RSS Feed
August 19th, 2017 
Awake Goy By Katharine Pyle
Frigg was the goddess of the clouds. Her palace was called Fensalir, the place of mists. When she put on her shining robes of white, and moved across the heavens, the people down on earth would say, “See those great clouds that shine so white; it will be clear to-day.” But if she wore her misty robes of grey, they would cry, “The rain is coming; see how grey the sky has grown.”
She was the goddess not only of the clouds but of all married love, and of housewives and spinning, and of household things. It was her joy to welcome in her home all wives and husbands who had loved each other on the earth and lived in peace. There, in Fensalir, after their death they would be brought together again and live forever happily.
But even before this and while they were still upon the earth Frigg kept a tender watch over such loving pairs.
A certain shepherd and his wife once dwelt in a lonely valley set about with crags and glaciers. They were very poor. They scarce had food to eat or clothes to keep them warm. Each day the shepherd drove his scanty flock out to some feeding place.
Always he took his cross-bow with him, and at times if he were fortunate, he shot a chamois and brought it home. Then, for a time, there would be food enough for him and for his wife, and some for any who chanced to come that way.
Now on a certain day the shepherd had driven out his flock to a feeding place as was his wont. Scarce had he reached the spot when a chamois bounded out from behind a rock, and up the mountain side.
So swiftly it sped the shepherd had no time to shoot, but he followed after it, up and up, a long way.
There he came to a glacier. The chamois had disappeared, but before him was an opening in the ice from which shone forth clear bright light. The shepherd was curious to see what caused the brightness. He stepped in through the opening, and at once found himself in a lofty hall. Its roof was golden, and its walls were set with precious stones,—rubies and emeralds, diamonds and amethysts. Not only were they in the walls; they lay in heaps about the floor, as well.
Brightly they shone, but brighter shone a queenly woman who now came toward the Shepherd from beyond the hall. Her robes were silvery white. A jewelled girdle was about her waist.
Bracelets she wore, and necklace. Above her head waved heron feathers, and in her hand she held a bunch of small blue flowers.
She spoke to him and said, “Have no fear of me, shepherd. I am Frigg, who watches over loving wives and husbands. I have seen how thou and thy wife, though poor, are happy and contented in your love. Now it is in my mind to grant to thee some gift. Look about and choose what thou wilt from all that is in this hall. It shall be thine whatever it may be.”
The shepherd looked about; then he humbly said, “If I may choose indeed, then I will have those flowers thy hands have touched.”
The goddess smiled. “Well and wisely hath thou chosen,” she said. She gave him the flowers, and more than that she gave to him a measure of the seed from which the flowers grew. “Take these as well,” she said, “and sow them. They will bring fortune to thy house.”
Scarce had she spoken thus when a clap of thunder sounded. The hall was filled with a blaze of light so bright the shepherd was half blinded by it. When he could look about again he was out on the mountain side once more. Gone was the opening, gone the light, but in his hand he still held the flowers, and in his pouch were the seeds that Frigg had given him.
Already night was falling. Driving his flock, the shepherd hurried home. There his wife met him at the door. “Thou art late,” she cried; “why hast thou tarried?”
The shepherd told her all that had chanced to him; told her of Frigg’s gift, showed her the flowers and the seed.
His wife was angry with him. “Why didst thou not take the jewels?” she cried. “We would have been rich for life. Of what use are flowers?” “The gifts of the Asynjur are not to be scorned,” the shepherd said.
The flowers soon withered but the shepherd sowed the seed in a small field he had prepared. His wife grumbled, “The ground might have been put to better use.” But the shepherd heeded not. He was content with what he had done.
Soon after the seed was planted leaves appeared, then buds, then flowers. The field was blue with them.
And now a woman old and bent came to the shepherd’s hut, and it was Frigg herself who had taken on this shape though neither the shepherd nor his wife guessed who she was. She asked for food and shelter. The shepherd’s wife made her welcome; bade her enter in and gave her part of the scanty share of food that she had kept for herself and the shepherd, also she brought her water from the spring.
The stranger ate and drank. Then presently she said, “That is a fine crop of flax you have over there;” and she pointed to the field where the shepherd had sowed the seed Frigg had given him.
Flax!” the good wife said. “I did not know the name of those blue flowers; but they are useless things. I would my husband had planted grain instead.”
That is a foolish wish,” the stranger said. “Bring me a bunch of those same flowers, and I will show thee how they can be used.”
Wondering, the woman gathered a bunch of flax and brought it in and gave it into Frigg’s hand. Then Frigg showed her how to shred the stems, and twist them into thread and weave the thread into linen; showed her, too, how to bleach and color it.
So was the first linen made. But the strange woman, as soon as this was done, vanished from the house.
It was not long before the fame of that linen went abroad. Many people came to the shepherd’s hut to buy both it and seed. The shepherd and his wife grew rich. Often they talked of that strange woman, wondering whence she came and where she went, but they never guessed that it was Frigg herself who had come to show them how to use her gift.
Via Ron McVan
Source Article from http://www.renegadetribune.com/friggs-gift/
Views: 0
Posted in 
Tags: 
