Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn, Divine Norse Pair
Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn are believed to be a male/female divine pair within Norse mythology, something common throughout Indo-European folklore. Not much is known about them (as is the case with much Norse mythology), but a few stories and linguistic trails have led scholars to some interesting findings.
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Fjorgyn is mentioned as Thor’s mother, but so is the goddess Jord; however, there may be no contradiction at play. Both “Fjorgyn” and “Jord” meant “earth,” so it’s possible the two deities were one and the same. Digging deeper into Norse literature reveals that Thor’s wife — Sif — was also associated with the earth (and fertility). It’s entirely possible that all three women were more or less identical and represented a “mother earth” type goddess.
Less is known about Fjorgynn, but linguistic evidence suggests that his name derives from the same Proto-Indo-European word as the gods Parjanya (Hindu rain god), Perun (Slavic sky god), and Parjanya (Baltic thunder god), implying Fjorgynn was actually a representation of the vital sky god common across Indo-European religions. This would put him on par with Thor; however, one of Fjorgynn’s only references in Norse literature states he was either the father of — or had an affair with — Frigg (Odin’s wife), which doesn’t quite square with Fjorgynn being another version of Thor. It could be that Fjorgynn was another representation of the sky, but distinct from Thor in terms of identity.
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If the above analysis holds, then it’s entirely possible Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn represented the divine marriage between sky and earth, acting as a symbol of hierogamy (“sacred marriage”) within Norse culture (a concept present in all Indo-European mythologies).
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