#hodr

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I saw it fly

And pierce the bright god's body

The light did fade

As Loki grinned

I knew the end was nigh

I knew we all would die

Höðr was wiled

By the sly Wolf-sire

Unwitting betrayal of brothers

Then Váli born

For vengeance true

And he spilled blood for blood

The blind god for the bright god

Then Baldr was laid

In a burial ship

Óðinn whispers in his ears

Nanna, stricken with grief

As she this tragic sight gazed

That Ásynja too was flame-farewelled

Beautiful Æsir set alight

The ship set sail to Hel

After them, Hermóðr was sent

On Sleipnir, riding to Hel

To bring them back Baldr

So northward did he tear

To nether realms of cold

For all of Frigg's love and favor

To be the son of Óðinn's savior

The Queen of Twilight would not suffer

Any of her subjects free

"Let Hel hold what she has"

But for the beloved Æsir

She will make an exception

If all the worlds will weep

Tears must fall for his freedom

The Æsir queen did beg

For all to weep for him

Æsir and men, Álfar and Jötnar

But she met her match with Thökk

This Jötunn would deny

A tear shed for his death

"Living or dead, I loved him not

Let Hel hold what she has"

Bound under the ground

Baldr's killer writhes

As eitr drips into his eyes

Until, the serpent thrashing

The wolf's fetters breaking

Their freedom is found

The children charge

As Loki laughed

I knew the end was nigh

@bobby-1s-blog, this is for you

So first thing first: Norse gods didn't truly have titles in the Viking times, that came later on, most of all with 19th century scholars who NEEDED to classify everything XD

As Jackson Crawford would say, the Gods' titles are more about their personalities, and not their job description, and that's why you have several deities who are associated with War, Victory, Love, the Sea, Poetry, etc.

It's also important that you know that the importance of some gods varied with time. Odin only became the Aesirs' leader during the Roman period. Before that, it seems that Tyr and Ullr were more popular.

And of course, many figures of the Norse pantheon were added by Snorri (some of Frigg's handmaidens), or his contemporaries (Angrboda), or originated from a translation mistake (Hnoss & Gersemi).

Freyja and Frigg for instance were mashed up at some point in History, only for scholars to realize they were their own goddesses, and not just one Disir. Jackson Crawford published a few days ago a video on Odr and Odin: some think those are two different gods, but Professor Crawford regards them as one, just with a variation of the name.

The Norse pantheon has changed and evolved over time, with the monks erasing MANY stories and probably a lot of gods/many of the gods' importance to fit their own Christian perspective. To try and figure out what used to be is quite the fascinating puzzle :3

Neo pagans have their own vision, Norse folklore also kept a trace of the pantheon's influence and it's fun to consider all of this when you forge your own opinion.

Even if some deities are "younger" than others, they are still prayed with the same respect and have as much influence. So truly, their origin is only interesting for Historians (or nosy autistic girlies like me :p)

Ok, after this very long introduction (sorry XD), here comes the Aesirs and Asynjurs.

I'll take the list of gods and goddesses out of the Eddas, and I added a few, because they were not at the feast in the story, but they're too important not to mention ;)

Odin: Leader of the Aesirs, he is associated with Wisdom, War, Poetry, and has plenty of kennings that reflects that. However, we MUST reember he's also a trickster too and that to him, the end justifies the means, and he can be VERY ruthless (create conflict and war to get the souls he wants, rapes, murders kids, etc). Among his kennings, there's "Glad of War", "the terrible", etc. Worship him with respect, but don't forget who he truly is ^^' He was mainly worshipped by kings in Viking times, while the common people prefered Thor.

Odin had plenty of kids with different Jotun ladies (willingly or not ^^')

He has two pet ravens, and two wolves with him.

Odin is associated with: wisdom, war, poetry, death, war, magic, runes, ravens, horses (HE IS THE HORSE GIRLIE. OBSESSED WITH HORSES. TRULY XD), wolves.

Weapon: his spear, Gungir.

