>From: "Lazarus Freyjasgodhi" <lazarus@...>

>Syr = Sow (female pig) which had a different symbolism in Old Norse

What was this symbolism? Has it been established? Are you
perhaps confusing the concepts of sexuality and fertility?

>Horn = a Horn (or corner or sharp angle or a small empty space) [This has
>enough English euphemisms to satisfy any comic]

Perhaps, but unfortunately this is not a name of Freyja. You
are probably confusing this with her name H�RN, which is quite
a different word. The meaning is not fully established, but
the form would indicate a relation with 'h�r' (flax). Not very
sexual, at least not to my mind.

>Gefion = The Giver [since Freyja has few, in any, tales of her giving
>things
>away like King's do - it may appropriate to think of this as 'Giving
>Herself']

How do you reach the conclusion that Gefjun is Freyja? Snorri
obviously thought of the two as separate, and so did the author
of Lokasenna, seeing that they are both actors in that little
drama. Possibly you are thinking of Freyja's name GEFN? This is
etymologically a related name, but there is no reason to conclude
that Freyja was constantly "giving herself away" to all and sundry.
The stem GEF- is very common in names of rivers and lakes in the
Scandinavian area, and this is thought to refer to an abundance of fish. We
still say in Iceland that the ocean, or lake, or indeed the earth itself is
GJ�FULL, meaning "abundant, generous" (in fish and crops). The verb GEFA
"give" also means "feed". Again, we are in the semantic domain of fertility
rather than sexuality. The sow produces meat, the meadow produces flax, and
the river and lakes produce fish.
(I realize, of course, that the sexual function is a precursor of
fertility, but that is not the point here. Sexuality and fertility
are two quite distinct concepts.)

I think you need to be more careful, and also to understand the
language better, before you make such intuitive leaps. With a bit
of imagination, you could probably make a case for every single
name of every single god in the Old Norse pantheon having a sexual
connotation. Don't get me wrong, I do not at all object to your
image of Freyja as an icon of rampant and unbridled sexuality. For
all I know this may be exactly true. But when it comes to forcing
her names to mean something they really do not, because you have
made an a priori assumption that they must do so, I object firmly.

Regards
Pelle


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