Home › Glossary › Letter F

Frey

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Vanir god of fertility, peace, and prosperity; ruler of Álfheimr and owner of Gullinbursti.

Detailed Definition
Frey, son of Njord, presides over harvests, sunshine, and virility. He gave up his sword for love, leaving him vulnerable at Ragnarök. In poetry, Frey symbolizes agrarian abundance, noble sacrifice, and the tension between peace and necessary violence in maintaining cosmic balance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Frey, god of fertility, peace, and sunshine, rules Álfheimr; In Skírnismál, he sends his servant to woo Gerðr, showing vulnerability; Poets invoke Frey for harvest, love, or summer’s abundance; His sacrifice of sword for love foreshadows Ragnarök’s doom; In kennings, “Frey’s boar” (Gullinbursti) symbolizes light or speed; Contemporary verse explores his duality as lover and doomed warrior.
Additional Notes
Frey, a Vanir god exchanged to the Æsir after the Æsir-Vanir war, embodies fertility, peace, and prosperity; his ownership of Álfheimr and Gullinbursti (a radiant boar) links him to solar imagery and agrarian cycles—poets may use Frey to symbolize abundance, seasonal renewal, or the tension between warrior and peacemaker roles.
Also Known As
Freyr
Skip to main content