Gerð
Gerð is attested in the Poetic and Prose Eddas, Heimskringla, and several archaeological artifacts. She is a Jötunn, daughter of the frost giant Gymir and mountain giantess Aurboða. As such, she represents the wild and untamed forces of nature that care little for humanity. However, through her marriage to Freyr, she becomes one of the asyjnr, the major goddesses of Ásgard, and is worshiped in her own right. In Heathen tradition, Gerð and Freyr are seen as parents of human dynasties, particularly in Sweden.
Gerð’s name means enclosure and she is considered a goddess of gardens, fertile earth, and the enclosures that protect crops. Described as exceptionally beautiful, Gerð captivates Freyr, the previously unattached bachelor of the gods, when he spies her from the heights of Hlidskjálf, Óðin’s observation tower. Freyr sees her arms shimmering with light, compared to the glistening sunlight on snow, and falls in love with her at first sight. However, he assumes that such a match is impossible.
Freyr’s stepmother, Skaði, seeks to help him and sends the god Skyrnir to win Gerð’s heart. Skyrnir offers gifts of wealth, beauty, and magic, including Draupnir, the magical ring of Óðin, and Iðunn’s apples of eternal youth. However, Gerð rejects all of Skyrnir’s offers. Only when Skyrnir threatens her with Freyr’s “magic wand” does she relent, agreeing to marry Freyr after a nine-day courtship in a sacred orchard.
Though the story may be read as Freyr’s pursuit being aggressive by modern standards, it must be understood in the context of the ongoing war between the forces of creation (Ásgard) and the forces of destruction (Jötunheimr). The tale is also a metaphor for the transition from Winter to Spring, symbolizing the sun’s power to break the cold of winter and bring forth new life.
Gerð is associated with the moment Winter breaks, typically celebrated on February 1st or 2nd in Northern tradition, which corresponds with Groundhog Day, Imbolc, and Candlemas in modern neo-pagan practices. This time marks the transition into Spring, where the earth, frozen and dormant, begins to warm and open to the plow, symbolizing new growth.
Thoughts on Gerð
Gerð is honored alongside Freyr as a divine couple. She represents the frozen earth, warmed by the sun as Spring arrives, and the fertility that follows. She is symbolic of the cold that must be broken to allow life to flourish, and her significance is felt during the first sign of Winter’s end. As one of the colder goddesses, akin to her cousin Skaði, Gerð embodies the necessary process of transition, both in nature and in the human experience.
Her name also gives rise to the phrase "gird your loins," and her story inspired the character Gerda in Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, further cementing her place in both Norse and modern folklore.
Signs and Symbols
Fences, gates, garden sheds, and storehouses
Flower pots, frozen earth, and fertile soil
Gardens, farmland, orchards, and greenhouses
Crops, sunlight reflecting off snow and water
Dating and courtship rituals
February 1st or 2nd: The Charming of the Plough, Groundhog Day, Imbolc, and Candlemas
Associated Names
Gerda, Gerdhr, Gerth, Grið, and Griðr