Freya

Freya was a Druid girl who fell in love with Merlin, who she met when he helped her to escape from the bounty hunter Halig. She later died on the shores of the Lake of Avalon, after which she became the Lady of the Lake.

Early Life
Little is known about Freya's early life. She once told Merlin that she had grown up in a beautiful place next to a lake surrounded by mountains and wild flowers. She lived there until her family died under unspecified circumstances.

At some point in her life Freya accidentally killed a man in self defense. When the man's mother (a sorceress) learned what she'd done, she cursed Freya to kill forevermore. The curse forced Freya to transform into a Bastet every night at midnight, and while in its form she was subject to an uncontrollable desire to kill. The consequences of her curse eventually caused the Druids to cast her out of their camp, despite the fact that it went against everything they believed in to turn away anyone in need of care.

It is unknown if Freya was born a Druid, or if she entered the lifestyle sometime after the death of her family (The Lady of the Lake).

Meeting Merlin
Sometime after she was cast out of the Druid's camp, Freya was captured by the bounty hunter Halig and taken to Camelot. Halig intended to turn her over to Uther for money, as the king was known to offer a handsome reward for anyone with magic. Before he could do so, however, Freya's plight was discovered by the young warlock Merlin. He used his magic to free her from her chains and the cage Halig had imprisoned her in, after which he took her to the caverns beneath the city, where he knew she would be safe. Though somewhat suspicious of Merlin at first, as she didn't understand why he had helped her, Freya accepted his explanation that it could have just as easily been him in that cage and seemed to warm to him a bit, accepting his jacket when he offered it and telling him her name.

Merlin spent the next few days smuggling food and candles to Freya, who had to remain hidden in the tunnels. They grew steadily closer during this time, bonding over their statuses as outcasts and outsiders and sharing anecdotes about their childhood homes. Though more reserved than Merlin, who was thrilled to have someone he could be himself around, Freya soon came to trust him and gradually opened up about her past and her problems, at one point even mentioning her feelings of being cursed. In response, Merlin - who assumed she was talking about her magic - tried to make her see that magic could be a gift by making candle flames dance in the air for her, which made Freya smile.

But even as her friendship with Merlin deepened, Freya still had her secrets. Her curse continued to plague her, forcing her to leave the tunnels and kill two peasants. She was visibly sad when Merlin visited her the next day, and barely registered the wheel of bread he'd brought her or his question about what she wanted to go with it. She began to cheer up, however, when he conjured her a rose. Though not the strawberries she'd asked for, Freya was clearly delighted with the gift and accepted it tenderly, asking him why he was so good to her. When Merlin replied that he liked her, that he could be himself around her and that they didn't have to hide anything from one another, Freya tried once more to tell him about her curse.

Before she could do so, however, the moment was interrupted by the arrival of Halig, who suspected Merlin of harboring her and had followed him to the caverns in search of her. Though they ultimately managed to avoid detection, Freya was deeply distressed by the incident, as she couldn't bear to wind up back in a cage. Merlin reassured her by repeating his earlier promise to look after her no matter what, and was surprised that she didn't seem to realize how special she was. Touched, Freya was similarly surprised (and grateful) to realize that he wasn't afraid of her. Oblivious of her curse and still under the impression that she was referring to her magic, Merlin told her that being different was nothing to be scared of, and the two shared a kiss (The Lady of the Lake).

Escape From Camelot
Shortly after their close call with Halig, Merlin began devising a plan for Freya to escape from Camelot, ultimately deciding that he would find some new clothes for her and thus disguised she could leave the city without notice. His plans saddened Freya, who had enjoyed their time together and would miss him. When she told him so, however, Merlin surprised her by announcing that he was going with her. Freya initially objected to the idea, as she felt that he had a good life in Camelot and couldn't ask him to sacrifice it for her, but soon appeared to warm to the idea and happily agreed to Merlin's plan.

Deep down, however, Freya knew that her curse made any chance of a life together an impossibility, and after killing two more peasants that night was further convinced that Merlin would be better off without her. Resolving to escape on her own, Freya left the tunnels while he was out gathering the last of their supplies and hid until nightfall, at which time she attempted to leave the city under cover of darkness. It wasn't long, however, before she found herself cornered by a patrol led by Arthur and Halig. Knowing that her curse would soon be upon her, Freya begged them to let her go, but it was too late. The clocks began to chime midnight, and she was forced to enter her Bastet form.

