Jarnsaxa, a lesser-known figure in Norse mythology, indeed carries an intriguing aura around her. Her enigmatic nature adds to her allure, and her multifaceted role in the Norse myths is what makes her particularly captivating.
Her name, formed by combining the Swedish words for iron, axe, and scissors (jarn, yxa, and saxa), provides some insight into her character. In the Poetic Edda, one of the oldest texts of Norse culture, she is recognized as one of The Nine Mothers of Heimdall. These Wave-Maidens had the crucial responsibility of operating the mill that controlled the wind and waves. After Heimdall leaves his mothers to seek his fortune, Jarnsaxa fades from the Eddas for a time.
She resurfaces as Thor's lover, continuing to be portrayed as a giantess, much like her previous role as a Wave-Maiden. This association also labels her as a Jotun, the same race as Loki. Additionally, she is the mother of Thor's sons, Magni and Modi, who respectively embody physical strength and a desire for combat and conquest. Prophecy dictates that Modi and Magni will ultimately inherit Mjölnir, Thor's mighty hammer, when it is hurled at the conclusion of Ragnarok, the Old Norse apocalypse. It's worth noting that Thor's official wife is Sif, the goddess of fertility.
Given this information, several assumptions can be made. Jarnsaxa is often referred to as Thor's mistress, lover, or even co-wife, but she does not occupy the role that monogamous marriage traditionally confers. Sif, as a fertility goddess associated with summer and the harvest, likely represents Thor's aspect as a thunder god and the bringer of rain. Consequently, Jarnsaxa may symbolize his warrior aspect. Her children, Magni and Modi, embody the finest qualities of a warrior, and it's reasonable to assume that they didn't solely inherit these traits from their father. In Old Norse culture, shield maidens were accepted as figures who fought alongside their communities without officially bearing the title of Viking. Jarnsaxa's martial prowess can be inferred not only from her name but also from her background.
Considering that the Aesir generally looked down on the Jotuns as uncivilized and untamed, Jarnsaxa's ability to capture Thor's heart suggests that she possessed not only physical attractiveness but also a captivating and vibrant personality. Her presence in Norse mythology adds depth to the intricate web of relationships and attributes within the pantheon.
Loki and Thor share many adventures, generally stories in which Loki and/or his Jotun comrades are harmed. Since Loki and Jarnsaxa are both Jotuns, it’s safe to assume they share a bond. Loki will eventually helm the ship that sails against the Aesir in Ragnarok, and Jarnsaxa’s children will directly benefit from Thor’s defeat. Since she’s bearing Thor’s children without The Aesir’s blessing or status, and will benefit from the destruction of the Aesir, all that can come in the middle is a desire for revenge.
Returning to the original proposition, we can take a look at a sentient wind farm, and wonder how it got that way, and what it wants. The world of Old Norse culture lends itself to liminality, a flexibility of boundaries between the past and present, natural and supernatural worlds. This is a place with Northern Lights and white nights, and the states of dreaming and being awake can become blurred. How does Jarnsaxa fit into this scheme?
The Draugr is the Old Norse version of the walking dead. This is just one version of the ways in which souls can transcend the mortal experience. Sometimes, if a dead person is not properly buried, or has unfinished business, their body can live on after them, or, simply, their will. It can inhabit animals, attacking the living until it gets what it wants. In the Eyrbyggja Saga, the will of a dead woman inhabited a seal, attacking humans until its bedclothes were burned, as the departed woman had requested. This story is a precursor of the Irish and Scots folk creature, the Selkie.
More common are the souls of corpses washed up on shore.. In some cases, the woman is disguised as a quiet farm girl, who refuses to go to Mass, but instead turns into an Elf Queen and throws a secret party for all of her elvish friends. In other cases, the quiet farm girl reveals a murderous nature, slaughtering livestock and whoever might try to stop her. Christian ritual is often not enough to stop restlessness. In the Eyrbyggja Saga, Thorgunna receives a Christian burial, but returns to tell everyone how cold her resting place is, until they finally fulfill her request to burn her bedclothes. As scholar Kirsti Kanerva says, the ghost is there to shine a light on past wrong, and get things in order, not because of the presence or absence of any particular religion. “The ghosts and wonders manifest the mental and social disequilibrium inherent in these situations…indicating in a concrete way the shadows of the past, deeds that have caused the balance of the minds of men and the order of their society to be shaken by the dead through fear, lunacy, illness, and death.” Like the ghosts in Macbeth and Hamlet, the undead in Old Norse culture are there to push the living to truth and justice.
So, how does a re-animated Jarnsaxa, fueled by revenge, fit into contemporary imagination?
She wants revenge on the Aesir. Like a corporation, this network of gods controls everything, from the seasons and weather to choices about food, shelter and sex. They set rules, and demand loyalty and homage. They can punish or reward, according to their whims. They can use and destroy the natural world however they please, and re-create it in their own image. An ancient giantess, turning a mill which feeds the wind and ways has its mirror opposite in a graceful silvery wind turbine, towering over land and sea to harness the wind’s energy. What comes around, goes around, literally.