viking world

Some hand carved stones by the shorter half of @thechaoticgingers ! Painted in with liquid copper

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According to Norse mythology, not all gods perished during the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök. A new, fertile world emerged from the destruction, and several deities survived to inhabit it, along with two humans that would repopulate the earth.

Among Odin's many sons, the fates of Balder, Hödr, Viðar, and Vali are deeply intertwined with the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök.

Before the end times, the story of Balder and Hödr represents the great tragedy that signals the world's decline.

Balder and Hödr

Balder, the radiant and beloved "Shining God," was plagued by dreams of his own death. Though his mother Frigg attempted to protect him, the trickster Loki exploited his one vulnerability—mistletoe. Loki tricked Balder's blind twin brother, Hödr, into firing a mistletoe tipped arrow, killing Balder instantly. This act, the death of pure goodness, sent Balder to the underworld of Hel and began the unstoppable chain of events that led to Ragnarök.

The Death of Balder

Viðar and Vali

The sons, Vali and Viðar, were defined by paths of vengeance. Immediately following Balder's death, Odin fathered Vali with the giantess Rindr. Vali was born for the sole purpose of vengeance; he grew to adulthood in a single day and killed Hödr, avenging his half-brother before the final war began. Viðar, the "Silent God," had a different, crucial role. He waited patiently until the height of Ragnarök. After the great wolf Fenrir devoured Odin, Viðar stepped forward, using a special thick-soled shoe, he stomped on the wolf's lower jaw, seized its upper jaw, and tore the beast apart, thus avenging his father.

Balder and Hödr both existed in Hel, underworld realm of the dead, possibly learning runes, spells and wisdom from the goddess of death throughout the time of Ragnarök.

Hel and Helheimr

The aftermath of Ragnarök saw these four brothers' fates diverge and then converge.

While Vali and Viðar are two of the few gods prophesied to survive the destruction, Balder and Hödr were destined to return.

After the world was cleansed by fire and floods, Viðar and Vali would walk the new, green earth. They were soon joined by Balder and Hödr, resurrected from the underworld Hel, their past conflict resolved as they are re-united on the plains of Iðovöllr. Together, these sons of Odin inherited the new world and ruled over the surviving remnants of humanity.

Reconciliation of Balder and Hödr

Líf and Lífþrasir

Líf and Lífþrasir were two humans that survived sheltered within the World Tree, Yggdrasil that also survived Ragnarok. They populated the land after the catclysm of war.

From Völuspá:

The Aesir will meet

on Idavoll,

and they’ll talk about

the mighty world-serpent,

and they’ll remember there

the great events

and the ancient runes

of the god of victory [Odin].

​

Then they’ll find

the wondrous

golden game pieces

in the grass,

the ones they had owned

in the ancient days.

What of beyond Ragnarök?

No tales survived of the lives of Viðar and Vali beyond their destinys of battle-worn vengeance. Perhaps stories can yet be found of how the warriors found peace.

Balder and Hödr after Ragnarok

No tales also survive of how Hödr and Balder or how they were changed by their initiations within Helheimr, and ways they shared those gifts to a reborn world following Ragnarök.

Indeed, the journeys of Hödr and Balder may yet be within us all.

Hödr and Balder can be perhaps commemorated by celebrating the light and dark halves of the year:

Time of Hödr (midsummer to midwinter) and Time of Balder (midwinter to midsummer).

Perhaps tales of The Sons of Odinn were just a beginning...

IMAGE REFERENCES

Image Sources for Hel, Helheimr, Viðar & Vali, Lif & Lífþrasir were inspired by originals shared by Gorm Helge Grønli Rudschinat [Flickr]

Image sources Viðar and Vali

Post was created resulting from original pictures found via Pinterest.

All other images were created with combined use of COPILOT, GEMINI & META AI platforms and assembled via a warped imagination.