Unable to control herself, Freya killed Halig and attacked Arthur and his men, the former of whom managed to fight her off, badly injuring her in the process. Howling in pain, Freya retreated to the main square with the knights close behind. It was at this point that Merlin arrived, having discovered her disappearance and come running when he heard the warning bells. He stared at the scene in horror, at one point locking eyes with Freya, who gazed at him sadly as the knights moved in for the kill. Desperate to save her, Merlin used his magic to send a stone gargoyle toppling from a wall. It distracted the knights long enough for Freya to escape, and Merlin quickly ran after her (The Lady of the Lake).

Death
Merlin followed Freya back to their hiding place in the caverns. Though still in her Bastet form, she made no move to attack him, instead appearing calm and gentle. When the effects of the curse soon began to wear off, Freya retreated deeper into the tunnels, where she regained her human form, naked, badly injured, and crying. As Merlin covered her with his jacket, she tearfully explained what had happened to her, how she had once killed a man in self defense and been cursed by his mother in retaliation, forcing her to kill forevermore.

Knowing that her wound was too serious to heal, Freya asked Merlin to leave her. Instead, he dressed her in the gown he'd stolen for her from Morgana's wardrobe and carried her to the Lake of Avalon, which he knew would remind her of the childhood home she'd spoken of so fondly. Pleased that he'd remembered, Freya seemed to be at peace with her fate. Though he hadn't been able to heal her, she assured Merlin that he'd already saved her, that he'd made her feel loved, and with her last breath promised him that one day she would repay his kindness. She died seconds later in Merlin's arms.

Heartbroken, Merlin placed her body in a boat lined with ferns and pushed it out onto the lake. When it was some distance away, he used his magic to set it aflame, giving her a Viking funeral. He watched the boat burn for a moment, and then returned to Camelot (The Lady of the Lake).

The Lady of the Lake
A little over a year later, when Merlin accompanied Arthur on his quest to recover the Fisher King's trident, the Fisher King gave him a glass vial containing water from the Lake of Avalon. He warned him that Albion's time of need was near and that Merlin alone could save her, but that he would need help, and that the water would provide that help (The Eye of the Phoenix).

When Morgause and Morgana conquered Camelot with their immortal army, Merlin took the vial with him when he, Arthur, and their allies went into hiding. He experimented with the water using his magic and various spells, but to no avail. Whatever help the water could provide remained a mystery, and he eventually dozed off with the vial still in hand.

Sometime later, Merlin was startled awake by the sound of Gwaine getting up in the night, and in his surprise the vial slipped from his fingers and shattered on the cave floor. Horrified, Merlin watched helplessly as the water began to trickle away. Much to his surprise, however, breaking the glass had freed Albion's last hope rather than destroyed it. The water took on an ethereal glow and formed a small puddle in a crevice of rock. An image then formed in the water, and Merlin watched in shock and delight as it was revealed to be Freya.

As Merlin struggled to comprehend this turn of events, Freya told him that she'd missed him, and gently deflected his questions by saying that they didn't have long. She explained that the Cup of Life had not only made Morgana's army immortal but transformed them into the living dead, and there was only one thing that could slay that which was already dead: the sword Excalibur, which Merlin had hidden at the bottom of the Lake of Avalon. She urged him to come to the lake, where she would give him the sword herself.

The next day, Merlin asked the dragon Kilgharrah to talk him to the Lake of Avalon. He took a small boat out to the middle of the lake, anxiously scanning the waves for any sign of Freya. After a moment the sword Excalibur emerged from the water, held in Freya's hand, and Merlin smiled (The Coming of Arthur).

Roughly four years later, after Arthur died while en route to the Lake of Avalon, Merlin returned Excalibur to Freya's care. Somber and grieved, he cast the sword into the lake and watched as Freya caught it in her hand and drew it back under the water (The Diamond of the Day).

