u/Electronic_Star5387

I have seen posts here, inquiring about the Norse god Ullr. Who was a god of winter, hunting, archery et alia. And asking if there is a connection between this god and the slayer of Baldr, Hodr.

I have what is likely going to be a controversial theory about this. The myths speak of a time when Odin lost his place as ruler of the Aesir. That due to abuse of power, and the specific crime of raping a woman, Odin was banished. And that Ullr was given his place.

So, I am looking at this legend as possibly being descriptive of a conflict between rival cults in the Norse world. That perhaps the worship of Ullr, for a time, eclipsed that of Odin.

The legends also state that Odin eventually regained his throne. But no details are offered as to how this took place.

I am wondering if there is a missing narrative that described Odin retaking the throne by force, guile, or some combination of the two. (A move that would be very much in character for him.)

I wonder if Hodr was the name given to Ullr after Odin dethroned him. The legends associate Hodr with the coming of winter; (i.e. he kills Baldr, who embodies spring and summer.) In some of the legends of this event, it is said that Hodr had once been a great archer, and goes on to say that he lost this ability, because he had been blinded.

The legends do not tell us how or why this maiming took place, though.

My speculation is that Odin staged a coup, and as part of this effort, Ullr was blinded. Since a blind man could not hold the throne of he Aesir, Ullr lost his claim to the throne.

Of course, there is one problem with this theory. Most sources say that Ullr was the son of Thor and Sif, While Hodr was one of Odin's sons. But if the legend of Odin losing his throne was actually a symbol for a struggle between the competing cults of Ullr and Odin, then this change in the Ullr's lineage would be explicable.

I mean that altering the lineage of deities was one way of altering their context to the whole pantheon. You see this in several other word mythologies, where you get conflicting legends about gods and who they descended from, or were related to.

I have become so used to thinking in terms of ending my own life, that I don't usually reach out for help. I mean, it's a consistent theme with me, but doesn't usually go anywhere. I just ride it out, until the thoughts pass.

I am only making an exception to it this time, because I feel this is different. I know it will sound absurd, but I am grappling with some kind of flu. And when I get sick, my meds don't work the way they should. So, when I get sick, my other issues become extremely exacerbated.

I am scared that I won't be able to control the urge. And I hate this thing, of waiting day after day for the flu to pass, so that I can go back to feeling normal... well, my own version of normal anyway.