The Courtship of Freyr and Gerðr (Norse Mythology #4)

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I'm the host of The Sleepy Bookshelf, another sleep-inducing podcast from the Slumber Studios Network. On The Sleepy Bookshelf you'll find a calming library of some of the best works of fiction and non-fiction ever written, narrated specifically to help you fall asleep. Some fan favourites are Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland and Anne of Green Gables. Everything is designed with your sleep in mind, so if you're looking for another great way to ease into a restful night's sleep, then just search The Sleepy Bookshelf on your favourite podcast player. I look forward to seeing you there. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. It really does mean so much to have your company and to be able to help you get a good night's rest. as someone who's always struggled with my sleep it's very personal to me and it still fills me with pride and contentment to know that I can at least turn those personal challenges into a positive and help all of you sleep better with this show hopefully you sense the compassion and care that we pour into our episodes and you know that we've got your back So again, thank you all so much for your listenership and support I'm delighted to take you on another journey into Norse mythology tonight With our fourth installment from this wonderful series Which was all written by Frankie Norse mythology is filled with impressive feats of cunning and strength heroes and warriors. But tonight, we embark on a love story. Centuries before Romeo ever laid eyes on Juliet, Freya saw Gerth. Before we begin, let's get into the right headspace to hear a love story. We want to wrap the world of sleep around us like a blanket and fall back into the bed of our dreams. Give the gift of sleep to your hard-working body. Allow it to come to stillness. There may be a few minutes of adjusting and maneuvering before your body feels ready to settle. Help it along by taking deep, steady breaths. This sends signals to the rest of your body that it's time to relax and wind down. Allow your limbs to feel heavy on the bed. Once your body settles into rest, you may also calm your mind. Thoughts from the day might linger, hoping for your attention, but as each one surfaces, Gently turn your focus back to your breath. Pay attention to the rhythm of your body and the sensations of your breath as you relax and sleep draws closer. And now, conjure in your mind the great hall of the gods in Asgard and in its center, the dazzling throne of Odin This is where our story begins Odin's throne is called Shyskav and it sits upon a raised dais though the throne only appears to be a few steps up from the floor those who sit upon it can see beyond the bounds of Asgard and far away Odin made the throne using magic as a tool to help him achieve his ultimate aim of knowledge knowledge. It is large enough for him and his wife, the goddess Prigg. They are usually also joined on the throne by Odin's two ravens, Huyin and Munin. But at this time, it is someone else who approaches the great carved throne. Lately, the young god Freyja has been beset by dreams and strange feelings. He is one of the Vanir, a race of beings similar to the other gods of Asgard, but not one of the kin. he usually resides in his own home world of Haim the land of the lighthouse there he presides over the most beautiful race in all the nine worlds he lives among any number of elf maidens each more beautiful than the last and yet Freya has never felt the sting of love but now something has drawn him out of his home and to this empty hall while the other gods are away on their private doings Freya comes to the throne looking for answers from this seat he will be able to search every corner of each known world every branch and leaf of the great tree of life for the source of his unrest Freya pauses before the throne, admiring the carvings. It is said that the throne is carved from a piece of the world tree itself. Every part of life is represented in the detailed carvings. All creatures and plants make an appearance somewhere on the throne. Freya climbs up the few steps of the dais and sits on the throne. Instead of the other end of the hall, Freya sees across many places at once. It takes him several moments to get used to this new power. His view jumps from world to world There is Thor heaving his hammer There is Loki smiling slyly at someone There is Odin in his disguise as a wandering old man As Freya continues to look he sees many great and amazing things yet none seem out of the ordinary none seem to have any effect one way or another on the feeling that has been growing in his heart His eye moves to the world of the giants There, the glaciers and ice fields seem to stretch on forever He sees a bright light nestled in the cleft of a mountain A handsome, brightly lit fortress sits there The gentle amber light spilling from the windows seems to warm Freya, even from this distance. In the crystal world of ice, this house seems to be a tranquil abode. on one of the upper floors doors swing open and spill more of the warm light onto a balcony out of the door steps a woman of the Jotun the giants giants they are by name but most of the same size as the gods and the other races of the nine worlds. This woman is unlike any Freya has ever seen before. Her hair is the color of mahogany and falls in rippling, chaotic waves. in the warm light of her home she seems to be wreathed in gold Freya knows immediately that this is the source of his discontent for Freya is in love with her the moment he sees her although there