User:ImaginesTigers/sandbox

Odin, in his guise as a wanderer, as imagined by Georg von Rosen (1886)

See More

Odin (/ˈoʊdɪn/; from Old Norse: Óðinn) is a widely venerated god within Germanic paganism. Most narratives involving Odin come from Norse mythology.

Name

Etymology

Picture of ribe skull fragment and illustration showing runes

Other names

With over 170 names, Odin has the most of any deity. Rudolf Simek provides three general classifications: some were pseudonymously used by Odin in a story, like Grimnir; others were created by poets, such as Alfaðir; and several were inherited names used by ancient Germanic tribes for their chief gods. Several of his names relate to his self-sacrifice.

Wednesday

Main article: Wednesday

The practice of naming days of the week after the planets comes from Babylonia; the practice continued to the Greek language and then to Latin. The Latin name given to the modern weekday Wednesday was dies Mercurii—the day of Mercury. This was translated, known as a calque, in the North to óðinsdagr (Old English: wodnesdæg).

Cognate terms are found in other Germanic languages, such as Middle Low German and Middle Dutch Wōdensdach (modern Dutch woensdag), Old Frisian Wērnisdei (≈ Wērendei) and Old Norse Óðinsdagr (cf. Danish, Norwegian, Swedish onsdag). All of these terms derive from Late Proto-Germanic *Wodanesdag ('Day of Wōðanaz').

Historical and archaeological record

Early attestations

Things, deities included, change of all the time and from place to place. This means that even when we speak of Óðinn as identical with Mercury or Woden, the identity is never complete, just as Óðinn himself was not the same across all over Scandinavia, and in some places and at certain times some functions of the god would be more accentuated than others, just as he would most likely have been blended with other gods ocassionally.

Jens Peter Schjødt, "Óðinn", The Pre-Christian Religions of the North (2020)

Scholars have suggested that Odin's cult arrived in Scandinavia in the late Roman Iron Age, for example brought by the Heruli around that time (c. 500 CE). Schjødt concludes that "a god of the Óðinn type" was present from the beginning of the Common Era to the Viking Age. While pagan Norsemen possessed the runic alphabet, which was used throughout the Germanic world, they only used it to inscribe stone, metal and wood, and did not use parchment like other ancient civilisations. Consequently, very few narratives survive from the pagan period about Germanic paganism and its practices. Scholarship typically begins with Roman accounts, chiefly the historian Tacitus's (56–120 CE) in Germania (98 CE).

Greeks and Romans equated foreign gods with their own if they shared similar characteristics. Speaking of a group he called the "Suebi", Tacitus identified Mercury as the god they primarily worshipped. The first sentence of Tacitus account is a verbatim quotation of Julius Caesar (Latin: "deorum maxime Mercurium colunt"; English: "Among the gods Mercury is the one they principally worship"), although Caesar was describing the Gauls. Caesar himself was probably quoting Herodotus's description of Thracian princes, who—like Caesar—claimed divine descent from Mercury, so this reinforced his status as the divine, rightful ruler of broad territories. The Suebi described by Tacitus comprised multiple groups of people occupying a very broad geographic range. Some scholars contest the reliability of Tacitus' account.

The Germanic god Wodan is generally identified with Mercury in the interpretico romana. Some scholars reject the equivalence. Several hypothesis have been proposed regarding the connection, but it is not possible to determine what characteristics they shared. Schjødt suggests there must have been some "special reason" to equate the Germani's most powerful god with a relatively minor Roman one. Annette Lassen notes similarities between Mercury and Odin of later Old Norse–Icelandic myth, like resourcefulness and rhetorical skill, but concludes that the gods of this period likely do not resemble those worshipped during the Viking Age, and the connection with Mercury may have influenced how later writers characterised the Norse Odin. Jens Peter Schjødt suggests more appropriate language for these figures is a god "of the Óðinn type" because their functions may have differed considerably.

