Váli is a son of Odin and a brother to Baldur and Thor. His role and function is primarily associated with the death of Baldur and his seeking for revenge by killing Höðr.
What is the myth of Váli?
He is likewise said to be among the very few who will survive Ragnarök. This is attested in the Gylfaginning which mentions that he and his brothers are going to survive the coming battle.
In the Völuspá, we learn that:
‘There formed from that stem,
which was slender-seeming,
a shaft of anguish, perilous:
Hǫðr started shooting.
A brother of Baldr
was born quickly:
he started – Óðinn’s son –
slaying, at one night old.’
(Ursula Dronke, 2001).
