Gefjon

E372404

Gefjon is a Norse goddess associated with ploughing, fertility, and the legendary creation of the island of Zealand.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Gefjon canonical 3

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Norse goddess
mythological figure
associatedPlace Copenhagen
Denmark
Lake Mälaren
Sweden
Zealand
associatedWith agriculture
fertility
giants
ploughing
virginity
category Norse goddesses
agricultural goddesses
fertility goddesses
culture Germanic mythology
Norse mythology
depictedAs woman driving a plough pulled by oxen
etymologyProposed possibly related to Old Norse "gefa" (to give)
gender female
hasChildren four giant sons transformed into oxen
hasFountain Gefion Fountain
surface form: Gefion Fountain near Kastellet, Copenhagen
hasMonument Gefion Fountain
surface form: Gefion Fountain in Copenhagen
hasMyth ploughing land from Sweden to form Zealand
hasType agricultural deity
creator deity
fertility deity
influenced Danish national identity myths
mentionedIn Gylfaginning
Prose Edda
Skáldskaparmál
Ynglinga saga
narrativeFunction explains geographical origin of Zealand
mediates between gods and giants
pantheon Aesir
surface form: Æsir
relatedConcept foundation myths of Denmark
land acquisition by ploughing
representedInArt 19th-century and 20th-century Scandinavian art
roleInMyth creator of the island of Zealand
land-taking goddess
scholarlyInterpretation sometimes interpreted as a goddess of unmarried women
sometimes linked to ritual land-taking practices
spouseOrConsort Skjöld
symbol oxen
plough
textualSource Snorri Sturluson’s works
worshipPeriod Viking Age
worshipRegion Scandinavia

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Aesir member Gefjon
Gefn distinguishedFrom Gefjon