Who is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility?

The story behind the answer

Freya (Freyja) is the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, a leading deity of the Vanir. She’s famed for the Brísingamen necklace, rides a chariot drawn by cats, and receives half of the battle-slain in her field Fólkvangr—showing her domain spans love, magic (seiðr), and even war.

By contrast, Aphrodite and Venus are Greek and Roman love goddesses, and Ishtar is Mesopotamian. Memory tip: Friday is named for Freya (Old Norse Freyjudagr), tying her to end-of-week romance and celebration. Also remember her brother Freyr is a male fertility god—Freya and Freyr “pair” as life-bringers in Norse myth.