Brings together forbidden lovers. Gentle and good to invoke.
Lofn (Old Norse Lofn) is an Asynja described by Snorri in Gylfaginning 35. Her function is to bring together men and women whose union is otherwise forbidden or obstructed. Snorri writes that she is so gentle and good to invoke that she has received permission from Allfather and Frigg to unite such couples.
Her name derives from the verb lofa ('to allow, to praise'), underscoring her connection to consent and blessing. Beyond Snorri's enumeration she lacks attestation in the Eddic poems, and her figure belongs to those Asynjur known almost exclusively through Gylfaginning.
Sources in the Eddas
- Gylfaginning 35
- Snorri describes Lofn as the Asynja who brings together forbidden lovers.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Lofn brings together forbidden lovers with the permission of Odin and Frigg (Gylfaginning 35).
B What we think we know
Whether Lofn represents an actual cultic figure or is one of Snorri's systematizations is debated.
C What we do not know
Lofn's possible cult and older mythological role are unknown.