Also called Sigunn.
Their story
Sigyn is Loki's wife and mother of his sons Narfi and Váli. When the gods bound Loki in a cave with his son's entrails and hung a serpent above him to drip venom on his face, Sigyn stood by him holding a bowl to catch the poison. When the bowl is full she must go and empty it, and the venom falls on Loki; his writhing then is what people call earthquakes.
Best times to give to them
- when caring for someone who suffers
- in long hardship
- when keeping a vigil
What they like being given
- an empty bowl placed on the altar
- a candle for a carer
- water
How to honour them
- Honour her by giving a carer you know an hour's rest.
- Keep a small bowl on your altar as a sign of patient compassion.
How they can help you
- caregivers
- endurance in hard times
- loyalty
- compassion without judgement
Symbols
- a bowl
- dripping venom
- a cave
She is mentioned only briefly in the sources; much of her modern devotion as a patron of carers is recent practice.
Sources
- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning 50
- Poetic Edda, Lokasenna (closing prose)
- Poetic Edda, Völuspá
- Þjóðólfr of Hvinir, Haustlöng
More Norse goddesses
- Frigg Queen of Asgard, keeper of the hearth
- Sif The golden-haired, wife of Thor
- Freyja The Lady, mistress of seiðr and love
- Iðunn Keeper of the apples of youth
- Hel Keeper of the realm of the dead
- Eir The best of physicians
- Sága Keeper of stories, who drinks with Odin
- Gefjon The giving one, ploughwoman of Zealand