Barring some, probably unfair remarks that contemporary Goddess Spirituality just takes a male concept of deity and sticks it in a dress, there is a dearth of transvestite gods. Norse mythology, however, tends to be filled with an odd bunch of characters; one simply needs to recall the fact that Loki is the mother of Odin’s horse, to name but one example.
This myth is The Lay of Thrym (Þrymskviða), and held an enduring popularity in Scandinavia, continuing to be recited in several forms until the 19th century. It involves the story of the god Thor dressing as the goddess Freyja to retrieve his hammer from the giant Thrym. Here are two different translations. This one is longer and more poetic in style (remember the story was originally in poetic form), while this one is probably easier to read. I prefer the first, but that's just me. It is founf in the Poetic Edda.
There is little scholarly consensus on its age: some see it as an older heathen story, others as a Christian parody. I’m posting it because I find it interesting and wondered what you think of it. What message do you think it conveys? What image of, and attitude to, women does it project? Is the hammer symbolic of masculinity, and if so how is this reflected in the narrative? What questions does the story raise for you?
In all honesty, what I'm trying to work out is how Thrym didn't notice the beard. It's not as if the story takes place before the binding of Fenrir...
