#And it was by Hodr?? On purpose????

[reslari]

I love Elden Ring lore, because it's like George R. R. Martin wrote a world heavily steeped in Norse Mythology, and then Miyazaki went to read a book about Norse Mythology, got to the part where it said the gods knew they were going to die, but accepted it because it was ~fate~ and their ~noble obligation~ and ~necessary~. That upon their deaths, and after the Ragnarok, the world would be born fresh and lush and new and just...

Miyazaki: [looks at Norse Mythology]

Miyazaki: [looks at Dark Souls]

Miyazaki: [looks at Norse Mythology]

Miyazaki: [looks at Dark Souls]

Miyazaki: Pff, yeah right, like they'd ever just give up THAT easily.

[acrystalwitch]

(***NO N*zis or TERFs allowed to interact with this post or my blog*** This is a post for Norse pagans or polytheists looking to work with Odin. This is all based on my own experiences working with the all father and nothing here is to be taken as a hard fact. If your practice differs from my own that is totally fine. There will be a lot of UPG and SPG)

An incomplete summary of Odin in Norse mythology.

Odin, god of war and wisdom is a key figure in the Norse myths and is involved in a lot of the stories. He is the head of the Norse gods and is called the All father, because it’s by him that all of humans were created. He is married to Frigg and together they had Baldur and Hodr. Odin also has other sons, Thor, Vali, and Vidar.

He has two ravens Huginn and Muninn, and two wolves Geri and Freki.

He only has one eye, he sacrificed his other eye by throwing it into Mimir’s well in exchange for knowledge that could better help him prevent Ragnarok.

Another famous story of his is when he hung upside down from the tree of life for nine days and nine nights to get knowledge of other worlds and to be able to know everything about the runes.

The type of magic he practices (Seiðr) was a feminine type of magic that wasn’t always looked highly on when men would participate in it. Yet our Allfather was very practiced in it.

My experience working with him: One thing to know about working with Odin going in, he will be very honest and blunt. My other deities have a habit of being softer on my feelings than I’ve heard other devotees say they’ve been with them, I’m assuming because I’m very sensitive. But Odin..? He does not care. He will stop giving advice if I tell him I don’t want to hear it. But, if I ask for advice…oh boy, am I gonna get his full opinion. He is very much a father in the way he goes about things, he cares but he wants his followers to push themselves as much as they can, learning as much as you can and always growing, never staying sedentary for too long.

I have a notebook dedicated to him that I’ve been using to work on learning the runes and that seems to be the best offering to give him in my practice right now. He never misses a chance to remind me I need to get back to learning the runes too.

I always wondered why it mattered so much to him that I learn them. Eventually he told me that it was because they really would be useful in spells, and wards and making bind runes out of them is something I’m learning to do now.

He is not the easiest deity to work with, he may even push your buttons on purpose to get you to think harder on things. I’ve noticed he’s even been rude before just to see if I’d stand up for myself and set boundaries and then he’ll explain himself after. Lots of tests trials and teachings. But man, is it worth it for the immense amount of knowledge and mentorship that he can bring. All in all, I’m glad he came to me later in my practice as I might’ve been scared off from deity work if he was the first. But, I love him to pieces and hope to work with him for a long time.

Offerings and associations of Odin

(Odin does not eat food so I’ve seen many people say not to give him food offerings, I disagree! Give him things that he can feed to Geri and Freki. He is known to still fill his plate and just give them bits over meals. So don’t hesitate to gift him any food offerings you would to any other Norse god)

-colors: gray, dark blue, black

- tree Imagery, Yggdrasil in particular

- raven Imagery, black feathers

- wolf Imagery

- clear quartz

- onyx

- blue goldstone

- amethyst

- carnelian

- the hermit tarot card

- the hanged man tarot card

- the four of cups tarot card

- the king of swords tarot card

- mead, wine, alcohol

- poetry (he writes poems!)

- mugwort scent/incense

- Ansuz rune ᚨ

- learn about the runes

- learn his myths

- learn useful and practical knowledge

- read books

- ask him for advice

There are many more ways to learn about him and get close to him. A great one is reading the Hávamál. If you meditate or do tarot or rune casting those are also great ways to contact him and get closer to him.

Signs he might be reaching out; seeing ravens more than usual or in non native areas, very windy days, rain, seeing his name often, feeling drawn to his mythology, seeing his tarot cards pop up often, you already work with one of his sons (I think he sent Thor to me first to soften my idea of the Norse gods and be a warm intro into their pantheon.)

He is a great god to work with, lots of work though. Odin is not for the weak minded, but he’s been so worth getting to know.

[lokiinmediasideblog]

Thor + Balder=Marvel!Thor (3/3)

I have not watched TLAT and don't plan to do so. So I won't take that into consideration. Also, note I have read a small percentage of Thor comics and have a preference for those that have Loki on them (especially if Loki isn't "just evil").

Marvel!Thor's Similarities to Balder:

In the MCU, Loki kills him and he comes back to life. In the comics, Marvel!Thor and Marvel!Loki have a Cain and Abel dynamic. In the mythology, Balder dies when Loki hands a mistletoe arrow to the blind god Hodr (and Balder's twin brother) to shoot at the "indestructible" Balder in a game where everyone was throwing things at Balder for the lulz.

All of Asgard loves him and acts like he's perfect. In the MCU, Thor's friends are loyal to him no matter what he did. They are ready to try to unbanish him right away despite Thor nearly starting a war. In a large portion of the comics, it gets quite annoying how often and constantly Thor is being praised. I find myself eye-rolling so often. In the mythology, Balder is "the fairest of the Gods" and everyone loves him, and Frigga goes around making everyone and even fucking plants and rocks swear oaths to never harm Balder. Of course, she forgets a sprig of mistletoe. When Balder dies, they try to bring him back by making everything cry for him, but the giantess Thokk (believed to be Loki in disguise) refuses.

Considered to have been influenced by Jesus. Balder dies and comes back after Ragnarok to the new world. It's believed the Christian Snorri altered Balder for his purposes. The Thor (2011) movie was originally approached by writer Mike Protosevich with the intention of turning an Old Testament God into a new Testament God. MCU!Thor dies protecting a town and comes back to life after proving himself worthy (Fun fact, it was originally going to be set in the Middle Ages not 2011 NM but for budget reasons this was changed).

Not as hot-headed or bloodthirsty as myth!Thor. I consider Marvel!Thor to be an amalgam of myth!Balder and myth!Thor personality-wise.

Marvel!Thor is often compared to the sun despite being a storm god, and Balder is the god of Light. Thor's sunny disposition came from myth!Balder. It's my belief that had Balder a cooler/less Jesus-like title than "God of Light", Marvel would have Balder comics and not Thor comics.

MCU-specific: Frigga is his biological mother. In neither comics or mythology is Frigga Thor's mother. She's Balder's mother. And the closest thing to a Balder in the MCU is Thor.

