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Odin



 
 
Odin ( from Old Norse
Old Norse

Old Norse is a North Germanic languages that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
 Óđinn), is considered the chief god
Ćsir

In Old Norse, ?ss is the term denoting a member of the principal groups of gods of the List of Norse gods of Norse paganism. They include many of the major figures, such as Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr....
 in Norse paganism
Norse paganism

Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religion which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and during the Christianization of Scandinavia of Northern Europe....
. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading tribes in the south and east of Great Britain starting from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, lasting until the Norman conquest of England of 1066....
 Woden
Woden

Woden is a god in Anglo-Saxon paganism, together with Norse Odin representing a development of a Proto-Germanic god, *Wodanaz. Other West Germanic forms of the name include Old High German Wuotan, Low German and Dutch language Wodan....
 and the Old High German
Old High German

The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of Old High German proper to 750 for this reason...
 Wotan, it is descended from Proto-Germanic *Wodinaz
Wodanaz

or is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic language name of a god of Germanic paganism, known as in Norse mythology, in Old English language, or in Old High German and in Lombardic language....
or *Wodanaz. The name Odin is generally accepted as the modern translation; although, in some cases, older translations of his name may be used or preferred.






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Georg Von Rosen   Oden Som Vandringsman, 1886 (odin, the Wanderer)
Odin ( from Old Norse
Old Norse

Old Norse is a North Germanic languages that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
 Óđinn), is considered the chief god
Ćsir

In Old Norse, ?ss is the term denoting a member of the principal groups of gods of the List of Norse gods of Norse paganism. They include many of the major figures, such as Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr....
 in Norse paganism
Norse paganism

Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religion which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and during the Christianization of Scandinavia of Northern Europe....
. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading tribes in the south and east of Great Britain starting from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, lasting until the Norman conquest of England of 1066....
 Woden
Woden

Woden is a god in Anglo-Saxon paganism, together with Norse Odin representing a development of a Proto-Germanic god, *Wodanaz. Other West Germanic forms of the name include Old High German Wuotan, Low German and Dutch language Wodan....
 and the Old High German
Old High German

The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of Old High German proper to 750 for this reason...
 Wotan, it is descended from Proto-Germanic *Wodinaz
Wodanaz

or is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic language name of a god of Germanic paganism, known as in Norse mythology, in Old English language, or in Old High German and in Lombardic language....
or *Wodanaz. The name Odin is generally accepted as the modern translation; although, in some cases, older translations of his name may be used or preferred. His name is related to óđr
Óđr

In Norse mythology, ??r or ??, sometimes angliziced as Odr, is a figure associated with the major goddess Freyja. The Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, both describe ??r as Freyja's husband and father of her two daughters Hnoss and Gersemi....
, meaning "fury, excitation", besides "mind", or "poetry". His role, like many of the Norse gods, is complex. He is associated with wisdom
Wisdom

Wisdom is knowledge, understanding, experience, discretion, and Intuition , along with a capacity to apply these qualities well towards finding solutions to problems....
, war
War

...
, battle, and death, and also magic
Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
, poetry
Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature art in which language is used for its aesthetics and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning ....
, prophecy
Prophecy

Prophecy, generally, describes the disclosing of information that is not known to the prophet by any ordinary means. In religion, this is thought to be a divinely inspired revelation or interpretation....
, victory, and the hunt.

Origins

Ardre Odin Sleipnir
Tangelgarda Odin
Worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
 of Odin may date to Proto-Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism

Germanic paganism refers to the religion beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. The best documented version of the Germanic pagan religions is 10th and 11th century Norse paganism, though other information can be found from Anglo-Saxon paganism and Continental Germanic mythology....
. The Roman
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 historian Tacitus may refer to Odin when he talks of Mercury
Mercury (mythology)

In Roman mythology, Mercury was a messenger, and a god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas, also known as Ops, the Roman version of Cronus, and Jupiter ....
. The reason is that, like Mercury, Odin was regarded as Psychopomp
Psychopomp

Many religions include a particular spiritual being, angel, or deity whose responsibility is to escort newly-deceased souls to the afterlife. These creatures are called psychopomps, from the Greek language word ????p??p?? , literally meaning the "guide of souls"....
os,"the leader of souls."

As Odin is closely connected with a horse and spear, and transformation/shape shifting into animal shapes, an alternative theory of origin contends that Odin, or at least some of his key characteristics, may have arisen just prior to the sixth century as a nightmareish horse god (Echwaz), later signified by the eight legged Sleipnir
Sleipnir

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
. Some support for Odin as a late comer to the Scandinavian Norse pantheon can be found in the Sagas where, for example, at one time he is thrown out of Asgard
Asgard

In Norse mythology, Asgard is the country or capital city of the ?sir surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning....
 by the other gods - a seemingly unlikely tale for a well established "all father". Scholars who have linked Odin with the "Death God" template include E. A. Ebbinghaus, Jan de Vries
Jan de Vries

Jan Pieter Marie Laurens de Vries was a Netherlands scholar of Germanic languages and Germanic mythology, from 1926 to 1945 ordinarius at Leiden University and author of reference works still in use today....
 and Thor Templin. The later two also link Loki
Loki

File:Loke og Sigyn by Eckersberg.jpgIn Norse mythology, Loki is a ?ss or j?tunn . Loki's relation with the gods varies by source. Loki assists the gods, and sometimes causes problems for them....
 and Odin as being one-and-the-same until the early Norse Period.

Scandinavian Óđinn emerged from Proto-Norse *Wodin during the Migration period
Migration Period

The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions or V?lkerwanderung , was a period of human migration which occurred within the period of roughly 300?700 Common Era in Europe, marking the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages....
, Vendel
Vendel

Vendel is a parish in the Swedish province of Uppland.The village overlooks a long inland stretch of water, Vendelsj?n, near which the Vendel river has its confluence with the river Fyris....
 artwork (bracteate
Bracteate

A bracteate is a flat, thin, single-sided gold coin produced in Northern Europe predominantly during the Migration Period of the Germanic Iron Age , but the name is also used for later produced coins of silver produced in central Europe during the early Middle Ages....
s, image stones) depicting the earliest scenes that can be aligned with the High Medieval Norse mythological texts. The context of the new elites emerging in this period aligns with Snorri's tale of the indigenous Vanir
Vanir

In Norse mythology, the Vanir are one of two groups of gods, the other being the ?sir. The two groups are described as having waged war against one another in the ?sir-Vanir War?, resulting in the unification of the two into a single tribe of gods....
 who were eventually replaced by the Ćsir
Ćsir

In Old Norse, ?ss is the term denoting a member of the principal groups of gods of the List of Norse gods of Norse paganism. They include many of the major figures, such as Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr....
, intruders from the Continent.

