#lofn goddess

[sigyn-foxyposts]

Question for an upcoming drawing and headcannon of mine! 🍎💛

In the eddic poem Hrafnagaldur Óðins, stanza 6, Idunn is identified as the "youngest of the elder children of Ivaldi" implying that Ivaldi had AT LEAST two sets of children that we are aware of.

Most likely by different mothers or himself? Since asexual reproduction isn't anything uncommon in norse mythology.

Also considering there aren't any female dwarfs mentioned, unless we take out the list of ALL the dwarfs names.

Now, here is my question!

If we follow the very popular theory that a few goddesses without any known origin story, like for example Sigyn. Are the results of Freyja sleeping with the dwarfs to achieve her necklace brisingamen.

And we go through their names to connect the dots or fill in the missing holes of a story.

Sigyn being "Friend of victory" "victorious girlfriend"

Sjofn being "woman" or things related to love or feelings.

And Lofn as "The comforter"

Who would Idunn's mother or other parent be? Personally I do want to see Freyja as her mother, since her name means "ever young" or "the rejuvenating one" ..

But it feels like it's own thing kinda.

Since we only know about Ivaldi's sons, I'll also assume Idunn is the youngest out of them and say the second pair of children are by Freyja.

What do you guys think? I would love suggestions or to simply discuss this! :3

[grimnirs-child]

Masterpost: Frīg's Handmaidens Project

Who are the Handmaidens?

In the Prose Edda, twelve Goddesses are listed after Frigga as Ásynjur: Fulla, Gefjon, Hlín, Syn, Eir, Sága, Gná, Vár or Vór, Snotra, Vör, Lofn and Sjöfn. Modern Heathens sometimes refer to Them as Frigga's Handmaidens. (This is a piece of shared gnosis, not an historically attested term.) For many of the Twelve, this is all that survives in the way of attestations.

What is the Project?

Gradually over several years, and more intentionally recently, I have been building a devotional cultus around these Goddesses. As part of that, I've been putting together primers on each of the Twelve on my longform blog -- detailing Their surviving attestations, Old English God-names and epithets for Them, my own personal experiences and upg, a prayer, and devotional icon art -- as well as essays and modern myths exploring other aspects of Them and my cultus to Them.

Although I use Old English names for Them and honour Them in a syncretic heathen practice drawing on influences from across the British and Irish Isles, I hope these may be useful and/or interesting for practitioners working in a Norse, Continental, or other context. Or for anyone worshipping and building cultus to lesser-known and lesser-attested Gods!

I will update this post periodically, but if you like you can subscribe to my longform Wordpress blog for updates when I post.

Primers

Fulla

Geofen (Gefjon)

Hlēowen (Hlin)

Ār (Eir)

Saga

Lofen & Siofen (Lofn & Sjöfn)

Snotor (Snotra)

Wearn, or Syn (Syn)

Wær (Vör)

Essays and other posts

Introduction to the Project

Essay on abundance, ānanda, and Fulla

Essay on Frīg and Her importance to my cosmology

The Wren and her sister: a myth of Frīg feat. Ār and Gnæ

Essay on marriage as initiation, feat. Lofen, Siofen and Āþ

[plantpirating]

So many of the Norse goddess' stories are lost to us.

Eir, she was the gods' physician, and

Vor was the goddess of wisdom.

Sjofn was the goddess of love and

Lofn was the goddess of marriage and the deities' conforter.

[beautyofaphrodite]

Love Deities all around the World

There are so, so many different Love Deities, so I thought I’d make a post listing as many as I know from as many pantheons I know about! Gods/Goddesses of Marriage and/or fertility are included. Deities from different pantheons are separated by a space.

❤️ Aphrodite

❤️ Eros

❤️ Hedone

❤️ Anteros

❤️ Hedylogos

❤️ Himeros

❤️ Hymenaios

❤️ Pothus

❤️ Phthonus

❤️ Hera

❤️ Venus

❤️ Cupid

❤️Suadela

❤️ Voluptas

❤️ Freyja

❤️ Frigg

❤️ Söfjn

❤️ Lofn

❤️ Prende

❤️ Milda

❤️ Dogoda

❤️ Dzydzilelya

❤️ Siebog

❤️živa

❤️Lada

❤️ Jarilo

❤️ Áine

❤️ Branwen

❤️ Cliodhna

❤️ Asmodeus

❤️ Babalon

❤️ Albina

❤️ Turan

❤️ Astghik

❤️ Kamadeva

❤️ Rati

❤️ Anahita

❤️ Aisyt

❤️ Oshun

❤️ Astarte

❤️ Bastet

❤️ Bes

❤️ Hathor

❤️ Min

❤️ Inanna

❤️ Ishtar

❤️ Nanaya

❤️ Aisha Qandicha

❤️ Bangan

❤️ Obban

❤️ Amas

❤️ Dian Masalanta

❤️ Mangagayuma

❤️ Agkui

❤️ Tagbayaw

❤️ Jiutian Xuannü

❤️ Yue-Lao

❤️ Tu Er Shen

❤️ White Peony

❤️ Wutong Shen

❤️BaiMei Shen

❤️ Quian Keng

❤️ Chuangmu

❤️ Aizen Myō-ō or Rāgarāja

❤️ Kuni

❤️ Kurukulla

❤️ Ixcuiname

❤️ Teicu

❤️ Tiacapan

❤️ Tlaco

❤️ Tlazolteotl

❤️ Xocotzin

❤️ Xochiquetzal

❤️ Xochipilli

❤️ Santa Muerte

❤️ Kurupi

❤️ Ruda

By the way, I don’t know much about most of these deities, and I encourage you to do your own research if you choose. If I missed any, let me know. Much love!

