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Britomartis
Early
Crete had an elaborate and wealthy culture and based it's worship on the
female principal of nature. When patriarchy overran the island, the
theology of this culture was distorted and goddesses were demoted to heroines
and their legends were grafted to those of the Greek heroes. Britomartis
(sweet girl) is one who has survived in this manner but some scholars suspect
she may well be the greatest goddess of Minoan Crete.
She
is traditionally depicted as a young, lithe and strong hunter, often carrying
arrows. This image was merged, as a spoil of war, with the image of
Artemis and has remained as Her image to this day.
Britomartis
had as her companions, a suckling babe and a snake, two powerful symbols of the
generative force.
Minos
of Crete intended to rape the virginal goddess and chased her for nine months
through forested land and she eluded capture by throwing herself off a high
cliff into the ocean. There she was miraculously saved, caught in the
fishnets that she herself crafted and gave to humanity. After this, in the
western lands, she was called Dictynna (netted one), while retaining the name
Britomartis in the East.
The
story that joins the two, with pursuit lasting nine months, the length of a
human pregnancy, and a rebirth from the sea, suggests that this Goddess
symbolizes the integrity of the feminine soul and rebirth.
Frigg
Frigg
is the supreme goddess of Asatru, and lives at Fensalir (marsh-halls).
Frigg has three servants, the goddesses Fulla (her handmaiden) and Gna (her
messenger). Frigg is the daughter of "earth showing the close relationship
between Frigg and the earth, and it’s even thought that perhaps Frigg was,
herself, originally the earth. This is very likely considering that men have
always thought of the earth as Odins wife. Frigg is the mother of Baldur, and is
often thought of as still mourning for him. She is a seeress, who knows all
fates, though she seldom speaks of them.
The name Frigg in
fact means "the one who loves", which suits her well, because of her
role as the patron goddess of love.
Frigg
is especially concerned with keeping social order. She is called on for
blessings when women are giving birth and for help in matters of traditional
women’s crafts (spinning, weaving, cooking and sewing) and the magics worked
thereby. Frigg can also be called on by mothers who want to protect their
children in olden days. This was especially the case with sons going out to
battle, for whom their mothers would weave or sew special protective items, also
called protectress.
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