Prophetic dreams of bad things to come. In AoU, MCU!Thor dreams of Asgard's ruin. In the Norse myths, Balder dreams of his own death, which prompts Frigga to seek oaths from EVERYTHING that they won't harm Balder (making him invincible) but forgets a sprig of mistletoe for being "too young".

An example of the convenient narrative bullshit I consider to be "Balder-like" in Marvel Thor (on par with "everything cried for Balder except evil Loki"):

Marvel!Thor's Similarities to Thor (They were basically added to make the Marvel amalgam "edgier" and "manlier"):

Hammer. The main difference is that in the myths the ability to lift the hammer is due to some gloves and a belt Thor outfits himself with. It has nothing to do with whatever Odin considers "worthy."

War-mongerer tendencies- In Thor 1 MCU!Thor nearly starts a war over an insult and kills some Jotuns along the way. In the myths, Myth!Thor's favorite past time was smashing things into puree with Mjolnir, especially Jotnar (mass murder was his favorite hobby). The comics are weird, and there's so many runs I feel weird making a broad generalization. But most of them have problematic elements because they'll portray Asgard as always good if they were written before a certain year/decade.

Uses physical violence for intimidation. In the beginning of TR, Thor threatened to bash Loki's skull in after finding out Loki survived. The comics show him casually manhandling or beating the shit out of Loki for a variety of reasons(sometimes warranted, sometimes not). In the myths, Thor is sicced after Jotnar and Loki on various occassions, and it ends up badly for the the Jotnar and Loki.

Anger management issues. See above examples.

Reacts very badly to insult. In the MCU, he nearly starts a war over being called "princess." In the mythology, he is rather pissed off about having to wear a dress and pretend to be Freyja.

Myth!Thor and Marvel!Thor differences:

Thor is respected/feared in the myths but he's not as charismatic as the Marvel version. He's not the one even the fucking rocks cried for to bring back from Hel. That's a Balder trait added onto Thor. Whereas in the comics, even Marvel!Balder is whining about how he's not as strong/perfect as Marvel!Thor.

Myth!Thor is crueler. Marvel softened him up (and it was pretty clear they would have picked Balder had he a cooler title).

Obligatory Thor is a red-head in the mythology.

Thor's hammer in myths was given to him by Loki who made a wager with some dwarves to restore Sif's hair and bring gifts to the Aesir/Vanir. Lifting it is also not dependent on worthiness, but on a powerbelt and some gloves. In Marvel, the hammer usually existed before Thor and Loki (unless it's a Norse-inspired run like Loki (2010)).

Thor's biological mother isn't Frigga in the mythology or comics, but she is in the MCU.

Myth!Thor in a nutshell^^^

Lazy Citations

This may not be as thorough because I don't have the energy to go through all the comics.

Previous parts of this post series:

[reignsan]

Is there a reason why Hodr and Susanoo got chosen as AE Muramasa's components?

The purpose that the Foreign God summoned Muramasa for was to kill Atlas and ruin Kirch's plans, so he got merged with divinity-killers to give him an advantage over a Titan.

Hodr's death was the beginning of Ragnarok, and Susanoo killed Orochi.

[kepesktribe]

For Baldr:

♌:  three things my muse is enthusiastic about

And for Sybil:

♓:  my muse’s biggest secret

EW spoilers! At least I think it counts as such. Minor really? And I'll try to slip around what I can. Thanks for the asks @elveny ~MK

This boy? Enthusiastic? He hasn't had much to be enthusiastic about. I guess what can count is

Food. Any mention of food will have him visibly showing less grumpy. He'll be the first to the table if he can.

The prospect that he will be able to help his brother, Hodr. Having a voidsent for a brother isn't exactly easy. Baldr has never lost hope that his brother can be returned, strengthened by the fact that even as a giant bat like voidsent, Hodr has protected him all these years. Little steps.

As a sniper before his home world got turned upside down, Baldr has always been keen on sharpening his skills. So, if you can earn his trust and respect, he is enthusiastic about giving a tip here and there or chatting about different techniques. Anything on survival is sure fire way to get him to listen intently to you as well and offer his own thoughts.

Sybil's biggest secret? He has a few I think. The biggest is probably that his soul isn't new or an Ancient, but belonging to a familiar jointly made by two Ancients together for a specific purpose. He wasn't sundered per say, but he was reborn and his memories of that time did slowly return with each rejoining. Hence his nightmares of the End times (though he didn't know them as such at first). Just fires and darkness and dread.

[sigyn-foxyposts]

I love these takes on how Skadi and Vidarr care of Vali Odinsson and I agree wholeheartedly with your take!

He would be the lonely child everyone just ignores because he doesn't serve a purpose anymore. Either seen as too young or too old, which references how he was born for the sole purpose of avenging Baldr and does this by killing Hodr, being a day old or growing up a day after he was born. Also the fact Rindr doesn't want anything to do with him is most likely the case, truly a sad tale!

my take on Vali Odinson is that he's one of those kids you see on the swing swinging themself or eating alone in recces. He's either too young or too old to play with anyone Skadi and Vidar mostly takes care of him since Odin is just too busy with bussines and Rindr just doesnt even wanna see him. Skadi mostly takes him to learn the art of archery while Vidar mostly talks to him to give him advise and take him hunting. he has archer gloves that skadi made for him

basicly how his mother looks like

[sunshinewrit-ing]

Norse Mythology

ig: @sunshine.writing

As with every culture, there are many different interpretations and I tried my best to use the most popular ones. There are also many different versions and spellings for the names of the gods and goddesses, but I used the anglicized and most popular spellings. 

Aesir and Vanir

The Norse gods are divided into two families, the Aesir family, and the Vanir family. The Aesir family is the larger of the two and is mostly connected with war and government and includes the gods Odin, Thor, Loki, Baldr, Hodr, Heimdall, and Tyr. The Vanir family includes the fertility gods and goddesses such as Njord, Feyr, and Freyja. Both families reside in Asgard but don’t see eye-to-eye as shown through the Aesir-Vanir war. 

Besides the Aesir and Vanir, there are also female deities known as Disir, Alfar (elves), Jotnar (giants), and Dvergar (dwarves).

Aesir Gods and Goddesses

Odin - Odin was the King of the Aesir clan and known as “the father of all gods.” He’s depicted as a one-eyed, bearded old man wearing a hat and a cloak. He was said to have slain the first being known as Ymir before carving up his body to help create the Earth. He was one of the most powerful and revered of the gods and associated with wisdom, knowledge, healing, death, and war. He also ruled over Valhalla. 

Thor - Son of Odin, he was regarded as the strongest of all the Norse deities because he was tasked with safeguarding Asgard. He was the most popular of all the gods and worshipped by most Vikings. He was the god of thunder and lightning and wielded the Mjolnir. He rode a chariot drawn by two massive goats called Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir.

Loki - Loki was considered a “blood brother” of Odin. He was known as the trickster god and was equipped with the ability to shapeshift into different forms. He was the chief engineer behind the death of Balder.

