In English, the word Friday is derived from an Old English word (Frīġedæġ) that means Frigg’s Day. Like the majority of the weekday names in English, Friday refers to a deity from Norse mythology. Unlike most of the other days of the week, which are named after male deities, Friday is named for a goddess.
Frigg was the goddess of love and was married to Odin, the supreme god of the Norse pantheon. She resided in Fensalir, which was translated as the Hall of the Marshlands. She was also the mother of several other gods, including Balder, Hodor, and Hermod. She was connected with wisdom and could even outwit her husband. Another characteristic was her gift of foresight, which had an impact on how she was often represented in art and texts.
Frigg was often depicted as a völva—a practitioner of Norse magic during the time of the Vikings. This type of magic, known as seidr, was concerned with understanding what fate had in store for people. With that knowledge, a völva would work to change the future. This act was sometimes described as weaving new events, and this is why Frigg and other similar goddesses are often seen weaving or sitting at a spinning wheel.
Nowadays, there are some superstitions that link Fridays—particularly Friday the 13th—with bad luck. Is this idea of the day being a bad omen connected to the day’s past connection with fate and sorcery? There’s no way to know for certain, but it seems like a reasonable possibility.
What Did You Learn?
1. What makes Friday different from most days named after Norse deities?
2. Why was the goddess of love often pictured as a völva?
參考答案
1. It is named after / for a goddess.
2. Because she was connected with foresight and fate.
