The Man Who Defeated Thor | The Two Legends of Hodr 

I cannot explain the excitement that surges through me when I see a new upload from you,they make my day.

If we had a dollar for every time Ocean successfully told a pun, we'd have enough funding to create a time machine and go back in time before the Viking time period to collect all these stories without being altered or erased

I always thought the mistletoe being sharpened was purposely ridiculous. Like what loser gets killed by... mistletoe

"And thus, Baldr was killed, and the cruise missile invented at the same time!" -Gandalf

I feel like Saxo's telling has the same vibe as the fall of Troy. Someone blessed by the gods trying to steal the hand of a woman who wants nothing to do with him who is already married, armies getting dragged off to war for it, the absurd amount of magic armor, sneaking into camps to get an edge, one of the main warriors missing from the battle in his tent for various reasons, the ending where no one actually gets what they want because 1 important person couldn't keep it in their pants. I need to read Saxo's version I want to compare

When I have kids and I pass on the story when they're young, I'll want to combine the two, probably similar to how to explain at the end. Maybe as Baldr and Hoðr fell for the same girl a bit of a civil war takes place, Thor taking Baldr side but in seeing the persistence of Hoðr out of respect for him leaves. In the end Baldr and Hoðr die but in Hel rekindle their friendship and put the jealousy aside, letting the past die too.

I always read it as Hodr as god of chance(blind chance, greatest danger to the powerful). Baldr's protection a manifestation of the what are the chances trope which ensured the unlikely would happen.

It could also be possible that Nanna was married to both, but at different times. Especially with how she's generally depicted as have some form of agency by writers who were writing in eras where that...was not often the case. I would consider it likely that she had a bigger part in whatever the original version was. The Norse culture was fairly well known for "allowing" women to, y'know, do things

This video was my Saxo-ual awakening 🤣🐊

He said nope, and it fucks off absolutely love that

Another awesome video. The stories of Hodr sound like a compilation of Hamlet, Iliad, Odyssey and the Trials of Hercules. The blindness could be Snorri's way of victimizing Hodr and demonizing Loki to fit the Christian devil's level of manipulation.

I tend to agree with your proposal of the Saxo legend being more authentic, but with Balder being the one with Nanna. I feel Hodr's blindness is actually poetic in a sense that we actually say even now that someone can be blinded by love, blinded by jealousy, blinded by {insert emotion}. So Hodr's love/lust/jealousy means he is blind to the Ill he is committing. I think you're also on to something with the musical arts association for Hodr. Even now many of the greatest compositions we have musically are often coming from places of love, heartache and heartbreak for those who wrote them. Whether the Norse made that connection themselves or if it's a more modern conception is something I don't know. Interesting to me too is that the German word for dispute or quarrel, hader, links back etymologically to Hodr through a root meaning fight, battle, disagreement. So even the etymology of his name seems to belie the portrayal of Hodr in Snorri as some helpless fool manipulated by Loki.

I really love that there's such a difference between both tellings. I enjoy Snorri's version for being short and sweet, but I definitely view Saxo's version as being the more epic tale. Fascinating either way. Awesome video!

I can see how this myth was important to people in the past, it's a complicated story that really makes you reflect. An unsolved puzzle involving biased writers, whispers of the end of the world and a fateful encounter between heathendom and Christianity. What can I say except: there's something in there.

If someone can be stabbed to death by a pencil then one can surmise being stabbed to death by mistletoe

I guess you could say neglecting to mention the armor before is a plot hole, I consider it plot armor

I really dig this one. Personally, I find Snorri's Death of Baldr to be a bit simplistic and disjointed in terms of how Hodr is manipulated and how he is treated there after. It feels very much like a fresh coat of paint on a different story. Kind of like a movie that is thrown together just well enough to get the studio to bank roll the sequel that will have the big endgame payoff. Speaking of movies, I could see Saxo's version working really well as a modern cinematic retelling with a lot of vague are they/aren't they maybe kinda gods thrown in there. A good deal of the heavy-handed over Christian elements could be written out, and you would have a pretty solid Northman-like flick. As much as I do not see Thor as hired brute, it would be pretty boss to see a portrayal of the fight between Hodr and redheaded giant of a man wielding a warhammer.