Frigg - Frigg was the wife of Odin and the queen of the Aesir gods. She was the only one allowed to sit next to her husband and always stuck by her partner even though he had many extramarital affairs.  She was worshipped as the goddess of the sky and associated with wisdom, marriage, family, and fertility. She was blessed with the power of divination but never revealed her visions to anyone. 

Baldur - Son of Odin and half-brother to Thor, Baldur was the god of light and purity. He was described as fair, kind, and handsome, whose beauty was unparalleled. He was the epitome of all things wise and good and often praised for his mercifulness. Also thought to be immortal, he had been prophesied to die and was slain by an arrow made out of mistletoe, his death orchestrated by Loki. 

Heimdall - Heimdall is the son of Odin and no less than nine mothers, and is the watchman of the god. He dwelt at the entry to Asgard where he guarded Bifrost. 

Tyr - Tyr is the god of War and the Lawgiver of the gods. The bravest of the gods, he makes the binding of Fenrir possible by sacrificing his right hand. He’s the son of Odin and the son of the giant Hymir.

Idun - Idun is the goddess of spring or rejuvenation and is the wife of Bragi. She was the keeper of the magic apples of immortality which the gods must eat to preserve their youth. 

Bragi - Bragi is the skaldic poet of the Aesir and his name means “poet”. He’s the son of Odin and possibly the giantess Gunnlod, and the husband to Idun. 

Vili and Ve - Vili and Ve are the two brothers of Odin who helped to slay Ymir to create the remaining seven realms. They’re the sons of Bestla and Borr and were raised in the realm of Nifelheim. 

Forseti - He’s the son of Baldr and Nanna, and is the god of justice and reconciliation.

Gefjun - She’s the goddess of agriculture, fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Her name can be translated to “Giver” or “Generous One.”

Sif - Sif is the wife of Thor as well as a giantess and the goddess of grain and fertility. She was one of the Asynjur and mother of Ullr.

Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn - Fjorgyn, also known as Jord, is a giantess and the mother of Thor through an affair with Odin. Her masculine form Fjorgynn is the father of the goddess Frigg, the wife of Odin. 

Sol and Mani - Sol and Mani were the beings who drove the sun and the moon in their courses through the sun. They were sister and brother, and both were fair and beautiful. Sol had to travel at great speed, pursued by a wolf named Skoll who would eventually devour her. Mani kidnapped two humans named Bil (waning) and Hjuki (waxing), children of Vidfinn, and forced them to travel with him. Like his sister, he was also being chased by a hound named Hati Hrodvitnisson. 

Ullr - Ullr is the god of sports, particularly archery and skiing. He’s the son of Sif and Egill and step-son to Thor. 

Hoenir - Hoenir is a warrior god and is the travel companion of Odin and Loki. He was also part of the creation of Ask and Embla. He goes with Mimir to the Vanir as a hostage in order to seal a truce to the Aesir-Vanir War. He’s the god of indecision, avoidance, and mystery. 

Vidar - Son of Odin and Gridr, he was known as Vidar the silent, the possessor of the iron shoe, the enemy and slayer of Fenrir, the avenger, and he who inhabits the homestead of his father. He’s a warrior god and an excellent fighter. 

Hodr - Hodr is the blind god of winter and warriors. Oftentimes he’s depicted with a bow and arrows, or the spear that Loki used to trick him. He was the son of Frigg and Odin and twin brother of Baldr. Sometimes he’s thought to be a god of darkness.

Vali - Son of Odin and the giantess Rindr, Vali was born for the sole purpose of avenging Baldr. He kills Hodr and binds Loki with the entrails of his son Narfi. He’s the god of vengeance.

Vanir Gods and Goddesses

Freya - Freya was the goddess of fate, love, beauty, gold, war, and fertility. She ruled over the meadow of Folkvangr and owned a torc or necklace known as the Brisingamen as well as a cloak made of falcon feathers. She rode a chariot drawn by two cats and was accompanied by a board called Hildisvini most of the time. She practiced Seidr, which is a form of magic that allowed her the ability to control and manipulate the desires and prosperity of others. 

Freyr - Freyr is associated with sacral kingship, virility, peace, prosperity, sunshine and fair weather, and good harvest. He’s the son of Njord and the god of fertility, rain, and sunshine. His twin sister is Freyja.

Freyja - Freyja, twin sister and counterpart of Freyr, was the goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death. Her father was Njord. Pigs were sacred to her, and she rode a boar with golden bristles. 

Njord - Njord is the god of seas, wealth, wind, and fishing. He was the father of Freyr and Freyja. 

Nerthus - Nerthus is a goddess associated with fertility. She was also associated with peace and prosperity. She was the wife and sister of Njord and the mother of Freyr and Freyja.

Gullveig - Gullveig is a sorceress and seer with great love and lust for gold. She was speared by the Aesir, burnt three times, and yet thrice reborn.

Odr - Odr is the husband of Freyja

Norse Creatures

Dwarves - Also known as dark elves, they’re small creatures that originated as maggots from the corpse of Ymir. They live underground in Svartalfheim (literally means “home of the black elves”) and are said to have crafted the finest weapons and jewelry such as Mjollnir and Gungnir. In certain myths, they’re portrayed as turning to stone if exposed to sunlight. 

Draugar - The Draugar are the undead. Some myths describe them as creatures who drink blood, they’re more similar to zombies than vampires. They possess superhuman strength and can increase their size at will, but have a constant stench of decay and appear as a dead body. They often live in their graves to defend the treasure they were buried with but can also enter communities to torment those who wronged them in life. They’re said to be able to enter the dreams of the living to torment them, and would leave behind a gift so the victims knew the encounter was real. 

Elves - Elves are separated into two different types; Dokkalfar, or dark elves, and Ljosalfar, light elves. Dark elves are thought to be the same as dwarves and light elves are described as more beautiful than the sun. They’re generally described as having an ambivalent relationship with humans.

Fenrir - Fenrir was the son of Loki and the giantess Angroboda. He was raised by the gods of Asgard to stop him from wreaking havoc across the nine worlds but the gods ended up deciding to chain him up. It’s believed that when Fenrir breaks his chains to get his revenge, it will lead to Ragnarok, the end of the world. 

Fossegrimen - Also known as the grim, he’s a water spirit who plays the fiddle mimicking the sounds of the forest, wind, and water. He can be bribed to teach his skill with an offering that he deems sufficient. He’s also known to lure women and children to lakes and streams where they drown.

Huldra - Wardens of the forest and part of a group of Ra that protects various locations. Female Huldra are described as beautiful and seductive, with a long tail of a cow and their back covered in bark. They can disguise themselves as young women to walk in the world of men but their power of illusion is broken if someone sees their tail. They lure young, unmarried men into the forest and keep them as slaves, lovers, or sometimes they’ll suck the life out of them. 

Jormungandr - Also known as the Midgard Serpent, Jormungandr is another child of Loki and Angrboda. He is a snake or dragon that lives in the sea surrounding Midgard. He is described as an enemy of Thor and during Ragnarok, the two are fated to slay one another. 