[lasagras]

All right, so we've seen this post by @fuckyeahcoffeeandequality

And they're absolutely correct. Some people actually say that Lofn and other goddesses are just different names or aspects of Frigg and/or Freyja, but I am wary of these claims since there are very few sources for norse mythology and there could be many reasons why there is much less written about the goddesses than the gods. But that's just me, and I am by no means an expert in the field. Snorri's Edda does say that Lofn unites those for whom marrige is forbidden, though, and that sounds pretty gay.

A little digression, bear with me I promise I have a point. Lavender has been used as a symbol for homosexuality and queerness for quite some time, and the colour purple even longer. "The Lavender Scare", "Lavender Menace" and "lavender marrige" are all terms and names from queer history, and the colour and the flower came to be empowering for queer people.

WELL

In Icelandic, the name for lavender is 'lofnarblóm', literally translated as 'the flower of Lofn'. The plant is not native to the island and the word seems to be quite recent (the first written example of it I can find is from 1986), in all the other nordic languages they call it some sort of variation of lavendel, except for Faroese, where it appears to be called 'bath plant' (I'm so sorry, I don't speak Faroese). There are a few other words that start with lofnar-, most likely as a reference to the goddess, but most of them seem to be rather old and/or uncommon. I have no idea why 'lofnarblóm' was chosen as a translation for lavender. Knowing icelandic history, the queer connotation was probably not on purpose, but I can't help but get excited about the connection.

TL;DR: Lavender (aka the gay flower) is named after Lofn (aka the gay goddess in norse mythology) in icelandic

[axelsagewrites]

Could I ask about something fluffy for Halfdan the black from Vikings please for the V day creations 😁🥰🥰🥰🥰Thank you 🥰🥰🥰

Halfdan*Lofn

Pairing: halfdan x goddess!reader

Word count: 1352

Warnings: forbidden love, made up norse festival bc they didnt have valentines (or anything similar i could find)

Masterlist Here

Halfdan never felt the need to make friends. Not in the way his brother Harald did at least. Halfdan had drinking buddies, war buddies, hell even fuck buddies, but he did not see the point of befriending another lord just for his company. Though Halfdan was not the brother destined to be king.

Halfdan quite frankly didn’t understand why they even had to stop in this godforsaken village. So, when his brother told him they had to stay another five days to take part in their festival he found himself groaning and whining like a toddler.

The only reason he hadn’t abandoned his brother and went elsewhere was because of you. well, he didn’t know your name only your face. But the gods had made it the most beautiful face he’d ever seen.

When he asked his brother about the festival even Harald seemed to know nothing. your village had been named after Freyja so every year you would honour her but neither knew what to expect.

-

The bonfire was higher than any house with children dancing around the flames and drinks flowing freely with the adults. As Harald nursed his third cup his eyes fell upon you and finally, he felt like this may have been worth him staying.

You were sat alone, a few feet away from most on a fallen tree staring into the flames. Before he could think the alcohol had decided for him and he was crossing the grass towards you. “May I sit?” he asked, trying to act nonchalant but he felt an odd blush raise in his cheeks as you lifted your gaze.

Your eyes scanned over him for a moment in silence, from his tip toes to his hair, before finally you gave a small nod. “I’m Halfdan,” he said, breaking the silence once more as he sat down, and he felt relived you gave your name back. “Why are you sitting all alone?” he asked making you laugh a little, “What?”

“Nothing. I like someone who does not beat around the bush,” you said, a twinkle in your eye that made him blush again before your eyes returned to the fire, “I like to sit with my thoughts especially on days like this. Everyone seems so happy,”

“And you, are you happy?” he asked, his gaze fixed on you even if you do not return it.

However, he did notice the smile that tugged on your lips, “I can be at times,” usually he’d roll his eyes at an answer like yours, but this felt different.

“You never answered my question,” he said, and you hummed in response, “Why are you alone?”

“You were the first person to ask to sit,” you replied, finally turning to face him, “I think the better question is why did you?”

Up this close Halfdan could see the flames reflected in your eyes despite the fire being so far away. he could feel its warmth as if it was sat next to him, “I suppose I just wanted to meet you,” he said, his head becoming hazy.

“Are you well? you look like you may faint,” you said, brow knotting in concern.