To me the mistletoe spear has never been that strange given Loki is a god and a shapeshifter, so I always assumed he either used magic to create it, or did something like the dwarves and forged it from a bunch of mistletoe.

When it comes to oral tradition, there's so much variation among different communities. Depending on the movements of the Icelandic settlers during their diaspora, they could easily have heard the Celtic story and adopted it. Keeping Hodr as the responsible party in that version seems to suggest a connection to Saxo's version, IMO. Either way, your amalgamation at the end is certainly plausible, and I really connected with the idea of Loki as a deity devoted to maintaining balance. I have never considered a connection with Loki before, but I will definitely think about it now. Thank you for the video, and for all your hard work!

I wonder if Hodr and Baldr are related to the Proto-Indo-European "Divine Twins" (or Horse Twins). This is because often one of the Twins is a strong warrior, while the other is more of a healer/lover; they are associated with the morning and evening star and share either a sister or a love interest in the form of the Dawn. Hodr would fit the strong warrior mould, while Baldr's whole "he's just so great and everyone loves him" vibe fits with the other twin. Nanna would then be the sister/love interest. Apparently they have potentially found images of Divine Twins in Scandinavia but can't identify who they might be. Of course, I am not a historian or a religious scholar, so I may also be absolutely full of nonsense. Please do not take this comment as anything but wild speculation!

So, one interpretation I heard of the story of Baldur's death is that Loki was offended because Odin had done harm to his children. While odin allowed one of his own sons to be invulnerable. So, taking baldur's life would be akin to the treatment of his own children.

The mistletoe being used as an arrow could be allegorical for love, kind of like Cupids arrows. Add to that the tradition of kissing under a mistletoe and the top lip being called a cupids bow. In that case the story as a whole would be allegorical for forbidden love since the result is death.

I rarely hear people talk about Loki as a balancing force, as I do.

Lets go

Here for the history and learning of the Gods and I greatly enjoy the laughs thrown in. Glad to see new videos from you! I feel that the story for mistletoe was a later addition or change of the true story and had always felt odd to me. The tradition of kissing under it for good luck... and it being used to kill a God.... idk it was just odd. Also the fact that the plant is poisonous. Thank you for talking about this legend, it has been a confusing one for me.

This is not a dream Snorri built under quilt whilst snoring till the morning or a Snorri Story about gloom or glory but one of blind Hodr's guilt about the prince he killed, with mistletoe he did doth throw, of which Hodr was sorely Sorry.

Have always understood that mistletoe had anticoagulant properties and that a wound made by mistletoe wouldn't clot, and that was how Baldur died; bled to death through the equivalent of a pinprick so small it wasn't taken seriously. Evil genius, I always thought.

Saxo!Hodr: "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"

Every time I see that you posted a video I know I am gonna learn a lot and have a lot of fun thank you 😁

Come for the puns, stay for the knowledge.

One big difference between Iceland & Norway is that the Vikings would get "wives" in Ireland to populate their colonies, so Snorri may have been influenced by the Irish myths mixed with the Norse ones.

Missile toe!!! LMFAO oh my Gods!🤣🤣 I'm dead!! Another great video, keep up the great work Ocean Man. Happy to see another new video so soon!

I always assumed Hodr was a God who had total " inner vision" but was perhaps unsuited and unable to operate in the physical outer world.Odyn ,being half blind has inner and outer vision.Hodr was therefore easily manipulated .He may have been described as a type of character as having his head in the clouds .

May the gods be with you ocean keltoi.

"Isn't the battle tomorrow? Why do I have a watch-" 😂

I always enjoy your work, but coming home after a hard day and finding this cheered me up. I was always confused about the mistletoe unless they used the berries as a poison, but I like Saxo's a lot more due to the logic and just the all around more filled out story line.

Amazing video, as always, and the pun was hysterical.

Nothing better between college classes than an Ocean video

Knowing your penchant for puns, I can’t believe I was confused when you were talking about rockets taking off his toe. Homer Simpson “Doh” moment, lol.

Turns out, this is exactly how far I had previously read in Gesta Danorum, so I'm reading it now with your video in the front of my mind. How serendipitous.

