Fairy Tale Fridays: Mother Holle, Mother Holle: Commentary (part I), Mother Holle: Commentary (part II), Mother Holle: Commentary (part III).


Mythology (continued)

Frigg
Frigg, like Hlodyn (Hel) is married to Odin, and is a maternal goddess, ruling over areas such as: fertility, love, and domestic arts. Perhaps most interesting though, is that Frigg is associated with the spinning of wool and is a sky goddess. In fact, Orion’s Belt has been called Frigg’s Distaff, and, as shown above, she spun the clouds. And, like Artemis and Hulda, Frigg takes part in the hunt, (though she is usually accompanied by Odin).

As mentioned earlier, Frigg was a maternal goddess; like Hulda and Mother Holle, she is associated transformation, and credited with helping women birth children.

Although the spindle was discussed in the first part of this commentary, the recurring theme throughout this discussion of goddesses has brought it back to the fore. The idea of spinning and weaving in mythology is an old one—consider the Greek Fates weaving destiny. As such, for goddesses of transformation and change, the spindle is a particularly appropriate symbol—not only can it be tied to weaving a life’s journey, but also to creation. Through the art of spinning we create the threads we need to create fabric, stuff. Without spinning, there is no clothing, no blankets, no rope, no mattresses to stuff, even no toy for a child to cuddle in her sleep. Spinning was also a womanly art, and even the primary function for many German housewives. And so it easy to imagine that as the beautiful girl bled upon the spindle, she may have prayed to Frigg, or Hulda, or even Mother Holle (remember that the girl is fearful of Mother Holle’s appearance, but not surprised by Mother Holle herself).

In his Tetuonic Mythology, Jacob Grimm says:

Then her special care of flax and spinning…leads us directly to the. Frigg, Odin's wife, whose being melts into the notion of an earth-goddess…[1]

Isn’t an earth goddess the ultimate maternal goddess? The ultimate goddess of change and transition? And, as an earth goddess, the astute reader will consider the possible link between Frigg, Demeter, the seasons, Persephone, and the underworld.

Considering the material discussed above, lines of influence are easily drawn between Frigg, Hulda, and Mother Holle. That said, it is important to remember that although these are intriguing lines of study, there are many more facts to be considered, and, at this point, we are more standing at the edge of the precipice enjoying the view, than wading through the depths of jungle below.

The past four days of commentary have been in no way exhaustive, but I hope they have provided some useful insight with regard to certain fairy tale tropes. The symbolism inherent in the elements of the story--including, but not limited to the apples, the spindle, and the bread--is a fascinating study in and of itself, but, coupled with the idea of Mother Holle's origins, this story is an excellent example of the importance and relevance of fairy tales in both the modern world and the human psyche.


Fairy Tale Fridays: Mother Holle, Mother Holle: Commentary (part I), Mother Holle: Commentary (part II), Mother Holle: Commentary (part III).

Footnotes:

[1] Grimm, Jacob, Teutonic Mythology, Chapter 13.

References:

Grimm, Jacob, Teutonic Mythology, Chapter 13, online version provided by Northvegr, http://www.northvegr.org/lore/grimmst/index.php
Gould, Joan, Spinning Straw Into Gold: What Fairy Tales Reveal About The Transformations In A Woman’s Life, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006.
Hamilton, Edith, Mythology (New Ed.), Back Bay Books, 1998.
Leeming, David, The Oxford Companion To World Mythology, Oxford University Press USA, 2005.