“I don’t know,” he muttered, “It is very warm is it not?” he said, pulling at his shirt to fan himself.

He only stopped when you stood up, “Come with me. I know where you can cool down,” you said, and he did not need to be told twice.

He followed you down the hill the bonfire was on down to the edge of the shore where you slowly walked along as the breeze from the water finally cooled him down, “I’m not sure what happened,” Halfdan said when he finally felt he could breathe again.

Your smile almost took it away though, “It’s alright. Many become overwhelmed by the end of the night. The fire can burn awfully hot,”

“What is the fire for? I know your celebrating Freyja but why?” he asked, pausing in his tracks when you laughed softly.

You stopped as well and turned to face him, “We do not only celebrate her. well, I do not at least,” you said, turning your gaze to the sea, “We celebrate love. Freyja is of course only one of the three we celebrate,”

“And the other two?”

“Well one is Sjöfn though some rumour she is just Frigg in disguise,”

“Why would a goddess need to disguise herself?” Halfdan asked, suddenly very interested in every word you had to say. “Is she not the goddess of marriage?”

“She is. as well as prophecy and motherhood however sadly, love does not always lie in the marriage. That’s where the third comes in. Lofn,”

“I recognise the name,” he said though he could not place from when.

You chuckled however, “Many do. Few know why. She is protecting the forbidden love. The true love. The love that cannot always be, but you will never lose. She is who I celebrate on nights like these,” you said as your eyes turned to gaze back at the fire.

Halfdan felt a flare grow in his chest, “Why is that? I cannot imagine a man loving you and letting you go no matter the reason,”

Your lips quirked into a smile as your eyes turned to him, “I am not in a forbidden love. Not yet at least. Though I do find the notion romantical,”

“Romantical?”

“Romantical. Mesmerizing. Enthralling. Whatever word you choose. The notion of a love so strong it breaks the rules,”

“You do not like to follow the rules?”

“I do not see why I would,” you said.

Halfdan found himself cracking a slight smirk, “I knew there was a reason I liked you,” he said before you decided it was finally time to head back to the fire. As you began to walk up the hill, he decided to ask another question, “Why the bonfire?”

“They say no matter how far you are from the flames you will feel them on your skin if you’re sat with your one love and if you feel a chill stood beside it then it is not meant to be,”

“Is that why there are so many girls sat around it?” he snorted when he noticed just how close to the flames some of them sat. you however chose not to respond to that, and it was enough to make him swallow hard. “Do you believe in it?”

“I do,”

“Why?”

“Because I know it’s true,”

“How?”

“I just do,” you said with a small smile as you arrived back to your original seat, “Your brother is looking for you,” you said, nodding over at the dark-haired man motioning to Halfdan to come over. “I’ll wait here,”

Halfdan sighed, “I’ll only be a moment,” he said as he stalked over to his brother.

“I was wondering where you went,” Harald said as he held out a drink to his brother, “Another?”

“I went on a walk,” he said as he took the cup.

Harald made a face however, “By yourself?”

Halfdan rolled his eyes, “No with…” he said, turning to point to you only to realise the space you once stood was empty, “She was right there,” he muttered before telling Harald your name.

Harald just shook his head, “You weren’t with anyone brother. I saw you walk up the hill yourself,”

“That’s impossible,” he muttered as his eyes scanned the crowd.

His attention was only drawn back when he heard Harald shiver, “You’d think that fire would feel warmer,” he said making Halfdan’s eyes widen.

His eyes turned to the bonfire, staring into the flames. He saw you through them like before but this time he did not see you on the other side. Perhaps he’d drank too much Harald suggested when he assured him no one had been sitting on that fallen tree. However, when Halfdan saw the tree standing unbent and unwavering the next day he knew he had met you. he just had not realised you were a god. A god who he could never love. It was all so romantical he thought.

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[dark-and-kawaii]

Kiwi, I'd love to have an in-depth exposé of Thay's political system. What are the factions at court? Who are the great noble families of Thay? What about dragons? Are they a big cultural element in Thaian society? What about that society, though. How is it organized?

I'll need your three volumes book by tomorrow thank you.

I love talking about the lore but I apologize because I’m trying to condense a 5 year campaign and that’s EXTREMELY hard!!! I did my absolute best and I hope you enjoy it<333 Thank you jelly for taking such a huge interest <33 I have something cooking for you as a thanks for all the lovely stories you’ve been sending me xoxo!!

If you are interested in learning more about Lofn & Zevlor and where they live I highly recommend checking this out!!

Tʜᴇ Lᴏʀᴇ Oғ Tʜᴀʏ

In the court of Thay it is primarily composed of Wizards representing different schools of magic. These Wizards serve as advisors to Thay’s ruler, including the princess and her siblings, such as Signa, the King of Cormyr. The Red Wizards are a secret society since Lynnania’s grandfather took control and are known to be able to use the red crystals (a magical energy source) at their full potential. As members age, they seek successors to continue their legacy. The Red Wizards also provide counsel to the rulers and vigilantly guard against threats to the city. Korgus, the leader of the Red Wizards, holds a position on the council and has demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Thay family for many years.

