I believe the Higgs boson is a particle that infuses space in such a way that all other subatomic particles must pass through the boson "cloud". According to the way any particular particles are constructed, they are attracted to the Higgs bosons--and are therefore slowed down-- to a greater or lesser degree. This "slowing down" defines the volume of their mass. The whole point is to answer the question of how it is that mass exists.