Freyr’s Family Tree

About Freyr →

Family

• Gerd(spouse),Fjolnir(child)— Marriage

  Freyr married the jötunn maiden Gerðr after sending his servant Skírnir to woo her in the Skírnismál. Their son Fjölnir became the legendary ancestor of the Yngling dynasty.

• Njord(parent),Freya(sibling)

  Njörðr fathered the twin Vanir deities Freyr and Freyja, who came with him to dwell among the Aesir as hostages after the Aesir-Vanir War.

  ⚠ Lokasenna 36 implies Njörðr begat Freyr and Freyja with his own sister, a union permitted by Vanir custom. No surviving source names the mother.

Enemy of

• Surtr

  Freyr and Surtr are fated enemies at Ragnarök. Having given away his self-fighting sword to win Gerðr, Freyr fights Surtr with an antler and falls to the fire giant's flaming blade.

Slain by

• Surtr

  Surtr slays Freyr at Ragnarök with his flaming sword, for Freyr gave away his own self-fighting blade to win Gerðr and must face the fire giant unarmed.

Slew

• Beli

  Freyr slew the giant Beli with an antler, having no sword since he gave it to Skírnir. The Prose Edda cites this as proof of Freyr's strength even without his weapon.

Rules over

• Alfheim

  Freyr received Álfheim as a tooth-gift in his youth and rules the light elves from that shining realm.

• Skirnir

  Skírnir serves as Freyr's messenger and loyal servant, most notably undertaking the journey to Jötunheimr to woo Gerðr on Freyr's behalf in the Skírnismál.

Member of

• Aesir

  The Æsir are the principal tribe of Norse gods who dwell in Asgard, including both native members and Vanir hostages received after the Æsir-Vanir War, as catalogued in Gylfaginning.

• Vanir

  The Vanir, the gods of fertility and wealth, sent Njörðr, Freyr, and Freya to dwell among the Æsir as hostages after the Æsir-Vanir War.

Equivalent to

• Ing(Germanic)

  Ing and Freyr are the same fertility god remembered across Germanic and Norse traditions — the wagon-borne lord of the East-Danes in the Old English Rune Poem and the Yngvi-Freyr of the Ynglinga saga, divine ancestor of the Swedish Yngling dynasty.

Associated with

• Gullinbursti

  Gullinbursti is Freyr's golden boar, forged by the dwarves Brokkr and Sindri during Loki's wager with the craftsmen. Its glowing bristles light the darkest night.

• Loki

  In the Lokasenna, Loki accuses Freyr of having given away his sword foolishly and mocks his lovesickness. Loki also instigated the wager with Brokkr and Sindri that produced Freyr's treasures.

• Ragnarok

  Freyr rides to the final battle of Ragnarök without his sword, which he gave away to win Gerðr, and falls to Surtr's flaming blade as the worlds burn.

• Skadi

  In the Skírnismál, Skaði and Njörðr notice Freyr's lovesickness and send Skírnir to discover what ails him, setting the wooing of Gerðr in motion.

• Skidbladnir

  Skíðblaðnir is Freyr's magical ship, large enough to carry all the Æsir in full war gear yet foldable to fit in a pouch, always finding a fair wind wherever it sails.