As for the great noble families; the lineage of Lofn stands as the sole noble family in Thay, tracing its origins back to Thorion, Lofn’s great grandfather, who shaped Thay into its current form. Upon Thorion’s “death” (never fully confirmed), his son Merciel ascended to the throne, and he was loved and respected just as his father was. However, his reign faced turmoil when his beloved wife, Lilia, had an affair with the King of Cormyr, resulting in a pregnancy. Despite the scandal, she managed to ensure the child was safely delivered to the King of Cormyr before Merciel could discover the child wasn’t his and slay the infant.

When Merciel discovered the affair, a prolonged war erupted between Cormyr and Thay. This conflict raged on until Merciel, alongside the ancient red dragon he rode, slayed both the King of Cormyr and his ancient blue dragon. As time went by, Lilia gave birth to Lynnania but fled with her due to Merceil becoming more violent natured (he would abuse Lilia). That’s where Lynnania’s story began, when her mother died she eventually discovered who she was and at age 19 she ascended the Throne of Thay and took her rightful place as Queen after killing her father and handing his soul over to Grazzt.

Lynnania(19) later forged peace with Cormyr, having fallen in love with Lykos Cormyr (30), the son of the former king her father had slain. But before uniting the kingdoms, the two clashed despite their affections, resulting in Lynnania defeating Lykos and trapping his soul within her dagger. Eventually, she resurrected him, and together they have had three children, including Lofn.

In the heart of the city lies an enormous dragon spine, so massive that the district is aptly named The Spine. Whispers and tales suggest that this spine once belonged to Astilabor, the dragon Goddess of wealth. Legend has it that she and Thorion were inseparable allies, waging numerous battles side by side until she ascended to the heavens, leaving her spine as a symbol of the dragons' guardianship over the city.

The dragons hold a strong cultural influence on the realm of Thay but the one they embrace the most is The Ancient Red Dragon, Thalerion. Some even use the red crystals as a form of reverence.

Thay holds a yearly celebration to honor Thalerion and the other dragons with fireworks and street food. The society of Thay has a bustling marketplace (similar to the Bazaars Of The Ottoman Empire). Thay is even known for being a very artistic culture with lots of sculptures, the red crystals creating murals, and in some parts they value design over function. It’s a very magical place where you can find many rare weapons, clothing, and even creatures.

Since Bane’s arrival (Lynnania’s greatest ally/A father figure in his eyes to Lofn), the Banites have become a part of the guards and have been loyal to Thay. Because of the alliance Lynnania formed with them, the temple of Bane was built for those loyal to him. You will always find Bane lurking around near/ or with Lynnania (he also takes on the appearance of a wood elf named Reyes).

The guards of Thay are led by a man named Riznof, a well known seasoned veteran of the royal guard and Lynnania’s personal guard. They are all able to use teleportation circles all across the city that they use to get to needed locations to protect it. Since Thay is known for being extremely hot, their material is made of enchanted leather that is resistant to the heat. When a member of the Thay guards meet their end, the Thay family honors their sacrifice with a sacred burial ceremony. It is believed that these warriors who have departed this life with honor, are embraced by one of the dragons from the heavens in their final moments. Their bodies are set aflame by one of the Thay’s dragons so that their soul can embark on a journey, riding upon the back of a dragon into the celestial realms above.

Due to Lynnania’s alliance with the Abyss and Grazzt her castle is guarded by Giant Demon Dire Wolves. These beasts have fur as black as night, blood red eyes that pierce your very soul and bones that protrude from their spines. Besides the Thay family only five members of the Royal guards are able to command them, Riznof being one.

Thay’s greatest enemy is Asmodeus and the Nine Hells. Lynnania and the devil lord have been at one another’s throats ever since she interfered with his plans to conquer Toril, and corrupt Thay. Asmodeus has had numerous attempts at trying to ensalve the queen and destroy the city, but he has failed each time. This only fueled the hatred between the two further, and he has since made it his mission to find a way to end Lynnania...

In an act of desperation he took control of a close and very powerful ally of hers, a wizard named Veroon- and Asmodeus attempted to kill her himself as soon as he got close enough. Though he landed a near fatal blow, Lynnania survived and before she could trap his soul in her dagger, Asmodeus escaped the body he was in. Years have gone by and Asmodeus has yet to make another move and the hells have kept at bay away from Lynnania.

[randomtheidiot]

What the Norse gods probably smell like.

NOTE: I AM NOT A NEOPAGAN. I’M JUST A NERD. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE MY DERANGED RAMBLINGS AS RELIGIOUS GOSPEL, I WILL ULTIMATELY USE ALL THAT POWER AND INFLUENCE FOR EVIL.

This is a comprehensive list of what I think all the Norse gods smell like. Do not ask me why I wrote this down, why I wanted to post this on the internet or why I even asked the question in the first place. Everything can be explained by mental illness and sleep deprivation.