Parallels between Odin and Celtic Lugus
Lugus

Lugus was a deity apparently worshipped widely in antiquity in the Celtic languages-speaking world. His name is rarely directly attested in inscriptions, but his importance can be inferred from placenames and ethnonyms, and his nature and attributes are deduced from the distinctive iconography of Gallo-Roman inscriptions to Mercury , who is w...
 have often been pointed out: both are intellectual gods, commanding magic and poetry. Both have ravens and a spear as their attributes, and both are one-eyed. Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar

'Gaius Julius Caesar' , July 13, 100 BC ? March 15, 44 BC,) was a Roman Republic military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
 (de bello Gallico, 6.17.1) mentions Mercury as the chief god of Celtic religion
Celtic religion

Celtic religion may be referring to one of the following:*Ancient Celtic polytheism**Druidism*Celtic Christianity**Celtic Rite**Celtic Orthodox Church...
. A likely context of the diffusion of elements of Celtic ritual into Germanic culture is that of the Chatti
Chatti

The Chatti were an ancient Germanic tribes whose homeland was near the Weser. They settled in central and northern Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, along the upper reaches of the Weser river and in the valleys and mountains of the Eder, Fulda and Werra river regions, a district approximately corresponding to Hesse-Kassel, though probably so...
, who lived at the Celtic-Germanic boundary in Hesse
Hesse

Hesse is a States of Germany of Germany with an area of 21,110 km? and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main....
 during the final centuries before the Common Era. (It must be remembered that Odin in his Proto-Germanic form was not the chief god, but that he only gradually replaced Tyr
Tyr

File:T?r by Fr?lich.jpgT?r is the god of single combat, victory and heroic glory in Norse mythology, portrayed as a one-handed man. In the late Icelandic Eddas, he is portrayed, alternately, as the son of Odin or of Hymir , while the origins of his name and his possible relationship to Tuisto suggest he was once considered the father of...
 during the Migration period
Migration Period

The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions or V?lkerwanderung , was a period of human migration which occurred within the period of roughly 300?700 Common Era in Europe, marking the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages....
.)

Adam of Bremen

Written around 1080, one of the oldest written sources on pre-Christian Scandinavian religious practices is Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen

Adam of Bremen was one of the most important Germany medieval chroniclers. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum ....
's Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum
Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum

Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum is a historical treatise written between 1075 and 1080 by Adam of Bremen. It covers the period from 788 to the time it was written....
. Adam claimed to have access to first-hand accounts on pagan practices in Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
. His description of the Temple at Uppsala
Temple at Uppsala

The Temple at Uppsala was a religious center in Norse paganism once located at what is now Gamla Uppsala , Sweden attested in Adam of Bremen's 11th century work Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum and in Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century....
 gives some details on the god.

In hoc templo, quod totum ex auro paratum est, statuas trium deorum veneratur populus, ita ut potentissimus eorum Thor in medio solium habeat triclinio; hinc et inde locum possident Wodan et Fricco. Quorum significationes eiusmodi sunt: 'Thor', inquiunt, 'praesidet in aere, qui tonitrus et fulmina, ventos ymbresque, serena et fruges gubernat. Alter Wodan, id est furor, bella gerit, hominique ministrat virtutem contra inimicos. Tertius est Fricco, pacem voluptatemque largiens mortalibus'. Cuius etiam simulacrum fingunt cum ingenti priapo. Gesta Hammaburgensis 26, In this temple, entirely decked out in gold, the people worship the statues of three gods in such wise that the mightiest of them, Thor
Thor

Thor is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder in Germanic mythology and Germanic paganism, and its subsets: Norse paganism, Anglo-Saxon paganism and Continental Germanic mythology....
, occupies a throne in the middle of the chamber; Wotan and Frikko
Freyr

Freyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with agriculture, weather and, as a phallus fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"....
 have places on either side. The significance of these gods is as follows: Thor, they say, presides over the air, which governs the thunder and lightning, the winds and rains, fair weather and crops. The other, Wotan—that is, the Furious—carries on war and imparts to man strength against his enemies. The third is Frikko, who bestows peace and pleasure on mortals. His likeness, too, they fashion with an immense phallus. Gesta Hammaburgensis 26, Tschan's translation
 


Poetic Edda


Völuspá

In the poem Völuspá
Völuspá

V?lusp? is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end related by a v?lva addressing Odin....
, a völva
Völva

A V?lva was a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology....
 tells Odin of numerous events reaching into the far past and into the future, including his own doom. The Völva describes creation, recounts the birth of Odin by his father Borr
Borr

Borr or Burr was the son of B?ri and the father of Odin in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in the Gylfaginning part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda....
 and his mother Bestla
Bestla

In Norse mythology, Bestla was an ancient J?tunn, a daughter of Bolthorn. With Borr, she was the mother of Odin, Ve and Vili.ca:Bestlada:Bestla...
 and how Odin and his brothers formed Midgard
Midgard

Midgard , is an old Germanic languages name for our world, the places inhabited by mannaz, with the literal meaning "middle enclosure"....
 from the sea. She further describes the creation of the first human beings - Ask and Embla
Ask and Embla

In Norse Mythology, Ask and Embla were the first two humans created by the gods. The pair are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
 - by Hœnir
Hœnir

File:AM 738 4to, 40v, BW Hoenir.jpegIn Norse mythology, H?nir is one of the ?sir. In Ynglinga saga, along with M?mir, he went to the Vanir as a hostage to seal a truce after the ?sir-Vanir War....
, Lóđurr
Lóđurr

File:Odin, Lodur, Hoenir skabe Ask og Embla by Fr?lich.jpgL??urr is a ?ss in Norse mythology. In the Poetic Edda poem V?lusp? he is assigned a role in animating the first humans, but apart from that he is hardly ever mentioned, and remains obscure....
 and Odin.

Amongst various other events, the Völva mentions Odin's involvement in the Ćsir-Vanir War
Ćsir-Vanir War

In Norse mythology, the ?sir?Vanir War was a war that occurred between the ?sir and the Vanir, two tribes of gods. The war ultimately resulted in the unification of the two tribes into a single tribe of gods....
, the self-sacrifice of Odin's eye at Mímir's Well, the death of his son Baldr. She describes how Odin is slain by the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök
Ragnarök

In Norse mythology, Ragnar?k is a series of major events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water....
, the subsequent avenging of Odin and death of Fenrir by his son Víđarr, how the world disappears into flames and, yet, how the earth again rises from the sea. She then relates how the surviving Ćsir remember the deeds of Odin.

Lokasenna

In the poem Lokasenna
Lokasenna

Lokasenna is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. The poem presents flyting between the gods and Loki.Loki, amongst other things, accuses the gods of moralism sexual impropriety, the practice of seidr, and bias....
, the conversation of Odin and Loki started with Odin trying to defend Gefjun
Gefjun

Gefjun, Gefjon, or Gefion is one of the Asynjur in Norse mythology. She appears only a few times in surviving sources, and medi?val sources talk of her mainly as a goddess of chastity....
 and ended with his wife, Frigg, defending him. In Lokasenna, Loki
Loki

File:Loke og Sigyn by Eckersberg.jpgIn Norse mythology, Loki is a ?ss or j?tunn . Loki's relation with the gods varies by source. Loki assists the gods, and sometimes causes problems for them....
 derides Odin for practicing seid (witchcraft), implying it was women's work. Another example of this may be found in the Ynglinga saga
Ynglinga saga

The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. He based it on an earlier Ynglingatal which is attributed to the Norwegian 9th century skald ?j???lfr of Hvinir, and which also appears in Historia Norvegi?....
 where Snorri opines that men who used seid were ergi
Ergi

Ergi and argr are two Old Norse language terms of insult, denoting effeminacy or other unmanly behavior. Argr is "unmanly" and ergi is "unmanliness"; the terms have cognates in other Germanic languages such as earh, earg, arag, arug, and so on....
 or unmanly.

