Hogun is not Aesir like most of the Asgardians. Also, his unnamed homeland was conquered long ago by Mogul of the Mystic Mountain, who slew Hogun's forebears and laid waste to the land. For a time he was apprenticed to the stone carvers. He joined with Volstagg and Fandral to judge a dare and formed a lifelong friendship. This dare, the "petting" of the Fenris wolf, led to a humiliating defeat for all three men. Afterwards, legends and tales would then stop referring to Hogun in cheerful terms and use dour, negative names.