Gerd

Gerd is a giantess of Norse mythology known to be the wife of the god Freyr. She is the most beautiful of all creatures and may have been the personification of earth fertility and love. Her shining bare arms illuminated the air and the sea.

Gerd is the daughter of Gymir and Aurboda, she also has a brother named Beli. Gerd is included among the Aesir in Snorri Sturluson's Edda. According to the Ynglinga saga she was the mother of Freyr's son, named Fjölnir, who succeeded Freyr as ruler of Sweden.

In Skáldskaparmál Gerd is named together with Jörd, Rind and Gunnlöd as rivals of Frigg, Odin's wife, these three being among those whom Snorri Sturluson recounts in different accounts as having had relations with Odin. It is likely that Gerd is found in this list by mistake, being confused with Gridr, which is absent.

Her name probably comes from gerða, 'to fence', related to garðr, 'surrounded space', cognate of the English word yard and the English word garth.

The story of her courtship is told in the poem Skírnismál. She never wanted to marry Freyr, refused his proposals (made by Skirnir, Freyr's messenger) even when he brought her eleven golden apples and the Draupnir magical ring.

Skirnir finally threatened to use Freyr's sword to convince her that she should marry him, but after all, he had to give up his magic sword that fought on its own in exchange for being able to marry her. This will have repercussions later in Ragnarok, when he perishes before Surt, the fire giant, since he has no weapon with which to defend himself except his hands.