Jotnar - Jotnar, meaning “devourers”, are giants with powers that rival the power of the gods. They’re the enemy of the gods and the Jotnar embody chaos. Many of the Asgardian gods are descended from Jotnar such as Odin and Thor. 

Kraken - Aquatic monsters that are believed to live off the shores of Norway and Greenland. They’re depicted as gigantic octopi or squids. They mostly ate fish but when it rose to the surface, it was believed to cause large whirlpools which would help it attack ships.

Valkyries - The female helping spirits of Odin, depicted as elegant maidens who ferry the slain to Valhalla. Their name means “choosers of the Slain”, which hints at their more sinister side, the fact that they also choose who lives and dies in battle. They would sometimes use malicious magic to ensure their preferences.

Sleipnir - Odin’s mighty eight-legged horse is the child of Loki and Svadilfari. It had eight legs so that it could have one leg in each of the Norse worlds. 

Mare - The Mare monster gave people bad dreams at night by sitting on them in their sleep. Often they were witches whose souls took the forms of animals, but normal people, particularly adolescents, were also thought to become Mare when their spirits wandered. It was believed that when the Mare touched a living thing, people, cattle, or trees, it would cause their hair to become entangled. 

Trolls - There are large ugly trolls that dwell in forests and mountains, and small gnome-like trolls that live underground in deep caves and caverns. They’re depicted as not very intelligent and malevolent but can show kindness in exchange for a favor.

Norns - The three principal Norns served as the caretakers of the tree of life, but their care only slowed the death of the tree. 

Ratatoskr - A squirrel that runs up and down the tree of life delivering the messages of the gods. He enjoys stirring trouble between the wise eagle that sits atop the tree and the hungry dragon that swells in its roots. 

The Nine Realms

Yggdrasil - Yggdrasil is the mighty tree whose trunk rises at the geographical center of the Norse spiritual cosmos. It’s believed that the nine worlds are all held in the branches and roots of the tree of Yggdrasil. It’s commonly said to be an ash tree.

Niflheim - The realm of fog and mist. It’s the darkest and coldest region of all the realms. It’s one of the first two realms and is placed in the northern region of Ginnngagap. Hvergelmir is located in Niflheim, which is said to be the source of the elven rivers. As Yggdrasil started to grow, it stretched one of its large roots far into Niflheim to draw water from Hvergelmir. 

Muspelheim - The land of fire. Muspelheim was created at the same time as Niflheim but was created far to the south. It’s a burning hot place filled with lava, flames, sparks, and soot. It’s the home of the fire giants, fire demons, and is ruled by Surtr.

Asgard - Home of the Gods. The most commonly known realm, Asgard is located in the middle of the world, high up in the sky. It’s the home of the gods and goddesses and is ruled by the chief of Aesir Odin. Inside the gates of Asgard is Valhalla, the place where half who die in battle will go for the afterlife and the other half go to Folkvangr.

Midgard - Home of the humans. “Middle earth” is located in the middle of the world below Asgard. Midgard and Asgard are connected by Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge. It’s surrounded by a large, impassable ocean that is occupied by the Midgard Serpent. The first two humans were Ash and Embla and were sent to Midgard after being created from tree logs by Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve.

Jotunheim - Home of the giants. Jotunheim consists mostly of rocks, wilderness, and dense forests, and lies in the snowy regions on the outermost shores of the ocean. There is no fertile land in Jotunheim. Jotunheim is separated from Asgard by the river living which never freezes over.

Vanaheim - Home of the Vanir. Nobody knows where exactly the land is located or how it looks. 

Alfheim - Home of the light elves. Alfheim is located right next to Asgard in heaven. The god Freyr is the ruler of Alfheim. 

Svartalfheim - Home of the dwarves. Svartalfheim means dark fields, and they live under the rocks, in caves, and underground. Hreidmar was the king of Svartalfheim until he was killed. 

Helheim - Home of the dishonorable dead. Hel is where the dishonorable dead, thieves, murderers, or those the gods and goddesses feel are not brave enough to go to Valhalla or Folkvangr. Helheim is ruled over by Hel and is a very grim and cold place. Any person who arrives at Helheim will never feel joy or happiness again. 

[moravincitomnia]

The Death Of Baldur

Try to read this without Loki laughing over your shoulder challenge

Baldur was one of the most beloved of all the gods, he was the son of Odin and the benevolent sorceress and goddess Frigg. Baldur was a generous, joyful and courageous character who gladdened the hearts of all who spent time with him. When therefore he began to have ominous dreams of some grave misfortune befalling him. the fearful gods appointed Odin to discover the meaning. Baldur’s father wasted no time taking Sleipnir and riding to the underworld to consult a dead seeress whom he knew was wise in such matters with a disguise. When Odin arrived he found the halls arrayed in splendour as if some magnificent feast was about to occur. Odin woke the seeress and questioned the festivity, and she responded that the guest of honour was to be none other than Baldur. She recounted how the god would meet his doom stopping when she realised the desperate nature of Odin’s entreaties, who this disguised wanderer truly was. 

Odin returned to Asgard in sorrow and told his companions what he had been told. Frigg yearning for any chance of saving her treasured son went to every entity in the cosmos, living or non-living, and obtained oaths not to harm Baldur. Loki however, sensed an opportunity for mischief. In disguise he went to Frigg and asked her, “Did all things swear oaths to spare Baldur from harm?” “Oh, yes,” the goddess replied, “everything except the mistletoe. But the mistletoe is so small and innocent a thing that I felt it superfluous to ask it for an oath. What harm could it do to my son?” Immediately upon hearing this Loki departed, locating the mistletoe and carved a spear out of it and then brought it to where the gods were playing their new favourite game. He approached the blind god Hodr and said, “You must feel quite left out, having to sit back here away from the merriment, not being given a chance to show Baldur the honour of proving his invincibility.” The blind god concurred. “Here,” Said Loki, handing him the shaft of the mistletoe. “I will point your hand in the direction of where Baldur stands, and you will throw this branch at him.” So Hodr threw the mistletoe and it pierced straight through Baldur and he fell down dead on the spot.

The gods found themselves unable to speak as they trembled with fear and anguish. They knew that this event was the first presage of Ragnarok. At last Frigg composed herself enough to ask if there were any among them who were brave, loyal and compassionate enough to journey to the land of the dead and offer Hel a ransom for Baldurs release. Hermod offered to undertake this mission and Odin instructed Sleipnir to take Hermod to the underworld and off he went. The gods arranged a lavish funeral for their fallen friend. They turned Baldur’s ship Hringhorni into a pyre fitting for a great king. When the time came to launch the ship out to sea however the gods found it stuck in sand and unable to force it to budge. After many failed attempts they summoned a certain giantess Hyrrokkin who arrived in Asgard riding a wolf  with poisonous snakes for reins. Finally the ship was freed after one almighty push. As Baldurs body was carried onto the ship his wife Nanna was struck with such grief that she died on the spot and was placed beside her husband. The fire was kindled and Thor hallowed the flames by holding his hammer over them, Odin laid upon the pyre his ring Draupnir and Baldur’s horse was led into the flames.