Hávamál

In Rúnatal, a section of the Hávamál
Hávamál

H?vam?l is presented as a single poem in the Poetic Edda. The poem, itself a combination of different poems, largely presents advice for living and survival composed around the central figure of Odin....
, Odin is attributed with discovering the runes. He was hung from the world tree
TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
, Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil

File:The Ash Yggdrasil by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine.jpgIn Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the world tree. Yggdrasil is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
, while pierced by his own spear for nine day
Day

A day is a units of measurement of time equivalent to approximately 24 hours. It is not an International System of Units unit but it is accepted for use with SI....
s and night
Night

Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. The opposite of night is day . Time of day varies based on factors such as season, latitude, longitude and timezone....
s, in order to learn the wisdom that would give him power in the nine worlds. Nine is a significant number in Norse magical practice (there were, for example, nine realms of existence
Norse cosmology

In the cosmology of Norse mythology, there are Numbers in Germanic paganism worlds, unified by the the world tree Yggdrasil. The Norse creation myth tells how everything came into existence and how the world of men was created by the gods....
), thereby learning nine (later eighteen) magical songs and eighteen magical runes.

One of Odin's names is Ygg, and the Norse name for the World Ash —Yggdrasil—therefore could mean "Ygg's (Odin's) horse". Another of Odin's names is Hangatýr, the god of the hanged. Sacrifices, human or otherwise, in prehistoric times were commonly hung in or from trees, often transfixed by spear
Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft, such as obsidian, iron or bronze....
s .

Hárbarđsljóđ

In Hárbarđsljóđ, Odin, disguised as the ferryman Hárbarđr, engages his son Thor, unaware of the disguise, in a long argument. Thor is attempting to get around a large lake and Hárbarđr refuses to ferry him.

Prose Edda

Odin Riding Sleipnir
Manuscript Odinn
Odin had three residences in Asgard. First was Gladsheim
Gladsheim

In Norse mythology, Gla?sheimr is a realm in Asgard where Odin's hall of Valhalla is located according to Gr?mnism?l.Snorri states in Gylfaginning that Gla?sheimr is a meeting hall, containing twelve high seats where the male ?sir hold council, located in I?av?llr in Asgard, near the hall of Ving?lf where the goddesses gathered....
, a vast hall where he presided over the twelve
Twelve

Twelve may refer to:* 12 , 2007 film by Russian director and actor Nikita Mikhalkov* 12 , the number* 12, the year* December, the 12th month of a year...
 Diar or Judges, whom he had appointed to regulate the affairs of Asgard. Second, Valaskjálf
Valaskjálf

In Norse mythology, Valaskj?lf is one of Odin's Halls, a great dwelling built and roofed with pure silver. In this room is a high seat, Hlidskjalf, where Odin can watch over the entire universe....
, built of solid silver
Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
, in which there was an elevated place, Hlidskjalf
Hlidskjalf

File:Frigg and Odin in Gr?mnism?l by Fr?lich.jpgIn Norse mythology, Hli?skj?lf is the high seat of Odin enabling him to see into all worlds....
, from his throne on which he could perceive all that passed throughout the whole earth. Third was Valhalla
Valhalla

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field F?lkvangr....
 (the hall of the fallen), where Odin received the soul
Soul

In many religions and parts of philosophy, the soul is the immaterial part of a person. It is usually thought to consist of one's thoughts and Personality psychology, and can be synonymous with the spirit, mind or self....
s of the warriors killed in battle, called the Einherjar
Einherjar

In Norse mythology, the einherjar are those that have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries. In Valhalla, the einherjar eat their fill of the nightly-resurrecting beast S?hr?mnir, and are brought their fill of mead by valkyries....
. The souls of women warriors, and those strong and beautiful women whom Odin favored, became Valkyries, who gather the souls of warriors fallen in battle (the Einherjar
Einherjar

In Norse mythology, the einherjar are those that have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries. In Valhalla, the einherjar eat their fill of the nightly-resurrecting beast S?hr?mnir, and are brought their fill of mead by valkyries....
), as these would be needed to fight for him in the battle of Ragnarök
Ragnarök

In Norse mythology, Ragnar?k is a series of major events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water....
. They took the souls of the warriors to Valhalla. Valhalla has five hundred and forty gates, and a vast hall of gold
Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a highly sought-after precious metal, having been used as money, as a store of value, in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history....
, hung around with golden shields, and spears and coats of mail.

Odin has a number of magical artifacts associated with him: the spear Gungnir
Gungnir

In Norse mythology, Gungnir is Odin's spear....
, which never misses its target; a magical gold ring (Draupnir
Draupnir

Draupnir is a golden arm ring possessed by Odin, the highest ?sir in Norse mythology. The ring was a source of endless wealth, since each ninth morning it had spawned eight more gold rings just like itself....
), from which every ninth night eight new rings appear; and two raven
Raven

Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus —but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied....
s Huginn and Muninn (Thought
Thought

Thought and thinking are mind Theory of forms and processes, respectively Thinking allows beings to model the world and to deal with it according to their goal, plans, ends and desires....
 and Memory
Memory

In psychology, memory is an organism's mental ability to store, retain and recall information. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of mnemonic....
), who fly around Earth daily and report the happenings of the world to Odin in Valhalla at night. He also owned Sleipnir
Sleipnir

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
, an octopedal horse
Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
, who was given to Odin by Loki
Loki

File:Loke og Sigyn by Eckersberg.jpgIn Norse mythology, Loki is a ?ss or j?tunn . Loki's relation with the gods varies by source. Loki assists the gods, and sometimes causes problems for them....
, and the severed head
Head

In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilateria do....
 of Mímir
Mímir

M?mir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology renowned for his knowledge and wisdom who is beheaded during the ?sir-Vanir War. Afterward, the major god Odin carries around M?mir's head and it recites secret knowledge and council to him....
, which foretold the future. He also commands a pair of wolves named Geri and Freki
Geri and Freki

In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki are a pair of wolf, companions of the ?sir Odin. Freki is translated as "Ravenous." Geri is "Greedy"Snorri Sturluson in Gylfaginning indicates that it is to these wolves that Odin gives his food when in Valhalla, for he has no need of it himself, subsisting solely on mead....
, to whom he gives his food in Valhalla since he consumes nothing but mead
Mead

Mead is a typically alcoholic beverage beverage, made from honey and water via Fermentation with yeast. Its alcoholic content may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine....
 or wine. From his throne, Hlidskjalf
Hlidskjalf

File:Frigg and Odin in Gr?mnism?l by Fr?lich.jpgIn Norse mythology, Hli?skj?lf is the high seat of Odin enabling him to see into all worlds....
 (located in Valaskjalf
Valaskjálf

In Norse mythology, Valaskj?lf is one of Odin's Halls, a great dwelling built and roofed with pure silver. In this room is a high seat, Hlidskjalf, where Odin can watch over the entire universe....
), Odin could see everything that occurred in the universe
Universe

The universe is defined as everything that physically exists: the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter, energy and momentum, and the physical laws and physical constants that govern them....
. The Valknut
Valknut

The Valknut is a symbol consisting of Numbers in Norse mythology interlocked triangle, and appears on various Germanic paganism objects. A number of theories have been proposed for its significance....
 (slain warrior's knot) is a symbol associated with Odin. It consists of three interlaced triangles.

