Freyja's field, where she receives half of the slain.
Fólkvangr, 'field of the people' or 'field of warriors', is Freyja's domain and one of the places in Ásgarðr to which the battle-slain are brought. According to Grímnismál 14, Freyja chooses half of those who fall on the battlefield, while Odin takes the other half. Her hall on this field is called Sessrúmnir, 'the one with many seats', suggesting a large and welcoming building. Fólkvangr is mentioned very briefly in the surviving sources, but the phrase is distinct enough to indicate an independent and established conception.
Freyja's role as a receiver of the dead is one of her most distinctly war-related features, alongside her connection to seiðr and love. That she shares half of the battle-slain with Odin places her in a parallel relationship with him as receiver of dead warriors. This may reflect older conceptions of Freyja as a valkyrie-like figure, or as a goddess whose cult was closely tied to funerary rites.
Sessrúmnir is described in Gylfaginning as Freyja's hall, large and beautiful, but no details are given about what life there is like. It is unclear whether the dead in Fólkvangr live a life similar to that of the einherjar in Valhöll, or whether it is an entirely different form of existence. The place does not appear in the known skaldic poems, making it difficult to establish its popularity within the living cult.
Sources in the Eddas
- Grímnismál 14
- The only poetic source to mention Fólkvangr by name and describe Freyja's selection of half the fallen.
- Gylfaginning 24
- Snorri repeats the information from Grímnismál and briefly describes Sessrúmnir as Freyja's hall.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Fólkvangr is Freyja's field in Ásgarðr, and her hall there is called Sessrúmnir.
Freyja receives half of the battle-slain; Odin receives the other half.
B What we think we know
Whether Fólkvangr and Valhöll represent competing cultic traditions or complement each other within the same system is debated.
It is debated whether Freyja's reception of the dead reflects an originally independent goddess tradition that was later coordinated with Odin's role.
Why Freyja specifically, rather than another goddess, shares this function with Odin is not explained in the sources and has given rise to various interpretations.
C What we do not know
It is unknown whether the dead in Fólkvangr lead an active life similar to the einherjar, or whether it is a different form of existence.
Fólkvangr's geographical location relative to Valhöll and the rest of Ásgarðr is not specified.
Whether Fólkvangr receives only battle-slain warriors, or whether Freyja also selects women or others, is not answered in the sources.