Middle Ages

A plate from a Swedish Vendel era helmet featuring a figure riding a horse, accompanied by two ravens, holding a spear and shield, and confronted by a serpent

The Migration Period roughly constitutes 400—575 CE and receives its name from the "extensive movements of the Germanic tribes around Europe" at the period. Richard North suggests that the Germanic Odin's cult started as Mercury cults in Roman Gaul, spreading northward through Germania, across the North Sea into Scandinavia and England by the end of the 5th century. Germanic paganism was practiced across a broad geographic range from Iceland to the Black Sea. While the Goths converted to Christianity in the third and fourth centuries, Scandinavia remained pagan long beyond this point. There is some evidence to suggest similar traditional narratives between Scandinavian and Goth people before Goth Christianisation but limited evidence supporting the practice of Scandinavian religion by the Goths. An inscription found on a gold torque has been proposed to translate as "sacred to Wodan-Jupiter"; both the inscription and the translation are contested. The oldest find mentioning his name is a bracteate, dated to around 400 CE, and discovered in 2023 in an 800-gram hoard of gold. Skilfully inscribed with 34 runes, the final sequence reads, "[H]e who is Óðin's man", alongside an image suspected to depict an unknown king.

There is iconographical evidence of Odin, much discovered in the Vendel Period. Named by Swedish archaeologists for the extensive wealth finds from this period in Sweden, it refers roughly to 600–800 CE. Another Danish bracteate from this period depicts human sacrifice, although it is unclear to whom they were made; the only depictions of human sacrifice survive from this era. Lindow writes that bracteates were initially based on Roman iconography but "developed characteristic Germanic forms", with some scholars arguing that these often depict Odin. A large collection of gold bracteates, dating to the 5th or 6th century, may depict Odin in mythological scenes, although these are also naturally disputed. The Ribe skull fragment, dating to before 800 CE, bears Odin's name. Many other archaeological finds have been suggested to depict the god, including helmet plates found in a grave; the 8th-century Tjångvide and Ardre VIII image stones; and a pair of identical Germanic Iron Age bird-shaped brooches found in Denmark.

Placenames suggest his presence as a god in early 7th-century south England by Anglo-Saxons. While belief in these Odin figures may have continued within Germanic tribes, English belief was fading by the 8th century. The English Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century but much older, mentions Odin in connection with the healing of healing of snake poisoning.

Viking Age

Viking Age poems are an important source for understanding Odin. A collection of Old Norse heroic and mythological poems, known today as the Poetic Edda ("eddic poems"), an important source in understanding Odin's mythology because they are likely the least affected by Christian influence. They are some of the primary sources for his character in the pagan period. Six eddic poems feature Odin as primary character or narrator, and he appears in several more. Although hard to date, they were broadly composed between the 9th and 13th centuries. There are also the pagan skaldic poems, which were composed within the same tradition but for whom a named author—a poet or skald—survives. Odin usually features within these as part of kennings, and is never their protagonist or narrator. The skalds emphasised Odin's association with poetry. He plays a supporting role in some heroic poems, chiefly those involving Sigurd, dispensing advice. The information related by these poems is largely corroborated by other sources. In these he is frequently characterised as winning favour as a god of warriors and poets.

By the end of pagan times, Odin was the pre-eminent pagan god.

Christian era

The Church and scholars of 12th and 13th century Iceland believed the æsir, including Odin, were ancient mortal kings who knew sorcery, possessed magical items, and allowed themselves to be worshipped. Odin was frequently the god of choice for Christian writers selecting a pagan god to represent demons or devils.

Odin appears in eight of the first nine books of Saxo Grammaticus's Danish history, the Gesta Danorum. It is the only Scandinavian source in Latin and his name is provided as Othinius. The most prominent pagan god in the text, he functions as patron god of the Danish people, influencing their heroes through bringing victory and death in war and battle, and knows the future. Saxo's sources included Icelandic works and informants. He is sometimes mentioned as old and one-eyed in this version. Lassen says it is not possible to provide a full list of Saxo's sources, but broadly they included classical Latin authors, medieval historiography, and Danish-language sources. Karsten Friis Johansen highlights Saxo's challenge of the Roman–Norse conversion by highlighting a discrepancy between in familial relations.

Many mythological narratives regarding the god were written by one Christian—the Icelandic historian and politician Snorri Sturluson. Snorri wrote the Prose Edda in the 1220s to instruct and educate contemporary poets on Old Norse myths and poetic allusions, and it is the closest we have to an Icelandic–Old Norse mythography. Snorri wrote his Poetic Edda around the 1220s, "cutting and pasting orally-transmitted sources". Snorri's use of sources from different traditions makes it hard to provide a simple overview of Odin's characterisation in his texts. Odin scholar Annette Lassen describes Odin's characterisation a "distortion" of the Christian God while still being identifiably pagan. The Ynglinga saga, the first part of Heimskringla, is the most detailed origin account for Odin and depicts him as a human hero from ancient Asia. Scholars generally assume that the saga was based on the earlier skaldic poem Ynglingatal. While Snorri is generally credited as the author, this is disputed by some scholars.