Odin is an ambivalent deity. Old Norse (Viking Age
Viking Age

Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the eighth to eleventh centuries....
) connotations of Odin lie with "poetry, inspiration" as well as with "fury, madness and the wanderer." Odin sacrificed his eye (which eye he sacrificed is unclear) at Mímir
Mímir

M?mir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology renowned for his knowledge and wisdom who is beheaded during the ?sir-Vanir War. Afterward, the major god Odin carries around M?mir's head and it recites secret knowledge and council to him....
's spring in order to gain the Wisdom of Ages. Odin gives to worthy poets the mead
Mead

Mead is a typically alcoholic beverage beverage, made from honey and water via Fermentation with yeast. Its alcoholic content may range from that of a mild ale to that of a strong wine....
 of inspiration, made by the dwarfs, from the vessel Óđ-rœrir.

Odin is associated with the concept of the Wild Hunt
Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt was a folk myth prevalent in former times across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, *etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground, or just above it....
, a noisy, bellowing movement across the sky, leading a host of slain warriors.

Consistent with this, Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. He was two-time elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing....
's Prose Edda
Prose Edda

The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Old Norse language Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Norse mythology....
 depicts Odin as welcoming the great, dead warriors who have died in battle into his hall, Valhalla
Valhalla

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field F?lkvangr....
, which, when literally interpreted, signifies the hall of the slain. The fallen, the einherjar
Einherjar

In Norse mythology, the einherjar are those that have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries. In Valhalla, the einherjar eat their fill of the nightly-resurrecting beast S?hr?mnir, and are brought their fill of mead by valkyries....
, are assembled and entertained by Odin in order that they in return might fight for, and support, the gods in the final battle of the end of Earth, Ragnarök
Ragnarök

In Norse mythology, Ragnar?k is a series of major events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water....
. Snorri also wrote that Freyja receives half of the fallen in her hall Folkvang.

He is also a god of war, appearing throughout Norse myth as the bringer of victory. In the Norse saga
Norse saga

The sagas , are stories about ancient Scandinavia and Germanic tribes history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families....
s, Odin sometimes acts as the instigator of wars, and is said to have been able to start wars by simply throwing down his spear Gungnir
Gungnir

In Norse mythology, Gungnir is Odin's spear....
, and/or sending his valkyrie
Valkyrie

File:The Ride of the Valkyrs.jpgIn Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a wikt:host#Noun_2 of female figures who choose those who die in battle....
s, to influence the battle toward the end that he desires. The Valkyrie
Valkyrie

File:The Ride of the Valkyrs.jpgIn Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a wikt:host#Noun_2 of female figures who choose those who die in battle....
s are Odin's beautiful battle maidens that went out to the fields of war to select and collect the worthy men who died in battle to come and sit at Odin's table in Valhalla, feasting and battling until they had to fight in the final battle, Ragnarök
Ragnarök

In Norse mythology, Ragnar?k is a series of major events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water....
. Odin would also appear on the battle-field, sitting upon his eight-legged horse Sleipnir
Sleipnir

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
, with his two ravens, one on each shoulder, Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory)
Hugin and Munin

Huginn and Muninn, sometimes anglicised Hugin and Munin, are a pair of ravens associated with the Norse god Odin.In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn travel the world bearing news and information they have collected to Odin....
, and two wolves(Geri and Freki
Geri and Freki

In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki are a pair of wolf, companions of the ?sir Odin. Freki is translated as "Ravenous." Geri is "Greedy"Snorri Sturluson in Gylfaginning indicates that it is to these wolves that Odin gives his food when in Valhalla, for he has no need of it himself, subsisting solely on mead....
) on each side of him.

Odin is also associated with trickery, cunning
Kenning

A kenning is a circumlocution used instead of an ordinary noun in Old Norse and later Icelandic language poetry. For example, Old Norse poetry might replace sver?, the regular word for ?sword?, with a compound such as ben-grefill ?wound-hoe? , or a genitive phrase such as randa ?ss ?ice of shields? ....
, and deception. Most sagas have tales of Odin using his cunning to overcome adversaries and achieve his goals, such as swindling the blood of Kvasir from the dwarves.

Prologue

Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. He was two-time elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing....
 feels compelled to give a rational account of the Ćsir in the prologue of his Prose Edda. In this scenario, Snorri speculates that Odin and his peers were originally refugees from the Anatolia
Anatolia

Anatolia or Asia Minor is a region of Western Asia, comprising most of the modern Republic of Turkey. It is a geographic region bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Caucasus to the northeast, the Aegean Sea to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Iranian plateau to the east and southeast....
n city of Troy
Troy

Troy is a legendary city and center of the Trojan War, as described in the Epic Cycle, and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer....
, folk etymologizing Ćsir as derived from the word Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
. In any case, Snorri's writing (particularly in Heimskringla
Heimskringla

Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca....
) tries to maintain an essentially scholastic neutrality. That Snorri was correct was one of the last of Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl

Thor Heyerdahl was a Norway ethnographer and adventurer with a scientific background in zoology and geography. Heyerdahl became famous for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed 4,300 miles by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands....
's archeoanthropological theories, forming the basis for his Jakten pĺ Odin
Jakten pĺ Odin

The Search for Odin is the project title of Thor Heyerdahl's last series of archaeology excavations, which took place in Azov in Russia....
. Odin was the first of the Aesir gods in Norse Mythology. (B.K.)

Gylfaginning

According to the Prose Edda
Prose Edda

The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Old Norse language Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Norse mythology....
, Odin, the first and most powerful of the Ćsir, was a son of Bestla
Bestla

In Norse mythology, Bestla was an ancient J?tunn, a daughter of Bolthorn. With Borr, she was the mother of Odin, Ve and Vili.ca:Bestlada:Bestla...
 and Borr
Borr

Borr or Burr was the son of B?ri and the father of Odin in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in the Gylfaginning part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda....
 and brother of Ve
VE

VE, Ve or ve may refer to:* V?, a god in Norse mythology* V? , a shrine in Germanic paganism and modern place name element* Ve , a character from the Cyrillic alphabet...
 and Vili. With these brothers, he cast down the frost
Frost

Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from Saturation air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air....
 giant
Giant

Giant or Giants may refer to:*Giant , especially tall mythological creatures or monsters*Giant , a type of creature in the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game...
 Ymir
Ymir

In Norse mythology, Ymir, also named Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of J?tunn and an important figure in Norse cosmology....
 and made Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
 from Ymir's body
Body

With regard to organism, a body is the integral physical material of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death....
. The three brothers are often mentioned together. "Wille" is the German word for "will" (English), "Weh" is the German word (Gothic wai) for "woe" (English: great sorrow, grief
Grief

Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions....
, misery) but is more likely related to the archaic German "Wei" meaning 'sacred'.

