Gerd

Gerd was a giantess who became wife of the Vanir Freyr. Gerd was the daughter of the mountain giant Gymir and Aurboda. Gerd may have had an unnamed brother who was killed.

Freyr fell in love with Gerd when he sat on Hlidskialf, Odin’s throne in the hall called Valaskialf. Hlidskialf allowed the seated person to see the entire world, no matter the distance. Freyr sent his shield-bearer, named Skirnir, to woo her for him.

At first, Skirnir offered rich gifts to Gerd, which she refused, claiming to dislike all the gods. Not even when Skirnir threatened to cut off her head with Freyr’s sword, cause her any fear. It was only when Skirnir threatened to put a curse, to make her old and ugly, that she even considered meeting Freyr in nine days later at a grove called the Barri.

Though the story never says that Freyr and Gerd married, other writers say that they had a son named Fiolnir.

See the Wooing of Gerd.

Gerd became a goddess of light, and was a Asyniur in her own right, like the giantess Skaldi, Freyr’s stepmother and the second wife of Njord.