Víðarr
Silent god who avenges Odin by slaying the wolf Fenrir.
Víðarr is an Æsir god in Norse mythology whose domain is vengeance. He is the son of Odin and the jötunn Gríðr. At Ragnarök, he is destined to kill the wolf Fenrir, thereby avenging his father’s death, and he is said to survive that conflict.
The Poetic Edda mentions Víðarr in the poems *Völuspá*, *Vafthrúdnismál*, *Grímnismál*, and *Lokasenna*. In *Völuspá*, a völva tells Odin that Víðarr will avenge him by stabbing Fenrir in the heart. *Vafthrúdnismál* states that Víðarr and his brother Váli will dwell in the gods’ temples after Surtr’s fire ends, and that Víðarr will avenge Odin by tearing apart Fenrir’s jaws. *Grímnismál* describes Víðarr’s land as overgrown with brush and high grass, and notes that he is eager to avenge his father. In *Lokasenna*, Odin tells Víðarr to pour a drink for Loki, which he does.
In the Prose Edda, Víðarr is called “the silent god” who wears a thick shoe, is nearly as strong as Thor, and is relied upon in great difficulties. During Ragnarök, Fenrir will devour Odin, and Víðarr will kill the wolf by placing one foot on its lower jaw, gripping its upper jaw, and tearing its mouth apart. His thick shoe is made from leather scraps cut from people’s own shoes over all time, and those who wish to help the gods should discard such scraps. Some mythologists say his mother Gríðr gave him this shoe to protect against fire. After Ragnarök, Víðarr and Váli survive both the sea’s swelling and Surtr’s fire, and live on the field Iðavöllr where Asgard once stood. In *Skáldskaparmál*, Víðarr is one of twelve presiding male gods at a feast for Ægir. Snorri also euhemeristically equates Víðarr with the Trojan hero Aeneas. Kennings for Víðarr include “silent As,” “possessor of the iron shoe,” “enemy and slayer of Fenrisulf,” “the gods’ avenging As,” “father’s homestead-inhabiting As,” “son of Odin,” and “brother of the Æsir.” Gríðr is named as the mother of “Víðarr the Silent” in the tale of Thor’s visit to Geirröd. Víðarr is also listed among the gods who attend Ægir’s feast.
The mid-11th century Gosforth Cross in Cumbria, England, is thought to depict Víðarr fighting Fenrir: a man with a spear faces a monstrous head, one foot thrust into the beast’s forked tongue and on its lower jaw, a hand against its upper jaw. This scene has also been interpreted as a metaphor for Jesus defeating Satan.
- Known for
- Avenging Odin's death by killing Fenrir at Ragnarök
- Field
- Norse mythology
- Nationality
- Æsir
- Also known as
- The silent god
Lore & Background
Víðarr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In the Poetic Edda, he is mentioned in the poems Völuspá, Vafthrúdnismál, Grímnismál, and Lokasenna. In Völuspá, a völva tells Odin that Víðarr will avenge Odin's death at Ragnarök by stabbing Fenrir in the heart. In Vafthrúdnismál, Vafþrúðnir states that Víðarr and his brother Váli will live in the 'temples of the gods' after Surtr's fire has ceded, and that Víðarr will avenge Odin by sundering the cold jaws of Fenrir in battle. In Grímnismál, Odin describes Víðarr's land as overgrown with brushwood and high grass, and the son proclaims he is keen to avenge his father. In Lokasenna, Odin urges Víðarr to stand and pour a drink for the quarrelsome guest Loki, and Víðarr follows his orders.
Reader's Guide
Víðarr's significance lies in his role as the avenger of Odin, ensuring cosmic order is restored after Ragnarök. In the Prose Edda, he is introduced as 'the silent god' with a thick shoe, nearly as strong as Thor, and relied upon by the gods in times of immense difficulties. During Ragnarök, he avenges Odin by stepping down with one foot on Fenrir's lower jaw, grabbing his upper jaw, and tearing his mouth apart. His thick shoe is described as consisting of all the extra leather pieces people have cut from their own shoes, collected throughout all time. After Ragnarök, Víðarr and Váli survive the swelling of the sea and Surtr's fire, dwelling on the field Iðavöllr where Asgard had previously been. The mid-11th century Gosforth Cross in Cumbria, England, has been interpreted as depicting Víðarr fighting Fenrir, though this has also been theorized as a metaphor for Jesus' defeat of Satan. Theories suggest his silence may derive from ritual silence or abstentions accompanying acts of vengeance, and Georges Dumézil theorized Víðarr represents a cosmic spatial figure from a Proto-Indo-European archetype, drawing parallels with the Vedic god Vishnu.
Did You Know?
- Víðarr is described as the son of Odin and the jötunn Gríðr.
- He is foretold to avenge Odin's death by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök.
- The mid-11th century Gosforth Cross has been interpreted as depicting Víðarr fighting Fenrir.
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