Son of Odin, born to avenge Baldr. Killed Hod when only one day old.
Vali (Old Norse Váli) is the son of Odin and the giantess Rindr. He was born with the sole purpose of avenging Baldr's death, and according to Baldrs draumar 11 and Völuspá 33 he performed his act of vengeance when only one day old, killing Hod without first washing his hands or combing his hair. This vengeance narrative emphasizes the inescapable mechanism of cosmic justice: a child is born and fulfills his fate within a single day.
Beyond the killing of Hod, Vali is named as one of the gods who survive Ragnarok. Vafþrúðnismál 51 counts him alongside Vidar among those who will inhabit the renewed world. Gylfaginning 30 describes Vali as bold in battle and an excellent shot. Despite these mentions Vali remains a figure with limited narrative elaboration. Scholars carefully distinguish between this Vali (Odin's son, the avenger) and the Vali who is Loki's son, whose entrails are used to bind Loki in the Lokasenna prose epilogue.
Sources in the Eddas
- Baldrs draumar 11
- The seeress foretells that Rindr will bear Vali in the western halls, and that he will avenge Baldr when one night old.
- Völuspá 33
- The seeress mentions the avenger who neither washes hands nor combs hair until Baldr's slayer is borne to the pyre.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Vali is Odin's son by Rindr, born solely to avenge Baldr by killing Hod. This is attested in Baldrs draumar 11 and Völuspá 33.
B What we think we know
Whether Rindr is a giantess or a divine figure varies in the sources. Saxo Grammaticus retells the story differently, with Odin seducing Rindr through sorcery.