Hermodr is one of the gods in the Norse pantheon that we know little about, as he is only mentioned in passing in the surviving sources, and we have no specific texts about his role in Norse mythology. However, due to a story about Hermodr descending to the underworld of Helheim on behalf of Odin, the leader of the gods, he is often compared to Hermes, the messenger god in Greek mythology, who once descended to the underworld to talk to Hades on behalf of Zeus. But a closer examination of what we do know suggests that Hermodr was a very different type of god.
War Spirit
Hermodr means “war spirit,” which may seem appropriate for a god who is referred to as the son of Odin and the brother of Balder. Nevertheless, none of the surviving sources indicate a connection between Hermodr and war.
The only significant information we have that survives about Hermodr comes from the Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda, which describes the aftermath of the death of Baldr, the son of Odin and Frigg.
As the gods are overcome in their sadness, Frigg asks who will be willing to win her love and favor by going to Hel, the goddess of the underworld, to bargain with her for the life of Balder. Hermodr, who seems to be a son of Odin but not of Frigg, volunteers and mounts Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir to make his way to Helheim.
Descent to Hel
He rode for nine nights through the darkest and deepest of valleys until he came to the Gjoll Bridge that marks the border of the underworld. There he encountered the giantess Modgudr, who guards the bridge, and informs him that Balder has already passed and that he should continue northwards (which means downwards) to follow him. When Hermodr arrives at the walls of Helheim, he uses Sleipnir to jump the wall and enter the court of Hel.
There he finds Balder and his wife Nanna, who threw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, enthroned in positions of honor in Hel’s court. Hermodr then asks Hel to return Balder to the weeping gods because he is so beloved. Hel agrees only if the gods can prove how beloved Balder is by having all things in existence weep for Balder. Hemodr agrees to the challenge, but before leaving, he receives the ring Draupnir from Balder, which had been placed on his funeral pyre and therefore transported to the afterlife, to return to his father, Odin. Nanna gave Frigg a linen robe, a finger ring for Fulla, and other gifts.
Sadly, the gods were not able to secure the return of Balder because a witch, presumed to be Loki in disguise, refused to weep.
Hermodr in Valhalla
There are no other certain references to Hermodr in the surviving sources, and he is not regularly included in lists of the Aesir gods.
In the Hakonnarmal, Hermodr appears alongside the Bard of Asgard, Bragi, in Valhalla when Hakon the Good arrived among the brave fallen warriors. But this could be another fallen warrior, as another Hermodr appears in the Hyndluljod, who seems to be a mortal hero who received helm and mail from Odin, while Sigmund received a sword.
Hermodr vs Hermes
Does this slight evidence of the god Hermodr really suggest an affinity with the Greek god Hermes?
Hermes is the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, like Odin, and Maia, one of the nymphs, so not Zeus’ wife and the queen of the gods, Hera, so they have this in common. Hermes was considered the herald of the gods and was often called on by Zeus to deliver messages. He was able to easily move between the worlds thanks to some winged sandals in his possession. This contrasts with Hermodr, who does not seem to have been the regular messenger of the Norse gods since Frigg was looking for volunteers, and he also had to borrow Odin’s horse to move between the worlds.
Because he could move between the worlds, Hermes also became a god who guided the living into the underworld, a job that there is no evidence Hermodr shared. But when Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, Zeus sent Hermes to the underworld to retrieve her, just like Hermodr did for Balder. This rescue was also only partially successful, and Persephone had already eaten the fruit of the underworld and so had to spend six months of the year there with Hades.
That is the limit of similarities between the two gods. As a youth, Hermes is described as a trickster, more like Loki. As a baby, he escaped from his crib to steal the cattle of Apollo. He reversed the footprints of the cattle and wore adult sandals to throw Apollo off the trail. He was only caught because Zeus saw the mischief. As recompense, he was ordered to give Apollo his lyre, which he had invented.
Hermes was considered one of the most intelligent gods, responsible for much knowledge. He invented the alphabet and writing, which was associated with Odin in Norse mythology, who discovered the secrets of the runes and shared them with mankind. He also invented fire, dice, and the panpipes, used by Greek shepherds.
It is also worth noting that Snorri Sturluson, our main source for the story about Hermodr’s descent to the underworld, was an Icelandic Christian who would have been familiar with Greek mythology. He may have been inspired in his telling of the story of what he knew of Hermes’ descent, and the similarity between the names was probably not lost on him, and may have been why he cast Hermodr in this role.
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