Hervor was a warrior of the Völsungs who joined Sigrid as one of her five fingers. She was portrayed by Birgitte Hjort Sørensen in Twilight of the Gods and was one of the few characters to appear in all eight episodes.
Biography[]
Sigrid and Hervor ride into battle.
Hervor had three sons as a member of Clan Völsung. They all died in battle, so she hoped to one day follow them into Valhalla. When Sigrid arrived in Völsung land, Hervor was there to greet her, accepting her as Völsung and bringing her into their ongoing war. The two fought together and became close friends.[1]
Hervor joins Sigrid as they seek the Seid-Kona.
When Sigrid went to Hervor after Thor's attack on her wedding, Hervor didn't hesitate to join in Sigrid's quest for revenge. She was more than happy to die in her friend's battle. She wondered, though, what would happen to Valhalla with Thor dead. Fallen warriors were taken from the battlefield by valkyries to join Thor's armies, so with Thor dead, she worried she'd lose her chance to meet her sons once more. Regardless, she supported the endeavor.
The bog woman awakens.
Egill, Ulfr, and the Seid-Kona also joined the group. On the way to Andvari's forge for god-killing iron, the group was blocked by a giant woman who asked them a riddle in Dead-Speak. Hervor decided to attack, impulsively throwing her ax at the stone woman, who was completely unharmed. The women of the bog rose up to defend the Nidavellir gates, but Loki subdued the giant and translated the riddle for them. Ulfr knew the answer, so they were permitted to enter. Andvari warned them against his weapons' curse, but having lost her ax in the bog, Hervor quickly picked up a new sword.[2]
The Bolverkrs find the warriors.
It wouldn't be long before Hervor had the chance to test her cursed sword, as Odin heard of their goal to kill his son. He sent his elite hunters, the Bolverkrs, to find and end Sigrid before she would have the chance to accomplish her mission. They ravaged the Vanaheim borderlands looking for her and gave chase to the group when catching up. Hervor managed to strike one of the Berverkrs, sending him flying into a distant mountain. Thor also gave chase, but the group managed to retreat into Vanaheim in time.[3]
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After a long battle, Hervor prays to enter Valhalla.
On the first day of the battle between the Aesir and Vanir, Hervor fought valiantly and survived to the end. As the valkyries descended to collect the fallen warriors, she prayed that they would one day come for her and bring her to her sons in Valhalla.[4]
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Physical appearance and personality[]
Hervor was a tall, muscular, middle-aged woman with pale skin, grayish blonde hair, and pale, blue eyes. She wore the dark clothing of the Völsung warriors, trimmed with wolf fur for warmth.
Hervor was a woman of charismatic and quite friendly character. During her battles, she proved to be a very capable and disciplined warrior. Beneath her strong attitude, she hid an enormous sadness for having lost her children whom she mourned until her death. They were the driving force behind why she wanted to die in battle, hoping to see them again in Valhalla.
Powers and abilities[]
Combat prowess: Hervor is skilled in most forms of weaponry, especially swords. She was shown to be able to hold off Aesir and Vanir soldiers.
Appearances[]
Norse origins[]
While Hervor is an original character to Twilight of the Gods, there is a notable character/pair of characters called Hervör from Norse legends. Hervor may have been inspired by Hervör, as there are some similarities between the two characters.
Hervor's cursed sword
The first Hervör from Norse mythology was the grandmother of the second. The first wanted to be a Viking warrior, learned to use a sword, bow, and ride horses, and found herself to be just as capable as the boys she grew up with. She later dressed as a man to continue the ways of a warrior. After her father died, she sought out his cursed sword, Tyrfing, which, were she to wield it, would bring death to her clan. Hervor, similarly, was a Viking warrior capable of wielding a sword and riding a horse, though she didn't dress as a man to do it. She also took up a cursed sword. Leif initially wielded a sword, while Hervor wielded an ax. When they picked up their cursed weapons, they traded their preferences, with Hervor taking up the sword. This may have been an intentional reference to Tyrfing. Tyrfing, like Hervor's sword, was capable of striking down a god.
Hervör left the life of the warrior behind and had two sons, one of whom killed the other with Tyrfing, while Hervor's three sons died in battle. Hervör's remaining son had a daughter, also named Hervör. She was a shieldmaiden like her grandmother, but the fort she oversaw was overrun and she and her men were killed.
References[]
- ↑ Eric Carrasco (writer) & Zack Snyder (director). September 19, 2024. Twilight of the Gods episode 1, "The Bride-Price."
- ↑ Caitlin Parrish (writer) & Jay Oliva (director). September 19, 2024. Twilight of the Gods episode 2, "Heretic Spear."
- ↑ Peter Aperlo (writer) & Tim Divar, Andrew Tamandl (directors). September 19, 2024. Twilight of the Gods episode 3, "You Will Gladden His Ravens."
- ↑ Caitlin Parrish, Peter Aperlo (writers) & Jay Oliva (director). September 19, 2024. Twilight of the Gods episode 7, "If I Had a Hammer."