Viðarr is a god of vengeance in the Æsir pantheon. He is the son of Óðin and the jötunn Gríðr. His fate is to avenge his father’s death by slaying Fenrir at Ragnarök.

He is named in the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, and he is carved into the tenth-century Gosforth Cross. His land is called Landviði, described as wild and overgrown:

"Brushwood grows and high grass
widely in Viðarr’s land
and there the son proclaims on his horse’s back
that he is keen to avenge his father"

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He is called “the silent god.” He wears a thick shoe. His strength is nearly equal to that of Thor. When great trouble comes, the gods look to him.

Viðarr survives Ragnarök. His brother Váli survives as well. So do Baldr, Höðr, Nanna, Móði, and Magni. After the great battle, they dwell in the plain of Iðavöllr.

In different versions of the myth, Viðarr kills Fenrir in different ways. One says he pierces the wolf’s heart with a spear. Another says he catches the jaws of Fenrir in his thick shoe and tears the beast apart.

An old custom asked that scraps of leather left over from making shoes be given to him. Across all time, these scraps would become part of the great shoe he would wear in battle. He is also mentioned in the flyting of Loki at Ægir’s hall. There, Óðin asks him to serve wine to the guest who insults the gods.

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Thoughts on Viðarr

His silence and solitude are not weakness. They are part of the ritual. In Norse stories, vengeance is not taken lightly. His brother Váli also went through a ritual before avenging Baldr. He did not bathe or comb his hair until the work was done. Viðarr follows a similar path. He removes himself from the court, keeps his silence, and dwells in the wilds until the day of reckoning.

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Signs and Symbols

Leather shoes. Overgrown fields. A man between the jaws of a wolf.

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Associated Names

Vidar. Vithar. Vidarr. Vitharr.