Odin has fathered numerous children. With his wife, Frigg
Frigg

Frigg is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. She is said to be the wife of Odin, and is the "foremost among the goddesses"....
, he fathered his doomed son Baldr and fathered the blind god Höđr
Höđr

H??r is the brother of Baldr in Norse mythology. Guided by Loki he shot the mistletoe missile which was to slay the otherwise invulnerable Baldr....
. By the personification of earth, Fjörgyn
Jörđ

In Norse mythology, J?r? , is a giantess, the mother of Thor, and the personification of the Earth. Fj?rgyn and Fj?rgynn and Hl?dyn are considered to be other names for J?r?.J?r? is also the goddess of Earth...
, Odin was the father of his most famous son, Thor
Thor

Thor is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder in Germanic mythology and Germanic paganism, and its subsets: Norse paganism, Anglo-Saxon paganism and Continental Germanic mythology....
. By the giantess Gríđr, Odin was the father of Vídar
Vidar

In Norse mythology, V??arr is a god among the ?sir associated with vengeance. V??arr is described as the son of Odin and the j?tunn Gr??r , and is foretold to avenge his father's death by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnar?k, a conflict which he is described as surviving....
, and by Rind
Rind

Rind may refer to:*Peel *Pork rind*Rind , a giantess in Norse mythology*Rind, Armenia, also Rrind*Rind et al. , a controversial study on child sexual abuse...
a he was father of Váli
Váli (son of Odin)

File:AM 738 4to, 39v, BW V?li.jpegIn Norse mythology, V?li is a son of the god Odin and the giantess Rindr. He was birthed for the sole purpose of killing H??r as revenge for H??r's accidental murder of his half-brother, Baldr....
. Also, many royal families claimed descent from Odin through other sons. For traditions about Odin's offspring, see Sons of Odin
Sons of Odin

Various gods and men appear as Sons of Odin or Sons of Woden in old Old Norse language and Old English language texts....
.

Odin and his brothers, Vili and Ve, are attributed with slaying Ymir
Ymir

In Norse mythology, Ymir, also named Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of J?tunn and an important figure in Norse cosmology....
, the Ancient Giant, to form Midgard
Midgard

Midgard , is an old Germanic languages name for our world, the places inhabited by mannaz, with the literal meaning "middle enclosure"....
. From Ymir's flesh, the brothers made the earth, and from his shattered bone
Bone

Bones are rigid organ that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell and white blood cells and store minerals....
s and teeth they made the rocks
Rock (geology)

In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock....
 and stones. From Ymir's blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
, they made the river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
s and lake
Lake

A lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all....
s. Ymir's skull
Skull

The skull is a bone structure found in the head of many animals. The skull supports the structures of the face and protects the head against injury....
 was made into the sky, secured at four points by four dwarfs named East
East

East is a Direction in geography. It is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points, opposite of west and at right angles to north and south....
, West
West

West is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points....
, North
North

North is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:...
, and South
South

South is one of the cardinal directions and is opposite to the north.By Western world Norm , the bottom side of a map is south; the southern direction has azimuth or bearing of 180?....
. From Ymir's brain
Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate, and most invertebrate, animals. Some primitive animals such as cnidarian and echinoderm have a decentralized nervous system without a brain, while sponges lack any nervous system at all....
s, the three God
God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
s shaped the cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
s, whereas Ymir's eye-brows became a barrier between Jotunheim (giant's home) and Midgard, the place where men now dwell. Odin and his brothers are also attributed with making humans.

After having made earth from Ymir's flesh, the three brothers came across two logs (or an ash
Ash tree

Fraxinus is a genus of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The leaf are opposite , and mostly pinnately-compound, simple in a few species....
 and an elm tree). Odin gave them breath and life
Life

Life is a characteristic of organisms that exhibit certain biological processes such as chemical reactions or other events that results in a transformation....
; Vili gave them brains and feelings; and Ve gave them hearing
Hearing (sense)

Hearing is one of the traditional five senses. It is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations via an organ such as the ear. The inability to hear is called deafness....
 and sight
Sight

Sight may refer to one of the following:*Visual perception*Sight , used to assist aim by guiding the eye*Sight , a 2005 Concert DVD by Keller Williams...
. The first man was Ask
Ask and Embla

In Norse Mythology, Ask and Embla were the first two humans created by the gods. The pair are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
 and the first woman was Embla
Ask and Embla

In Norse Mythology, Ask and Embla were the first two humans created by the gods. The pair are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson....
.

Odin was said to have learned the mysteries of seid from the Vanic
Vanir

In Norse mythology, the Vanir are one of two groups of gods, the other being the ?sir. The two groups are described as having waged war against one another in the ?sir-Vanir War?, resulting in the unification of the two into a single tribe of gods....
 goddess and völva
Völva

A V?lva was a priestess in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology....
 Freyja
Freya

Freyja is a major goddess in Norse paganism, a subset of Germanic paganism. Because the documented source of this religious tradition, the Norse mythology, was transmitted and altered by Christian medieval historians, the actual role, heathen practices and worship of the goddess are uncertain....
, despite the unwarriorly connotations of using magic
Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
.

Skáldskaparmál

In section 2 of Skáldskaparmál
Skáldskaparmál

The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Sk?ldskaparm?l or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, ?gir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined....
, Odin's quest for wisdom can also be seen in his work as a farmhand for a summer
Summer

Summer generally refers to the warmest and most humid season between spring and autumn, from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere, this falls from the June solstice to the September equinox, while in the Southern Hemisphere it falls from the December solstice to the March equinox....
, for Baugi
Baugi

In Norse mythology, Baugi was a J?tunn and brother of Suttung, who had hidden the mead of poetry after obtaining it from Fjalar and Galar, who had murdered Suttung's father ....
, and his seduction of Gunnlod
Gunnlod

In Norse mythology, Gunnl?? is a daughter of Suttung, who was set guard by her father in the cavern where he housed the mead of poetry. Gunnl?? was seduced by Odin, who according to the Prose Edda bargained three nights of sex for three sips of the mead and then tricked her, stealing all of it....
 in order to obtain the mead of poetry
Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature art in which language is used for its aesthetics and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning ....
. (See Fjalar and Galar
Fjalar and Galar

In Norse mythology, Fjalar and his brother, Galar, were Norse dwarves who killed Kvasir and turned his blood into the mead of poetry, which inspired poets....
 for more details.)

In section 5 of Skáldskaparmál, the origins of some of Odin's possessions are described.

Sagas of Icelanders


Ynglinga saga

According to the Ynglinga saga
Ynglinga saga

The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. He based it on an earlier Ynglingatal which is attributed to the Norwegian 9th century skald ?j???lfr of Hvinir, and which also appears in Historia Norvegi?....
:
Odin had two brothers, the one called Ve, the other Vili, and they governed the kingdom when he was absent. It happened once when Odin had gone to a great distance, and had been so long away that the people Of Asia doubted if he would ever return home, that his two brothers took it upon themselves to divide his estate; but both of them took his wife Frigg to themselves. Odin soon after returned home, and took his wife back.


