Hod- Norse GodDeity"The Blind God"
Also known as: Höðr, Hodur, and Hotherus
Titles & Epithets
Symbols
Description
Blind among the Æsir, Höðr stood apart as the gods hurled weapons at invulnerable Baldur for sport, until Loki placed a shaft of mistletoe in his hand and guided his aim. The dart flew true, and the shining god fell dead.
Mythology & Lore
The Death of Baldur
Höðr, whose name may mean "warrior" or "slayer," is a blind god of the Æsir, son of Odin, brother to Baldur. When Baldur began having dreams of his own death, Frigg extracted oaths from every creature and substance not to harm her son. She succeeded with all things except the mistletoe, which seemed too young to pose a threat. The gods, believing Baldur invulnerable, made sport of throwing weapons at him and watching them bounce harmlessly away.
Loki discovered Frigg's oversight and fashioned a shaft from mistletoe. He approached Höðr during the sport and asked why he wasn't participating. Höðr could not see where Baldur stood and had nothing to throw. Loki offered to guide his hand and gave him the mistletoe. Höðr threw. The dart pierced Baldur, and the shining god fell dead.
Vengeance and Return
Baldur's death demanded vengeance. Odin fathered a son, Váli, with the giantess Rindr specifically for this purpose. Váli grew to adulthood in a single day and killed Höðr, as the Völuspá foretold.
But in the renewed world after Ragnarök, Baldur and Höðr will return from Hel and dwell together in peace.
Saxo's Alternative
In Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum, Höðr appears as Hotherus, a human hero who fights Balderus for the love of the maiden Nanna. Here Hotherus is no blind instrument but a warrior who defeats Balderus in battle through his own skill and will.