Meanwhile Hermod rode the nine nights through ever darker and deeper valleys on his quest to rescue the part of Baldur that had been sent to Hel. When he came to the river Gjoll, Modgud the giantess who guards the bridge aksed him his name and his purpose adding that it was strange that his footfalls were as thundering as those as an entire army. He answered her and she allowed him to cross over into Hel’s realm. When entering Hermod spotted Hel’s throne and Baldur, pale and downcast sitting in the seat of honour next to her, he spent the night there and pleaded with Hel to release Baldur, that everything in the cosmos felt great sorrow for Baldur and Hel responded, “ If this is so, then let everything in the cosmos weep for him, and I will send him back to you. But if any refuse, he will remain in my presence.” Hermod rode back to Asgard, told everyone what Hel said and indeed everything and everyone did weep for Baldur except for one giantess, Tokk who was Loki in disguise and coldly told the messengers who conveyed the message throughout the realms, “Let Hel hold what she has!”

And so Baldur was condemned to remain in Hel’s realm with her. 

[homestuckexamination]

Speaking of Marvus, I think he arranged the hit on Boldir, probably by Polypa. We know Polypa uses poisoned knives, and the Norse god Baldur was slain with a poison dart by his brother Hodr who was tricked by Loki. Who's more of a trickster? Where this gets weird is both their meta knowledge. Was he actually trying to kill her or did he know MSPAR would save her in the true timeline? Did SHE know, and was she in on his plan? For what purposes?

Hard to tell but I don't quite THINK it was any of the characters we know? It's entirely possible the hit was arranged by Doc Scratch himself as he was basically just making a test run of the Timeline and arranging things to go in a certain way. If it had been anyone we know I feel as though there'd have been hints/references to it, and Alternia is not exactly short on Trolls willing to kill for cash.

[ficretus]

I am gonna partially disagree.

Adam both is and isn't Beast. He takes some bits from Disney's version, notably the name and bits of appearance (Disney's Beast has Minotaur features which would match him being a Bull Faunus) and association with rose. His relationship with Blake does share common trope of Beauty and the Beast story of them being together before being separated due to Beauty leaving him. However, when his true colors are revealed he stops being Beast and indeed takes a role of Gaston/Rose curse. Him playing role of the Beast doesn't make him special since Blake has multiple Beasts, with Yang as THE Beast. He is a red herring (or I guess red edgelord bull) Beast in initial portion of the story.

Side note, there are also versions of Beauty and the Beast with tragic ending in which Beast dies because someone besides Beauty found out about his curse. Probably a tin foil, but Adam could also be reference to that since he dies in a fight in which someone else besides Blake sees what's behind his mask.

_____________________________________________________________

On Norse myths, I firmly stand on that one. Adam shares Fenrir role with Hound, former feels like an allusion to Fenrir's binding, while latter to Fenrir's rampage during Ragnarok. Gods attempted to seal Fenrir with normal chains, but he would break away every single time. This somewhat parallels Adam's childhood as basically SDC slave before escaping and becoming a terrorist. However, they eventually used Gleipnir, ribbon like fetter. To ensure Fenrir stayed in place, Tyr offered his right hand as a bait. Fenrir was bound and Tyr lost his hand. This symbolically represents his rivalry with Blake and Yang. Gleipnir. Yang lost her right hand fighting Adam (Tyr is god of war, heroism and justice which does somewhat match Yang's personality), while Adam was eventually defeated by Blake using Gambol Shroud which often takes the form of a ribbon.

On the matter of Odin, RWBY's Odin is Ozma and his incarnations. He is father of current world order who shapeshifts (representing his reincarnations) and guides humanity. You have Raven and Qrow as Huginn and Muninn, his ravens that serve as his agents (poems even have Odin worried that Muninn might not return, which parallels to Raven leaving Ozpin's side). Beacon is Valhalla, his castle that houses the souls of the greatest warriors. Einherjar in Valhalla are gathered to eventually fight against his enemies during the Ragnarok (which parallel true purpose of academies being training ground for Ozma's war against Salem).

This brings me back to Hound, who during the Ragnarok devours Odin. This parallels Hound being the one to defeat Oscar and bring him into belly of Monstra, symbolically devouring him. Hound was eventually crushed under statue which parallels Fenrir's fate of being crushed under Vidar's boot before being stabbed.

Ruby to me matches the most Vali, Odin's youngest son. He grew from baby to a grown man in a single night to avenge his brother Baldr (Pyrrha) by slaying Hodr (Cinder). This parallels Ruby in multiple ways, she is the youngest in generation, she was forced to rapidly grow up during and after Fall of Beacon and she nearly killed Cinder. Vali is also one of the rare gods to survive Ragnarok and helped to rebuild the world after it, so it wouldn't be too weird for it to be Ruby considering her role as protagonist and leader.

Cinder on the other hand could be Hodr (circumstances of Baldr's death do somewhat parallel Pyrrha's), Surtr (fire giant with flaming sword that will set the world on fire during Ragnarok) or Hel (appearance, self proclaimed ruler, casted down at birth).

Grimm Summer could potentially also be Fenrir (since Grimm Summer would be an allusion to Big Bad Wolf), but I also suspect she might be an allusion to Garmr, hound that will fight Tyr during the Ragnarok (who is ready for that mother-daughter reunion).

Sorry for a long tangent

So here’s an interesting little detail I noticed while rewatching some of the Beacon arc:

Out of all the various disposable pawns, patsies and stooges we’ve seen utilized by Salem over the course of the show (not counting the stooges who make up her inner circle), it’s funny how the only one who seems to actually recognize how much of a pawn he really is, is TORCHWICK of all people.

Like when you look at Roman’s scenes with Cinder and her minions, and particularly his final fight with Ruby in Volume 3, it’s pretty clear that he was always acutely aware that he was a very small piece of a MUCH larger game.

Just compare that to the likes of Adam, Leonardo, Jacques and Ironwood, who by all rights were all COMPLETELY oblivious to how much they were getting played, or just how little they mattered to Salem.

And that gets even more interesting when you consider that Roman was probably the smallest piece in terms of both status and overall significance compared to Salem’s other pawns. Like I actually don’t think for a moment that Torchwick ever actually met Salem or even KNEW about her by name. I imagine all Roman knew was that there was some boss/mom that Cinder was reporting to.

Instead, Torchwick was able to look at everything Cinder was doing and plotting, between manipulating the White Fang, securing several warehouses of stolen dust, planning a full-on grimm-incursion of Vale during the Vytal Festival with the ultimate aim of toppling one of the four Huntsman Academies. Not to mention I imagine Roman had at least an inkling as to the whole Maiden business that Cinder was after, plus the fact that she seemed to be able to control grimm to a degree. Maybe even guess that this was a plot years if not decades in the making.

And it’s pretty clear that Roman took one look at all this and rightly surmised that he was a bit player in a truly MASSIVE game. As he implies to Ruby during their final fight, Torchwick may not have known much about Salem or her plans, but he knew ENOUGH that he didn’t want to be standing AGAINST her.