It's been more than a year since my conversion and I enjoy life a lot more and look forward to each new bright adventure that fate may have for me. I just felt like expressing that here because you were one of the first to pop up when I began my journey as I searched for answers here on youtube. I've bought books, listen to the songs, read the legend and began my blacksmithing journey to forge for the gods. I create different pieces now but I have yet to perfect the mjolnir. once I do, I'll forge many. Thank you for creating your content and just thank you for everything.

I HAVE to know how long it takes you to come up with those puns! Thank you for yet another great video (half-way through now). You, sir, are my go-to channel for Norse/Pagan information.

Its an ancient tale about the death of the sun at midwinter. Baldr is the Sun and Hodr is the underworld darkness that kills the sun taking away the fertilty Baldr brings. Mistletoe is the only plant that 'lives' through winter and it isnt attached to the ground being a parasitic plant that grows off Oak trees. The three day motif is a reference to the sun at midwinter where it stays in its Southern most position for three days before reversing direction and being 'reborn' or 'resurrected' one degree to the north. Hodr is 'blind' as he represents the darkness of the underworld that brings winter and the death of fertility and life with the killing of 'bright', 'warm' and 'noble' Baldr who everyone adores and all weep and are sad at the passing of Baldr. This is the ancient tale of the Sun as King married to the land and together they bring fertility and order such is the way of their realm. Its the same motif used in the Green Knight Arthurian saga and relates to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as his 'death' is over three days and his 'birth' is on December 25th where the bright star Sirius with the line of the three belt stars of Orion point out the exact place of the 'resurrected' Suns rebirth.

These last couple of videos I've had to pause and scream WHY after the opening pun so. You're on a roll.

great explaination! I would love to see more stories about Ullr, the God of snow and winter sport, and I believe a god of hunting as well, as he led the great hunt when Odin was not leading it. This is one of my main gods, as I live in a very cold and northern region of Canada, and I make dedications of cannabis often to ask for protection and guidance when traveling into the mountains, or when I pray or thank him for snow needed for ideal snowboarding conditions. I understand that there is not a lot of info about Ullr, but he is the one who speaks to my concience the most.

Always love getting new content to add to my work entertainment. This channel makes boring warehouse work more tolerable

We love your stories I am reading the poetic Edda and just ordered other books. Thank you so much

I love the videos where you cover a character that most people don't bother digging deeper into. This was great! Thank you for all the hard work you put into these!

always waiting for your videos in anticipation, keep up the good work !

You are definitely an awesome person to look to for this information. I love learning more of Norse that I don't know and your insight on the unknown to everyone.

Yet another great feast of information!

Thank you for another educational video! I always love seeing a notification for your channel!

I can’t believe you’ve done this (affectionate) (referring to a pun of your choosing)

There's literally nothing as sick as that intro, brother. Love your vids!! 🍻

I can see Loki giving Hodr power to balance Balder's invincibility. And asking for his eye(s) in return.

Please, please, bring us more. The format is great, you are very engaging and we are actually learning, about the earliest sources at that. You are doing a great service for your fellow heathens. I know from your videos that you never set out to be a RU-vidr but you really help. I honestly see you as a great gothi for the modern age.

Very nice storytelling! Thanks )

Why the fuck did I laugh at that intro?🤣🤣

A awesome job on this piece!! It is very exciting as you tell/share it... I appreciate your time and effort to make this work happen for us! I'm gonna watch it again, n ,take notes for my studies ... Thanks for sharing this gift of talent and time! 👍🦊🧙‍♂️🐺👍