Personality
Before meeting Merlin, Freya was traumatized by her curse, both physically and mentally, and hated herself for being a Bastet. She even called herself a monster at one point but did not know how to tell Merlin about her curse. She desperately wanted to be an ordinary person with an ordinary life. Freya said before she met Merlin she'd always had to look over her shoulder to make sure she was not about to be ambushed. (This trait most likely originated from when she was attacked by a sorceress' son.)

Freya was a nervous and shy girl, and when she first met Merlin she was worried he was going to try and hurt her, even though he'd freed her from Halig's cage, not understanding why he would want to help her for no reason.

However, despite her fragile exterior, Freya was stronger than she appeared and was surprisingly independent as she was able to defend herself from the man who attacked her and survive on her own after her family died, though it is unknown how much time had passed since then. She quickly grew to trust Merlin greatly and fell in love with him. Merlin fell in love with her in return.

Though she hadn't been close to anyone since she was cursed, Freya was very loyal to people she cared about and even returned from the dead to fulfill a promise she made to Merlin. She was also selfless and did not want Merlin to give up his life in Camelot for her sake, believing he could have a better life in Camelot. Therefore she tried to escape on her own but was cornered by Arthur, Halig and Arthur's knights before transforming into the Bastet. Freya was grateful to Merlin for loving her and promised to repay him someday even though she was dying when she made the promise.

As the Bastet, Freya was a bloodthirsty killing machine that slaughtered at least five people during her time in Camelot including Halig. Though Freya was usually unable to stop herself from killing in her beast form, she did not attack Merlin when he stroked her, proving the strength of their bond was stronger than the strength of her curse.

Abilities
Because she was a Druid, it is highly likely Freya had the ability to use magic (though she never answered Merlin when he asked if she was born a Druid, leaving it largely up for speculation as to how long she was in that lifesyle before her curse), but it is unknown how powerful she was. She possibly could have used magic to kill the man who attacked her, since she stated she didn't mean to kill him and she may have been unable to control her powers. Before her death, Freya was forced to transform into a Bastet every night because of her curse and she was only able to control herself when she was around Merlin.

It is of interest to note that she, unlike many other Druids in the series, never once speaks telepathically to Merlin. Being a Druid, however, it is likely that, though she didn't, she still had the ability to, as even seemingly unpowerful Druids (such as Kara, who is never seen using magic to defend herself, even urging Mordred to use his magic to defend them against Arthur) and magic-users who were not of Druid birth (such as Morgana and Merlin) can freely communicate in this way.

Freya also somehow returned from the dead as the Lady of the Lake, though how she managed this is never explored in the series. However, her magical abilities probably had something to do with it, along with the magical properties of the Lake of Avalon.

It is unknown if she can be considered immortal because of her ability to still exist as the Lady of the Lake.

Name

 * Freya is a female name of Scandinavian origin meaning "noblewoman" or "lady".
 * It likely originated from Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, war, and death.
 * Other spellings include Freyah, Freyja, Fraya, Fray, Fraja, Frayah, Frehah, Freia, Freiah, Freyra, and Freyrah.
 * Given the Nordic ancestry of her name, Freya (or her family) might have come from Danelaw (East Anglia), which originated from Viking expansion.

Appearances

 * Series 2
 * The Lady of the Lake


 * Series 3
 * The Eye of the Phoenix
 * The Coming of Arthur: Part Two


 * Series 5
 * The Drawing of the Dark
 * The Diamond of the Day: Part One
 * The Diamond of the Day: Part Two

In The Legend
Freya's name is never mentioned in the Merlin legend, but she is based on the Lady of the Lake.

Like Freya, the Lady of the Lake is Merlin's lover, and provided him with a sword for Arthur in his time of need. (According to most tellings this love was one sided [Merlin in love with her] in fact in more than one tale she actually falls in love with, and marries, a knight of the round table)

In some legends, the Lady of the Lake dies (as Freya does) yet seemingly comes back from the dead to help Camelot; however, the cause of her death is that a knight of the round table who got into a disagreement with her cut her head off with a sword, not because she was cursed.

In most of the legends, the Lady of the Lake is Nimueh (most often spelt Nimue or Nymue), another druid who caught Merlin's attentions in the TV Series.