Again, just compare that to someone like Adam Taurus, so-called big-shot revolutionary with his big plans to topple the oppression of the humans… who seems to have had no fucking clue that his new ‘friends’ were fully intent on sending him and his followers out to die as a DISTRACTION for their own plans.

Or of course, James Ironwood the big, strong (self-appointed) defender of Atlas and (also self-appointed) last, best hope for humanity, who to his dying breath seems to have been ENTIRELY oblivious to just how completely Salem and her minions were playing him like the cheap kazoo he was.

Or just Jacques Schnee the big-shot corporate overlord who wasn’t even important enough to know about any kind of scheme. All he needed was Watts dangling an election win like keys in front of a baby to be a dutiful little pawn for Salem.

Though funny enough, to Jacques’ credit; the moment he hears about the heating grid going down he does seem to immediately catch on that Watts played him for a chump.

And it’s rather amusing that this is more than can be said for the likes of the ‘Faunus Revolutionary’ who bent the knee to a human girl who kicked his ass, or Ol’ Jimmy the Child-Shooter himself.

[narwhalwrath]

Okay, so let’s talk current developments in Kingdom Hearts - mainly concerning what is presently going on in Kingdom Hearts Union χ and Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road.

I went back through a lot of the cutscenes and managed to piece some stuff together. Mainly, Darkness tells Maleficent that the reason it needed her to return to her time was in order to act as a Waypoint - someone in the future with memories of someone in the past, which would allow said person to venture forward in time from the past. This is all made possible by the Lifeboat - the machine from Kingdom Hearts I. 

As Darkness explains, the Lifeboat was meant to cross Worldlines, but it was left incomplete - however in its present state it can be used to travel at the speed of light, rendering the individual to nothing more than a Heart. and breaking through the time barrier. This is how Maleficent returned in Kingdom Hearts II, as she utilized Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather as a Waypoint and reformed her body.

What’s also interesting is that Ansem referred to Xehanort as his Waypoint in Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road, suggesting that perhaps - rather than simply creating a Heartless the old fashioned way, perhaps Terra-Xehanort used the Lifeboat in order to render himself to just a Heart and travel back in time. The only reason I think this may be untrue is because Terra-Xehanort used the Lifeboat to send Kairi to Destiny Islands, knowing that she would be tethered to the one who would wield the Keyblade, suggesting that Xehanort finished the Lifeboat during his year of research following Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.

That being said, this could mean that Maleficent was the Waypoint for Ventus and Lauriam - given her encounters with Darkness and Lauriam in Data-Daybreak Town - but what about Elrena and Subject X (who we’re assuming is Skuld). Additionally, I saw someone compare Plyer’s default outfit to Demyx and I have to agree with them that it seems as though Demyx (whose somebody I’m going to refer to as Edym) is the Player character.

Demyx and Luxord’s Somebodies have yet to appear, and it has a lot of people confused, but if Edym is Player, and Luxord is Ludor - an apprentice of Odin and one of the upperclassmen theorized to have gone to Quadratum, (based on the Norse naming conventions and the fact that Luxord was seen in Quadratum with Yozora) then this would explain that.

I theorize that other members of the upperclassmen are going to include a gender bent Hod - older sister of Baldr inspired by the Norse Aesir Hodr, who was ultimately tricked by Loki into killing his brother - Verdandi - the last of the Nornir, as Skuld and Urd have already appeared - Yen Sid - as he was said to be an old friend of Eraqus’, suggesting that the history between the two will be explained in Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road. That would cover four of the seven upperclassmen, with the remaining members likely bearing some significance to Norse mythology, and for symmetry’s sake I believe that there will be 5 male characters and 2 female characters, as is the case for the lowerclassmen.

 I would also like to suggest that, rather than Thor and Loki being obvious candidates for the upperclassmen, I think that Eraqus and Xehanort are meant to fill those rolls. Particularly with Eraqus’ connection to Baldr, and Xehanort’s feelings of guilt for the deaths of four characters. I say “four characters” because - even though it is suggested to be Hermod, Bragi, Urd, and Vor - I don’t buy it. It is popularly theorized that Vor is Kairi’s grandmother and Bragi becomes Braig, so maybe Urd, Hermod, Baldr, and one other?

While we’re at it, let’s discuss the Dandelions. They are all from a period that is give-or-take about 130 years before Kingdom Hearts (Timeline constructed on the basis that Brain is Eraqus’ grandfather and was a teenager in Kingdom Hearts Union χ - generations are aprox. 30 years, and Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road takes place about 71 years before Kingdom Hearts III given that Xehanort encounters the Master of Master 75 years BKH and right before the Mark of Mastery, which Xehanort and Eraqus discussed at the grave site in Scala ad Caelum 4 years after the events of Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road) but considering what we know about Dream Eaters and the Realm of Sleep, are the Dandelions in the Realm of Sleep? 

I would say yes, and I think that the pods in the Old Mansion are going to be used for this purpose the same way that the Lifeboat from Kingdom Hearts I was. Nightmare Chirithy even tells Player that he’d see him in another dream. The only thing is that I don’t know what this means for the characters, because to me it suggests that Player is asleep, and what we’re experiencing are his dreams and memories of Ephemer, Skuld, Brain, Lauriam, Ventus, Strelitzia, Elrena etc. Additionally, the fact that Xehanort dreams of Player is also odd, I wonder how they are connected.

[allherdaydreams]

Valley of Kings — Prologue

Sigyn | And So It Begins

Universe: Vikings Pairing(s): None yet (there will be several later on, mainly Ivar x fem!OC) Word Count: 1,195 Warnings: Bad writing and mentions of the death of Angrboda Author’s Note: my first vikings fic!!! ahhh!! I really hope y’all like it, i know it’s not much and it’s not great but I hope to have the next chapter out by the end of the week and hopefully I’ll get my other fic started by then too. lemme know if y’all wanna be on a taglist and i’ll add you :)

The stories of the Gods were part of the way of life for my family. Ever since I can remember — and, likely, before that — my mother and father spent countless hours recounting the tales of the Old Ways. I spent a large part of my childhood cradled in my mother’s lap, surrounded by my brother, sister, and our friend, Ivar, as we would listen to my father’s animated retellings. He told us of Odin and Thor, Freyr and Freya, the creation of the Nine Realms and the soon-to-be Ragnarok, when the Gods would die and the Realms would end. Ragnarok was his favorite story to tell us. 

When my father was away on raids in the summers, my mother would take over the storytelling — she especially loved to tell us of Freya and her cats, who drew the Goddess’s chariot. Of all the Gods, I loved Freya the most, and it was because of this love that I begged for years to be allowed a cat. On our eighth birthday, my brother and I were gifted kittens — twins, just like us. My brother named his Tyr, for the bravest of the Gods; I called mine Muninn, for Odin’s raven of memory. I often pretended that, when he got back from his hunting trips, the little black kitten brought me knowledge of the goings-on in the lives of our neighbors and that, occasionally, he spied on Ivar’s older brothers. I believed he also brought me news of my sister, Angrboda, who had died a few years before. I always pictured her in Valhalla. Though she was not much older than me when she passed (she was the same age as Ivar’s brother, Sigurd), she has always been fully grown in my mind’s eye. 

