many tears, and wherever the teardrops fell, and sank into
the ground, they turned into glistening gold.
At last the sad goddess returned to her own palace alone. She still wore
the wonderful necklace, which was called Brisingamen.
One night, when the hour was late, all the Aesir were asleep, except the
ever watchful Heimdall, who heard soft footsteps, like those of a cat,
near Freyja's palace. He listened, and thought, "That is surely some one
bent on mischief; I must follow him."
When Heimdall reached the palace, he found it was Loki, changed into
another form, creeping softly about. Heimdall quietly watched him, and
saw him glide in to Freyja's bedside, where the fair goddess lay asleep,
wearing her beautiful necklace. Loki had come to steal the necklace, but
when he saw that she was lying on the clasp of the chain, so that he
could not undo it without waking her, he changed himself into a gnat,
and, crawling along on the pillow, stung her just enough to make her
turn over, but not enough to wake her. Then he unclasped the chain and
ran off with it as fast as he could.
But Heimdall was not going to let the thief get away. As soon as Loki
found that he was followed, he took his other form, a little flame of
fire; Heimdall then took his other shape, and became a shower of rain,
to put out the fire; but Loki, quick and watchful, changed himself into
a bear, to catch the rain. Then Heimdall too became a bear, and a fierce
fight began. At last the rain-god conquered, and forced wicked Loki to
give back the necklace to Freyja.
The whole land seemed to feel sorry for poor, lonely Freyja; the leaves
fell from the trees, the bright flowers faded, and the singing birds
flew away.
Once more the fair goddess went forth from Asgard to seek Odur. Away,
away to the far-off sunny south she wandered, and there, where the
myrtle trees and the oranges grow, at last she found her long-lost
husband.
Then hand in hand the two turned northward again, to their home, and so
happy were they together, that they spread joy and happiness around them
as they passed along. Everywhere the ice and snow thawed before them,
green grass and sweet flowers sprang up behind their footsteps, the
birds sang their sweetest songs, the warm summer came back to the north
lands, and every one was glad and joyful, for lovely, smiling Freyja was
at home again.
"White were the moorlands
And frozen, before her;
Green were the moorlands
And blooming, behind her.
Out of her gold locks
Shaking the spring flowers,
Out of her garments
Shaking the south wind,
Around in the birches
Awaking the throstles,
Beautiful Freyja came."
--KINGSLEY.