Mythic Monday: Skadi, Winter Goddess

Skadi is the Norse goddess of winter and the hunt. Daughter of frost giants, some scholars maintain that Scandinavia is named after her. Skadi married the summer god Njord after choosing him from a lineup of gods. The kicker was that she had to select her future husband by looking only at the feet of the men! Incompatibility soon ensured, since Njord insisted on dwelling by the sea, whereas Skadi longed for the icy, snow covered mountains of her homeland. The couple eventually split and amicably agreed to live apart. Skadi is known for placing the venomous serpent onto the bound trickster god Loki.

In my paranormal dark fantasy romance Wytchfae – Runes, the witch Skada serves as homage to the goddess Skadi. She is the one who curses the Viking Ingvar with these words: “By my decree, husband-slayer, shall you walk upon this earth a shade, neither here nor there, for thirteen by thirteen hundred moons. Though some may see you, none shall hear your plea. As a sorceress bestowed this gift, only a sorceress can remove it.”

Two popular revitalizations of Skadi are the White Witch in the stories of Narnia and the iconic Snow Queen.

Further reading:
http://meadhall.homestead.com/Skadipage.html
http://broomcloset.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/skadi-the-norse-goddess-of-winter/
http://thenorsegods.com/the-marriage-of-njord-and-skadi/