In my dreams, Angrboda looks like my father; tall, thin, agile, and strong. She has the same prowling walk as him and my brother, the same eyes and the same hair — but her smile is my mother’s. When I was little, I decided she was a Valkyrie, one that Odin himself had assigned to watch over her younger siblings. I held onto that idea for the rest of my life, even if it wasn’t how the legends described the Valkyries. 

After her death, in the later years of my childhood, the story we always begged to hear was the life and death of Baldur — the story of Loki’s punishment, and of me and my brother’s namesakes, Vali and Sigyn. Sigyn, wife of Loki, who displayed the ultimate act of love and loyalty as she shielded Loki from the snake’s venom during his punishment. Vali, whose birth was for one purpose; to avenge his brother Baldur’s death, by killing Hodr and binding Loki. 

My father was an odd man with an odd sense of humor. I could never be sure why he had named his children how he did, but I often wondered if it was coincidence or fate.

“And so begins the Saga of Sigyn Flokisdottir and Vali the Reaper,” My father had once remarked, out of the blue, not so long after my sister had passed. My brother had been given the title “the Reaper'' just after he was born because Ivar’s mother, Queen Aslaug, had foreseen him to be a great warrior with an even greater fate. He would avenge not one death, but many. His name would be remembered for centuries to come, all throughout the world. 

I don’t have many memories of my life during that time when we were very young, around the time my sister left us, but I have since been told of how my father was given Loki’s punishment for killing a Christian. My mother, always gentle and steadfastly loyal, had readily taken on the role of Sigyn. 

What we never heard in the story of Baldur’s Death was that Loki’s eldest daughter would die while he was chained in the cave. But we did often hear afterwards, from my father, that “All things come to pass as the Gods will them.” Though my mother would always nod silently at this phrase, Vali and I knew she never truly recovered from losing our sister. 

Every day, my father prayed aloud and talked to the Gods. He made sure to include his children in his conversations, both by mentioning us and encouraging us to join in. We spent many formative spring days speaking to the Gods, learning how to pray and practice our religion and the ways of our people. My brother and I loved this season, when everything was new and our father did not yet have to go overseas to raid. As we became older, spring became Vali’s time with him as he helped our father design and bring to life his great longships. And while Vali learned the art of boatbuilding, I learned how to help my mother around our secluded land. 

We lived on the edge of Kattegat, with our house overlooking the water, the trees behind our home sheltering it from the bustling noise of the city. Ivar, the youngest prince of Kattegat, was my only close friend besides my brother. He pretended he didn’t like other people, who excluded and underestimated him because he was a cripple. It was easier for him that way: to pretend he hated them instead of acknowledging that he wished for their love. Similarly, I didn’t have other friends either, though I tried to make them, because I was odd to the other children. Ivar found me odd, too (“You are always in your head and never really here!”), but I cherished his company despite his blunt words and often mean temper. All through our childhood, we stayed by each other’s side; listening to my father’s stories and prayers; watching my brother and father build boats; keeping me company as I did the “women’s work”; following all of our brothers around the streets of Kattegat and the forests outside it as they grew up just before we did. 

As we got older, things began to change. I was still odd (I had only begun to grasp what it was to be ‘here,’ present in the world outside of my mind), but people began to pay more attention to me. Ivar was still an outcast, but he had become handsome and strong, refusing to fall behind his brothers in any way. My brother had become his own man, skilled and clever and confident. He remained good friends with Ivar’s older brothers, and though Ivar & I continuously tried to keep up, we were usually able to make peace with it just being us. And it was, usually, just us.

Slowly but surely, Ivar and I crawled our way out of our childhood. As it was with everything, we did it together, following the footsteps of our many brothers. 

As it had been told once to us: “And so begins The Saga of Sigyn Flokisdottir & Vali the Reaper,” — and, as it had been told many times to us: “Sigyn, destined for steadfast loyalty and acts of love; Vali, born to avenge the deaths of many, to kill and bind and be remembered.”

[sayhwaet]

Ailell, the Valley of Torment, is said to have once been used as a training grounds for monks as well as a place for the Goddess to burn corrupt maidens with her heavenly light, but few nowadays can attest to the veracity of such claims seeing as how almost nobody who treasures their own life dares to step foot anywhere near Ailell. However, new magical developments from House Daphnel have created a spell that allows a person to withstand even the hottest of flames so long as it’s casted regularly! Brave souls are encouraged to see the miraculous effects of such magic themselves and trek into these once terrifying lands. With any luck, you might even run into one of these fabled, hardened monks yourself! Or perhaps you might be able to save a beautiful, wayward maiden from being burned from the Goddess’ judgment? [Grants Faith +1] (starter for @hosannan and @charmblooded)

Beowolf didn't have much faith in this spell, if he were being honest.

Well, he might have been accused a time or two of lacking in faith in general, mightn't he? Not totally pious, for what purpose did that serve a man such as he, a man so lacking in blessings by their beloved Crusaders, but having earned the strength of his body by the sweat of his brow? Where had the gods been for him when his belly and coinpurse were empty?

Where had the gods been when that most unholy fire rained down on he and his from above, if not in the watchful smirk of that pale face and those burning eyes?

And it weren't no Belhalla, but it was hot as Hodr's -

No, there was a lady present, wasn't there? Well, he could damn well think it.

He grimaced, watching the horizon with some dubiousness as they approached, his eyes raking over the rising shimmer of heat that he could smell it, he swore it, the char of ground and flesh and sound alike and his head spun and throbbed.

Beowolf shook his head to clear it. "Listen," he said, and his voice came out hoarser than he intended, not something he could blame on the dry heat if this spell was doing its job, but not something that he was certain stemmed from that, either. "We're here to look for any wanderers, not to become any ourselves, clear?"

The young lady was a student, but the young man - Crusaders, these kids looked just alike, didn't they? Siblings? Musta been - was a knight, and worse, he seemed an earnest sort. The kind who might have gotten himself lost on the account of another.