Cult

Placenames are an important area of research, but it is a fraught and complex topic. According to Schjødt, the placenames suggest Odin had cult presence across Scandinavia and England. While there are no Odinic placenames in Iceland, he nonetheless was known there, but probably not worshipped to the same extent. Several scholars highlight that inhabitants named the places in which they lived, not kings or chieftains, and stress Odin's function as a god of royalty. Turville-Petre highlights the lack of presence in Iceland as stemming from the country's lack of a king. Price argues that it suggests something about the mindset of his elite followers that Odin was regarded as an appropriate patron despite his repeated characterisation as malicious.

Little information survives about early Germanic worship of Odin, but there are some suggestions of human sacrifice. The 11th-century writer Adam of Bremen chronicled his visit to a temple of Wodan, possibly named Ubsola, in Uppsala, Sweden. He describes a Spring equinox festival held every nine years wherein nine males were hanged in a grove alongside dogs and horses while participants sung "manifold and obscene" songs; afterwards, participants held a feast. These lasted nine days, sacrificing a man each day, and he mentions images of Odin, Thor and Freyr displayed in the temple, contradicting the much earlier accounts of Tacitus who said they did not worship images. Of Wodan, Adam writes: "The second is Wodan, that is, ‘frenzy’. He rules war and gives people strength against the enemy". Scholars have questioned the accuracy of Adam's account. The bishop of Merseburg provided a similar but less detailed account a century earlier than Adam—but placenames confirm that the gods were worshipped in the area. Sundqvist indicates that Adam was "influenced by tendencies, clichés and stereotypes", and his account was influenced by the Danish king Sweyn II and "a certain Christian", perhaps Adalvard the Younger. Snorri Sturluson links the sacrifices at Uppsala to Freyr, which which Rudolf Simek concurs, citing the equinox and songs as evidence of a fertility sacrifice. In Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar, Snorri describes that the first toast at a festival should be made to Odin for victory, kingdom and king.

Mythology

Main article: Odin in Norse mythology

Literature is the primary source for Odin's mythos. While there are older, non-literary sources—for example, rune-stones and place names—these are of lesser value to understanding his place in mythology and more value to understanding the rituals and worship of his cult.

Character and attributes

Odin is ... not very reassuring. His face hidden under his hood, in his somber blue cloak, he goes about the world, simultaneously master and spy. It happens that he betrays his believers and his protétés, and he sometimes seems to take pleasure in the sowing of fatal discord.

Georges Dumézil, trans. by John Lindow, Gods of the Ancient Northmen (1973)

Odin is a central figure in ancient Scandinavian mythology. His attestations are frequently cryptic and contradictory. Generally, Odin is a king and a sorcerer, talented at poetry, with knowledge of the runes. He is a battle god associated with war and death. From the 13th century, Odin's is somewhat consistently described as old, one-eyed, wearing a hat or hood and a cloak of blue or black. His weaponry usually includes a spear called Gungnir, and a shield. He has many attested mistresses and is, according to Schjødt, "a great seducer of women".

Historical artifacts begin depicting Odin with his ravens, Huginn and Muninn, from the end of the Migration Age (c. 6th century). He partly owes his great knowledge of the world to these ravens because they travel the universe each day and return, telling him all they saw; he was sometimes called hrafnagud (trans. "raven-god"). An older element appears to be his ring, Draupnir, which produces eight identically sized rings every nine nights, perhaps as symbol of regeneration.

Odin is not described as trustworthy. Odin frequently uses disguises to fool both mortals and other gods. Turville-Petre regards him as insidious, while Neil Price highlights his habit for manipulating events and people across the eddic poems and Snorri's work. Jens Peter Schjødt writes that the sagas depict Odin as "demonic" and "wise, but often unreliable", describing these as likely true pagan conceptions of the deity. Ryan Johnson cites an instance in Harbarésljod where Odin fools Thor with a disguise and a false name then mocks Thor for being fooled.

A wanderer, his favoured method of travelling is his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, who is conceived by the union of Loki, who had transformed himself into a mare, and the stallion Svaðilfari. Schjødt suggests Sleipnir's unusual parentage explains why it can traverse different worlds. He is the only god among the æsir depicted as riding a horse.

