Brisingamen

Freya putting on Brisingamen

Brisingamen ( dr. Scand. Brísingamen ) - in German-Scandinavian (aka Nordic ) mythology - a gold necklace (according to another version - a belt) made by four dwarf brothers Brisings, whose names were Alfrigg, Burling, Dwalin and Greer ( Alfrigg, Berling, Dvalin, Grer). Translated means “sparkling”, “spark”. The necklace does not possess any magical properties, it is just very beautiful, according to another version, makes the wearer even more beautiful, but then it is not clear why Freya , who was already the most beautiful of all people and goddesses, needed it.

The history of this necklace, described in the Sottr Thattr (c. 1400), is as follows:

Freya , being Odin's mistress, walked through the woods and came across a cave, where the four dwarfs named above admired the necklace they created. Freya, seeing this necklace, passionately wanted to get it, but the dwarves agreed to give the jewelry only if the goddess gave each of them her attention. Freya did so, and spent four nights in a cave, sharing a bed with all four brothers at once. The dwarves gave her the necklace and Freya returned to her Folkwang castle.

Loki who was watching her told Odin about Freya’s act, and he, angry, demanded that Loki steal the necklace. Loki turned into a flea, climbed into Sessrumnir while Freya was sleeping, and bit her until she turned over so that Loki could remove Brisingamen. Waking up, Freya discovered the loss of the necklace and immediately guessed that it was Loki, and since Loki would not have done it himself, it means that Odin is also involved. Therefore, Freya went to Odin and, remembering that the best defense was an attack, she said that it was unfair - to steal Brisingamen - and demanded to return the jewelry. One, scolding Freya for love of joy, promised to return the necklace if she would start a war between Hogni, the king of Norway, and Hedin Hjarrandasson over Hogni's daughter named Hild.

Freya had no choice and she started this war. Things went like this: Hild, Princess of Norway, was abducted by Hedin Hjarrandason while her father, Hogni, was on a campaign. Returning from the campaign, Hogni began to pursue Hedin and caught up with him and his daughter in Orkney. Hild tried to persuade her father not to fight with her husband, then Hedin himself offered his wife's father all his wealth to settle the matter with the world, but Hogni was blind and deaf to their requests (and we know that Freya was to blame): they say, “my the Dainsleif sword has already left the scabbard and will not return to them until it tastes the blood. ” And there was a battle, and at night, Hild magic brought back to life those killed in both armies, and at dawn they again went into battle with the living. This went on every day and every night: the dead turn to stone with sunset, but come to life at dawn and begin to fight again. Both armies were cursed and doomed to fight to Ragnarok , the end of days.

For this battle, Freya received the Brisingamen necklace back.

According to another version, narrated in the poem “Sorla Thattr”, when Loki escaped from Sessrumnir with Brisingamen, Heimdall , guardian of the “rainbow bridge” Bifrost between the world of people and the world of aces, saw a thief, chased after him and managed to return him the stolen necklace of Freyè .

In the poem “Thrymskvida”, when Thor went to the giants to return his stolen hammer, he had to change into Freya in order to penetrate the giants under the guise of the bride of giant Thrym. To lend credibility to his masquerade, Thor lent Brisingamen to Freya.