Skírnir - 01.04.2003, Page 41

SKÍRNIR
HINN BLINDI, HINN EINEYGÐI OG ...
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Bergljót S. Kristjánsdóttir þýddi
Summary
In the old Norse pantheon the supreme god Óðinn is one-eyed, while one of his
sons, Höður, is blind, and another, Þór, is described as having particularly sharp
eyes. This article attempts to analyse their one-eyedness, blindness and sharp eyes
to see whether they reveal something about the gods’ mythological roles. In Old
Norse literature eyes are used for instance as a symbol of royalty and strength.
Considering this, it is improbable that blindness is simply a physical handicap. In
the same way that emphasising eyes connotes superiority and strength, blindness
may connote inferiority and weakness, or níðingsskapur in the context of Old
Norse culture. Accordingly, Höður’s blindness may be a symbol of his níðings-
skapur in killing his brother Baldur, Óðinn’s one-eyedness may point to his con-
nection with ‘the civilised’ as well as ‘the uncivilised’, and finally Þór’s sharp gaze
is a token of his masculine strength.