If your favorite deity isn’t on here, it’s because they suck.

-Óðinn (Odin): A mix of beer, sausage and that old man sweater smell.

-Þórr (Thor): Alcohol, body odor and an inordinate amount of Worcestershire sauce. The smell is strong enough to knock small birds straight out of the air.

-Loki: Fireplace soot and the kind of mulling spices you’d use in apple cider. You’d think it’d smell good, but the sooty smell kind of ruins it. A bath would definitely help.

-Frigg: Some sort of strong perfume, along with cheap wine and potpourri. She just kinda does, I don’t know why.

-Freyja: She has that cat scent. I don’t know if any of you know what I’m talking about, but she smells like a cat.

-Freyr: Apple scented shampoo. This is a conscious choice on his part.

-Baldr: Flowers. Real ones, too. Not the fake perfume shit. I suppose now he smells like a corpse that was burnt on a pyre, but when he was alive, he smelled like flowers.

-Höðr: Wintergreen mouthwash… for some reason.

-Nanna: Fruit preserves like jam and shit.

-Hœnir: He smells like a dad. Whatever you think a dad smells like is what Hœnir smells like. He smells fatherly.

-Skaði: Pine sap. She is covered in pine sap and if you look closely, she probably has some pine needles glued to her hair.

-Sif: The bread aisle in a grocery store.

-Iðunn: Apple based food products. She’s not exactly running low on apples.

-Sigyn: Olive Garden. She smells like the inside of an Olive Garden. Do not question me on this.

-Mímir: Very strong incense to cover up the corpse smell. It is nearly impossible to breathe around him.

-Týr: Go up to a man. Any man, doesn’t have to be a specific kind of man. Now smell him. That is it. Týr smells like a man.

-Heimdallr: Piss and vinegar from all the hate in his soul. There’s a million goddamn signs of Ragnarök and his dad still has him keeping watch like he’s a fucking security robot. That horn ain’t gonna do shit and he knows it.

-Njördr: He smells bad, but it’s not really clear what’s on him. It could be anything from tacky deodorant to motor oil and judging by his general weirdness, I’m not sure I wanna find out.

-Ægir: Alcohol. He practically wears Heineken as a cologne and it smells fucking terrible. Add on his natural ocean smell and it’s just fucking unpleasant to be around him.

-Rán: Fish, and not for the reason you might be thinking!

-Jörð: She’s a fucking earth goddess. Stick your face in the dirt. That’s what she smells like. Don’t ask me this again. Fuck you.

-Laufey: Tree. :)

-Njörðr’s unnamed sister-wife: The nursing home.

-Lofn: Shitty rose flavored Turkish delight that I got from one of those generic ass Marshall’s stores that white moms really seem to like. It was only slightly better than the lemon one.

-Forseti: That incense they use at Catholic Churches. I don’t know why, he just does.

-Hermóðr: Sweat and various other body fluids, as well as traces of whatever menial task Óðinn last assigned to him.

-Ullr: Tobacco. On his breath. Staining his beard. It’s horrible.

-Sól: Orange juice and sunscreen.

-Máni: Grape scented for unclear reasons. Probably nefarious ones.

-Bragi: Bragi smells like a disappointment of a child. His siblings are Þórr, Baldr and Týr and he’s just there with his stupid poetry and shit. He smells like those stupid Yankee Candle candles that never actually smell like what’s on the label. When I see “tropical seabreeze” on a label, I don’t expect it to smell like dishwashing liquid, but it always does. Bragi is tropical seabreeze candles. Bragi is dishwashing liquid.

-Hel: BAD. BAD SMELL. THAT IS NOT A GOOD SMELL.

-Angrboða: Plums.

[thorraborinn]

Hi there! I was wondering, would you know where I could find anything on like, social taboos involving marriage? I wanted to know if there's anything in the sagas or maybe in archaeology/anthropology that touches on forbidden unions. I know the goddess Lofn is cited as one who grants permission to such people to be together, but I wanted to know if we have anything on what these forbidden unions could look like? Off the top of my head, I imagine feuding families to be a good start, but I can't find much else on the subject. Thank you!

Marriages in Old Norse society were arranged by families (usually between the prospective husband and the father or other male relative of the prospective bride), and more for political and economic reasons than for personal ones. Some people were married specifically because their families were feuding, to bring the feud to an end (often the people involved wanted out but failure to retaliate could have consequences; uniting the families could end the feud in a way that saved face. In Old English a woman who is married into an enemy family for this reason is called freoðu-webbe, 'frith weaver'). Frands Herschend went as far as proposing to see women in Iron Age Scandinavia generally as hostages (in the sense that Freyr and Njörðr are hostages in Ynglinga saga). If the sagas are relatively accurate there does seem to have been an understanding that the family should be arranging things such that the woman is happy with the result, but they weren't legally obligated to.