In Ynglinga saga, Odin is considered the 2nd Mythological king of Sweden, succeeding Gylfi
Gylfi

Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king in Scandinavia present in Norse mythology. The traditions on Gylfi deal with how he was tricked by the gods....
 and was succeeded by Njörđr.

Further, in Ynglinga saga, Odin is described as venturing to Mímir's Well, near Jötunheimr
Jötunheimr

J?tunheimr is the world of the j?tnar in Norse Mythology. From there they menace the humans in Midgard and the gods in Asgard .Gastropnir, home of Menglad, and ?rymheimr, home of ?jazi, were both located in Jotunheim, which was ruled by King Thrym....
, the land of the giants; not as Odin, but as Vegtam the Wanderer, clothed in a dark blue
Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440?490 Nanometre....
 cloak and carrying a traveler's staff. To drink from the Well of Wisdom, Odin had to sacrifice his eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
 (which eye he sacrified is unclear), symbolizing his willingness to gain the knowledge
Knowledge

Knowledge is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as expertise, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject, what is known in a particular field or in total; facts and information or awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation....
 of the past, present and future. As he drank, he saw all the sorrows and troubles that would fall upon men and the gods. He also saw why the sorrow and troubles had to come to men.

Mímir accepted Odin's eye and it sits today at the bottom of the Well of Wisdom as a sign that the father of the gods had paid the price for wisdom.

Other Sagas

According to Njáls saga: Hjalti Skeggiason
Hjalti Skeggiason

Hjalti Skeggiason was an Iceland chieftain who supported Gizurr the White for the introduction of Christianity in Iceland, on the Althing in 1000....
, an Icelander newly converted to Christianity, wished to express his contempt for the native gods, so he sang:
"Ever will I Gods blaspheme
Freyja methinks a dog does seem,
Freyja a dog? Aye! Let them be
Both dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
s together Odin and she!
"


Hjalti was found guilty of blasphemy for his infamous verse and he ran to Norway with his father-in-law, Gizur the White. Later, with Olaf Tryggvason's support, Gizur and Hjalti came back to Iceland to invite those assembled at the Althing
Althing

The Al?ingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament?literally, ? all-Thing ??of Iceland. It was founded in 930 at ?ingvellir, , situated approximately 45 km east of what would later become the country's Capital , Reykjav?k, and this event marked the beginning of the Icelandic Commonwealth....
 to convert to Christianity (which happened in 999
999

Events...
).

The Saga of King Olaf Tryggvason
Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta

?l?fs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta or The Greatest Saga of ?l?fr Tryggvasonis one of the kings' sagas, an extended biography of King ?l?fr Tryggvason....
, composed around 1300, describes that following King Olaf Tryggvason's orders, to prove their piety, people must insult and ridicule major heathen deities when they are newly converted into Christianity. Hallfređr vandrćđaskáld
Hallfređr vandrćđaskáld

Hallfre?r ?ttarsson or Hallfre?r vandr??ask?ld was an Icelandic skald. He is the protagonist of Hallfre?ar saga according to which he was the court poet first of H?kon Sigur?arson, then of ?l?fr Tryggvason and finally of Eir?kr H?konarson....
, who was reluctantly converted from paganism to Christianity by Olaf, also had to make a poem to forsake pagan deities. Below is an example:

The whole race of men to win
Odin's grace has wrought poems
;
but with sorrow, for well did
Viđrir's [Odin's] power please the poet,
do I conceive hate for the first husband of
Frigg [Odin], now I serve Christ
Christ

Christ is the English language term for the Greek meaning "the anointing", which is a title given to the Reigning Messiah in the given age of the Zodiac....
. (Lausavísur 10, Whaley's translation)


Flateyjarbók

Sörla ţáttr
Sörla ţáttr

S?rla ??ttr is a short narrative from a later and extended version of the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason found in the Flateyjarb?k manuscript, which was written and compiled by two Christian priests, Jon Thordson and Magnus Thorhalson, in the late 14th....
 is a short narrative from a later and extended version of the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason found in the Flateyjarbók
Flateyjarbók

The Flatey Book, is an important medieval Icelandic manuscripts. It is also known as GkS 1005 fol. and Codex Flat?iensis....
 manuscript, which was written and compiled by two Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
 priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
s, Jon Thordson and Magnus Thorhalson, from the late 14th to the 15th century.

"Freyja was a human in Asia and was the favorite concubine of Odin, King of Asialand. When this woman wanted to buy a golden necklace (no name given) forged by four dwarves (named Dvalinn, Alfrik, Berling, and Grer), she offered them gold and silver but they replied that they would only sell it to her if she would lie a night by each of them. She came home afterward with the necklace and kept silent as if nothing happened. But a man called Loki somehow knew it, and came to tell Odin. King Odin commanded Loki to steal the necklace, so Loki turned into a fly to sneak into Freyja's bower and stole it. When Freyja found her necklace missing, she came to ask king Odin. In exchange for it, Odin ordered her to make two kings, each served by twenty kings, fight forever unless some christened
Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted as a full member of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered....
 men so brave would dare to enter the battle and slay them. She said yes, and got that necklace back. Under the spell, king Högni and king Heđinn battled for one hundred and forty-three years, as soon as they fell down they had to stand up again and fight on. But in the end, the great Christian lord Olaf Tryggvason arrived with his brave christened men, and whoever slain by a Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
 would stay dead. Thus the pagan curse was finally dissolved by the arrival of Christianity. After that, the noble man, king Olaf, went back to his realm."

Gesta Danorum

In the 13th century, Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus

Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus is thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund....
, in the service of Archbishop
Archbishop

In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others, this means that they lead a diocese of particular importance called an archdiocese, or in the Anglican Communion an Ecclesiastical Province, but this is not always the case....
 Absalon
Absalon

Absalon was a Denmark archbishop and statesman. He was the son of Asser Rig of Fjenneslev , at whose castle he and his brother Esbj?rn were brought up along with the young prince Valdemar, afterwards King Valdemar I of Denmark....
 in Denmark, presented in his Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 language work Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum

Gesta Danorum is a work of Denmark history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history....
 euhemerized accounts of Thor and Odin as cunning sorcerers that, Saxo states, had fooled the people of Norway, Sweden and Denmark into their recognition as gods:

"There were of old certain men versed in sorcery, Thor, namely, and Odin, and many others, who were cunning in contriving marvellous sleights; and they, winning the minds of the simple, began to claim the rank of gods. For, in particular, they ensnared Norway, Sweden and Denmark in the vainest credulity, and by prompting these lands to worship them, infected them with their imposture. The effects of their deceit spread so far, that all other men adored a sort of divine power in them, and, thinking them either gods or in league with gods, offered up solemn prayers to these inventors of sorceries, and gave to blasphemous error the honour due to religion. Some say that the gods, whom our countrymen worshipped, shared only the title with those honoured by Greece or Latium, but that, being in a manner nearly equal to them in dignity, they borrowed from them the worship as well as the name. This must be sufficient discourse upon the deities of Danish antiquity. I have expounded this briefly for the general profit, that my readers may know clearly to what worship in its heathen superstition our country has bowed the knee." (Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum

Gesta Danorum is a work of Denmark history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history....
, Book I)


Saxo also wrote a story about how Odin's wife, Frigg, slept with a servant to obtain a device to steal Odin's gold.

