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Gothi is the Village Elder of the Hooligan Tribe. Her roles include using her wisdom to make decisions for the village, acting as village healer, and officiating new chief and marriage ceremonies. Gothi 'speaks' by writing in the ground with her staff, in a writing that few Vikings can read. Despite her old age, Gothi is as spirited, feisty and willing to use force as any Viking half her age.

Her dragons are a flock of Terrible Terrors.

Official Description[]

Not much is known about Gothi... mostly because she's never actually been able to tell anyone about her past. All the people of Berk know is that Gothi's been on the island since before they were born, and she'll probably still be there long after they've left.
Recently, Hiccup and the other Dragon Riders learned that Gothi was part of a doomed Arctic expedition that ended prematurely due to a Snow Wraith attack. Gothi hadn't left Berk since that fateful experience, even staying behind when the rest of the Vikings faced off against the Red Death on Dragon Island.
Solemn, trustworthy, and spry, Gothi serves many important functions on Berk, but perhaps her greatest role is that of a listener. Everyone on the island comes to Gothi with their problems, and everyone leaves her hut feeling much better, even though she didn't say a thing! Stoick and Gobber often look to her for counsel and support. Just a look from this old woman could help decide the chief's next act and shape Berk's future.
Despite her grudge against the Snow Wraith, Gothi loves all dragons, especially her flock of Terrible Terrors. Now, if she could only get them to stop singing from the rooftops!
  Viking Guide  


Biography[]

Early Life[]

Gothi was born with an identical twin sister. Once the two woman were of an appropriate age, they gave something up in order to become their tribes' Wise Woman. Gothi gave up the ability to speak, while her sister gave up her eyesight. This event led the sisters to fall out, and animosity remained between the two for the remainder of their lives.

Young Adulthood[]

As told in "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 2", when Gothi was a teenager, she and two other Vikings went to Glacier Island to look for its healing water. However, Gothi and her party then came under attack by the Snow Wraith, which killed the other two Vikings. Gothi survived its attack by hiding in a snow drift, but the incident left her with a scar on her arm and a profound fear of the Snow Wraith.

Final Months of the Dragon War[]

In How to Train Your Dragon, it is her job to choose the most promising young Viking to fight the Monstrous Nightmare in the arena for the Final Exam, and if the child wins, they become a full Viking in the society. She's the one who chooses Hiccup for the graduation ceremony in the movie over Astrid. She is also seen comforting two children when the whole tribe is preparing for the battle at the Dragon Island.

Thors'day Thursday[]

Without fire for my cooking pot, I am living on grass and raw vegetables now. My old teeth can't chew such tough food anymore. My old stomach can't digest it. But I am too old and weak from hunger to carry all that wood so far. Could you help me gather some, please?
  — Gothi  

In the game, How to Train Your Dragon Gothi is seen on Dragon Tooth Mountain and requests help of either Astrid or Hiccup in getting firewood to cook her meager meal of grass and vegetables. There is text on the Nintendo DS version as if she is talking, but because many characters don't have sound, it is possible she is writing and not speaking in this game.

Later in the game, Gobber reveals to Hiccup or Astrid that the Berk elders planted people asking for help on Dragon Tooth Mountain as a test for the Thors'day Thursday contestants. It is possible Gothi didn't need help after all.

Integrating Dragons into Berk Society[]

When Stoick and Gobber go to her for her expertise to predict a major storm, she says that there will be a storm, referencing to Bucket's bucket, which is said to predict bad weather in "Animal House". When she is asked how she knows, she writes that she heard Bucket's screams from her house.

She made a brief appearance in the episode, "In Dragons We Trust" when Stoick announced there would be no more dragons on Berk.

When the dragons are falling mysteriously ill in the "Dragon Flower", Gobber suggests going to Gothi. She says (by writing with her staff) that the dragons are allergic to something new that has just come to the island, and tells them to get rid of everything that was new.

War with the Berserkers[]

Gothi then went with Hiccup and the others to Healer's Island to collect ingredients and make the right medicine against Eel Pox in "The Eel Effect".

The Original Dragon Eye[]

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Gothi's scar from the Snow Wraith attack

Three years after the end of the war with the Berserkers, Gothi, despite her fear, went with Hiccup and the other riders to Glacier Island to get a Snow Wraith's tooth. Despite its ferocious attacks, Gothi was able to use her staff to get a tooth from the Snow Wraith in "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 2".

In "Big Man on Berk", Gothi tried to hypnotize Fishlegs into believing that he was not allergic to Meatlug. Unfortunately, Fishlegs became Thor Bonecrusher and broke Gothi's staff in half and tossed it into the ocean. Fortunately, she was able to repair it.