is no possible way she can see him from where she stands. She appears to turn her face in his direction and peer into his soul. Freya closes his eyes, his heart beating desperately, and stumbles off the dais. over the following weeks everyone seems to notice the change in Freya's behavior his twin sister Freya field so many questions about him that she starts greeting everyone who approaches her with the phrase I don't know what's wrong with him He has taken to moping around, saying little more than a couple of words to any other person and gazing despondently at the landscape. His sister often goes to visit him at his home, trying in vain to coax the issue from him. but he simply sighs and tells her that she wouldn't understand. After weeks of this, Njörth, Freya and Freya's father, visits his son. Njörth waits in Freya's large hall for his son to attend him. Instead, he finds only Skirnir, Freya's messenger. The two men spend a few hours discussing Freya's change in behavior. Finally, Skirnir promises that he will get to the bottom of the issue and report back. After Njoth leaves, the messenger brings a drink to his master. Freya is sitting in his room, gazing sullenly out of the window when Skriniar enters. it takes nearly an hour of cajoling and consoling before Freya finally reveals that he is in love with Gir and that he fears he will never be able to be with her her father is very powerful and wealthy there is nothing that Freya could offer her in the way of gifts that would entice her. She has been heard to say that she would never fall in love with one of the Vanir. Skynir, moved by his master's pain, offers to help woo her on his behalf. Freya is so overjoyed by the prospect that he starts offering Skidnir anything and everything he can think of as a reward Skidnir rejects them all telling Freya that he should be thinking of gifts for the woman he wants to woo not his messenger Finally, Freya lands on the perfect sign of his gratitude. He offers Ski-Nir his powerful and magical sword. The sword is so great that it can fight any enemy on its own. Ski-Nir accepts this one great gift recognizing that even by offering it to him Freya is doing him a great honor they spend the rest of the evening collecting gifts for Gareth The next day, Skinia goes to Gareth's lovely fortress in order to meet with her He is welcomed inside by her servants and cannot help but admire the place The hall is impressive and beautiful Everyone who works here seems to be cheerful and content When Skinner is finally ushered into Gerst's presence She seems to radiate a calm confidence and inner peace And he finds himself tripping over his words as she gazes at him Gareth listens politely to the messenger's tale of Freya's misery when Skinner finishes speaking Gareth very kindly tells him that while she sympathizes with Freya and his longing she does not know him and cannot promise herself to such a being. She also reiterates that she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the Vanir because of the centuries of disputes between her people and his. Ski-Nir reminds her that those times have passed and offers her the first gift. He produces eleven golden apples which he presents to her letting her know that no matter what her decision they are hers to keep. These golden apples are an impressive gift, and death cannot hide her amazement. It is well known that the goddess Idhun is the keeper of the golden apples of youth. She allows the gods of Asgard to take a bite of an apple at regular intervals, which keeps them youthful. Eleven of such precious apples, just for Gath, is an incredibly special gift. Gath stares at the golden fruit before turning to Skenia. she asks him if his master will only love her as long as she remains beautiful and if that is the purpose of this gift Skinier stumbles over his words to assure her that this is not the case but Guth simply shakes her head and returns the gift, remarking that if Freya truly loves her, it has nothing to do with her beauty. Wanting to move the conversation along, Skenil brings out Dreybny, the famed magic ring of Odin. Gareth wonders how much pleading, begging and bargaining Freyja had to do in order to get to this ring. It was made by two dwarf brothers for Odin himself. every ninth night the golden ring multiplies itself and produces eight more rings it is the gift of infinite wealth where the apples were that of near infinite youth again Gareth stares at the rings she remarks to Skynia that she does not want or need this wealth her father's fortress where she lives is enough for her and if Freya really loved her he would do so even if she had nothing Skynia is certain that he will fail his master. Gareth seems no more inclined to meet with Freya than when the messenger first arrived. If anything, she seems less likely to consider Freya now. Skinir mentally prepares himself for the journey home and the conversation with Freya. he will most certainly have to give back his marvellous sword. Scynus says as much to Gareth, hoping to soften her heart with the depth of Freya's feelings. Gareth appears unmoved. he turns to go but then Gerth stops him she tells him that she needs more time to consider father and sends him back with a message for Freya back in Ulfheim Freya waits for the arrival of his messenger with bated breath. He has no idea what Gareth's answer will be. He worries that his gifts won't be truly great enough for her. The usually composed God is, for the first time in his life, unsettled and anxious. When Skenir finally arrives, it takes everything in Freyja's power not to grab his royal messenger and shake the answer from him. Skenir, heart