Hœnir

/ˈheɪˌnɪɹ//ˈhoʊˌnɪɹ/

proper noun

A Norse Æsir god, who, along with Odin and Lodur, created the first humans.

Meanings

proper noun
  1. Norsehuman sciencesA Norse Æsir god, who, along with Odin and Lodur, created the first humans.

    2014, Dagulf Loptson, Playing With Fire, Lulu, EPUB Edition, unnumbered page, Unfortunately, little information remains about the Æsir god Hœnir. In Gylfaginning, Snorri tells us that Hœnir was given as a hostage to the Vanir in exchange for Njörðr in a pledge of truce.

    2 more examples

    The Æsir send in exchange Hœnir, an obscure figure in Old Norse mythology, and perhaps understandably so, since the Vanir soon discover that Hœnir, though extremely good-looking, is like a ventriloquist's dummy.

    2008, Heather O'Donoghue, From Asgard to Valhalla, Bloomsbury Publishing, unnumbered page

    Rather curiously, it is Hœnir who is said to have imbued the lifeless wood with óðr ('frenzy', 'passion'), rather than Odin, who derives his own name from the quality.

    2022, Andrew Orchard, Dictionary of Norse Myth & Legend, Hachette, unnumbered page

Origin

  1. Old NorseHǿnir
  2. EnglishHœnir

Borrowed from Old Norse Hǿnir.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish Høner
  • HønerNorse god
Icelandic Hænir
  • HænirNorse god
Norwegian Bokmål Høne
  • HøneNorse god
Swedish Höner
  • HönerNorse god
Cite this entry
APA

Hœnir. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/H%C5%93nir

MLA

“Hœnir.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/H%C5%93nir. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hœnir,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/H%C5%93nir.

Source: Hœnir on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.