Hnoss
In Norse mythology, Hnoss is the daughter of Freyja and Óðr, and the twin sister of Gersemi. She is the goddess of wealth, friendship and happiness.
Name
The Old Norse term Hnoss has been translated in a variety of ways by scholars and folklorists. David Leeming and Christopher Fee in their joint book The Goddess: Myths of the Great Mother claim that Hnoss' name was drawn from the word for "gem," in which she is described as sparkling like a diamond. Given Hnoss is the daughter of the most beautiful goddess Freyja, it should come as no surprise that jewels bear her name.Hilda Ellis Davidson in her Roles of the Northern Goddess similarly claims that Hnoss' name derives from a great beauty whose name may be "used for treasure in poetry" or simply "treasure." This translation shares semantic and etymological similarities with the Icelandic word hnoss as well as the Old Danish words noss and nusse. In the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson states that beautiful things were called hnossir after her name.
Despite various interpretations, The Concept of The Goddess, states that Hnoss "bears her mother's eyelash-rain," which translates to "there is gold on the precious object."
Attestations
In Gylfaginning, Hnoss is portrayed as the beautiful daughter of Freyja and Óð:In Skáldskaparmál, a þulur mentions Hnoss as the daughter of Freyja, and in Ynglinga saga a passage describes "Hnoss and Gersimi" as her daughters. Gersemi could be the same figure as Hnoss.
The 12th-century skald Einarr Skúlason, cited by Snorri in Skáldskaparmál, refers to Hnoss in a kenning as Freyia's "glorious child" and Freyr’s niece: