In Norse mythology, who guards the bridge Gjallarbrú?

In Norse mythology, Móðguðr guards the bridge Gjallarbrú. She appears during Hermóðr’s journey to Hel after Baldr’s death.

Móðguðr questions Hermóðr when he reaches the bridge. She explains that the dead who travel toward Hel have already crossed, while Baldr passed over with the living Hermóðr. Her observation helps identify Hermóðr as an unusual visitor to the underworld route.

Gjallarbrú crosses the river Gjöll and is separate from Bifröst, the rainbow bridge associated with travel between Midgard and Asgard. This distinction matters because both are famous bridges in Norse mythology but serve different functions.

Móðguðr is a relatively minor figure in the surviving sources, and the account of her comes primarily through Snorri Sturluson’s retelling in the Prose Edda. Her role resembles that of a boundary guardian, marking the transition between the world of the living and the domain of the dead.