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The Lovesickness of Freyr

The Lovesickness of Freyr
  • Creator: W. G. Collingwood August 6, 1854 - 1932
  • Description: This illustration by W.G. Collingwood is from the poem Skirnismál in Olive Bray's translation of the Poetic Edda that was published in a dual language edition in 1908 as The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. The illustration depicts a lovesick Freyr pining for the giantess Gerðr whom he has glimpsed from afar. The couple in the background are his parents Njörðr and Skaði who are concerned about the source of their son´s unhappiness.
  • Source: The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda
  • Folio or Page: 138
  • Medium: Wood Engraving
  • Date: 1908
  • Dimensions (mm): 125 x 95
  • Provenance:
    This illustration is from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda from the collection of P. A. Baer.
  • Rights:
    This illustration from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda is in the public domain.
  • Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
    1. Excerpt from an early print book review (1908): "Each poem is prefaced by two designs by Professor Collingwood. These at their best leave little to be desired. Several of them e.g. Graybeard and Thor, are altogether admirable. Others are valuable both from the artistic and the antiquarian standpoint, as the artist has woven into them motives from Pre-Norman crosses or hogbacks illustrating Eddaic subjects...." pg. 494. Full text of the review. Folklore Vol. 19, No. 4 (Dec. 30, 1908), pp. 493-496.
    2. Excerpt from an early print book review (1909): "The text is accompanied by thirty-three excellent illustrations, which have the comparatively rare merit of really helping the reader to vizualize [sic]the action and of suggesting the atmosphere of the poems." pg 97. Full text of the review. The Journal of American Folklore Vol. 22, No. 83 (Jan. - Mar., 1909), pp. 96-98.
  • Bibliography:

    Editions

    Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. Translated by Olive Bray . London: Viking Club, 1908.

    Secondary Sources

    Major, Albany F. Review of The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. Folklore, vol. 19, no. 4, 30 Dec. 1908: 493-496. Web. August 2,2021.
    Rankin, J. W.. Review of Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 22, no. 83, Jan. - Mar. 1909: 96-98. Web. 26 July 2021.
  • Identity Number: EldEdd-1908-138-01
  • Download size: 3.2 MB
  • Source code of this document: [XML]
Bray, Olive   Collingwood, W. G.   Elder or Poetic Edda   Edwardian   Óðinn, Odin   Frigg, Frigg   Freyr   Skírnismál, Lay of Skirnir   The Wooing of Gerðr  

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The MyNDIR Team

Dunn-Krahn, Sage (en.) b. 13th July 1999
Occupation: Research Assistant

Giants and Giantesses

Gerðr (non.) Gerdur (en.) The giantess that Freyr falls in love with when he sits in Óðinn´s high seat and glimpses her from afar. He sends his servant Skírnir to woo her in exchange for giving his sword to Skírnir.
Skaði (non.) Skadi (en.) In Snorri's Edda, Skaði is a giantess who choose her husband from among the gods as compensation for the death of her father, Þjazi. However, Skaði is only allowed to see the feet of the gods and she mistakes Njorðr´s feet for Baldr´s. In Ynglinga saga, the first saga in Heimskringla, she is one of the group that traveled with the chieftain Óðinn from Asia to the northern lands. Her first husband Heimskringla, was Njörðr, but she later married the chieftain Óðinn and they were said to have had many sons.

Gods and Goddesses

Freyr (non.) A fertility god and one of the Vanir. He is the son of Njörðr and the twin brother of Freyja.
Frigg (non.) Frigg (en.) The wife of Óðinn and the mother of Baldr.
Njörðr (non.) Njord (en.) Njorth (en.) According to Snorri, Njörðr is one of the Vanir. He fathered Freyr and Freyja with his sister, whose name is unknown. Njörðr was briefly married to the giantess Skaði. He is associated with the wind and the sea, and can control fire. He lived in Nóatún.
Óðinn (non.) Odin (en.) The chief god of the Æsir in The Prose Edda. However, in Heimskringla he was a mortal who tricks the King of Sweden into believing that he was a god.

Myths

The Wooing of GerðrThis myth relates the story of Freyr falling in love with the giantess, Gerðr, when he sit in Óðinn´s high seat and glimpses her from afar. Freyr sends his servant Skírnir to woo Gerðr in exchange for giving his sword to Skírnir. Consequently, Freyr will not have his sword when he fights with Surtr at the Battle of Ragnarök.

Nouns

Edwardian (en.)The Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 (January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July 1914).

Source Materials:

Elder or Poetic Edda (en.)A dual language editon of the Poetic Edda with illustrations by W. G. Collingwood.
Skírnismál (is.) Lay of Skirnir (en.) One of the mythological poems preserved in the Poetic Edda that relates the story of Freyr giving his sword to his servant Skírnir in exchange for Skírnir wooing the giantess Gerðr on Freyr´s behalf.

Source Persons

Bray, Olive (en.) b. June 17, 1878
d. November 15, 1909
Nationality: English
Occupation: scholar, translator and editior
Residence: 17 The Boltons Kensington, London, England
Bray was one of the daughters of the high court judge Sir Reginald More Bray (1842-1923) and the novelist Emily Octavia Bray, of Shere Manor near Guildford. Little is known about Olive. She joined the Viking Society for Northern Research in 1902 and was a Vice-President in 1909. At the time of her death, she was living in the family home at 17 The Boltons Kensington. Her grave is in the Shere churchyard.
Collingwood, W. G. (en.) b. 6th August 1854
d. 1st October 1932
Nationality: English
Collingwood was an author, artist, and a professor at University College Reading.