Family

See also: Frigg and Sons of Odin

16th-century depiction of Norse gods from Olaus Magnus's A Description of the Northern Peoples; from left to right, Frigg, Thor and Odin

Odin is described as the son of the giantess Bestla across the skaldic verses, the Poetic Edda, and Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning. In eddic poetry and Snorri's Gylfaginning, his father is named as Bur. John Lindow notes the coupling of Bestla and Bur as an example of a "very basic operational pattern" in Norse mythology wherein male Norse gods marry, or procreate with, giantesses. There are some attestations to his parents' ancestors. Hávamál—an Old Norse poem attributed to Odin—names Bestla's grandfather as Bölþorn. Snorri's Gylfaginning is the sole surviving reference to Odin's paternal grandfather, Búri, who was licked out of salt rimes by the primordial cow Auðumbla. Vili and Vé are attested by Snorri as helping him create the world and humanity, but do not appear prominently in any other surviving sources; Schjødt highlights that the trio's names would have been alliterative in older times.

Odin's wife is the Vanir goddess Frigg. Peter A. Munch observes that her father's name, Fjörgynn, connects Frigg with Thor's mother, Jörð, for whom an alternate name is Fjörgyn. Snorri describes her as foremost of the Ásynja. Like Odin, Frigg possessed foresight and knew the fates of all living things. The Old Norse poem Völuspá and Snorri's Prose Edda name Frigg's residence as Fensalir. Odin and Frigg interfere in human matters, typically opposing each other, as in Grímnismál. Orchard compares their relationship to the squabbling marriage of Zeus and Hera. Lindow describes two attested functions of the goddess: wife and mother. In Vafthrúdnismál, she fulfils a wifely function by warning Odin against waging a contest of wisdom with the wisest giant, Vafthrúdnir, but provides encouragement when he does. Snorri's Ynglinga saga tells that Odin's brothers share Frigg and divide his inheritance during a particularly long absence from Odin. Lindow suggests that Odin's brothers receiving his inheritance implies the absence of an heir and therefore places the story early in his chronology. Saxo Grammaticus's Danish history includes a story where, according to Orchard, "Frigg, jealous of Odin's success, cuckolds him with a slave".

In the skaldic tradition, Odin has three sons—Baldr, Thor, and Váli. Snorri adds Bragi, Heimdall, Höd, Týr and Víðarr, with the last also attested in several eddic poems. In Hárbarðsljóð, Thor is provided with the kenning "Meili's brother" twice; Snorri explicitly describes Odin as the father of Meili. Týr is provided with the kenning "son of Odin" by Snorri's Skáldskaparmál, but is described elsewhere as son of the giant Hymir. Heimdall is described as a son of Odin by Snorri; his maternal parentage is covered by several sources but Odin's fatherhood has been contested by scholars. Only Snorri notes Nepr as a son of Odin and the father of Nanna in a part sometimes excised from Skáldskaparmál (þulur). Andy Orchard writes that some of Snorri's judgements on Odin's sons were made "in the face of conflicting evidence".

Thor is widely described as the son of Odin by the giantess Jörð in skaldic poems, the eddic poems Lokasenna and Þrymskviða, and Snorri's Skáldskaparmál. In Snorri's telling, Thor's birth the product of incest, with Jörð being Odin's daughter, but there is no surviving source that supports this. Scholars have widely discussed the relationship between the two. Rudolf Simek describes rivalry as a focus of early scholars, originating with Odin's mockery of Thor—describing himself as a god of royalty and Thor as a god of farmer-warriors—in Hárbarðsljóð. Veneration of Odin was mainly confined to the societal elite and those aligned with them, like skalds and rune-masters, with the former writing Hárbarðsljóð. John Lindow highlights the skald Þjóðólfr of Hvinir's poem Haustlöng as another example of rivalry between the two: Thor wins a duel against a giant Odin wronged, cleaning up his mess, "and in so doing [...] he put a star in place, thereby taking on a bit of the cosmogonic role usually held by Odin".

As Odin's son to his wife Frigg, Baldr is Odin's oldest legitimate son; he is one of the most important Germanic deities. Snorri relates him as as Odin's second son; his mother is mentioned as Frigg in Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál. Snorri describes Baldr as the wisest and kindest of the æsir; his death is among the most famous of the Norse myths. In Snorri's account of Baldr's funeral, Odin places his ring Draupnir on Baldr's pyre. Rudolf Simek attributes this myth's origin to a shamanistic Odin cult.

