Freya is one of the most Influential and important Gods in Norse mythology – the Goddess of Fertility, Love and Beauty. She was brought up with her twin brother Freyr and their father Njord. Freya had a husband named Odr, with whom she had two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi. Odr was mortal, but Freya’s love for her husband was so great that she even asked the gods to make her husband a god as well. Also she wished they’d allow him into Valhalla after his death, as Freya wanted him to join this paradise of heroes, even more than “her own” paradise Folkvangr.

Odr often went on long journeys and was absent for long periods of time. (Travelling and going on long adventurous journeys was very important in Viking culture, and those who travelled extensively were highly respected. Odr in that way became a symbol of that desire in Norse Mythology.) Freya longed for Odr, and she took off and wandered the world in search of her beloved partner in life. While in her search, she disguised herself and used many different names, so that she would not be recognised. From the despair of not finding her spouse, she began to cry. As her tears fell to the ground in drops, they turned into pure gold, and those that fell into the sea turned into amber stones. People could see the rare gemstones and golden teardrops, and they knew that the goddess had passed that way in her search for her beloved husband.

The legend of Freyja and her Golden Tears has inspired people for many centuries. One particularly famous rendition is made by the French artist Anne-Marie Zilberman. She painted an artwork named “Golden Tears”, or also known as “Tears of Freya”, in the same art style of the well known Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. To highlight the story of Freya’s Golden Tears, Zilberman used real gold leaves for the painting.

Despite all the sadness the goddess felt, her tears can also be seen as Tears of Joy. The joy of feeling real and strong love. This latter part was very important when we designed and created our jewellery collection “Tear of Freya” in 2020. Now we release the with the tears still made in Sterling Silver 935, but also plated with 24 carat gold. In hope that we, perhaps in an even stronger way through the golden version, can convey that immense feeling of true love Freya had in her heart.

https://thorofsweden.com/tear-of-freya-a-symbol-of-joy-love/