Becoming an Auxiliary Rider[]

Gothi then trained with her Gronckle and became a member of Astrid's Auxiliary Team in the episode, "Team Astrid". As part of the Auxiliary, she participates in battles, such as fighting the Skrill in "A Time to Skrill", the siege on Viggo's base in "Shell Shocked, Part 1", and against the Dragon Flyers to win back Dragon's Edge in "The Wings of War, Part 2".

War with Drago's Army[]

In How to Train Your Dragon 2, Gothi watched the dragon races next to Stoick, Spitelout, and Gobber. She fell asleep at one point during the race, leaning on her staff, and was startled awake when Stoick announced Astrid as the winner. She is later seen petting one of her Terrible Terrors before they were scared off by the passing Dragon Riders, much to her annoyance.

When sleeping with her Terrible Terrors, they flew away when the Alpha arrives at Berk, waking her. Later, when the Alpha loses Toothless' challenge and leaves, she welcomes the return of her flock of Terrible Terrors, who quickly smother her. Finally, when Hiccup accepts taking over the role of Chief from his father, Gothi uses soot to draw the crest on Hiccup's forehead to officially name him as the new Chief.

Dragonvine[]

While Valka, Fishlegs and Skulder are trying to learn more about the Silkspanners, Gothi is trying to help Snotlout in overcoming the trauma he gained during the attack. Gothi’s method caused Valka commented on how the elder always creeped her out.

Continued Life With Dragons[]

Because Gothi is quiet and lives on the outskirts of the village, some dragons are attracted to her serene demeanor, such as the Stormcutter Gloomleer.

But she [Gloomleer] has found a friendship of sorts with Gothi, and the two watch the sunset in silence.
  Dragons: Titan Uprising  


Gothi also travels Northward to Woden's Bathtub each year to acquire certain types of Mushrooms. Toothless' reputation precedes him, as he had assisted the peoples of Woden's Bathtub. Gothi heard of the tale of Toothless protecting these peoples one year during the Fall Equinox from their shaman, the Noaide. She secretly found the reverence amusing, since she dealt with Toothless daily in a very ordinary way.

Fighting against Grimmel[]

In How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Gothi is first seen flying around Berk, being carried by her pet Terrible Terrors as the Dragon Riders return from their latest rescue mission. They are later seen flying around the Great Hall.

When the notorious dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly threatens to destroy everything Hiccup loves unless Toothless is surrendered, the young chieftain decides to move the entire tribe to the Hidden World where everyone would be safe. Gothi can be seen flying in front of the crowd with her Terrors lifting her in a basket. As the tribe settles on an island that would eventually be called New Berk, Gothi flies by Snotlout before hitting him with her staff when the latter made a subtle insult about Stoick.

Gothi is later seen cheering with the other Hooligans as they witness Hiccup's battle against Grimmel before reuniting with her Terrors. Soon after, everyone realize that they will never be safe unless the dragons are set free. Gothi bids her Terrible Terrors farewell and watches them fly to the Hidden World with all the other dragons.

Several months after the dragons' departure, Gothi acts as the officiant of Hiccup and Astrid's wedding, giving them her blessing as they are announced husband and wife.

Physical Appearance[]

She is easily identified by her very small and short figure, wavy gray hair and swollen eye.
  School of Dragons website[1]  

Gothi is an elderly lady. She has a short and scrawny figure and an obvious hunch. She has thick wavy gray hair held in two braids. She wears a leather vest with an old belt strapped around it and she also has padding over the wrist. Most of the time, she is seen with a small, rather flat helmet and an old staff made of bones. She uses her staff mainly to execute healing practices such as hypnosis and defending herself. She also has a scar from a Snow Wraith's bite on her left arm and a few faint, blue tattoos of dragons on her shoulders.

Personality[]

Gothi is another one of the elders on the Isle of Berk. She is a wise old woman who is revered by those in the Viking village. ... She is trusted by the tribe to make important decisions, although she rarely speaks. Rather, she communicates through gestures and writing in the ground with her trusty wooden staff, which she uses to get around.
  School of Dragons website[1]  

Gothi is a woman of little words but is wise and highly respected as the “Village Elder” and a healer. Most Vikings approach her for help when in urgent need. Gothi is very fond of Terrible Terrors and she has plenty in her hut. This is familiar to a "Cat Widow" stereotype in which old women own numerous cats to keep them company.