Thor: God associated with thunder, but also the harvest. His mother is Jord. He's married to Sif and is the Protector of Midgard. He's got two goats and has quite the temper. No patience with Jotuns or Dwarves, whether they deserve it or not ^^'

Thor is associated with: thunder, fertility, agriculture, goats.

His weapon is Mjölnir.

Njord: Vanir god associated with the Sea. He's Freyja and Freyr's father. They used to live on Vanaheim, but became hostages on Asgard after the war. Skadi will tell you he has pretty feet, but that's about it XD (She's mean like that XD) He used to be married to Nerthus, his sister-wife back on Vanaheim, but we don't know what happened to her (dead? divorced?)

Njord is associated with: the sea, the wind, fishing, wealth, prosperity, fish and sea-birds.

Freyr:

Njord's son. He's very well liked by everyone in Asgard. He's a god associated with Peace, Prosperity, Fertility and Harvests.

He's also associated with boars, because of his magical boar, Gullinbursti.

Tyr: Some think he's one of Odin's sons, but actually his father was a Jotun, Hymnir (who gets killed by Thor later on ^^'). His relationship with Fenrir is very much amplified in modern retellings. He's a god associated with War - more specifically honour in battle.

Heimdall: Guadian of the Bifrost. He's called the "Whitest of all the Aesirs" (which is funny when he's played by Idris Ilba XD), but it's not about his skin color and more about being the "purest", more "dutiful". Loki would tell you he's a bit of a bore, but oh well XD He created the 3 social castes: karls, jarls and thralls. His horn, which he will blow at the start of Raganorok is called "Gjallarhorn". His father is Odin, his mother is one of Aegr & Ran's nine daughters: we don't know which one XD That also means that Jarnsaxa, Thor's lover and the mother of one of his son, is Heimdall's mothers/aunts.

Bragi: God of Poetry and one of Odin's sons. He's married to Idunn. Might have been inspired by the 9th century skald Boddason, and then turned into a god.

Vidar: Another of Odin's sons, with the giantess Gindr. He's associated with silence and revenge, as he's the one who will avenge his father's death and kill Fenrir. He's got very special shoes that will allow him to defeat Fenrir.

Vali: So there are two Valis, and sometimes, people erase Vali Lokison so not to confuse him with the other one. However, both have their importance.

Vali Odinson was born from Odin r*ping the giantess Rindr: a prophecy stated that their son would avenge the death of Baldr. Rindr refused to comply. Odin can't take no for an answer, so he made her sick, disguised himself as a healer, told her dad she had to be bound to her bed to take her medicine... you can imagine what happened. Once born, Vali was speed-grown and told to murder his brother Hodr. Charming.

Meanwhile, Vali Lokison was born from the love between Loki and his wife Sigyn. He had a twin brother Narvi. After Baldr's death, Odin took Loki's young sons and turned Vali into a wolf. Under the Terrible's spell, the boy lost control and killed his twin. It's not said what happened to him after that, but he most likely died...

Ullr: A god associated with Skiing and archery. He's Sif's son, but Thor is not his father. People have tried to guess who his father was, and as he's got an offcial hall in Asgard (something only Odin's children and wives have) and there is a story where he replaced Odin on the throne one day he was gone, there's a high chance he might be another of Odin's kids ^^'

Hoenir:

We don't know much about this god, except that he was an adventure buddy of Odin & Loki, and in the Eddas, Loki has a kenning calling him "Hoenir's loyal friend", so YES, Loki had a good friend! He also helped Odin to create humanity. So thanks, Hoenir :) He's on the list of the few gods who survive Ragnarok. I always thought it was thanks to his friendship with Loki :)

Forseti: Baldr & Nanna's son, a god associated with Justice.

