Hoenir

Hoenir, also spelled Hǫnir in Old Norse, is a relatively obscure deity in Norse mythology associated with thought and counsel within the Æsir. He is considered a member of the Aesir, though his role is far less prominent than that of Odin, Thor, or Loki. In the surviving sources, Hoenir is generally described as wise and prudent, but slow to act and heavily dependent on others for practical decisions.

In various mythic accounts Hoenir is linked to the early activities of the gods, including the creation of humanity. Some traditions name him as having accompanied Odin and Vili (often identified with Ve) in shaping or blessing the first humans, Ask and Embla, though other versions place him peripherally or omit him from this event altogether. The fragmentary nature of the Norse corpus means his exact contributions and significance vary between texts.

Hoenir’s identity and functions are also subject to scribal confusion and conflation with other figures, such as the blind god Höðr in later retellings. This has contributed to his relatively diminished and ambiguous presence in modern summaries of Norse myth. Nevertheless, Hoenir is commonly treated in scholarship as a minor but illustrative figure, emblematic of thought, deliberation, and the tension between counsel and decisive action within the divine sphere.

In contemporary reference works, Hoenir appears mainly in the Prose Edda and certain poetic sources, where he serves as a theologically useful example of a god whose influence rests more on guidance than on independent power.