Hain zu Barri
Once, when Freyr, the god of spring and the sun, looked out from Odin’s throne in Asgard toward Jotunheim, the land of the giants, he discovered the beautiful giantess Gerda, whose skin glowed like the finest ivory in the light and whose hair shimmered like rays of the sun. That was the moment he was lost. His heart began to beat wildly, and Freyr recognized love. But since the gods and the giants were bitter enemies, Freyr had to accept that this union would likely never come to pass. So he suffered, abstaining from all food and drink, and wandered restlessly until his faithful servant agreed to travel to Jotunheim and tell the noble Gerda of his master’s love. With great effort, and not least through magical aid, he managed to convince Gerda to meet Freyr in the Forest of Barri. Nine nights later, they met in the grove at Barri, and the world seemed to stand still. This was the moment when the sacred union between a god and a giantess took place, and fertility and blessings spread across the land.
S&W | Hain zu Barri | Norway | 2025
European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) strengthening their pair bond