Hoenir- Norse GodDeity"The Swift Ás"
Also known as: Hœnir and Hönir
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
An Æsir god who gave understanding to the first humans alongside Odin, yet stood mute in council without Mímir at his side. He survives Ragnarök to cast sacred lots in the world reborn.
Mythology & Lore
The Gift of Understanding
The Völuspá tells how three gods found the first humans, Ask and Embla, as driftwood on the shore. Odin gave them önd, breath. Hœnir gave them óðr, understanding. Lóðurr gave them lá ok læti ok litr góða: blood, voice, and good color.
Snorri names the three creators differently: Odin, Vili, and Vé. Whether Hœnir is Vili, no source settles.
The Hostage
When the Æsir-Vanir War ended in a truce, the two tribes exchanged hostages. The Vanir sent Njörðr and Freyr. The Æsir sent Hœnir and Mímir.
The Vanir were pleased at first. Hœnir was tall and handsome, and they made him a chieftain. But in council, whenever Mímir was absent, Hœnir would say only: "Let others decide." The Vanir felt cheated. They beheaded Mímir and sent the head back to the Æsir. Odin preserved it with herbs and spells and kept consulting it for wisdom.
The Lot-Twigs
The Völuspá names Hœnir among the gods who survive into the world that rises after Ragnarök. There he will "choose the hlautviðr," the wooden lot-twigs used for divination. The silent god who could not speak in council will cast sacred lots in a world made new.
Relationships
- Member of