Fulla: Abundance and Service, Frigga Handmaid

At her hall of Fensalir, Frigga, the Norse All-Mother, has twelve Handmaidens (Note 1) or ladies-in-waiting to attend to Her. Not much is known about who these Handmaidens were since the Lore is scanty about Norse Goddesses in general. Much of what is known today is by Group Verified Gnosis.

Fulla (in brief)
Because She looks after Frigga’s shoes, Fulla can be considered the Goddess of Footwear. Her other duty is guarding Frigga’s treasures, which are kept in a casket. She is also a close confidant of the All-Mother. Diane Paxson, Heathen elder, says that Fulla is the “Keeper of Women’s Mysteries.”

Snorri Sturluson wrote in the Prose Edda, “Fulla, who is also a maid, she wears her hair flowing and has a golden ribbon about her head; she carries Frigg’s chest, takes care of her shoes and knows her secrets.” This Goddess could be thought of as “Frigga’s Lady.” Fulla attends to the All-Mother’s needs in all aspects. She is entrusted with Frigga’s well-being.

Fulla may be a major Goddess, beyond what the scanty lore indicates. She is mentioned often in Snorri’s Skaldskaparmal. Fulla is listed among the foremost Goddesses of the Aesir along with Frigga and Freya in the Prose Edda.

A hint of Fulla’s power is the Second Merseburg Charm (Note 2) where she cures a lame horse.
The Second Merseburg Charm:
“Phol and Wodan were riding to the woods,
and the foot of Balder’s foal was sprained
So Sinthgunt, Sunna’s sister, conjured it;
and Frija, Volla’s sister, conjured it;
and Wodan conjured it, as well he could:
Like bone-sprain, so blood-sprain,
so joint-sprain:
Bone to bone, blood to blood,
joints to joints, so may they be glued.”

(Phol is Balder, Wodan – Odin, Frija – Frigga, and Volla – Fulla. Sinthgunt is an unknown Goddess.)

The Charm lists Fulla as the Sister of Frigga, hinting at a close relationship that goes beyond being a “Lady’s Maid.” Moreover, Fulla is thought of as a major healer of horses. The Charm acknowledges her power as a major Germanic Goddess.

The Golden Ribbon, referred to by Snorri, indicates Fulla’s divinity. The Ribbon could be thought of as a crown. This is the description of Fulla’s “Snood” in the Edda.
“One may hear how gold is metaphorically called Fulla’s Snood, in this verse which Eyvindr Skald-Despoiler wrought:
Fulla’s shining Fillet,
The forehead’s sun at rising,
Shone on the swelling shield-hill
For skalds all Hakon’s life-days.”

Fulla’s “Snood” and “Chest” hint at Her being a Goddess of Abundance. One of her attributes is “Fulla the Bountiful.” In fact, her name translates to “fullness” or “bountiful” in Old Norse. Fulla is believed to ensure bountiful harvests.

My experience with Fulla is in meditating on Her Role as the Keeper of Frigga’s Shoes. Why is that assigned to a Goddess? I realized how important shoes are when my husband had custom shoes made for his deformed feet. The proper shoes assist in walking and mobility. They are considered their weight in gold. Therefore the keeping of shoes is something that I ask of Fulla.

My second experience was in finding a box. I had needed a place to put all my prayer beads. While I was considering what, a vision of a wooden box came to me. I was led to the box on sale and had the funds to buy it. Later I realized that Fulla presented the vision and the money to buy the box.

My third experience with Fulla has been in the care and keeping of my husband’s feet. She has helped to guide me and him through his toe amputation and later operations. My UPG is that Fulla does concern Herself with feet as well as shoes.

Notes:
Note 1. Saga (seer), Eir (healer), Gefjun (unmarried girls), Fulla (plenty), Sjofn (love), Lofn (forbidden love), Var (oaths), Vor (wisdom), Syn (truth), Hlin (protector), Snorta (diplomacy), Gna (travelers).

Note 2. The Second Merseburg Charm is one of two Medieval charms written in Old High German. They are the only known examples of written charms of German Polytheists.