Odin’s wife Frigg is the oldest continually known Germanic goddess. Her name appears in the Anglo-Saxon transliteration of the Roman names of the days of the week. The modern designation of the sixth day, Friday, which corresponds to the Latin dies Veneris, Venus’ Day, is named after her from the Anglo-Saxon Fricg (Frycg), Old Norse Frigg, Old Saxon Frî, Old High German Frîja. That Frigg is identified with Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love, is fitting considering her name is thought to derive from a proto-Germanic word, *friyo, from the Indo-European root *priya, “dear, beloved.”
Frigg is widely recorded as Odin’s wife in sources dating from 750 AD onward. She and Odin have been directly linked since their first appearance together in the anonymous Origo Gentis Langobardorum (The Origin and History of the Lombards). There Odin and Frigg appear as Godan and Frea, engaged in a dispute over whom to show favor, the Winnilies, Frea’s favorites, or the Vandals, Godan’s choice:
“Ambri and Assi, that is the leaders of the Vandals, asked Godan to give them victory over the Winnilies. Godan answered, say thus, ‘I shall give victory to those whom I first see at sunrise.’ At that time Gambara, with her two sons, that is Ybor and Agjo, who were chieftains over the Winnilies, asked Frea, to be propitious to the Winnilies. Then Frea gave advice that the Winniles should come at sunrise, and that their women should also come with their husbands with their hair let down around their face like beards. When it became light as the sun was rising, Frea, the wife of Godan, turned the bed where her husband was lying, putting his face toward the east, and woke him up. And looking at them, he saw the Winnilies and their women having their hair let down around their faces; and he said: ‘Who are these long-bearded ones?’ And Frea said to Godan, ‘Since you have given them a name, give them also the victory.’ And he gave them the victory, so that they should defend themselves according to this plan and gain victory. Since that time the Winnilies were called the Longobards.”
Odin granted them the victory, but in practical terms, they won because their women fought alongside them. We can infer this from the text. Paul the Deacon states, "they should defend themselves according to this plan and gain victory." Tacitus explains why this strategy was necessary. Being few in number, they needed warriors, and so tasked their women to assist at Frigg's behest, and with Odin's blessing. Thus the Lombards were bold in battle. The Lombards or Longobards (“Long-beards”) are the same tribe that Tacitus knew as the Longobardi. Among the tribes listed by Tacitus as devotees of the earth-goddess Nerthus in Germania, chapter 40, the Longobardi play a prominent role. Of them, he says:
“The Langobardi are distinguished by being few in number. Surrounded by many mighty peoples they have protected themselves not by submissiveness, but by battle and boldness. Next to them come the Reudigni, Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarines and Huitones protected by rivers and forests. There is nothing especially noteworthy about these states individually, but they are distinguished by a common worship of Nerthus, that is, Mother Earth, and believe she intervenes in human affairs and rides through their peoples.”
