View source for Hœnir

{{short description|Norse deity}}
[[File:AM 738 4to, 40v, BW Hoenir.jpeg|thumb|110px|Hœnir in an illustration from a 17th-century Icelandic manuscript]]
In [[Norse mythology]], '''Hœnir''' (also '''Hǿnir'''; modern Icelandic {{lang|is|Hænir}}, modern Swedish {{lang|sv|Höner}}) is one of the [[Æsir]]. He is mentioned in [[Vǫluspá]] as one of the three gods (along with [[Odin]] and [[Lóðurr]]) that created the first humans.
==Attestations==
In ''[[Völuspá]]'', at the creation of the first human beings, [[Ask and Embla]], Hœnir and [[Lóðurr]] help [[Odin]]. According to the ''[[Prose Edda]]'', Hœnir is said to have given reason to man.<ref>MacCulloch, J.A.(2005). The Celtic and Scandinavian Religions. Cosimo, Inc. {{ISBN|1-59605-416-6}}.</ref>
In ''[[Gylfaginning]]'', [[Vili]] and [[Vé]] are mentioned instead. As [[Snorri Sturluson]] knew ''[[Völuspá]]'', it is possible that Hœnir was another name for [[Vili]]. Also according to ''Völuspá'', Hœnir was one of the few gods that would survive [[Ragnarök]]. In ''[[Ynglinga saga]]'', along with [[Mímir]], he went to the [[Vanir]] as a hostage to seal a truce after the [[Æsir-Vanir War]]. Upon arrival in [[Vanaheimr|Vanaheim]], Hœnir, described here as large, handsome, and thought of by the [[vanir]] well-suited to be a chief, was immediately made chief. There, Hœnir was indecisive and relied on [[Mímir]] for all of his decisions, grunting noncommital answers when Mímir was absent.
Hœnir also has a minor role in ''[[Haustlöng]]'' and ''[[Reginsmál]]''.
In the medieval [[Faroese ballad]] [[Loka Táttur|Lokka táttur]], Hœnir protects a farmer's boy through summoning seven [[swans]].<ref>Joseph S. Hopkins for Mimisbrunnr.info, November 2021. [https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/lokka-tattur-vast-et-al-2021 Lokka Táttur]. [https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/lokka-tattur-introduction-hopkins-2021 1. Introduction].</ref>
==Theories==
According to [[Viktor Rydberg]] and other scholars, such as [[Gudbrand Vigfusson]], the epithets ''langifótr'' 'Long-legs' and ''aurkonungr'' 'mud-king', together with the Greek [[cognate]] [[wiktionary:κύκνος|κύκνος]] 'swan' and Sanskrit [[wiktionary:शकुन|शकुन]] (''śakuna'') 'bird of omen', suggest that Hœnir was connected with the [[stork]].<ref>Rydberg 1886, p. 552</ref> This seems to be supported by Hœnir's connection with the European [[folklore|folkloric legend]] of the [[White_stork#Storks_and_delivery_of_babies|stork delivering babies]] to their parents, and his role in the medieval folktale ''[[Loka Táttur]]'', which further confirms his association with birds.
==Notes==
<references />
==Sources==
* [[Viktor Rydberg]] 1886, ''[[Investigations into Germanic Mythology|Undersökningar i germanisk mythologi]], first part''.
==External links==
*[https://myndir.uvic.ca/HoeN01.html MyNDIR (My Norse Digital Image Repository)] Illustrations of Hœnir from manuscripts and early print books.
{{Norse mythology}}
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[[Category:Creator gods]]
[[Category:Æsir]]
[[Category:Norse gods]]
[[Category:Animal gods]]
[[Category:Storks]]