Byggvir's wife, servant of Freyr.
Beyla (Old Norse Beyla) is Byggvir's wife and a servant of Freyr. She is mentioned in Lokasenna, where Loki directs insults at her and calls her filthy. Beyla responds by foretelling Thor's arrival, which finally silences Loki.
The etymology of Beyla's name is disputed. Suggestions include connections to 'bi' (beekeeping) or 'baula' (cow), but no interpretation has gained general acceptance. Like Byggvir, she appears only in Lokasenna and has no independent myth.
Sources in the Eddas
- Lokasenna 55-56
- Loki mocks Beyla; she responds by warning of Thor's arrival.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Beyla is Byggvir's wife and Freyr's servant (Lokasenna, prose introduction).
Loki mocks her in Lokasenna 55-56.
B What we think we know
The etymology of Beyla's name is disputed; suggested connections to beekeeping or cattle lack consensus.
C What we do not know
Beyla's possible mythological function beyond Lokasenna is entirely unknown.