Two of Odin's sons have associations with vengeance—Víðarr and Váli. Víðarr's mother is given as the giantess Grid by Snorri. At Ragnarök, he will avenge his father's death by killing the monstrous wolf Fenrir. Avenging the death of Baldr is Váli, called Bous by Saxo Grammaticus; the eddic poem Hyndluljóð mentions a Váli as Baldr's avenger but has no other description. Several sources describe Odin fathering Váli to avenge Baldr by conquering the giantess Rindr through sorcery, an act of which only he is capable. Both are said by the Poetic Edda's Vafthrúdnismál to survive Ragnarök.

Odin has grandchildren. Snorri attests to Forseti as the son of Baldr and Nanna. Thor and his wife Sif have two sons—Móði and Magni—and a daughter, Thrúd.

Creation myth

A trio of gods give life to Ask and Embla, the first humans (Robert Engels, 1919)

Main article: Norse creation myth

There are two sources of the creation myth in Norse mythology: Snorri's Gylfaginning and the earlier Old Norse eddic poem Völuspá, from which he drew extensively. He quotes it extensively but changes language in some places. In Vafþrúðnismál, Odin quizzes a giant on how heaven and earth were formed; the giant answers that they came from the dismembered body of the primordial giant Ymir, but he does not mention how or by whom. The anonymous Old Norse poem Völuspá relates "the sons of Bur" as having raised the earth and shaped Midgard, who Snorri identifies as Odin and his brothers Vili and Vé. Völuspá does not credit the sons of Bur with the creation from nothing of the sun, moon or stars and instead describes the sons named them and set their courses through the sky. Snorri's contemporaries may have interpreted Odin's status as "All-father" as a heathen conception of the Christian God; the subsequent revelation that Odin was not alone before creation—he existed alongside with frost giants—would have complicated this interpretation. Snorri's description of the Norse cosmogony probably incorporates non-Germanic elements, including the Old Testament.

Snorri depicts the creation of the first man and woman, Askr and Embla, differently than the earlier Völuspá. Snorri attributes the act to Odin, Vili and Vé; the trio make mankind from two tree trunks with Odin bestowing breath and life; Vili providing intelligence and movement; and Vé granting them their appearances, sight, speech and hearing. In Völuspá, the act is ascribed to Odin, Hœnir, and Lóðurr, with Odin giving them "breath".

Ragnarök

Main article: Ragnarök

Ragnarök is the final fight of the gods against the forces of chaos. The procession of events are detailed in Snorri's Gylfaginning and the earlier eddic poem Völuspá. The death of Odin's son, Baldr, initiates the process, preceding a terrible winter. Then, the world is then destroyed with fire by Surtr and the Midgard Serpent causes the earth to sink into the ocean. Finally, then sun is swallowed by the monstrous wolf Fenrir. Odin, who is the god responsible for the world, rides to Mimir's well for advice. Bearing chain mail, a golden helmet and his spear, Odin leads the einherjar into battle, and is killed by the wolf Fenrir. He is avenged by his son Viðarr. After the world is burned and renewed, the surviving gods meet and recall Odin's deeds and "ancient runes".

Some scholars characterise the events of each as Christian in origin. Lassen notes a possible allegory for the burning of Troy at the end of the Trojan War, with Odin as the king of Troy and Fenrir as Neoptolemus.

Sacrifices

Further information: Mímisbrunnr

In Hávamál, Odin's sacrifice—of himself and to himself—is described. He hangs on a tree for nine nights without sustenance and pierced by a spear, finally "having a vision of the runes which he grasps howling". Scholars have interpreted this in various ways. Some identify Christian influence: the sacrifice might be a pagan reflection of Jesus' crucifixion, or could have been composed by a Christian poet as a distortion or misunderstanding of it. Lassen suggests the sacrifice of a god to to himself as similar to God the Son sacrificing himself to God the Father.

Gabriel Turville-Petre says the sacrifice can be explained in pagan terms: Odin is a god of the dead, especially of the hanged; his preferred weapon is a spear; and he is an attested recipient of human sacrifice. Turville-Petre notes several stories where legendary figures are sacrificed to Odin, primarily the societal elite. Odin's act may share traits with the sacrifice of Víkar, depicted in Gautreks saga and a retelling by Saxo.

