What do Freyr and Tane have in common?

They share no domain in this atlas: Freyr holds prosperity, sunshine, rain, fertility, peace, while Tane holds forests, birds, light, life, beauty.

Which traditions do they belong to?

Freyr belongs to the Norse Pantheon; Tane belongs to the Polynesian Pantheon.

Side by side

Freyr vs Tane

Tane already lists Freyr; both are gods of fertility, natural abundance, and life

At a glance

Norse Pantheon

tradition

Polynesian Pantheon

prosperity, sunshine, rain, fertility, peace

domains

forests, birds, light, life, beauty

boar Gullinbursti, ship Skidbladnir, sword, antler

symbols

trees, birds, sunlight through leaves, kiwi bird

Yngvi, Lord

also called

Kane (Hawaiian), Tane Mahuta (Maori), Tane-nui-a-Rangi

Where they meet

The atlas records no shared domain or symbol between them. What connects them is elsewhere: Tane already lists Freyr; both are gods of fertility, natural abundance, and life

Where they part

Freyr alone

prosperity, sunshine, rain, fertility, peace

Tane alone

forests, birds, light, life, beauty

Why they are compared

Tane already lists Freyr; both are gods of fertility, natural abundance, and life
Both are associated with fertility, light, and the natural world

How each was worshipped

Freyr

Cult sites: Uppsala, with a noted phallic image in Adam of Bremen, Trøndelag and Swedish king-lore (Ynglingar).

Festivals: Harvest blót, Fröblot.

Peace, rain, and the harvest. The boar Gullinbursti and the ship Skidbladnir are myth-objects; the cult is grain and kingship. He is Njord's son and a different weather from Thor's thunderstorm.

Tane

Cult sites: Forest tapu; Tane Mahuta as a living kauri of the name.

Trees, birds, and the separating of earth and sky in Maori telling. Carvers and forest work sit under his restriction. The cult is the bush.

Freyr

Norse Pantheon

One of the Vanir, god of fertility, prosperity, and fair weather. Owner of the magical ship Skidbladnir and the golden boar Gullinbursti.

Freyr is the son of Njord, the sea god, and twin brother to Freyja. Born among the Vanir, he came to live with the Aesir as part of the hostage exchange that ended the Aesir-Vanir War. Upon his arrival in Asgard, the gods were so impressed by his noble bearing that they gave him Alfheim, the realm of the Light Elves, as a teething gift. He received the magical ship Skidbladnir and the golden boar Gullinbursti as gifts from the dwarven craftsmen, the sons of Ivaldi. His worship was especially prominent in Sweden, where he was considered an ancestor of the Yngling dynasty.

Freyr is the noble brother of Freyja and ruler of Alfheim (realm of the Elves). He brings peace and prosperity to mortals.

Read the full Freyr entry

Tane

Polynesian Pantheon

The god of forests, birds, and light. Tane is credited with separating his parents Rangi and Papa, bringing light into the world, and creating the first woman, Hineahuone, from the earth.

Tane was born in darkness, trapped between the bodies of his parents Rangi and Papa. He conceived the plan to separate them, and with his great strength pushed the sky from the earth, bringing light into the world. He then adorned his father with stars and his mother with trees and plants.

Tane is one of the most important gods in Polynesian mythology, particularly in Maori tradition. As the god of forests and birds, he represents the living green world that provides food, shelter, and the materials for canoes and tools. His is the realm of light and life, standing in contrast to the dark ocean of his brother Tangaroa.

Read the full Tane entry

Compare something else

Build your own comparison

Preparing comparison data...

At a glance

Norse Pantheon

tradition

Polynesian Pantheon

prosperity, sunshine, rain, fertility, peace

domains

forests, birds, light, life, beauty

boar Gullinbursti, ship Skidbladnir, sword, antler

symbols

trees, birds, sunlight through leaves, kiwi bird

Yngvi, Lord

also called

Kane (Hawaiian), Tane Mahuta (Maori), Tane-nui-a-Rangi

How each was worshipped

Freyr

Cult sites: Uppsala, with a noted phallic image in Adam of Bremen, Trøndelag and Swedish king-lore (Ynglingar).

Festivals: Harvest blót, Fröblot.

Peace, rain, and the harvest. The boar Gullinbursti and the ship Skidbladnir are myth-objects; the cult is grain and kingship. He is Njord's son and a different weather from Thor's thunderstorm.

Tane

Cult sites: Forest tapu; Tane Mahuta as a living kauri of the name.

Trees, birds, and the separating of earth and sky in Maori telling. Carvers and forest work sit under his restriction. The cult is the bush.