Norse mythology
Hofund
The sword of Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost, whose name means “head” and whose story survives only in a riddle told by Snorri.
- Characters
- Heimdall
Hofund is the name the Prose Edda gives to the sword of Heimdall, the watchman of the gods who guards Bifrost. In Old Norse it is höfuð, simply “head”. The only story attached to it is a riddle: Snorri says Heimdall was once pierced by a man's head, an episode told in the lost poem Heimdalargaldr, and that is why poets called a head “Heimdall's fate” and a sword “man's fate”. No surviving myth shows the sword in use. At Ragnarok Heimdall blows Gjallarhorn to wake the gods and fights Loki, and each kills the other.
Quick questions
What is Hofund?
The sword of Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost, whose name means “head” and whose story survives only in a riddle told by Snorri.
Which mythology does Hofund belong to?
Hofund belongs to Norse mythology.
Who wields Hofund?
In the myths, Heimdall wields Hofund.
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