Other interpretations include the self-sacrifice as akin to shamanic trance, or the initiation ceremony of a cult leader. The tree is widely presumed to represent Yggdrasil. Lindow notes Ygg as a name for Odin (transl. "The Terrifying"; or "Terrible One"); with drasil meaning steed, and thus Odin "riding" the gallows. Other scholars associate the tree with Mímir; it is called Mimameiðr (transl. "Mimi's tree") in Svipdagsmál, with the spelling difference unexplained.

Divine functions

Wisdom and knowledge

Odin is associated with knowledge by several mythological poems. There is some evidence that providing counsel was one of his primary functions in the Middle Ages. Other associations include his wisdom contest with the wisest of the giants. Neil Price writes that he is not personally omniscient, instead participating in dangerous rituals to acquire knowledge. In Snorri's Gylfaginning, Odin sacrifices an eye to drink from Mímisbrunnr (transl. Mimir's well). Simek lists other mythical stories cofirming Odin's knowledge including the wisdom contest in Vafþrúðnismál; his reveal of mythical knowledge in Grímnismál; and a riddling contest in the Hervarar saga. Several mythological elements loosely associated with memory are tied to Odin, like Mimir, Mimir's well, and Odin's ravens.

Odin seeks knowledge from seers or the dead in several stories. He seeks a complete understanding of the world as a means of control. Odin's sacrifice of himself to himself is the source of much of his knowledge, but it not clear what particular knowledge he sought to gain. Price highlights that his other knowledge-seeking exploits often have clear goals—for example, investigating Ragnarök and the fate of Baldr—but it is unclear what he seeks to learn from dead humans. Odin also exchanges his eye for a drink from Mimir's well (lit. "mímisbrunnr") to acquire wisdom, with the story's details differing in the tellings of Ynglinga saga and Gylfaginning.

Battle and death

Valknut on the Stora Hammars I stone

Odin is identified as the god of battle, war and death. One of his central functions was to grant victory to kings. In Völuspá, Odin initiates the first war by using his spear as a weapon; in Ynglinga saga and elsewhere, the start of battle is marked by throwing a spear into the enemy army as a dedication to him. The first war—the Æsir–Vanir War—is attested by the eddic Völuspá and, according to Lindow, the "somewhat varying descriptions" provided by Snorri's Ynglinga saga and Edda. He characterises it primarily as a story of reconciliation rather than warfare. As part of this war, Odin receives the decapitated head of Mímir, who provides him with knowledge about "hidden things". The æsir's victory results in the merging of the two tribes of gods, and bans brother–sister incest among the vanir. Scholars have frequently discussed this myth as an analogy for historical or cultural changes. Rudolf Simek writes that a symbol, called Hrungir's heart by Snorri and known today as the valknut, "consisting of three interwoven triangles"—is exclusively depicted on pictorial stones with Odin and carved into death gifts, and may have related to his deathly function; Hilda Ellis Davidson connects it to his ability to suppress foes or empower allies in battle.

In Snorri's telling of Ynglinga saga, Odin claims all who die from a weapon. The Odin of that saga is a successful conqueror: he can blind, deafen and intimidate battle opponents. Although his warriors are not explicitly called berserkir, their combat style is called beserkgangr. After death, fallen warriors go to Odin in Valhalla, where they join his personal host, the einherjar; the 10th-century skaldic poems Eiríksmál and Hákonarmál depict Odin as the ruler of Valhalla and god of the dead.

He is sometimes interpreted as lord of the Valkyries, who serve beer for Odin and the einherjar, and—in Gylfaginning—decide the victors and victims of war. He gives them instructions in the skaldic poem Hákonarmál and sends them into battle in Snorri's Edda. Olof Sundqvist argues that fallen kings and warriors' joining with Odin in Valhalla may serve as a kind of deification for kings, connecting them to the mythical world. Price notes Odin's collection of dead warriors as a kind of compliment because "it is always at his hands that his most favoured champions are finally killed".

Magic

Odin is of few men in Norse mythology to practice seiðr, a kind of sorcery. Neil Price describes him as the æsir's supreme master of sorcery. Baldrs draumar titles him "father of the magic chant". Scholars have frequently explored Odin as a shaman figure. Several authors characterise an element in Grímnismál—Odin sits between two fires for nine nights, listing of magic and mythic knowledge—as shamanic. This has been contested by others, including Price and Georges Dumézil.