Loki: People think they know him because of Marvel and retellings, but they only know the version forged by pro-Odin writers and Christian monks. Those chose him as their villain, and mainstream media barely ever thought of checking that up XD Idiots. Anyway, Loki is complex, as are many of those gods. What funny is that they will blame Loki for stuff that Odin, Thor or even Frigg do ^^' It's ok when it's the other gods. It's a SIN when Loki does it (once again with the Christian values ^^'). Because of Wagner mashing Logi and Loki, people confuse the two and think Loki is God of Fire. It's more complicated than that. Loki is not the destructive fire (unless you really pissed him off), that's Logi. Loki is the warmth of the hearth, protecting you and your family from the cold winters. In Norse folklore, he is regarded as a Vatte and a Protector of children (Look up Eldar Heide's paper on the subject).

He was first married to Angrboda, with whom he had Fenrir, Jormungandr & Hel. Then he moved to Asgard, his mother's realm, and I guess his bride did not like that so they divorced (before the 12th century, Angrboda did not exist, so I guess the 3 special kids were created after he ate a Witch's heart and he gave birth to them himself).

Then, he met Sigyn, with whom he had the ill-fated Vali & Narvi.

He's the one starting Ragnarok, but honestly, with the way the Aesirs treated him, they had it coming ^^'

He is also associated with spiders (his horse son, Sleipnir, has 8 legs, like a spider). Lokeans call spiders "Loki's gift".

Baldr: Son of Odin & Frigg, twin of Hodr. He's the God of Light. His mother, Frigg, dreamt he would die, so she had everything and everyone promised they would never hurt him. Unfortunately, she forgot about the mistletoe... Loki did not ^^'). Everyone in Asgard loves him (or they're said to do so ^^'). He's married to Nanna. He dies just before Ragnarok, but he will come back after and become the remaining Aesirs' new leader, starting anew on Gimle.

Hodr: Odin's other son with Frigg, who is blind and a god associated with Darkness. He's Baldr's twin and kills him (manipulated by Loki). Hodr will also come back to life after Ragnarok.

Mani: God associated with the Moon. Odin punished him and his sister Sol because their dad said they were more beautiful than the gods. So now he's got one of Fenrir's sons, Hati, running after him. He'll catch him and eat him at ragnarok.

Hermod: Another of Odin's son. Might be Frigg's son, but no one is sure. Some people think he might be just Odin's servant. He's Odin's messenger (a bit like Hermes in Greek mythology, but more serious and less of a Trickster). When Baldr died, he went to Helheim to talk to Hel in hope of getting his brother back...

The Goddesses:

Frigg: Goddess associated with marriage, she's just as powerful as her husband Odin. She's got dreams of the future, and that's how she knew how her son Baldr would die and did everything she could to avoid it (but ultimately failed). She's had affairs with Odin's brothers, Vili & Vé. She weaves the threads of destiny. She lives in her hall Fensalir. Her father was Fjörgynn (minor deity of the earth). She's got many handmaidens, some of who might just be different facets of herself/other names for Frigg. She's got two sons: Baldr & Hodr.

Among her handmaidens, there are: Fulla, Gna, Hlin, Lofn, Eir, Sjöfn, Snotra, Vör, Vär, Syn and Saga. In some stories, Freyja is said to be one of them.

Freyja:

Goddess of love, but also of war and Seidr. She's from Vanaheim, but had to become a hostage in Asgard with her dad and brother. She's married to Odr, but as I said before, some scholars (Crawford) think it might be Odin. She's got two daughters: Hnoss & Gersemi, but scholars doubt their existence, and that they might have been just created by a mistake in translation, as they only appear in one or two kennings and have no acting parts in the stories. Freyja is very powerful and is the one who teaches Seidr to the gods. She's got a chariot pulled by cats (that might have been gifted to her by Thor as a wedding gift). Her tears are said to be made of gold.

Gefjun: Goddess associated with agriculture and fertility. If you die a virgin, you'll become one of her handmaids (eh, I'm fine with that XD). She's got 4 sons with some unamed giant, and she turned them into oxes to win a bet with a Swedish king. She created the Isle of Sjælland. If you go to Copenhague, you might see her statue (it's a very cool fountain), it's not too far from the Little mermaid.

