Hymn for Hodur
You brought back the Sun from her place of sorrow,
Undid the Dragon who kept her locked away,
Rode with the Moon and drank his share of mead,
Archer whose arrows seldom miss,
Harper whose music soothes the troubled heart,
Mighty Judge of the Right Hand.
Counsels of wisdom long ago you heard, thrice, four times even,
From the Sun upon her morning-bed,
From the Keeper of the Well of Wisdom down below,
From the Moon's silver-tongued mantics,
From All-Father himself in the morn of time.
Bear-hearted, shirt of the bear, shaggy-breeched warrior,
You have a kind heart for those heroes who falter,
and led astray in times of darkness,
turn for a time against the best in themselves,
yet who despite their flaws and errors,
remain good at heart.
Hard-earned teacher of the rash they call you, impetuous one, whose lessons learned in shame and redeeming.
They call you Companion, Brother, Twin of the Shining, Inseparable Friend, Baldur's Brother,
Bringer of Blessings in the Dawn of Time.
You helped protect the weak,
Shielded shining ones from wolves,
Guided noble caravans across bright roads and bridges,
Sang songs with elves aboard the Moonship.
Grappler, wrestler, rider of wild horses ;
Seldom unhelpful, always brave, hotheaded and quick to take the foe,
You never shirked from a single brave deed,
Through danger, darkness, and paths and thickets unwelcome.
Framed One, set against your brother beloved, well your heart
outstretches mercy for those set up,
for ill-guided counsel guided your blind hands in bane,
and long you will cry, Never trust an ill-minded man,
tho' tongued with sweet-sounding words.
Outcast, wretch, exiled and lonely,
You know the horrors and trials of exile.
You know how the hunter may be hunted,
The sting of being hounded,
The shame of being misaligned,
Where none will hear you or understand you.
The cries of the misunderstood you hear with ancient kindness,
and judge the outlawed in light of their former deeds of honor.
No one ever called you coward,
and even in your wild way, they called you chivalrous
till the day you died,
One Who Shall Come Again,
Hero Who Shall Rise Once More,
Ruling golden days with arms of might
in peace and joy and restoration.
Holy Hodur, let us learn your lessons,
staying true to the best in us,
never faltering from companionship with
mercy, benevolence, kindness, and strength.
Let us save as you once saved,
Guide as you once guided,
Ward as you once warded,
Fallen Hero of the Lower Halls ,
Blessed Bringer-Back of Sol,
You shall not let the light falter!
all images and text copyright 2008 by Siegfried Goodfellow