In this kind of situation, a marriage that's forbidden would be basically any that either side of the family, especially the woman's closest male relatives, opposes. The reasons were probably diverse and personal, and not generally based on widespread taboos. Most of it probably had to do with money and social hierarchy.

Feuding certainly played a role here, or rather we should say relations based in reciprocity, whether positive or negative, did. As I said, marriages were sometimes arranged specifically to bring hostile families into a single family and end the conflict, but if one side thought they had the upper hand and stood to gain by continuing the hostilities then they would surely not permit such a marriage. Marriages might also be arranged out of obligation to more powerful people.

In fact, it might be possible to frame any actual social or legal prohibitions on marriage that did exist as protections for the woman from being married off to someone she didn't want, rather than restrictions on her freedom, because she hardly had any. We can surely consider divorce in a similar way, which was permitted in certain circumstances.

The main restriction that we do have evidence for is marrying someone who is too close a relation. There were probably situations where the financially or politically advantageous thing to do is to get two close cousins married to each other and it may have actually happened, but it's illegal in the laws we have a record of. This may have been less regulated in heathen times.

Of course, there could have been culturally-assumed restrictions that weren't formally prohibited in the law. There's speculation that, while a Nordic man marrying a non-Norse woman was not uncommon, happening the other way around was not generally permitted. This is supposedly reflected in the mythology, where the male gods marry jötunn women but the goddesses do not marry jötunn men. However, there is archaeological evidence from the Vendel period that contradicts this (the book I'm getting this from is over 20 years old, so by now there could be contradictory evidence from the Viking age too, but I'm not sure), so if there was ever such an ethnic taboo it must have either not been universal, or developed later. I'll also remind that there is a contradiction in the mythology as well; Gefjun isn't described as marrying a jötunn but she does have kids with one, which scholars do typically count as a violation of an ethnic taboo, sometimes as grounds to reject the myth itself as "impossible" (Lindow's description).

A lot of this may have varied by class. We mostly know about the land-owning class. It's hard to say whether poorer people would have even less freedom over whom they married because of their dependence on land-owners, or if they had more freedom because there was less social and financial stake in it. It seems likely that their marriages weren't as regulated, but their ability to actually move from place to place was the major limiting factor.

I'm not aware of any sources for it, but I have no trouble believing that illegal or otherwise unsanctioned marriage happened. The thing that kept people in line was inheritance. So if people were in a position where they could turn down their inheritance (whether because they had another source of resources or because their families were so poor their inheritance was negligible anyway), and could have a place to live, they could probably just do what they wanted.

So I think for the most part, if we were to picture Lofn's intercession as historical events, we might picture the site of those intercessions as kind of distant from the actual marriage, like opening opportunities to get by while forgoing one's inheritance, or unexpected changes elsewhere in the social network. Or a simpler example would be a woman successfully convincing her father, brother, or other male representative to let her do what she wanted.

This is a little out of step with Snorri's etymological explanation of Lofn's name as related to 'permission' but as I explained here I think the actual etymological meaning of her name was 'hope'.

Of course a lot of heathens read Lofn's description in the Edda as affirming of marriages that deviate from gender and sexual norms, which the text does in fact leave room for but probably isn't what Snorri had in mind. There's a lot of room for speculation about how this may have been relevant in pre-Christian times but it would be difficult to move it beyond speculation.

Unfortunately quite a lot of this is already pretty speculative, because of how much later our sources concerning marriage are than the time when Lofn may have actually been recognized. Frankly, the same applies to our sources for Lofn, and the time when she may have been recognized. If I'm right about the etymology of her name then I think it's at least a partial vindication of Snorri but that does not necessarily mean that his description of her is entirely reliable.

[sigyn-foxyposts]

"The famous smith Ivaldi"

I decided to build more on his character, since we don't have anything about him and I've had many thoughts about my interpretation of his character! I'm planning on going more in depth soon but tiny headcannon for now: he would totally brag about his children and ironically enough accept Loki more than Freyja when it comes to his marriage to Sigyn. XD

[raining-anonymously]

ok listen i started thinking about opposites attracting. the goddess of loyalty is married to the god(dess) of lies? fuck yeah!!! fuck yeah!!!! and tyr and freyr are apparently very good friends (source: lokasenna, and can i just say i love everything tyr does in the lokasenna so much??), which is so fun because tyr is a war god and freyr is a peace god! little lofn at the bottom because i think she’d enjoy this as well <33

anyway. yeah i’m hyperfixating pretty bad. send help.

[simple-persica]

HI SORRY, I'M NOT THE LAST ANON BUT I'M VERY GLAD I SAW THAT LAST ASK ABOUT FRIGG AND FREYJA BECAUSE I LITERALLY RESEARCHED THIS FOR LIKE AN HOUR STRAIGHT (clearly, im a specialist now).

But I'd say in short that Frigg and Freyja ONCE in older attestations were somewhat considered the same goddess, as that happens a lot with mythological figures in basically everywhere (you could count Oðr and Odin here too technically). BUT probably with the newer retellings of the legends and the myths that were told later on, Frigg and Freyja were then seperated into two different people.