"At this time there was one Odin, who was credited over all Europe with the honour, which was false, of godhead, but used more continually to sojourn at Upsala
Gamla Uppsala

Gamla Uppsala is a parish and a village outside Uppsala in Sweden. It had 16,231 inhabitants in 1991.As early as the 3rd century AD and the 4th century AD and onwards, it was an important religious, economic and political centre....
; and in this spot, either from the sloth of the inhabitants or from its own pleasantness, he vouchsafed to dwell with somewhat especial constancy.
The kings of the North, desiring more zealously to worship his deity, embounded his likeness in a golden image; and this statue, which betokened their homage, they transmitted with much show of worship to Byzantium, fettering even the effigied arms with a serried mass of bracelets. Odin was overjoyed at such notoriety, and greeted warmly the devotion of the senders. But his queen Frigg, desiring to go forth more beautified, called smiths, and had the gold stripped from the statue.
Odin hanged them, and mounted the statue upon a pedestal, which by the marvellous skill of his art he made to speak when a mortal touched it. But still Frigg preferred the splendour of her own apparel to the divine honours of her husband, and submitted herself to the embraces of one of her servants; and it was by this man's device she broke down the image, and turned to the service of her private wantonness that gold which had been devoted to public idolatry. Little thought she of practicing unchastity, that she might the easier satisfy her greed, this woman so unworthy to be the consort of a god; but what should I here add, save that such a godhead was worthy of such a wife? So great was the error that of old befooled the minds of men.
Thus Odin, wounded by the double trespass of his wife, resented the outrage to his image as keenly as that to his bed; and, ruffled by these two stinging dishonours, took to an exile overflowing with noble shame, imagining so to wipe off the slur of his ignominy. At home, Frigg went with a certain Mith-Othin and took over Odin's properties, until Odin came back and drove them away. Frigg's death later cleared Odin's name and he regained his reputation." (Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum

Gesta Danorum is a work of Denmark history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history....
, Book I)


There's also an account about how Odin was exiled by the Latin gods at Byzantium:
But the gods, whose chief seat was then at Byzantium, (Asgard), seeing that Odin had tarnished the fair name of godhead by divers injuries to its majesty, thought that he ought to be removed from their society. And they had him not only ousted from the headship, but outlawed and stripped of all worship and honour at home...


Blót

It is attested in primary sources that sacrifices were made to Odin during blót
Blot

A blot can refer to several different things.*In biology, a Blot is a method of transferring proteins, DNA, RNA or a protein onto a carrier....
s. Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen

Adam of Bremen was one of the most important Germany medieval chroniclers. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum ....
 relates that every ninth year, people assembled from all over Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 to sacrifice at the Temple at Uppsala
Temple at Uppsala

The Temple at Uppsala was a religious center in Norse paganism once located at what is now Gamla Uppsala , Sweden attested in Adam of Bremen's 11th century work Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum and in Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century....
. Male slaves and males of each species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 were sacrificed and hung from the branches of the trees.

As the Swedes had the right not only to elect their king but also to depose him, the sagas
Sagŕs

Sag?s is a small town and municipality located in Catalonia, in the comarca of Bergued?. It is located in the geographical area of the pre-Pyrenees....
 relate that both King Domalde
Domalde

In Norse mythology Domalde, D?maldi or D?maldr was a Sweden king of the House of Ynglings, cursed by his stepmother, according to Snorri Sturluson, with ?sg?ssa, "ill-luck"....
 and King Olof Trätälja
Olof Trätälja

Olaf Tree Feller was the son of the Swedish king Ingjald Ill-ruler of the House of Yngling according to Ynglingatal....
 were sacrificed to Odin after year
Year

A year is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. By extension, this can be applied to any planet: for example, a "Martian year" is the time in which Mars completes its own orbit....
s of famine
Famine

A famine is a widespread shortage of food that may apply to any faunal species, which phenomenon is usually accompanied by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased death....
. It has been argued that the killing of a combatant in battle was to give a sacrificial offering to Odin. The fickleness of Odin in war was well-documented; in Lokasenna
Lokasenna

Lokasenna is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. The poem presents flyting between the gods and Loki.Loki, amongst other things, accuses the gods of moralism sexual impropriety, the practice of seidr, and bias....
, Loki
Loki

File:Loke og Sigyn by Eckersberg.jpgIn Norse mythology, Loki is a ?ss or j?tunn . Loki's relation with the gods varies by source. Loki assists the gods, and sometimes causes problems for them....
 taunts Odin for his inconsistency.

Sometimes sacrifices were made to Odin to bring about change
Change

selfref|For Wikipedia uses, see...
s in circumstance. A notable example is the sacrifice of King Víkar
Víkar

V?kar was a legendary Norway king who found himself and his ships becalmed for a long period. To raise a wind, a human blood sacrifice was needed, and the lots fell on King V?kar himself....
 that is detailed in Gautrek's Saga and in Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus

Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus is thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund....
' account of the same event. Sailors in a fleet being blown off course drew lots to sacrifice to Odin that he might abate the wind
WIND

The Global Geospace Science WIND satellite is a NASA science spacecraft launched at 04:31:00 EST on November 1, 1994 from launch pad 17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Merritt_Island%2C_Florida, Florida aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta II 7925-10 rocket....
s. The king himself drew the lot and was hanged.

Sacrifices were probably also made to Odin at the beginning of summer (mid April, actually—summer being reckoned essentially the same as did the Celt, at Beltene, Calan Mai [Welsh], which is Mayday—hence as summer's "herald"), since Ynglinga saga
Ynglinga saga

The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. He based it on an earlier Ynglingatal which is attributed to the Norwegian 9th century skald ?j???lfr of Hvinir, and which also appears in Historia Norvegi?....
 states one of the great festivals of the calendar is
at sumri, ţat var sigrblót "in summer, for victory"; Odin is consistently referred to throughout the Norse mythos as the bringer of victory. The Ynglinga saga also details the sacrifices made by the Swedish king Aun
Aun

Ane, On, One, Auchun or Aun the Old was the son of Jorund and one of the Sweden kings of the House of Yngling, the ancestors of Norway's first king, Harald Fairhair....
, to whom it was revealed that he would lengthen his life by sacrificing one of his sons every ten
Ten

Ten may refer to:In numbers:*Number 10 *10 *10, the year 10 AD*10 BC, the year 10 BC*The month of OctoberIn entertainment:...
 years; nine of his ten sons died this way. When he was about to sacrifice his last son Egil
Ongenţeow

Ongentheow, was the name of a semi-legendary Suiones king of the house of Ynglings, who appears in Anglo-Saxon sources. He is generally identified with the Swedish king Egil who appears in Ynglingatal, Historia Norwegiae and in Ynglinga saga....
, the Swedes stopped him.

Persisting beliefs and folklore

The Christianization of Scandinavia
Christianization of Scandinavia

The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of Religious conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people, starting in the 8th century with the arrival of missionary in Denmark; it was at least nominally complete by the 12th century, although the Sami people remained unconverted until the 18th century....
 was slow, and it worked its way downwards from the nobility. Among commoners, beliefs in Odin lingered and legends would be told until modern times.

