Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...

, the sword belonging to Freyr, a Norse god associated with sunshine, summer and fair weather, is depicted as one of the few weapons that is capable of fighting on its own. Since Freyr gave up the sword to Skírnir for the hand of the giantess Gerðr, he will die at

Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (; non, Ragnarǫk) is a series of events, including a great battle, foretelling the death of numerous great figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), natural disasters, and the submers ...

Norse mythology

''Prose Edda''

Freyr asks Skírnir to bring Gerðr to him, but his messenger demands his sword from him, and Frey readily gives it. However, the loss of Freyr's sword has long-term consequences. According to the ''Prose Edda'', Freyr had to fight Beli without his sword and slew him with an

antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally found only on male ...

. The result at

, the end of the world, will be much more serious. Freyr is fated to fight the fire-giant Surtr and, since he does not have his sword, he will be defeated.

''Poetic Edda''

In Ragnarok, the sun of warrior gods shines from Surtr's sword. One theory is that the sword which Surtr uses to slay Freyr with is his own sword, which Freyr had earlier bargained away for Gerðr. This would add a further layer of tragedy to the myth.

Sigurður Nordal Sigurður Nordal (14 September 1886 – 21 September 1974) was an Icelandic scholar, writer, and ambassador. He was influential in forming the theory of the Icelandic sagas as works of literature composed by individual authors. Education Nor ...

argued for this view, but the possibility represented by Ursula Dronke's translation that it is a simple coincidence is equally possible.Völuspá 50–51, Ursula Dronke's translation In the poem ''

Skírnismál ''Skírnismál'' (Old Norse: 'The Lay of Skírnir') is one of the poems of the ''Poetic Edda''. It is preserved in the 13th-century manuscripts Codex Regius and AM 748 I 4to but may have been originally composed in the early 10th century. Many sc ...

'', the sword is given to Skírnir and used to threaten Gerðr, but not explicitly given to neither the giantess nor her father, much less Surtr.

References

Archaeological artefact types Freyr Mythological Norse weapons Germanic paganism Mythological swords Religious symbols Heraldic charges {{Norse-myth-stub