As the only silver figure of Freyja found in Scandinavia, this figure tells a great deal about the religious beliefs of the Norse, especially when compared to the context in which it was buried. Acting as either a charm or an indication of power, this small figure has importance when investigating gender roles and religion in Norse society.
        This silver figure was discovered at TissØ, Denmark in the 1990s. It has been related to other Viking burials of women called völva, or seeresses.¹ The fact that the figure itself is so rare suggests that in the Christianization of Denmark non-Christian reliquaries were destroyed and perhaps melted down for other uses, or these figures were no longer made or many have been lost. It is also plausible that the possession of silver figures the goddess were limited to only those who were deemed holy or as a seeress by the community. According to an excerpt from Erik the Red’s saga, prophetesses were often revered members of society and treated as guests of honor at banquets.² Holding a high position would make it more likely that the possession of objects like this was limited to those with seeress status. However, it is also possible that more figures of Freyja have been made and not discovered yet, though this would seem unlikely given the other finds of these völva graves that have lacked such figures.³ The figure could also be a charm for fertility or female health, as Freyja was the goddess associated with fertility.⁴ Again, the rarity of the find would then also suggest that having the figure of Freyja was possibly a last resort in trying to conceive and was only a method pursued by higher status women, or perhaps was a figure that was given by the holy woman then returned to her after conception had happened. However, it also entirely possible that this was a love charm or a figurine kept by a woman hoping to seduce a man, as Freyja was also the goddess associated with seductive prowess.⁵ Graves of völva have also been found with henbane – a strong aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic – and apparently the völva were also considered dangerous because of their seductive powers.⁶ Given this context, it is also may be this is the only figurine of Freyja found because charms of the goddess could have been considered too dangerous to keep around.
        This small silver figure also hints at the rank these holy women had in Viking society. They would be important enough to be buried with silver objects, as well as pieces of jewelry.⁷ The rank of these women could also shed light on gender dynamics within Viking society as well. Being a völva or witch could be one of the highest ranks a woman could hold. It is a small place to start, but this figure is the start of many different theories of women’s rank and viking religious beliefs.

Comment on this page