The last battle where Scandinavians attributed a victory to Odin was the Battle of Lena
Battle of Lena

The Battle of Lena took place January 31 1208, and it was probably located near Kungslena which is located in the Tidaholm Municipality in V?sterg?tland....
 in 1208. The former Swedish king Sverker
Sverker II of Sweden

Sverker The Younger Karlsson or Sverker den yngre Karlsson in Swedish language , was king of Sweden from 1196 to 1208....
 had arrived with a large Danish army, and the Swedes led by their new king Eric
Eric X of Sweden

Erik Knutsson , sometimes anachronistically numbered as Eric X was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. He was the son of Knut Eriksson and his queen, whose name is unknown, but who very probably was a high-born Swedish noblewoman....
 were outnumbered. Odin then appeared riding on Sleipnir and he positioned himself in front of the Swedish battle formation. He led the Swedish charge and gave them victory.

The
Bagler sagas
Bagler sagas

The Bagler Sagas are kings' sagas relating to events in Norway from 1202 to 1217. They are our main source to events in Norway in this period. There are two versions, one shorter and one longer, which are in modern editions usually printed as one saga....
, written in the thirteenth century concerning events in the first two decades of the thirteenth century, tells a story of a one-eyed rider with a broad-brimmed hat and a blue coat who asks a smith to shoe his horse. The suspicious smith asks where the stranger stayed during the previous night. The stranger mentions places so distant that the smith does not believe him. The stranger says that he has stayed for a long time in the north and taken part in many battles, but now he is going to Sweden. When the horse is shod, the rider mounts his horse and says "I am Odin" to the stunned smith, and rides away. The next day, the battle of Lena took place. The context of this tale in the saga is that a peace-treaty has been signed in Norway, and Odin, a god of war, no longer has a place there.

Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar

H?konar saga H?konarsonar is an Old Norse kings' sagas, telling the story of the life and reign of king Haakon IV of Norway of Norway. The saga was written by the Icelandic historian and chieftain Sturla ??r?arson, in the 1260s....
, written in the 1260s, describes how, at some point in the 1230s, Skule Baardsson has the skald Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. He was two-time elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing....
 compose a poem comparing one of Skule's enemies to Odin, describing them both as bringers of strife and disagreement. These episodes do not necessarily imply a continued belief in Odin as a god, but show clearly that his name was still widely known at this time.

Scandinavian folklore
Scandinavian folklore

Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe, and the Finland Swedish.In Scandinavia the term 'folklore' is not often used in academic circles, instead terms such as Folketro or Folkesagn have been coined....
 also maintained a belief in Odin as the leader of the Wild Hunt
Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt was a folk myth prevalent in former times across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, *etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground, or just above it....
. His main objective seems to have been to track down and kill a lady who could be the forest dweller
huldra
Huldra

In Scandinavian folklore, the huldra is a seductive forest creature. Other names include the Swedish skogsr? or skogsfru and Tallemaja ....
n or skogsrĺet. In these accounts, Odin was typically a lone hunter, save for his two dogs.

In late 19th century Danish folklore, an account of Odin as having hid in a cliff of Mřen (modern Mřn, Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
) where his residence there is "still pointed out." At this time, he was referred to as the "
Jćtte (giant) from Uppsala
Uppsala

Uppsala is the capital of Uppsala County and the fourth largest Cities of Sweden of Sweden with 128,409 inhabitants.Located about 70 km north of the capital Stockholm, it is also the seat of the Uppsala municipality ....
" but "is now called Jön Upsal" and from this latter name comes the expression "
Men jötten dog!" as opposed to the expression "Men Jös dog!" ("By Jesus!"). Outside his doorway a green spot is described on the otherwise white cliff; this is where he "goes out on behalf of nature". A man who "now lives in Copenhagen" is described as having once sailed along the cliff, having seen Jön toss out his "dirt" - a big cloud of dust was to be seen outside of his door. Several "still living people" have lost their way in Klinteskoven ("The Cliff Forest") and ended up in Jön Upsal's garden, that is said to be so big and wonderful that it is beyond any description. The garden is also in full bloom in midwinter. If one sets out to find this garden, it is impossible to find.

Names

Odin was referred to by more than 200 names which hint at his various roles. He was Known as Yggr (terror) Sigfodr (father of Victory) and Alfodr (All Father) in the skald
Skald

The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry ....
ic and Eddic
Edda

The term Edda applies to the Old Norse Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, both of which were written down in medieval Iceland during the 13th century....
 traditions of heiti
Heiti

A heiti is a synonym used in Old_Norse_Poetry in place of the normal word for something. For instance, Old Norse poets might use j?r "steed" instead of the prosaic hestr "horse"....
 and kennings, a poetic method of indirect reference, as in a riddle.

Some epithets establish Odin as a father god: Alföđr "all-father", "father of all"; Aldaföđr "father of men (or of the age)"; Herjaföđr "father of hosts"; Sigföđr "father of victory"; Valföđr "father of the slain".

Eponymy

Many toponyms in Northern Europe
Northern Europe

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as including the following countries and dependent regions:...
 where Germanic Tribes existed contain the name of *Wodanaz (Norse Odin, West Germanic Woden).

Wednesday
Wednesday

Wednesday is a day of the week in the Gregorian calendar. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. This day is between Tuesday and Thursday....
 is named after Odin (Old English
Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
 
Wednes dćg, "Woden's day"). It is an early Germanic translation of the Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 
dies Mercurii ("Mercury's day"),

Odin came to be used as a Norwegian male given name
Given name

A given name is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name ....
 from the 19th century, originally in the context of the Romanticist Viking revival
Viking revival

The Viking revival was an increase in popular and scholarly interest in and enthusiasm for the history and culture of the Vikings and other Norsemen of the Viking Age....
.

Modern influence


Art and literature

Odin appears (as "Wotan") in Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, Conducting, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas . Unlike most other great opera composers, Wagner wrote both the scenario and libretto for his works....
's opera cycle,
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen

Der Ring des Nibelungen is a literature cycle of four epic poetry music dramas by the Germany composer Richard Wagner. The operas are based loosely on characters from the Sagas and the Nibelungenlied....
. This has led to many portrayals based on Wagner's interpretation, although some are closer to pre-Wagner models.

Odin appears as Mr. Wednesday in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods
American Gods

American Gods is a novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow....
.

Germanic neopaganism

Odin, along with the other Germanic Gods and Goddesses, is recognized by Germanic neopagans
Germanic neopaganism

Germanic Neopaganism is the Neopaganism of historical Germanic paganism. Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Esotericism in Germany and Austria....
. His Norse form is particularly acknowledged in Ásatrú
Ásatrú

File:Valknut-Symbol-triquetra.svg in the United States is a form of Germanic Neopaganism, in particular inspired by the Norse paganism as described in the Eddas and as practiced prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia....
, the "faith in the Ćsir", an officially recognized religion in Iceland
Iceland

Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland , is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean between mainland Europe and Greenland....
, Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
, Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
 Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 and Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....


External links