Sjöfn is associated with love and affection. She is mentioned briefly in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda as one of Frigg’s handmaidens, responsible for turning people’s minds towards love and romantic desire. However, her historical authenticity is debated among scholars, as she appears only in a handful of kennings and lacks a strong presence in mythological narratives. Some suggest she may have been a poetic personification of love rather than an independently worshiped deity. Despite this, Sjöfn remains an intriguing figure, embodying the softer, emotional aspects of Norse belief.
(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)
I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.
These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!
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Not so long ago, I was telling you I could not find anymore the thesis I had read a few months ago about the Norse goddesses, and that contested Riccardo Ginevra's paper about Sigyn's name, but I did not remember its title... Well I found it on Academia.edu, and EVEN BETTER, I found the academic who wrote it, the amazing and very knowledgeable Ellis B Wylie , aka @loptrcoptr.
Her Master thesis is truly interesting, and give us more information on the Norse goddesses, allowing us to get to know them a little better :3
The Ásynjur, goddesses of old Icelandic myth, do not draw much scholarly attention. When they do it is fairly dismissive, labeling many deit
I decided to redraw my designs for Frigg and her handmaidens again since I haven’t drawn all of them in a minute!
I gave most of them, including Frigg slight redesigns, but I thought drawing them all again would be a fun little thing to do because I feel like these goddesses aren’t talked about enough
Ivaldi is like you would expect quite the handyman, who truly has a skill when it comes to being crafty with your hands.
He is a very well known smith in Svartalfheim and gained a lots of riches from his excellent and honest work.
He started off doing flavours for others and repairing things in his early days!
Because unlike most dwarfs, Ivaldi isn't greedy, he was genuinely friendly and even helpful.
Though he does have that infamous temper if something were to go wrong in his workshop!
Most dwarfs repreduce naturally, asexually or through magical means and while Ivaldi has done all of these, he had always wished for a permanent partner to stay by his side.
He would have his two sons through asexual reproduction! Later carrying on their fathers legacy by becoming just as skilled as him in smithing.
Then he'd create Idunn using these magical items: Elven blood, Ashwood and gold. He really wanted a daughter!
You could almost call him a hopeless romantic at times because he has found himself falling for both men and women.
But dating other dwarfs was never easy for him because he'd often get used for his kindness and or wealth.
When he met Freyja though, wandering through his realm one day things finally started looking brighter for him!
They had a shared love for pretty things, taking pride in their magical skills and feeling like they were serving a purpose and it formed into a genuine connection.
Eventually leading to them having three daughters named Sigyn, Sjofn and Lofn.
Ivaldi always admired Freyja for her abilities in caring for their daughters, even Idunn who she had taken under her wing while she stayed underground.
But things took a sudden downfall when Freyja left without a trace, leaving Ivaldi heart broken and a struggling father.
He understood that maybe their love wasn't meant to last, he is respectful for that! But wishes she would have at least said something before she disappeared.
Ever since Ivaldi struggled sleeping peacefully and developed Insomnia.
Ivaldi often found himself asking Idunn to aid him in his fatherly duties.
Which he felt guilty about, knowing Idunn deserved better than to be some caretaker for their family!
A family he was obligated to take care of in the first place.
To him his daughters were just as valuable as the shimmering gold.
Which is why he spent his remaining free time as his daughters grew, sending out messangers who were willing to get back in contact with Freyja.
In every letter he begged her endlessly for her to take Idunn and their daughters into Asgard and give them a better life.
Something he knew he wasn't able to fully provide for them.
Once Freyja actually took action and collected Ivaldi's daughters, he decided to focus his attention on his sons.
Teaching them everything he knew, so they could make a living and possibly continue his legacy through their work.
Which is why his sons took over for him, making him somewhat retired today!
He still keeps in contact with his daughters and will provide anything they need if they so ask!
He is also updated frequently about their lives and every letter he gets from them, he keeps somewhere safe!
Ivaldi unlike Freyja isn't too picky or pushy about who their daughters will marry either.
He is very laid back In that department and only wants them to be happy.
He has often made Freyja change her mind multiple times too, putting their daughters feelings first!
He also really likes his sons in law: Loki and Bragi. Because personally to him they're the most entertaining gods.
Ivaldi also loves to brag about all of his children and their achievements to the other dwarfs in Svartalfheim.
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In the Prose Edda, twelve Goddesses are listed after Frigga as Ásynjur: Fulla, Gefjon, Hlín, Syn, Eir, Sága, Gná, Vár or Vór, Snotra, Vör, Lofn and Sjöfn. Modern Heathens sometimes refer to Them as Frigga's Handmaidens. (This is a piece of shared gnosis, not an historically attested term.) For many of the Twelve, this is all that survives in the way of attestations.
What is the Project?
Gradually over several years, and more intentionally recently, I have been building a devotional cultus around these Goddesses. As part of that, I've been putting together primers on each of the Twelve on my longform blog -- detailing Their surviving attestations, Old English God-names and epithets for Them, my own personal experiences and upg, a prayer, and devotional icon art -- as well as essays and modern myths exploring other aspects of Them and my cultus to Them.
Although I use Old English names for Them and honour Them in a syncretic heathen practice drawing on influences from across the British and Irish Isles, I hope these may be useful and/or interesting for practitioners working in a Norse, Continental, or other context. Or for anyone worshipping and building cultus to lesser-known and lesser-attested Gods!
I will update this post periodically, but if you like you can subscribe to my longform Wordpress blog for updates when I post.
Primers
Fulla
Geofen (Gefjon)
Hlēowen (Hlin)
Ār (Eir)
Saga
Lofen & Siofen (Lofn & Sjöfn)
Snotor (Snotra)
Wearn, or Syn (Syn)
Wær (Vör)
Gnæ (Gnā)
Āþ (Vár)
Essays and other posts
Introduction to the Project
Essay on abundance, ānanda, and Fulla
Essay on Frīg and Her importance to my cosmology
The Wren and her sister: a myth of Frīg feat. Ār and Gnæ
Essay on marriage as initiation, feat. Lofen, Siofen and Āþ
Something different today! I play Sjofn (Freya's grandmother) on Kentucky Roleplay, a project zomboid server that doesn't have zombies and focuses on building a community. She's quickly become a bit of a farming matriarch haha