beating, reveals the message that Gareth gave him of Freyja. The gifts that Freya sent did not impress her. She would have rejected him outright if Sginir had not revealed the mighty gift that he had received from Freya for his errand. that act of selfless kindness to give away such a powerful and magical item for nothing more than delivering a message spoke more of Rea's love than either of his gifts for her so she decides to return the apples and the ring to him but invites him to meet her in the forested grove of Bari in nine days. Freya does not breathe during the entirety of the message. Only when Stinir falls into silence does the god draw breath. He takes a few quiet moments to process her message. The gifts had not worked, but something had. Skenir, seeing his master deep in contemplation, tells him what Guth had said about the gifts when they were offered. Freya nods Clearly, the woman he loves is not one to be persuaded or bought by empty gestures Freya is unsure how to prepare for this meeting Skinner points out that Freya has nine nights to prepare and so he doesn't need to worry at the moment. Instead of calming Freya, this merely draws out his anguish. He is unsure he could wait even one night before seeing her again but now he must wait nine. Freya spends the following days pacing around his hall, refusing to see anyone and attempting to create poetry. Where at first he bemoaned the length of time between getting his message and going to meet Gareth for the first time, suddenly he is starting to dread it. All his attempts at poetry seem to fall flat, not truly representing the depth of his feelings. Finally, the day arrives and Freyja sets out for the grove of Bari. Bari is an island covered with a thick forest of pine trees The dark emerald trees carpet nearly every inch of the land Freya arrives under the eaves of the trees and breathes in the fresh scent of pine The ground is blanketed with russet red fallen pine needles They crackle under his feet as he walks Boulders and rocks are covered in the emerald green of spongy moss but the scenery is mostly taken up by the trunks of pine trees. It is easy to get lost in this forest but it's a feeling that Freya embraces. The trees are a calming presence finally offering a slight balm to the sting of love he has felt. since the moment he first laid eyes on Gareth. There, between the trees, he catches sight of her once again. She sits on a large boulder, her dark hair and green dress perfectly matching the scenery of the forest. She seems at home here amongst the pine trees. As Freya approaches, his mind becomes perfectly clear, as if the scent of the trees and the presence of this woman have removed all the fog and uncertainty. Freya opens his mouth to speak certain that whatever comes out will be the right thing to say he apologizes for the gifts he sent to woo her he should have known that one such as her would require more to turn her head than magical gifts. He reiterates the story of how he first saw her, but goes into more detail about the weeks leading up to the event. He was tormented by pine-scented dreams and the unsettling feeling that he was missing something. As these feelings increased, he was drawn to the throne of Odin. He knew he had to search. Fate brought his eyes to her blessed visage. Freya pauses for a moment looking at Gareth then he continues stating that fate can only take him this far now it is up to her he doesn't take their union as guaranteed but if she were to pick him he would spend every moment of his life assuring her complete happiness. He wants to bury the long dead feud between his people and hers in their love. Whatever comes whether it be age or diminishing capacity he will never want her to be anything other than what she is. Gareth listens silently to his words unwilling to reveal that she feels something changing within her. She can feel it fluttering in her chest the very seedling of love that wants to dig its roots deep in her soul and grow. She listens with growing awareness that they have been fated together, but more than that, she wants to accept him. When he grows silent, she merely smiles letting her answer be known with more than just words the Norse gods know how to throw a spectacular wedding held in the great hall of Odin in Asgard the event is attended by representatives of every race the gods themselves are seated around the high table during the feasting light elves from Freya's home world come they seem to shine from within bathing the entire hall in their beauty Other members of Freya and Freya's family, the Vanir, attend as well Similarly, there are a fair number of the Jotun in attendance They drink and eat merrily with their new in-laws old grievances forgotten there are even a few of the dwarves also known as the dark elves they bring many incredible and delightful gifts for the couple at the center of all the merriment and joy sit Freya and Gareth nothing in the huge hall shines as brightly as their love Freya makes a speech as the happy bridegroom he remarks that giving up a sword even one as magical as his own was a small price to pay for such happiness and yet his happiness would not have come to fruition had it not been for the actions of his loyal messenger Ski-Nir Freya calls for a toast to Ski-Nir a thousand voices echo his in calling Ski-Nir's name The wedding feast goes on for three days and nights Many poems are composed and recited Many words of praise and thanks are given too Despite the happiness of the event Gareth and her new husband are relieved to retire back to their own hall at last. 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