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In Nordic mythology, Blóðughófi ( Old Norse: [ˈbloːðoɣˌhoːve], "Bloody Hoof", sometimes anglicised Blodughofi) is the horse of Freyr and is attested in several þulur of horses.
In Kálfsvísa, Blóðughófi is named in a list of horses, where their rider is specified as the "Slayer of Beli", a name for Freyr:
Dagr reið Drösli, |
Dagr rode Drösull, |
— Old Norse text [1] | — Modern English Translation [2] |
In Þorgrímsþula, Blóðughófi is named among a list of horses:
Blóðughófi hét hestr, |
Blódughófi hight a horse |
— Old Norse text [3] | — Modern English Translation [2] |
Here, they are described as being ridden by "öflgan Atriða", sometimes interpreted as a name of Freyr; however, the closely related spelling Atriða is used as a named of Odin. [4]
In one of the anonymous þulur, Blóðughófi is named in a list of horses, as the variant, Blóðhófr (Blood-hoof):
Móinn, hestr, fjǫtri, Móðnir, róni, |
|
— Old Norse text [5] | — Modern English Translation [5] |
In Skírnismál, Freyr gives Skírnir his horse, which is able to run through fire to reach Jötunheimar for the wooing of Gerðr; however, the horse here is not named. [6]
The association between horses and Freyr is also seen in texts such as Hrafnkels saga, Vatnsdæla saga and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar where horses are dedicated to the god; however, it has been noted that these sources are late and could be unreliable on this aspect. [7]
The title of Gerður Kristný's Blóðhófnir (2010), a poetic retelling of the myth of Gerðr, Freyr, and Skírnir, is a variation on the name Blóðughófi. [8]