29
2. E.g. Ellis Davidson 1998: 155; Näsström 1995: 212;
Näsström 1996: 344; cf. Hyltén-Cavallius (1863:
237–238), who simply suggests that all plants named
after Saint Mary were previously associated with
Freyja. In popular works and on numerous websites
the plant is also sometimes linked to Frigg (e.g. Storl
2017: 183, although to Freyja in Storl 2000: 78;
Eilenstein 2017: 70).
3. Ploss is cited almost verbatim, but without reference,
in Söhns (1920: 38–40).
4. Various
galium species have been used widely in
folk medicine (see e.g. Lonicer 1557: 497 [cap. 326];
Söhns 1920: 38–40; Ploss 1913: 310); they have
some antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
5. The document itself does not carry the name by
which it is now known.
6. I am grateful to Ture Larsen and Chris Yocum for
assistance with the Latin.
7. Zedler (1740: 217) explicitly says that no one knows
what it means: “Was aber petendum heissen soll, das
weiss man nicht” [‘However, it is not known what
petendum is supposed to refer to’]. Also many
subsequent German scholars note the spurious
quality of this interpretation (e.g. Roskoff 1869: 296).
8. Saupe, however, seems to regard Freyja as a
combined manifestation of all pagan female deities:
“Frigg-Freia (Frouwa, Holda)” (1891: 24), not
unlike Näsström’s argument in favour of one ‘great
goddess’ (1995
passim). I do not adhere to this view,
but I can see that if one does, then Freyja would, indeed,
be the name for any and all heathen goddesses.
9. Saupe (1891: 25) notes this interpretation, but in
combination with more extensive emendations,
which lack conviction (cf. Mackensen 1932–1933:
1702).
10. For references, see e.g. Sundqvist (2002: 261–266),
who suggests that the term
minni is a later, Christian
term that replaced the pre-Christian term – and ritual –
of
full.
11. I assume
Bósa saga is the source of the information
provided by Wikman (1957: 308) regarding a toast
in honour of Freyja at weddings, but Wikman does
not specify his sources.
12. That Mary’s bedstraw is associated specifically with
the birth of Jesus may in some contexts underline
Mary’s cosmogonic role in Christian tradition;
however, it seems to me more likely that vernacular
traditions will have picked up on the associations to
childbirth and/or motherhood in rather more general
ways. If we were to look for an appropriate heathen
deity, I would therefore suggest these as the
dominant aspects. Considering Freyja as we know
her from the extant Norse sources, all of which are
13
th
century and later, childbirth and motherhood are
peripheral aspects of her character; we obviously
cannot argue
ex silentio that earlier manifestations of
her had different foci.
Works Cited
Sources
Bósa saga ok Herrauðs.
Guðni Jónsson & Bjarni
Vilhjálmsson (eds.).
Fornaldar sögur Norðurlanda
III. Reykjavík: Íslendingasagnaútgáfan, 1959. Pp.
281–322.
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