Idunn: Goddess associated with Youth and the apples! She's the one who tends to the appletrees that give to the gods their immortality. She was kidnapped once by the Giant Thjazi who wanted the apples for himself, and forced Loki to help him. In the end, Loki rescued her and the other gods killed Thjazi. She's married to Bragi.

Gerd: She was born on Jotunheim. Her parents were Aurboda and Gymnir. Her brother was Beli. Freyr saw her from afar and became OBSESSED. However, he had killed her brother with the horns of a deer, so he was persona non grata. So Freyr sent his right-hand man Skírnir to talk to her, but damn, was it a bad choice. He was VERY rude to her, and ended up bullying her into marrying him. He asked Freyr for his famour sword as a payment, which ultimately will seal his fate and cause his death in his battle against the fire giant Sutr during Ragnarok.

Sigyn:

Retellings will tell you Loki hates Sigyn. Retellings are wrong and written by people who NEED a narrative where Loki is evil and/or lonely. In truth, Loki loves his wife as much as she loves him. She's his ride or die, and he adores her. Lokeans will tell you she's the Delight of his hall and his Treasure, while he is her Joy. She's associated with the North star (and Loki with the Loka brenna/Sirius) and with foxes.

Officially, we don't know who her parents are, but theories seem to go towards Freyja, as they share many traits (love, magic, war). Sigyn's name mean "Friend of Victory", so you know the Goddess of War would name her kid that way XD

Sigyn's story ends in tragedy, as I told you before, Odin's punishment for Baldr's death was extreemly harsh for her family. After Vali's transformation and Narvi's death, Odin took Narvi's guts, turned them into chains and bounded Loki in a cave with a snake (chosen by Skadi) dropping its venom upon his head. Sigyn took a bowl and caught all the poison she could, but sometimes, the bowl got full and she had to empty it. Loki's screams are what causes earthquakes on Midgard.

If you're interested, I wrote a whole post about her:

https://www.tumblr.com/jonquilclegane/820256315559608320/about-sigyn

Fulla: One of Frigg's handmaidens, but she's the main one, as she's seen helping her mistress in several occassions, being her confidente, etc. She's unmarried and wears her hair long, with a golden ribbon or headband. She holds her lady's secrets in a box and takes care of he shoes.

Nanna: Baldr's bride and Forseti's mother. Her father was Nepr, but since he is listed as one of Odin's sons, that would mean, she's married to her uncle. In later retellings, she was born mortal and was first betrothed to Hodr, before Baldr took interest in her. MESSY ^^' When Baldr died, she was so heartbroken that she jumped onto his funeral pyre. They are reunited in Helheim, but when Baldr and Hodr come back after Ragnarok, it seems she does not follow them ^^'

While in Helheim, she sends gifts to Frigg and Fulla, which probably means they were pretty close :)

Sif: Thor's bride, the actual Norse goddess is very far from her Marvel alter ego. She's not the brunette warrior, but a long-haired blonde harvest goddess, who inspired Raspunzel :)

Loki (for reasons only he knows XD) one day shaved her hair, and after Thor got angry, he had to ask the Dwarves to make her a new lock of hair made of pure gold.

In the Lokasenna, we know she had a one-night stand with Loki. Plus an earlier relationship with Ullr's dad (whether it's Odin or someone else).

Her daughter Thrud is actually the one who's interested in battle and becomes a Valkyrie (most likely after her dad killed her Dwarf boyfriend ^^')

Skadi: You know, we all have different perceptions of the gods, but when I see art that picture Skadi as "cute and innocent", I have to laugh, because the more I learn about her, the more it's rather obvious that she's THAT B$tch (saying that with all the respect, of course).

So, Skadi was born in Jotunheim. Her dad was Thjazi, yes, that damn bird who tried to kidnapped Idunn. When her father was killed, she rallied an army with her uncles and went straight to Asgard. While the men ran away to save their lives, Skadi did not and faced the Gods and demanded reparation. Odin was impressed by that and offered her a husband that she would chose among the Aesirs, but only by looking at their feet.

