Gefjon, Norse Goddess Associated with Ploughing
While a handful of stories and poems contain references to Gefjon (Gefion), her exact role within the Norse mythos is still a debate. It is clear to scholars that she was associated with plowing and the island Zealand. Moreover, most agree that her name derives from “Generous One.” However, scholars are less certain as to what Gefon’s exact role was in the pantheon. She was arguably the goddess of/associated with fertility, unmarried women, virginity, agriculture, vegetation, and/or prosperity. Gefon’s association with virgins may seem odd as she has sex with a jötunn (“giant”) in her most well-known tale, but “virgin” may be a shorthand for “unmarried woman.”
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As the story goes, Odin sent her north to look for new land. She took the form of a beggar woman and was told by king Gylfi (of Sweden) that she could claim as much land as she could plow in a day and night. Gefjon then slept with a jötunn and bore four sons, and then turned them into oxen and attached them to a plow. She then carved off a large piece of land and created the island Zealand.
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There is some linguistic evidence that Gefjon may actually be some form of Freyja (as “Gefn” was one of many names given to Freyja). Moreover, Freyja might be some form of Frigg (Odin’s wife). Adding to this weirdness, Odin once told Loki that Gefjon knows the fate of mankind as well as he does, perhaps lending evidence that she is far more important than merely someone who plowed some land once.
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It would not be surprising if Gefjon played all of these roles (e.g., goddess of fertility, virgins, etc.) to different people. We cannot forget that the Norse mythos was never embodied in a single, canonical text, and that the stories of the gods likely varied by region and population.
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