Snorri ascribes various powers and abilities to him. His descriptions of Odin's magic are contested by some scholars. Clunies Ross describes them as a "rationalisation of established social and religious custom", while Price argues that we cannot know whether the depiction represents "any kind of Viking-Age reality". Price situates Odin's practice of seiðr within a wider catalogue of Norse mythological magic. This magic is connected to his knowledge of runes and acquisition of the mead of poetry.

Poetry

Odin is a god of poetry and poets. The source of this information are Snorri and, perhaps unsurprisingly, poets. At least one text, he is described as speaking only in verse. An Odin myth is given for the origin of poetry in the eddic Hávamál and Snorri's Skáldskaparmál. Another version was probably lost. In Snorri's telling, the æsir and vanir mix their spit after the end of their war, creating the wise Kvasir. Kvasir travels the world until he is killed by two dwarves. With his blood, the dwarves create the mead of poetry, which makes any who drink it wise and poetic; it is later acquired by the giants. Under a false name ("Bölverk", transl. evil deed), Odin ventures to the giants' land and steals it for the æsir and humanity, fleeing in the shape of an eagle.

Royalty

Odin is widely described as a sovereign of the æsir, serving as their leader. Snorri describes him as "highest" and "oldest", "[ruling] over everything". While some literary sources provide him the of title Alfoðr (transl. Father of All), pagans likely did not see him as having such a "dominaint position" and this title may reflect Christian influence. Snorri provides Odin's high seat as Hlidskjalf and locates it within the hall of Valaskjálf. Some scholars contest the throne characterisation and characterise it as a watchtower. Snorri describes that sitting on Hlidskjalf makes Odin an omniscient and prescient god, which Lassen describes as paralleling Greek and Biblical mythology.

Odin is often presented as an ancestral figure for royalty. The 10th-century skald Eyvindr Finnson and scholar Svante Nordin presented Odin as the ancestor of 10th-century Norwegian king Haakon the Good and the Swedish dynasty of Yngling. The Byzantine writer Jordanes provided the ancestor of the Amal dynasty in the 6th century using a name associated with Odin in the Grímnismál. In the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon monk Bede inserted Odin's name ("Uoden") into his history of England a royal ancestor. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles name Woden as ancestor of the kings of Lindsey, Mercia, Deira and Bernicia. Some expand to Woden's ancestry, giving his father as Frealaf beginning in the 8th century, "the founder of all Anglian and Anglian-dominated tribes".

Paul the Deacon's 8th-century work History of the Lombards suggests that Woden, alongside "Frea", were majors god of the Lombards, a Germanic group from the Italian peninsula. Dunn describes the evidence for this as Paul's story of "Godan" giving the Lombards' their name. Paul suggests an association with victory and battle at this time, through the Lombards' forebearer, the Winnili. The 9th-century Old Saxon Baptismal Vow required a renouncement of Uoden. Lassen highlights that the 10th-century ealdorman Æthelweard, in his Chronicon, mentions pagan sacrifice to "Vuoddan" (rex barbarorum, king of the Barbarians), for courage and victory. Snorri

Research and interpretation

Odin's representation across a diverse set of textual traditions has led to a variety of interpretative modes by scholars, creating a reputation for him as a peculiarly complex deity. Odin's complexity is a recurring feature of research; there is very little about him that has gone undiscussed, and most hypotheses have been contested in some way by someone. The most important of the æsir and the most ambiguous, he has likely drawn more interest from scholars than any other Norse god.

20th century

According to Annette Lassen, 20th-century scholarship diversified into a wide range of interpretative modes, including archaeology, philology, folklorists and literary theorists.

The work of philologist Jan de Vries (1890—1964) has been some of the most widely consulted for over fifty years. His etymological dictionary is still considered the standard. De Vries's archaeological evidence was limited to the prehistory period. The descriptive parts of his analysis—such as his etymological dictionary—remain relevant but his interpretations are debated. De Vries was a strong proponent for Odin's association with the god Óðr; in his argument, Óðr (*wōðaz) was the elder form and the ultimate source of the name Óðinn (*wōða-naz).

Georges Dumézil (1898—1986) made significant contributions to the reconstruction of Norse mythology, and produced two important books on the subject. He proposed a background for Odin rooted in Indo-European religion. He classified deities according to three functions: sovereignty, might or force, and fertility. Subdividing sovereignty into awe-inspiring leadership or contractual, he argued Odin as representing the awesome dimension and Týr as the contractual. Some scholars, including many of the Pre-Christian Religions of the North project, strongly dispute Dumézil's theories. Lindow, for example, disparages Dumézil's categorisation for equating deities from different cultures with no shared etymology. Other critics to discuss Odin's Indo-European background include a detailed account by Franz Rolf Schröder in 1965; Wolfgang Schultz who argued for a ritual perspective in 1929; and Samuel Singer, who proposed Arabic influence in 1931.