This probably holds up well because Frigg/Freyja are also considered to maybe also be A BUNCH of other goddesses such as Gullveig, Lofn, and yatayata you get the gist. So basically, all these goddesses were probably branched off from the same goddess but became their own individuals. This happens a lot in Greek mythology too since gods changed 24/7 as history went on, a good examples is probably Dionysus with Zagreus (even tho Zagreus is a little less known,,, if you exclude the Supergiant Games LMAO)

Anyways, feel free to interpret them as you wish, I personally like Frigg and Freyja as different individuals because I believe Frigg is very fun and cool, but some interpretations of them as the same person are cool enough-!!!

Oh damn wait that makes sense.

Ahsgagfdja I literally even knew about that phenomenon and didn’t consider it (I was familiar with OLD Pan being split into new Pan and Hermes.)

I love the implication of a super old, archaic fertility/earth goddess that was lost to time after being split off into so many epithets/regional variants or was like combined with other goddesses from different cultures bc they loved doing that.

[blairsanne]

Lofn: Series Masterlist

The Almighty Johnsons Anders Johnson x goddess!Reader

Note: This series is ongoing.

General summary: You are Lofn, the goddess of comfort, summoned by the gods to tend to them in their times of need. After being summoned by Bragi a few times, you get sucked into his world. As you attempt to navigate where you stand with each other, complications of god business get in the way.

Note: Reader character is female, of at least partial Norwegian descent, is described a few times early on as having blue-grey eyes and light brown hair, is shorter than Anders, is the goddess Lofn, works for SkyCity.

CW: 18+, smut in every chapter (including protected and unprotected penetrative sex, oral (m&f receiving), masturbation, power dynamics, and more), instances of physical violence, blood, mentions of canon murders (no on-screen murder), instances of alcohol consumption, mention of drug use, attempted non-con/assault (not by Anders), language. Major canon plot spoilers when the plot lines up with the plot of the series.

Chapter 1: Lofn

Summary: After a particularly bad day, Anders accidentally summons Lofn, the goddess of comfort, to his office in the middle of the night. Anders just happens to have a favourite way to unwind.

CW: Hurt/comfort, alcohol, language, smut. Words: 3,235

Chapter 2: House Call

Summary: Anders (and his nose) had a rough time in Whangamaungamoa and he finds himself wishing he had company as he feels the inevitable pull of sleep. Luckily the goddess Lofn is meant to provide comfort to the gods.

CW: Hurt/comfort, smut, so sleepy Words: 2,631

Chapter 3: After Bad Things Happen

Summary: This chapter ties in directly to the events of S1E7 ‘Bad Things Happen’. You are summoned to a drugged Bragi, laying mostly-naked and covered in insults in his bed. With a knife. You spend the night making things better.

CW: hurt/comfort, description of attempted/intended violence, smut, angst? Words: 6,489

Chapter 4: Available

Summary: You encounter Bragi ‘in the wild’, but your visit is interrupted by a summon elsewhere. After helping his family through a problem, you spend some alone time with the god you now know as Anders.

CW: family issues, smut Words: 10,942

Chapter 5: Lonely Beds

Summary: You comfort Thor on a big day, then struggle to connect with Anders until a well-timed summon.

CW: smut (fairly tame), pining, sleepy stuff Words: 4,993

Chapter 6: Hamilton

Summary: You meet Anders at a hotel in Hamilton and he has his own brand of fun in mind for your evening.

CW: smut (mostly the whole thing is smut, tiny bit of plot kinda), praise/power play Words: 4,547

Chapter 7: Bubbles & Bubbles

Summary: Anders leaves you alone while he tends to business during the day, though you both anticipate your evening together. Things eventually get a little heavy in the bath, and then on the floor.

CW: Smut, oral (m receiving), unprotected sex, drinking Words: 6,675

Chapter 8: All Apologies

Summary: As your weekend with Anders draws to a close, he gets jealous to see you out with another man while he’s working. Things get a little heated as you try to talk about it.

CW: Smut, unprotected sex, use of toy, jealousy Words: 5,806

Chapter 9: Turned Around

Summary: Busy preparing for your move to Auckland, you are summoned first to Mike and then to Anders’s flat, but things don’t go as you’re used to. {Set between S1E10 and S2E1}

CW: smut, unprotected sex, alcohol, comfort, angst, hurt feelings, cliffhanger ending… also a lot of Mike? Words: 10,532

Chapter 10: Crisis of Faith

Summary: Anders went to Norway to try to clear you from his mind to no avail. Determined to find a path to you and to win you over, he gets his brothers involved. He’s not the only one dealing with problems he needs help with, though. {Set between S2E6 and S2E9}

CW: Smut, alcohol, unprotected sex (m/f), discussion of death/murder, brief violence/assault/sexual assault/attempted noncon (not by Anders) - not in that order Words: 15,313

