Norsery Rhymes, Northern Mythology from A to Z Fenja - The Great Mill Maker, Warrior, and Thresher Well here we are another Thor’s Day and another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic, sometimes Celtic) mythological characters. This week it’s another version of Fenja / Fennia / Finnie. A Jotnar (Jötunn / Jotun / Jotunn / Jetten / Eoten / Giant. Mentioned in the Grottasöngr, Skáldskaparmál, Ynglinga saga.
Her name can be translated as ‘’the Fen Dweller”. From the Old Norse Fen, still used today meaning ‘wetlands’ or ‘marshes’ of the ancient peat forming kind. or Alternately as “Hearth Dweller”. She is called the “Marsh Dweller”, “the ‘thresher’ remover of the chaff from the wheat”, “the Hard Worker”.
Sister to Menia / Menja /Minnie who were always together, and as close as can be.
Menja and Fenja were tall and strong. With some ability to see the future. But not enough. They also built a magic millstone Grotti / Grótti / Grotta, that could grind out anything the grinder wanted for as long as they sang of it. They had fashioned Grotti out of the top of a mountain, and it was so heavy that no man could turn it on his own. Grotti is why they were prayed to for gold.
The grew up together as the closest pair spending several years underground, or in the underworld that gave them their gift of prophesy.
They were maiden free servants and warriors of several princes and kings including the powerful and wise King Fjolnir who oversaw, and maintained a time of peace and bounty gifted by his parents and his wisdom. And possibly from the magic of two giantesses who could grind from a millstone anything including peace and happiness and prosperity. They fought armies and prices, and were victorious in battle and resected for their talents. They travelled with him as his servants to the court of King Frodi / Fróði . Where they served him at least until he sold them to King Frodi who foolishly did not treat them as well, and lead to Frodi’s cursed downfall. How Frodi managed to buy them is never revealed. But It’s incredibly suspect.
Frodi kept them chained to the millstone, where he gave them no rest and demanded them to grind out all the peace and prosperity they had for Fjolnir, but also non stop gold. Frodi was never satisfied with their incredible results. Working them endlesly and berating them. Keeping the cold and dirty. They warned him that if he did not stop his ill treatment he would face ruin and death. When not supervised they ground out an army against Frodi that the Sea king Mysingr / Mýsingr aligned with to kill Frodi, and take all he had. Including Fenja, Menja and the Grotti stone.
But he had not learned from Frodi and they ground so much that his ship was low in the water, and impossible to maneuver and sank in a maelstrom whirlpool. Which is told to be one of the reasons the sea is salty.
There is no word on if they survived the sinking. But I like to think that the fact they were offered to for gold and other things indicates an expectation of them existing in some kind of power.
I’ve depicted her here in her warrior times. I think this rounds out most of the looks she’s described with.. Next week we’ll have a new one.
