Freyja << FRAY uh >> was a goddess of love and fertility in Norse mythology. She also assisted women in childbirth. Her name is also spelled Freya or Freja. She was the daughter of the god Njord and the giantess Skadi. Her twin brother, Frey, was the Norse god of agriculture and fertility. Both Freyja and Frey belonged to a group of peace-loving gods and goddesses called the Vanir who made the earth fruitful. Freyja had many love affairs. According to Norse myths, Freyja originated a powerful kind of witchcraft called seithr. In seithr, certain women communicated with spirits to learn about the future. Freyja sometimes took the form of a bird and sometimes traveled in a wagon pulled by cats.