“May have” is such a history phrase, lol. Sometimes I find the unknowable a great source of inspiration, but other times I long to have that short cut, and just KNOW something. But I wonder, as I explore more, about something you said in your offering video. You talked about the necessity of learning from history, and having the discernment to discover the real value and thinking about the point of an animal sacrifice to our ancestors. You pointed out how the values back then were messed up in some cases. You used slavery as an example as well as animal sacrifice. You spoke of the importance in what we know now as far as human rights as well as the value an animal had to their survival. How the animal was consumed by the people. I also thought about Beofelds video on the same and some comments he made in the same vein. So, after you put that perspective in my mind, it’s been percolating as I learn more and develop reciprocity with the Gods. When I watch these videos and the constant “may haves” and “we’ll never know for sure’s”, I think about the goals of the reconstruction perspective. I wonder- maybe that’s the point. Even if we had some magickal way to observe our ancestor, and have a complete historical record- we aren’t the same people. We don’t have the same worldview’s and never could because our worlds are just too different and we’re just learning to reconnect to the animist nature of the world. But, the Gods are still there, as they’ve always been. It’s not for us to know everything from back then. They want us to do our very best to consider the Wisdom of the Old Ways, but we have to use our reason and our intuition based off reason and personal experience. And we have to do the best we can always with honor and in the spirit of Frith. Idk. This probably sounds stupid or naïve, I’m really just learning. However, your videos often spark some very useful introspection, and I’m grateful for the videos you put out. Skål.

I actually love your interpretation! I wish someone would rewrite the myths to not only a modern myth but something new. These stories were passed down orally and changed a lot over time, so I see no reason we cant do the same, especially trying to combine different sources into a new version of the myths.

I cant remember where, maybe Gautreks Saga, there’s an instance of Odin giving a reed to someone to throw at a king as a “mock sacrifice” and mid flight it turns into a spear effectively making it a genuine sacrifice. There might be some connection there as the substrate is similar.

I love your content and cant wait for you to give us more.

This is great.

I think you're awesome, and the style of your videos are legendary themselves. You are a legend.

Balder is associated with light, hood with darkness. As Jim says: day divides the night. The night divides the day, break on trough to the other side.

Since I always listen to your lessons while I work, I often forget you add little text puns beyond the intro puns!!!!🤣 Always a treat and a great day when I get to learn about Norse Heathenry from you!! And a little Celtic sweetener for the upcoming holiday as well?! Nice.

I have another take on it. Balðr is one to blind others by his beauty. Hođr was blind to his beauty.

When it comes to Loki's involvement in this story, I'm more apt to go with an interpretation presented by Lewis Hyde in "Trickster Makes this World." For me, Loki is the God of Change and transformation, so Frigga's attempt to make Baldr 100% immortal (thus unchanging, & untouched by death) was an affront in his eyes, as pointed out by Hyde. When it comes to Hodr though... I've always struggled with his place in the story. Hearing the Saxo tale definitely inspires some new thoughts about him... Of course, I've never been the biggest of Baldr's fans, so to hear a tale where "Shining Baldr" is a bit of a twat I just feel validated. XD

That was your best pun lead up yet

❤ Love the easter egg

I remember this story in class. Never heard the one about Alill and Fergus.

Odin having learned that Hodr will kill Baldur but not that Loki is ultimately responsible for his death preemptively removes Hodr's sight

I'm not really that religious or spiritual, but I still greatly enjoy learning about various faiths past and present, and I can say that anyone who is able to consistently deliver such _horrible, horrible_ puns regarding their faith is someone well worth listening to!

Loki is fate itself, and the Gods do understandably have a feather to pick with him..

Much to ponder 🤔!

Dude, that first joke.. 😆

I've always seen a connection between Pandu and Baldr, and Hodr and Dhritarashtra. Not to mention, Viður and Vidura

I was beginning to worry you’d stopped making these excellent videos 🤣

The version l heard was that that the mistletoe was used as an arrow tip, wich is more plausible than used as a whole spear.

You’ve heard of Scooby Snacks?! Well what about Baldr Snacks?!

You are the God of horrific humor ...You are worthy of the title.

Explosive opening!

I always saw Hodrs blindness as representation of the dark. As in the Winter killing the sun. I’ve somewhere read that Hodr is also a Winter god. So the death of Baldr is literally a representation of fall and the beginning of winter. I would really like to know what your interpretations of the myths are as you always talk about who did what and what happened but what do you think it means?

You know it’s possible that a part of mistletoe maybe missing, such as perhaps what Hodr threw, was covered in mistletoe sap.

Do you happen to have audio books available anywhere? I love the poetic edda. It now takes me an hour to get through a page since I lost most of my vision. If not, I still thank you for the stories you have shared thus far.

