Gersemi: The Goddess of Adoration

Gersemi, and her twin sister Hnoss, are the daughters of Freyja and Odr. Gersemi is the goddess of adoration, watching …

Gersemi, and her twin sister Hnoss, are the daughters of Freyja and Odr. Gersemi is the goddess of adoration, watching over all the handmade and precious little things.

Short Facts about gersemi

Tribe: Vanir

Goddess of: Adoration, beauty, love, material possessions, passion, sisterhood, small valuable belongings, and treasure

Daughter of: Odr and Freyja

Sister of: Hnoss

Other names: Garsemi, Garsimi, Semi 

responsibilities

Beauty, care, cherished items, desire, friendship, handmade gifts, love, passion, respect, sisterhood, and treasure

associated animals

An otter

weapon/domain of power

Her compelling magnetism, her passion and adoration, and her strong connection with her twin sister Hnoss

Beautiful and unique

Gersemi is the goddess of adoration and beauty. Together with her twin sister Hnoss, they are the mysterious and seductive Vanir deities of physical beauty. She and Hnoss are the daughters of Odr and Freyja.

Gersemi is also linked with care, precious valuables – especially small ones, handmade presents, passion and respect. Her name means ‘treasure’ in Old Norse and she’s so beautiful that everything nice-looking is called ‘gersamr’ meaning treasure.

Gersemi and Hnoss share the same abilities; overwhelming beauty and their names identical to treasure. This has led many scholars to assume that she is just another name for Hnoss. Yet, Odr and Freyja had two daughters and not just one. And although they are twins she is slightly different from Hnoss. Her eyes are said to be bluer and she is more energetic than her sister.

In the old texts

Gersemi, along with her twin sister Hnoss, is only mentioned once in the Ynglinga saga, as a daughter of Freyja.

FAQS

Is Gersemi a real goddess?

Gersemi does not appear in the old texts as much as her sister, Hnoss. She is mentioned once, as one of the twin daughters of Freyja. That however doesn’t necessarily mean that she isn’t an actual deity. After all, she was a lively child, uncontrolled and noisy, and didn’t even participate in any of the gods’ activities. Still, she is there, protecting every cherished little item and inspiring mortals with desire, love, and passion.

Featured Image Credit: George Dunlop Leslie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo of author

Vasilis Megas

Vasilis Megas (a.k.a. Vasil Meg) lives in Athens, Greece. He is a Greek- and Norse Mythology enthusiast. Vasilis has written and published 16 books - mostly fantasy and science fiction - and he is now working as a content writer, journalist, photographer and translator.