Hodr: the Blind God
the Aesir god of darkness and winter
Hodr was an Aesir god of Asgard, the blind deity of darkness and winter. Born in Gladsheim and loyal to Odin, he was remembered in the lost pages of Norse myth as one of the gods who witnessed the great war between the Aesir and the Vanir.
Hodr was a blind Aesir god of Asgard, counted among the deities of darkness and winter. Born in Gladsheim and loyal to Odin and the Aesir, he never appeared openly in the events of the Norse realms, but was remembered in the lost pages of myth as one who had looked on at the first great war.
A god of Asgard#
Hodr was held to be a blind god of darkness and winter, born to the Aesir and raised in Gladsheim within Asgard. His loyalties lay with Odin, the Aesir, and Asgard, and he counted the Vanir and the giants among his enemies. As a Norse god he was immortal, able to be slain only by a sufficiently powerful weapon or an extraordinarily powerful being.
The lost pages of myth#
Hodr never walked openly through the events of the Norse realms. What was known of him survived in the lost pages of Norse myth, recounted by Mimir. There it was told that Hodr had been present, with other gods such as Idunn, Bragi, and Heimdall, to witness the first great war. When Freyr was set on fire by the gods, Hodr was seen drunk in the company of Bragi, Sif, and Hœnir.
Because Hodr was remembered among the gods before Freya married Odin, and so before Baldur was ever born, his relationship to Baldur is doubtful. He was most likely no more than Baldur's half-brother, and may have shared no blood with him at all. His ultimate fate went unrecorded.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Hodr in God of War?
- Hodr was a blind Aesir god of Asgard, associated with darkness and winter. Born in Gladsheim and loyal to Odin and the Aesir, he was never seen directly but was remembered in the lost pages of Norse myth as a witness to the first great war between the Aesir and the Vanir.
- Is Hodr related to Baldur in God of War?
- Their exact relationship is uncertain. Hodr was remembered among the gods before Freya's marriage to Odin and before Baldur was born, which suggests he was at most Baldur's half-brother and may have had no family tie to him at all.
Sources
- WikiHodr — God of War Wiki entry
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