Udkast til Freia 1844

This is a sketch made by Lorenz Frølich depicting Freia, a goddess in Norse mythology, sometime in the 19th century. Here, Freia sits, with a bow casually resting on her shoulder, and is accompanied by bears—symbols of strength and untamed nature, representative of her connection to the earth. Freia's association with animals, particularly cats and boars, is well-documented in Norse sagas. Yet, the choice to depict her with bears presents a fascinating shift. The bear as a symbol of primal power, present in various cultures from the Greeks' Artemis to indigenous Siberian beliefs, where the bear spirit is a mediator between worlds. This sketch resonates with the power and emotion tied to ancient beliefs, resurfacing in Frølich's art. The motif is an echo through time, molded by cultural memory, now presented through Freia's image.