Gerðr of the Shimmering Arms as The Snow Queen.
The above Edmund Dulac illustration (1911 CE) found in Stories from Hans Andersen, features a regally divine lady, diaphanously dressed with her pallid arms bared, the Northern Lights encircling her head, perhaps projected or reflected from her physical presence. This presentation of comfort in extreme cold would suggest jötunness heritage given to her.
Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale (1844 CE) also features heroine Gerda whose name may indicate a storyteller's easy choice of one degree of character displacement from Gerðr. The Snow Queen herself probably trickles down into C.S. Lewis' Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, whom those thankless rebels impugn as "The White Witch".
Gerðr's known for the feature of her shimmering arms, part of why God of Fertility Freyr's interest stands at its most attentive, and his heart soon understandably follows. Yet what else could that particular lovely-limbed facet of this jötunndottir possibly mean?
If we think about the glittering of light on falling snow, or the pale jade waves of the aurora borealis' lines gesticulating through the Northern skies, we may be beholding some of the same singular & matchless beauty that drew Freyr to Gerðr.
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| [Skirnir's Message to Gerd (1908 CE) by W. G. Collingwood. Note the piece's focus on her luminescent arms.] |
Perhaps it is now, when faced with the necessity of a natural pause for a winter break, and the weather places us more firmly inside our shelters with one another that it is Gerðr's arms that embrace us in their snow white confines, she whose name means "fenced-in".
Examine Gerðr's beauty this season, enjoy her pale embrace, and note that this specific enclosure is where Freyr finally finds adequate answer to his immeasurable desire, and where the year's bounty saved for our holiday's feast is enjoyed.
Hail Gerðr & Good Yules, NorsePlayers!
Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology, field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.
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