When people first begin exploring Norse mythology, Frigg (Old Norse: Frigg; FRIG-ga) is usually introduced as Óðinn’s (Old Norse: Óðinn; OH-thin) wife or Baldr’s (BAHL-dr) mother, and that’s about where the conversation ends. I think she deserves much better than that. Frigg isn’t a supporting character standing quietly beside Óðinn. She is the Queen of Ásgarðr (Old Norse: Ásgarðr; AWS-garth), the keeper of Fensalir (Old Norse: Fensalir; FEN-sah-leer, “Hall of the Marshes”), and one of the most respected goddesses in the entire Norse world. Even Snorri Sturluson (SNOR-ee STUR-loo-son) tells us that after Óðinn himself, Frigg is the highest among the goddesses.
One of my favorite glimpses of her comes from an old Lombard origin story preserved in the Origo Gentis Langobardorum (OR-ee-go GEN-tis LANG-go-bar-DOR-um) and later retold by Paul the Deacon. Two tribes prepare for battle, and Óðinn promises victory to the people he sees first at sunrise. Rather than accepting defeat, Frigg quietly devises a solution. She tells the Winnili (WIN-ih-lee) women to tie their hair beneath their chins so it resembles long beards and to stand beside the men before dawn. When Óðinn awakens, he looks out and asks, “Who are these Langobards (LANG-go-bards)?” Frigg calmly replies, “Since you’ve given them a name, you should also give them the victory.” Slick. Very Slick. Although this story survives in the Lombard tradition rather than the Icelandic Eddas, I love what it tells us about Frigg’s character. She doesn’t overpower Óðinn. She outthinks him. And when your partner is one that is constantly traveling to pick up new information – that’s pretty impressive.
The surviving Eddas give us other glimpses of the same woman. In Lokasenna (Old Norse: Lokasenna; LO-kah-SEN-na), Freyja (Old Norse: Freyja; FRAY-ya) remarks that Frigg knows the destinies of all beings but chooses not to reveal them. In Grímnismál (Old Norse: Grímnismál; GREEM-nis-mawl), she wagers with Óðinn over the worthiness of two kings and then quietly sets events into motion that ultimately humble him. Not to cause him harm, but just remind him that maybe ignoring her isn’t in his best interests. She is one of the very few beings who can sit upon Hlíðskjálf (Old Norse: Hlíðskjálf; HLEETH-skyahlf), the great high seat from which the worlds may be observed, without succumbing to madness.
Frigg is fascinating in her own right. She isn’t remembered for swinging a hammer or leading armies into battle. Her power is quieter than that, but no less formidable. She weaves relationships together, protects her household, advises the ruler of the gods, and seems to understand far more than she ever chooses to say aloud. The strongest person in the room isn’t always the one making the most noise. Sometimes she’s the one everyone else should have listened to in the first place.
Primary sources: Lokasenna, Grímnismál, Gylfaginning, Ynglinga saga, and the Origo Gentis Langobardorum as later preserved by Paul the Deacon.