Chapter 11: Apples

Summary: You run into Anders during your workday and can’t help but spend the afternoon with him. You have a premonition of something you don’t understand, until you meet someone at JPR. {This chapter and the next follow the plots from S2E9-13 and rely on you having seen the episodes for further context.}

CW: Smut, unprotected sex, lying, angst, cheating? Words: 8,147

Chapter 12: Destiny

Summary: While Anders struggles with his new bond to Helen, you try not to completely fall apart as you adjust to not being with him anymore. Difficult summons lead to unanswered questions and you back in his bed. {This chapter and the one before it follow the plots from S2E9-S3E1 and rely on you having seen the episodes for further context.}

CW: Smut, heartbreak, breakup grief, angst, unprotected sex, Idun, mention of off-screen death, blood (but no graphic depictions of violence) Words: 9,596

Chapter 13: Stranger

Summary: The Idun problem still lingers as you’re summoned to help a new goddess. Your mortal best friend doesn’t understand what’s going on, or why you’re keeping things from him. Anders finally opens the book you returned to him.

CW: Smut, Idun, brief mention of prior suicide attempt and murder, unprotected sex, a somewhat rude interruption Words: 7,840

Chapter 14: Back to Auckland

Summary: You ditch the hotel in Hamilton to take Anders back to your flat in Auckland for a weekend of honeymoon type bliss.

CW: Smut, tooth-rotting fluff, insecurities, unprotected sex, oral (female receiving) Words: 7,038

Chapter 15: Happy For Me

Summary: While Anders deals with shady business offers and the threat of god-hunters, things escalate between you and Hamish, leading to an accidental use of power. {This chapter takes place during Season 3, Episode 4, "Like the Berserkers of Old", though the events of the episode happen mostly "off-screen".}

CW: smut, unprotected sex, secret keeping, accidental and intentional emotional manipulation Words: 8119

[ryebread-x]

Sigyn’s Family Tree

I finally got around to quickly making my interpretation Sigyn’s Family Tree:

-Sigyn is the daughter of dwarf Ivaldi and an Unknown Sea Goddess

-Sigyn knows who her mother is but has never really reveled her identity to anyone because she didn’t have the best relationship with her mother

-Sigyn is the half sister of Idunn and has several half brothers as well (Sigyn is the eldest)

-Sigyn and Idunn have a very close sisterly bond

-Freyja was Sigyn’s “almost sister in law” however they view eachother as also having a sisterly bond same goes for Idunn

- Ivaldi and Mani kinda had a relationship going on and their daughter Idunn was a gift from Mani to Ivaldi before Mani had to break things off because of their job

-Sjofn, Lofn, and Gefjun are Sigyn and Idunn’s nieces

-Sigyn and Idunn still talk to their father however neither talk to their other parent (Idunn has never even really met Mani)

-Then of course Sigyn married Loki having Vali and Narfi ,while Idunn married Bragi however they have no children

Again, this is just my interpretation of Sigyn’s family tree. Since Sigyn’s parents are for the most part unknown I used my own creative freedom when making this, though I know there are many different interpretations of the identity of Sigyn’s parents.

[grimnirs-child]

Next installment of my Handmaidens Project is up on my Wordpress! This time it is all about Lofen & Siofen, my Old English interpretations of Lofn & Sjöfn, Goddesses of love and especially forbidden love.

I go into Their attestations in the Eddas, some of my personal UPG & epithets for Them, and what They have to teach us this Pride month about altruism, compassion, and the sanctity of queer love.

Hail Lofen! Hail Siofen! And Hail the mighty Queer, Trans and Intersex Ancestors!

[annachum]

The Witches of Asgard ( ie the Witches who came to reside in Asgard, and that's just some of them )

Queen Frigga

Siriana Tyrsdottir/Grace ( wife of Heimdall and mom of Axel )

( I can't find a gif of Grace in Thor 4 so I found a gif that is closer to that )

Sigyn Ivarrsdottir ( younger cousin of Fandral and wife of Loki )

Lady Eir

Lady Idunn ( a paternal aunt of Sigyn, wife of Bragi and mother of Fandral )

( I imagine MCU Idunn to look kinda like Lucrezia Borgia in spades )

Lady Zisa ( wife of Tyr and mother of Siriana, and Norse Goddess of Harvest )

Solveig Sindridottir ( a daughter of Sindri, a granddaughter of Ivaldi and wife of Vidarr )

Nanna Neprsdottir ( at least in that alt timeline )

Lady Fulla ( edit : Turns out she is a ' virgin goddess ' so Fulla is a ' wine aunt ' of the Witches of Asgard )

Lady Gefjon ( wife of Skoldjr and mother of Vidarr )

The rest of these ladies have all been amongst Frigga's handmaids for at least a time, and powerful witches in their own rights

Krista, Hogun's younger sisters Hnoss and Gersemi, Eir's daughters Lofn and Sjofn, Saga and her daughters Var and Vor are also amongst the retinue of Frigga's handmaids at least for a time, and amongst the Witches of Asgard

Hildegard was amongst the retinue of Frigga's Queensguards