Gothi also has a mischievous side, such as whacking people with her staff. She also uses quite a bit of bad language in her writing when angry and even made Fishlegs, as Thor Bonecrusher, drink spiced yak bladder as payback for breaking her staff. In her youth, Gothi was quite adventurous and always looking for something new, a quality not unlike Hiccup's.

Despite her size and age, Gothi is surprisingly strong and athletic. She is able to hit others hard with her staff as a form of defense and hike up the mountains of Glacier Island. She has also been shown to be very brave, as she ran up to a Snow Wraith and continued to smash its face with her staff.

According to the episode "The Longest Day", when subjected to long periods of sleeplessness such as during the 'Midnight Sun', Gothi will 'babble', i.e., scribble cryptic and nonsensical patterns in the dirt with her staff with a glazed look in her eye.

Gothi enjoys eating Gobber's home-made Yak Noodle Soup. According to School of Dragons she also "likes her soup simple and exotic", such as made with truffles and cabbage.

Abilities, Skills, and Talents[]

Okay, so there's this creepy old lady named Gothi who never talks and always hits me with her stick. She throws these special stones called runes on the ground because she thinks they can tell her what'll happen in the future!
  — Snotlout in To Berk and Beyond  


Communication skills: Either unable or unwilling to speak, she is able to write glyphs on the ground that usually either Gobber or Fishlegs translates for the others.

Animal House-GothiWriting-36

Hiccup is able to read Gothi's writing as well, as he remarks about an obscenity that Gothi had written in "Crushing It".

Strength and Fighting Skills: She has shown to be able to hit the Snow Wraith and her skills are mostly utilized with her staff as her main weapon in "Dragon Eye of the Beholder, Part 2".

Healer: She is the village healer for both Vikings and dragons as she is able to cure horrible sickness or know what causes the problems such as what made the dragons very sick in "Dragon Flower", and knowing the cure of the eel pox in "The Eel Effect". In a December 2017 Gauntlet event in the game, Dragons: Rise of Berk, Hiccup indicates that Gothi makes the antidote to Dragon Root poisoning of dragons. Unfortunately, she can only make it in small batches.

Dragon Trainer and Rider: Gothi learned to ride on her Gronckle with the aid of Astrid's teaching. She had difficulty with the harsh training she was given, but she proved to have great potential by saving the other riders in "Team Astrid". She also bonded with a flock of Terrible Terrors that would eventually become her pets and companions. She even taught her Terrors to carry her in a basket for easy transport.

Wise Woman: Gothi also serves as village wise woman or shaman. Though Hooligan spirituality or religious beliefs are barely touched upon in the Franchise, Gothi is known to do soothsaying with runes and other items such as animal bones. She also predicts the weather and oversees village rituals such as the coming-of-age ritual of the village youth in which they must kill a dragon (as seen in How to Train Your Dragon). She also performs the ritual for installing a new chief for the tribe, as seen in How to Train Your Dragon 2, and serves as officiant to the wedding in the third film.

Poison Tolerance: According to Ketillkott's description in Dragons: Rise of Berk, Gothi has a high tolerance for poison, enabling her to resist the effects of a variety of poisons. It is possible that this resistance could extend to the venom produced from the tails of a Triple Stryke like Ketillkott, but this remains unconfirmed.

Memorable Quotes[]

Race to the Edge[]

Hmm. I'll make him my man someday. [src]
  — in Fishlegs' dream  


Appearances[]


Trivia[]

  • Bonnie Arnold stated in The Art of How to Train Your Dragon that Gothi is based on Old Wrinkly from the books.
  • Gothi does not speak in the final, on-screen product, although she had a much larger part in the earliest film concepts, when there was a lot of magic and things of that nature.
  • Gothi has two tattoos, one on her right arm and on her right hand. The one on her right arm appears to be a Whispering Death.
  • It is said that Gothi can tell when you will die by looking at your tongue. Other less reliable sources said that she can do it by looking at your fingernails.
  • Gothi is the Viking who first discovered the Snow Wraith.
  • With the release of her Terrible Terrors, it is revealed in Dragons: Rise of Berk, that Gothi can in fact speak. However, she chooses to speak Dragonese and not Norse.
  • Gothi loves Gobber's yak noodle stew.
  • Although she does not appear in person in School of Dragons, Gothi's hut atop the high peak of Berk is the focal point in several player quests.
  • In old Norse, someone with the title “Gothi” (Goði, plural: goðar) would be a priest. However, a goði is typically a male priest, while a female would be known as a Völva. They had high respect in Viking society, and deep knowledge of seiðr (mythological “magic”).

References[]

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