Deityof the Day Hodr

NorseGod

Hodr, sometimes called Hod, was the twin brother ofBaldur, and the Norse god of darkness and winter. He also happened to be blind,and appears a few times in the Norse Skaldic poetry.

Their father, Odin, was concerned about Baldur, who keptsuffering from terrible nightmares. So, Odin traveled to Nifhelm, the land ofthe dead, where he resurrected a wisewoman and asked her for advice. She toldhim that Hodr would eventually slay Baldur, so Odin went back to Asgard, nothappy about these developments.

Odin spoke with Baldur’s mother, Frigga, who decided tohave all the creatures on earth swear an oath not to harm Baldur – this way,Hodr could use no weapon against his brother. Unfortunately, Frigga missed herchance to speak with the mistletoe bush. Tricked by Loki, Hodr created an arrowfrom the mistletoe branch which pierced Baldur’s body, killing him instantly.In some stories, it is not an arrow but a spear instead.

The death of Baldur at Hodr’s hand signified the darknessruling over the light. As the nights grew longer and colder, the sun faded awayeach year. There are some clear similarities between this story and many otherswhich detail the changing of the seasons, such as the Greek myth of Demeter andPersephone, and the legend of the Holly King and the Oak King in NeoWiccanbeliefs.

Despite being tricked by Loki, Hodr was the oneresponsible for the death of his brother, and there was a general rule thatdeaths like Baldur’s must be avenged. Odin tricked a giantess into conceiving achild for him – and this child grew rapidly, reaching adulthood in just oneday, to become the god Vali.

Vali journeyed to Midgard and killed Hodr with an arrow,mirroring the death of Baldur. In Norse mythology, Baldur’s death is one of thesignals that Ragnarok, the end of the world, is coming.

By Patti Wigington

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