Ancient people used bracelets as a form of currency, then have a legend where a guy gets a "wealth enhancing bracelet." Lol

Hoðr could still be blind and responsible for Baldr's demise. If he conspired with Loki instead of falling victim to their mischief, if he wanted previously to get rid of the prince of Asgard out of jealousy, envy or any other factor, even if he was the one who suggested it to Loki in the first place, we might not know. I personally like to think of their act as being conspired more by Loki, but with Hoðr in a more active role and his fair share of responsibility in the killing of the God of Light.

Thor and Odin are still going strong 1000 years after the Viking Age. Many think that the old Nordic religion - the belief in the Norse gods - disappeared with the introduction of Christianity. However, it did not, but was instead practised secretly or under a Christian cloak.

Oceans puns are criminal. 😂

I have a small addition to your speculation, which I quite enjoy. Perhaps in Hođr cutting Þor's "club" with the magic sword we have an alternative tradition about why his hammer has a short handle?

I actually have a small stick of mistletoe. I would suggest that mistletoe shaped into an arrow with a head of metal or stone is the most likely to really work.

Inject me with more of your content sir, I need it in my veins Mr Keltoi

Missle Toe 😂😂😂 🦶🚀

Saxo be like "age gap relationships are problematic"

Good video but missing a good theory. In “The One Eyed God….” By Kershaw Odin’s kennings like helblind is theorized to not mean he is missing an eye. Instead it is meant to indicate a link to the mannurbund. The dead are seen as blind and the warriors of the mannurbund are acting as those dead ancestors becoming helblind. Hodr being called blind could just signify he was a warrior in Odin’s cult (son) and with the loss of understanding in the myths, changes were laid on top to make sense of things. Odin was not really known to be missing an eye in Germany or Anglo Saxon England, so it appears to be solely Norse in origin. Kershaw theory is that this myth comes from an proto indo European game where participants would reach into a pile of objects and pull 2 of the objects out of there hand until they had one or no objects left. The person with a one acted as the god of the mannurbund (Odin, in Norse) made a sacrifice and depending on the circumstances was killed afterwards, hanging? Anywho Odin having a son of the warriors not beautiful but strong being contrasted with a beautiful son that meets his end sounds very original to me. Could have even been a propaganda to end the mannurbund practices since there were seen as outcasts and criminals. We will never know but you should at least look into it/mention it.

Mistletoe. 😂 I would’ve also accepted Toe Missile

The second story of... "mortal"? Hoðr is hilarious. Like at least compared to that of him as a blind god-brother of Baldr, it feels so absurd that Hoðr goes about like Link gathering random powerups when in the other its just a simple "Hey kid wanna join in tje game? Here- oh you killed him yah scamp!" Im a hellenist so i have no ground to stand on on which is the more important story but i do like the mistletoe one more. If only because it treats him as a god too and Loki laying the blame on the poor blind kid just fits the vile critter. Also i like me a nice tragedy Edit: also what if Hoðr's blindness was more a metaphor? Like, he wasn't literally blind but maybe Loki's déception or some enmity to his brother meant Hoðr couldn't think straight. He would still be responsible, his "great strength" could be that of rage, and it would explain him tossing himself onto the fire when he has calmed down.

An offer. I have for a very long time seen Hođr's blindness as metaphoric if it was spoken of at all pre-Sturluson's writing. Being "blinded by light" is a long standing trope that has been experienced since time immemorial. Perhaps blinded by the jealousy of that which was given to "the light" Baldr, culminating in his becoming the enemy of Baldr. It may also be part commentary on Hođr as god associated darkness, not being able to see in darkness, giving blindness as opposed to having it. Baldr being the favorite and beloved makes more sense as light is usually favored over darkness and would be especially so by a seafaring people of rough and rocky waters and coasts. This favoritism of a god would lead to greater derisive statements by Saxo who means to drag them through any mud he can find, even if it means making some himself. The later involvement of Loki as a balancing God of sorts, whether the involvement was real or implanted would make sense between the two brothers. As their very natures are completely at odds to one another. So there's my piece. Chew on it and think if it pleases!

I'm gonna take a lap after that intro, brb.