Ingunar-Freyr is the name given to Freyr in the Lokasenna (43) and in the Great saga of Saint Olaf.

It is often assumed that Ingunar is the West-Germanic equivalent of the Scandinavian Yngvi.[1]

The meaning of Ingunar remains uncertain. It could be related to the Ingaevones, a Germanic tribe. Another solution is to understand Ingunar as the genitive form of Ingun, who would be a fertility goddess.[2]

A close form, frea Ingwina ("lord of the friends of Ing") is used in Beowulf (1319), where it refers to the Danish king Hroðgar.

References

  1. ^ Lindow, John. 2002. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0.
  2. ^ Schröder, Franz Rolf. 1941. Untersuchungen zur germanischen und vergleichenden Religionsgeschichte. Vol. 1, Ingunar-Freyr. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr.
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