Móðr- Heart, Spirit, Courage

Some parts of the soul burn hotter than others.

Móðr was the heart’s fire. Not the organ itself, but the will that stirs it to beat harder when the storm comes. It was courage, resolve, and the spirit that kept a warrior on their feet or a mother standing guard through the night.

In the sagas, móðr could falter, fear could sap it, shame could smother it. But it could also flare high, lifting a person beyond what they thought possible.

A völva’s work could call on móðr in others, a blessing before battle, a spell to steel the heart for what must be faced. It was fuel for both shield-wall and spell-song.

I picture a young person stepping forward when all others step back. Not because they are fearless… but because their móðr will not let them do otherwise.

Even now, móðr is what keeps you moving toward what matters, even when the path is hard, even when the outcome is uncertain.