"We'll stick to the trails outlined for us, but we ain't blazin' our own." A pause. "If y'll pardon the pun."

through the valley of the shadow of death

[mperosx]

Love and Other Mysteries || Hodr&Eros

Continued from here with @mpxhodr

--*   The cupid thinks on the question a little bit before he answers and when he does it sounds a little flippant but he’s serious. “Both? Both. They are somewhat hand in hand.”   He holds out his arm better and moves his wing as well so that he can be fitted for his new suit better. His two colored eyes drift to the other god and watch him work for a moment before he speaks again. “Believing in love is essentially believe in me because it is my purpose. Some people are born to help others, some are born to be cruel or made that way and they are good at it, others.. Well, we’re created to give and give and give. I was made to calm the Chaos at the start of days, but in turn, I am the Chaos too. If belief in me, belief in love, dies then I go back to what I am at my core--- Chaos itself.”   Eros had never truly been the son of a goddess as some legends said, his story had been so much older and the ones that found that version of the dawning of his time had been right to fear Love. They knew that it was laced with something scary that could spin from delicate and sweet to destructive and dangerous if left unchecked. Those angelic eyes look at Hodr again as he works, something soft and sweet still there in abundance but they carry knowledge beyond measure, the danger always present.   “People choose to judge Love as too much work because instinctively they know that it takes work to keep it going. It takes care and understanding of another being and the dexterity to know when to back down in a fight and when to stand up in one too. Love gets the bad reputation of Lust and they are not the same-- Lust is primal and just a part of a base need. If it’s nurtured, it can grow to Love. If it’s squandered it can become Obession, then Rage, then true Agony. Love is dangerous only because we want it so badly that we damage it along the way by trying to shape it ourselves-- we have no jurisdiction. And even Chaos will succumb to it if Love grows the right way.”

[sevenswcrds]

@gulldrengur​ decided to come for Muninn’s throat ig  ___________

If he could only show her how those words hurt him, he placed a hand on her shoulder and let the weight of his emotions be partially noticed, he’s wounded by her claim. If she truly had nothing to lose then why it feels like she’s breaking like all are lies and she has more to lose than to gain.“You are my dearest sister, you have me and Hodr and my wife and my son. Never” his tone a bit more serious, graver, deeper. Like the sun in mid-noon, or a rumble of thunder when it storms “Never again say that you have nothing to lose, or that you are alone. I would defy the Norns if it meant to keep you safe.”

The sudden weight of touch makes her flinch, and Muninn shifts those storm-grey eyes to him, rapid. There’s the same thunder in his voice, as he speaks and for once-  For once her hackles don’t rise, as she is told what to or not to do. For once she doesn’t react with aggression or derision, with slighted pride or a snarl, watching him as a bird watches something that it is curious of. 

Something that is isn’t certain of. 

It aches in her throat, in her eyes- and there’s the phantom sensation of blood from her nose- she passes her fingers against the skin, almost as though to wipe it away. “I think we both know I am more alone than I am a part of anything, a part of anything, a part of anything. And I did that to myself for a purpose,” she says, after a moment- gentler now, than the venomous words of before. To escape the rot of her own head- to ensure she didn’t deteriorate to the point of nothingness. 

“You always were so full of grandiose feelings, weren’t you?” It’s- an apology. As close as she comes, at the moment, and she continues to watch him, lips pressed tightly together. 

“I... Would do the same for you.” Has done, will do- again, and again, and again. It’s the purpose. It’s the meaning- why she exists, why she compiles power as she does. Why she stays away.

Protect him- protect them.

[aboutnorsemythology]

“Höðr and Baldr” And two sides of the same story.

There are two widely divergent versions of this story.

Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

The most familiar of the two comes from the Prose Edda of the medieval Icelandic  Snorri Sturluson. As Snorri says, the god Baldr, who here is presented as a charming, loved and innocent sufferer, had dreams that predicted his imminent death.

His mother, Frigg, turned around and got oaths from around the world that they would not harm her son. The only thing he omitted was the mistletoe, since he thought it was too small and harmless to have a real consequence in this matter. When the clever cheater Loki discovered this neglect, he made a spear of mistletoe.

While all the gods had fun throwing all the projectiles available to Baldr and laughing while things bounced on their uninjured companion, Loki approached Hodr, here portrayed as blind and quite gullible, with the spear of mistletoe. He convinced Hodr to throw the spear to Baldr to contribute to the game and honor the strength of his brother. (Hodr and Baldr were children of Odin.) With Loki guiding his hand, Hodr threw the spear towards Baldr. The weapon went through him and, to the surprise and horror of everyone present, he fell dead on the spot.

Later, Hodr was killed by the avenger of Baldr, Vali, who seems to have been conceived specifically for this purpose and whose origin is also controversial (I'll talk about this in another post)

“Gesta Danorum”"The Danish history" by the medieval Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus.

Here, Hodr is far from the passive pawn that Snorri makes him see. Hodr de Saxo (latinized as "Hotherus") is a character whose personality and actions best match his name, means "warrior".

Hodr and Baldr were two great war leaders who organized their armies against each other because of a dispute over the hand of the beautiful maid Nanna. Baldr was nourishing himself with a special spiritual food that gives him invincibility, and Hodr knew he could not beat Baldr by normal means. Then Hodr undertook a long and dangerous journey to the underworld.

There, he obtained a weapon that had been charged with magical powers that would allow him to overcome the magical force induced by Baldr. (It is likely that at this point Loki was able to inform Hodr about how to kill Baldr, because he was angry about Odin's actions, but this does not make him Baldr's killer) Soon after, Hodr wounded Baldr in combat, and Baldr died of his wounds a few days later. However, Hodr was killed by the avenger of Baldr, who is called "Bous".

These two stories are similar enough that they should point to the same basic story. However, they also differ in several definitive aspects, one of which is the character of Hodr.

In the first, Loki is the evil one who has the express intention of murdering a poor defenseless child (Bladr was not such a child and if we read in the same Edda when the gods torture and mock Fenrir Wolf, Baldr laughs cruelly for see him). Fenrir suffers) In the second Loki is not mentioned, not because he was not present in the story but because he was not the real murderer of Baldr.

Imagine for a moment that the version of Snorri's story was the only one that survived to this day. This is, in fact, the case of many of the stories told by Snorri. His version of Baldr's death is clearly far from the complete picture, and his story can not be taken literally.

Of course, the same must be said of Saxo's version. Saxo and Snorri had superimposed but divergent objectives, and whatever their own additions to the story, and whatever the motives behind their additions, they might have been drawn from different versions of the story in the first place.

 Regardless of the reasons behind the differences between the two narrations, however, it is clear that we have two versions as different in spirit as in the details, and that none of them gives anything like the complete picture.

 This example should serve to prevent us from taking the primary sources too literally, as if they were outright stories of how the pagans of northern Europe saw the world, or how they heard stories told by someone who was clearly on one side in this story . They point to the old world view of northern Europe, yes, but that worldview is often visible only in an opaque way and hidden beneath layers of later creations.

The sources are the starting points for our knowledge of the pre-Christian Germanic world, but they are not the final points. A "stick to sources" approach will only lead us astray and allow us to be tricked by Snorri and others, just as Hodr de Snorri was too confident by Loki. To fill in the gaps, to restore much of what has been lost, we need an approach that is both more critical and intuitive at the same time. We must identify the elements that are common to multiple sources, unite them to form a more integral framework.

Here are the two versions, you decide which of them you want to believe.

Sources: https://mitologia.top/dioses-nordicos-y-criaturas/dioses-y-diosas-del-aesir/hodr/

https://www.bookdepository.com/Saxo-Grammaticus-I-History-Danes-I-Books-I-IX-Saxo-Grammaticus/9780859915021

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saxo-Grammaticus