Another thing the Lady of the Lake is well-known for in most of the legends is trapping Merlin in the Crystal Cave; in the series, however, it is Morgana who does this. The only connection Freya has to this scene/moment in the series is her arm being in a flashback seen within one of the crystals.

At the end of most Arthurian legends/stories, Sir Bedivere throws Arthur's sword back into the water (after betraying him three times first), where it is snatched up by the hand of the lady of the lake and brought back under the water. In the series, Merlin fills in for the role of Bedivere, with a dying Arthur in his last moments, and throws the sword in; Freya's hand is seen coming up and taking it back down into the lake.

Norse Mythology
Freya, traditionally spelled Freyja, was the Norse goddess of love, fertility, sexual desire, war, and death.

Freya was called upon to comfort those who were dying, to ease their transition into Valhalla (the "Otherworld"), serving as a guide and companion on the journey to Valhalla for many Viking heroes who had died nobly. Freya and the Valkyries held dominion over all the dead. When Freya and the Valkyries rode forth on their missions, their armour caused the eerily beautiful flickering light that we know as the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

She is perhaps most well-known for her famous necklace, the Brisingamen, and for riding about in a chariot pulled by cats.

Freya is the wife of Od, the daughter of Njord, twin sister of Freyr and mother of Hnoss and Gersemi.

Many songs today praise her. Example:

Trivia

 * Freya is also known as "The Lady of the Lake", although she has never been mentioned by this name.
 * Before the premiere of series 5, when the first low quality trailer was uploaded to Youtube, a number of fans mistook a short clip of Mithian for Freya, causing a rumour that she would be returning within the first few episodes of series 5. This was proven untrue when a clearer shot of the clip was released, revealing that it was Mithian, not Freya. Only Freya's arm appears at the end of series 5.
 * Freya is not the only character in the series to sport a name from Norse mythology instead of Arthurian legend, Odin being another. Yet she is the only major character from Arthurian Legend (aka The Lady of the Lake) whose name has been changed to that of a Norse god/goddess for the series.
 * Because of the fact that the actress chosen to play Queen Mab (Kelly Wenham) in series 5 bears a slight resemblance to Laura Donnelly (Freya), and Mab was the sister of the Lady of the Lake in the 1998 mini-series Merlin, some fans speculated that Queen Mab would be Freya's sister on the show, even though Freya's family are all said to have died. However, Queen Mab is a small fairy-like creature and has no proven connection to Freya whatsoever, their characters being completely separate. Also, in costume, she looks nothing like Laura Donnelly.
 * Some fans have claimed that at the end of The Lady of the Lake, when Merlin puts Freya in the boat which he uses magic to push out into the lake (then sets on fire), it appears that she is still breathing. It is unknown, currently, if this is a blooper/mistake or if it has something to do with how she returned in The Coming of Arthur part 2.
 * Freya was a fan favourite along with Alvarr and Mordred to return in Series 5. The only one of the mentioned characters to return was Mordred.
 * Elyan, Lancelot, and even Arthur have had funeral scenes very similar to Freya's at the end of The Lake of the Lake.
 * The name Freyja (Freya) means "Lady".
 * Freya's role in The Lady of the Lake seems to be indirectly referenced in The Drawing of the Dark, when Mordred asks Merlin if he wouldn't "do the same for the woman he loved". However, it is never even remotely suggested/implied that Mordred actually knows anything about Freya.
 * Freya is one of the few Druids on the show who does not refer to Merlin as Emrys, or speak to him telepathically.
 * Because only Freya's arm reappears at the end of the series, and this was her character's sole appearance in the last two series, some fans speculated that it was Arthur's hand, not the Lady of the Lake's. However, there is no supporting basis for this either in the context of the show, or in the legend, and the writers of the show have reportedly confirmed it is indeed Freya who takes the sword back under the lake. The confusing factor is that they supposedly used a male diver's hand for the scene. However, Arthur is presumably asleep in death until the time for him to return as the Once and Future King arrives and it thus cannot be him.
 * Interestingly, Colin Morgan (Merlin's actor) portrays the Duke of Blackwood in the 2016 fantasy film The Huntsman: Winter's War, in which his love interest is also named Freya.