Thinking that the most beautiful feet must belong to the most beautiful god, she thought she was choosing Baldr... but it turned out to be Njord. She was pissed, but Loki made her laugh, so she had to comply. Her marriage with Njord was not happy as they were too different, and they eventually divorced.

From the Lokasenna, we know she made advances to Loki, but he said no ^^' She was the one who picked the snake for his punishment for a reason (some writers said it was because "Loki killed her dad", but that was the other gods, not Loki ^^').

After Baldr's death, Frigg was probably too depressed, and Odin and Skadi married. They had five sons who all became kings.

She's associated with Winter (the period before Ragnarok, Fimbulwinter, was probably her reign) and skiing.

Eir: Goddess associated with healing. She is often listed among the handmaidens of Frigg and Menglod, a benevolent giantess from Jotunheim. Some traditions also name her as a Valkyrie, suggesting that she not only chose who lived and died in battle but also provided invaluable healing to wounded warriors. She is associated with Lyfjaberg, the “hill of healing,” where seekers would go in search of her aid. Many compare her to Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health, as both symbolize divine care and the preservation of life.

Saga: One of Frigg’s handmaidens, but since she's got her own hall and Odin visits her often, she might be more important. Her hall is called Sökkvabekkr, whose name means “Sunken Bank” or “Deep Bench.” It is said to rest near flowing waters, symbolizing wisdom and memory. When Odin visits her, they drink from a golden cup, sharing stories of the past. Some think she's just another name for Frigg, other think she might be his daughter...

Sol: Goddess of the Sun, was the daughter of Mundilfari and sister to Mani, the God of the Moon. Their father, proud of their unmatched beauty, boasted too much about it, angering the gods. As punishment, Sol was forced to drive the Sun’s chariot across the sky, pulled by the swift horses Árvakr and Alsviðr. She was never allowed to rest, for she was relentlessly pursued by the wolf Sköll, one of Fenrir’s children.

Hel: First, you have to remember: Helheim is NOT the Christian Hell, as Valhalla is not Heaven. Helheim was for the people who did not die in battle, died from sickness or old age. It's not a place of punishment (except from Nastrond ^^').

Hel is goddess of Death and the sovereign of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the daughter of the trickster god Loki and his first wife, the giantess Angrboda. Hel’s brothers are the wolf Fenrir and the world-serpent Jörmungandr, both central figures in the events of Ragnarök. Through Loki, she is also a half-sister to Sleipnir, Narvi and Vali. Hel’s appearance is as striking as it is haunting. She is often described as being half-living and half-dead—one side of her body is that of a living woman, pale and beautiful, while the other is decayed and corpse-like, with darkened, rotting flesh.

(illustration by Hannah Böving)

In the pre-12th century, it's very possible Loki gave birth to her and her brothers after eating the heart of a witch. The fact that her mother was dead before she was born might explain why her appearance is the way it is... (while in the post-12th century version, the explanation is more Christian : the children were born that way because their mom was a witch, then they made Angrboda Loki's mistress instead of his wife, to insist on the "sin" part... *bombastic side eye*)

Odin knew the prophecy saying Loki's kids would end him, so he cast Hel into the underworld, but he granted her authority over those who died of sickness or old age. Hel is sometimes linked to the story of Dyggvi, a legendary Swedish king. According to myth, Dyggvi became the first mortal to be taken into Hel’s embrace, and some sagas suggest that she took him as her consort, binding his soul to her realm for eternity. Another famous tale involves Baldr, the beloved god of light, who was tragically killed by a mistletoe spear, orchestrated by Loki’s deceit. After his death, Baldr descended to Helheim with his wife Nanna, and they were both welcomed by Hel herself. Though the gods pleaded for Baldr’s return, Hel set a condition: if all things in the world wept for him, he could leave. While nearly all beings mourned, the giantess Thökk (believed to be Loki in disguise) refused, sealing Baldr’s fate in the underworld until Ragnarök.

If you're interested in the Norse goddesses, I recommend you read Eliis B Wyllie's master thesis on the subject :)

The Blind God, with the Trickster beside him, spake only two words in reply: