Hœnir is the Norse god said to have given humans the gift of reason. In Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, Hœnir is associated with the creation of the first humans, Ask and Embla, and is credited with giving them reason or understanding.
The creation story varies between Old Norse sources. In the poem Völuspá, Odin, Hœnir, and Lóðurr find two tree trunks and give them human qualities. Odin provides breath or spirit, Hœnir gives understanding, and Lóðurr supplies warmth, appearance, or other vital attributes, depending on the translation.
A common mix-up comes from the Prose Edda’s alternate account, which names Odin’s brothers Vili and Vé instead of Hœnir and Lóðurr. Scholars have sometimes suggested that Hœnir may be connected with Vili, but that identification is interpretive rather than a separate answer to this wording.
Hœnir later appears in Ynglinga saga as a hostage exchanged between the Æsir and Vanir. He is portrayed as impressive but indecisive, relying heavily on the wise Mímir.