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Freya is the principal Goddess in the pantheon of Norse Mythology. According to the mythology, this poetry-loving goddess drove a cat-drawn chariot through the skies as she journeyed the world and responded to requests for help in love affairs. The anonymous author of the 13th century "Saga of Erik the Red" describes a runecaster in the tradition of the goddess Freya: "She wore a cloak set with stones along the hem. Around her neck and covering her head (was) a hood of white catskin. In one hand she carried a staff with a knob at the end. At her belt, holding her dress together, was a charm pouch. She wore catskin shoes and mittens to cover her hands."As often happens in religious development, the older matriarchal aspects of Norse mythology (see Rune History and Mythology) were usurped by the later developing patriarchal tradition. Despite the current myths that tend to suggest that Norse mythology was an overwhelmingly male creation, there is evidence that a fair number of runecasters were, in fact, women. Freya Runestones comes out of this need to reclaim the role of the goddess in Norse mythology and give her greater prominence. |
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