Freys sigð

Authors: Youla Azkarrula

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Freys sigð, painting by Jessica Gullberg for Stellarium.

Freys sigð, the Freyr’s sickle, is a Norse constellation mentioned in the Rímtǫl glosses, which dates back to the 11th century CE and is an Old Norse calendar of 52 weeks (364 days).

Concordance, Etymology, History

Origin of Constellation

Freys sigð (Freyr’s sickle) belongs to the god Freyr, who governs rain and sunshine and thus the fertility of the earth. He is invoked for a good harvest (Sturluson 2017, p. 37). The star Spica (“ear of grain”) served as a calendar star for sowing and harvest in various cultures and periods. A constellation corresponding to a sickle located around Spica fits into Old Norse mythology, as Freyr is depicted on an 11th-century runestone (Gotland Runic Inscription 181). The depicted shape is an approximation, but it can be traced through the brightness of the stars forming the sickle.

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

nothing known

Rökstenen, rune stone near Ödeshög in south Sweden (CC BY Bengt Olof ÅRADSSON)

Weblinks

• Norse Constellations by Digitalis Solutions
• Valkyria.com Norse Calendar

All HIP Stars within this constellation

Convex Hull for the stars inside Freys sigð (CC BY Jakob Eyermann).

References

• References (general)