Since at least the 1930s, several 20th-century scholars have explored Odin's connection to the largest mystery religion of Rome, Mithraism. Archaeologists Anders Kaliff and Olof Sundqvist suggest that both cults influenced the religious practices of the other. Folklorist Hilda Ellis Davidson highlights that the Romans compared both Mithras and Odin to Mercury; shared symbolism through ravens and wolves. Likewise, Odin and Mithras were associated with rulers, military power, and death.

Danish scholar Annette Lassen has produced several celebrated studies of Odin primarily using literary sources. Other recent summaries of Odin scholarship __

Legacy

Further information: Norse mythology in popular culture

Odin has an extraordinary cultural footprint. Many things have been inspired by or appropriated his name, from the city Odense in Denmark, and the archaeon Odinarchaeia, to the Finnish white-supremacist group Soldiers of Odin.

Literature

J. R. R. Tolkien drew from Norse mythology in building his legendarium. The wizard Gandalf shares characteristics with Odin, including his appearance and use of magic; Tolkien once described Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer". His horse has been compared to Odin's steed, Sleipnir, and the One Ring shares attributes with Odin's ring Draupnir. British writer Neil Gaiman's American Gods (2001) features a modernised incarnation of Odin, portrayed by Ian McShane in the television adaptation.

In the 1960s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby incorporated Norse mythology into the Marvel Comics brand with the superhero Thor. Odin was introduced alongside other mythic characters like Heimdall and Hel. Odin is the wife of Frigg, father of Thor and, in a divergence from the mythology, the adoptive father of Loki. This family structure was adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Odin portrayed by Anthony Hopkins across 3 Thor films: Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Marvel's cinematic Odin diverges greatly from the version of Norse myth, scolding Thor for provoking war and eschewing his associations with magic and poetry.

Bibliography

Books

• Andrén, Anders; Jennbert, Kristina; Raudvere, Catharina, eds. (2007). Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes and Interactions. Nordic Academic Press.

• • Kaliff, Olof; Sundqvist. "Odin and Mithras: Religious acculturation in the Roman Iron Age and the Migration Period". In Andrén, Jennbert & Raudvere (2007), pp. 212–217.

• • Hultgård, Anders. "The Askr and Embla myth in comparative perspective". In Andrén, Jennbert & Raudvere (2007), pp. 58–63.

• • Lassen, Annette. "Textual figures of Óðinn". In Andrén, Jennbert & Raudvere (2007), pp. 280–288.

• Birley, Anthony; Tacitus, Cornelius (1999). Agricola and Germany. Translated by Birley, Anthony. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-283300-6.

• Clunies Ross, Margaret (1994). Prolonged Echoes: Old Norse Myths in Medieval Northern Society. Vol. 1: The Myths. Odense University Press. ISBN 978-87-7838-008-1.

• Crocker, Christopher; Geeraert, Dustin (2022). Cultural Legacies of Old Norse Literature: New Perspectives. D. S. Brewer. ISBN 978-1-84384-638-3.

• • Johnson, Ryan E. "The Odinic Motif: The Wanderer in the Mist". In Crocker & Geeraert (2022), pp. 88–112.

• Davidson, Hilda E. (1978). "Mithras and Wodan". In Duchesne-Guillermin, J. (ed.). Études Mithriaques: Actes du 2e Congrès International (1st ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-05689-3.

• Davidson, Hilda Ellis (1990) [1964]. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-013627-2.

• Davidson, Hilda Ellis (1975). "Scandinavian Cosmology". In Carmen, Blacker; Loewe, Michael (eds.). Ancient Cosmologies. George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0 04 100038 2.

• de Vries, Jan (1962). Altnordisches Etymologisches Worterbuch (1977 ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-05436-3. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)

• de Vaan, Michiel (2008). Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic languages. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-16797-1.

• Dronke, Ursula (2000). The Poetic Edda. Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-811181-8.

• DuBois, Thomas A. (1999). Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1714-8.

• Dumézil, Georges (1973). Haugen, Einar (ed.). Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Translated by Lindow, John. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-02044-3.

• Dunn, Marilyn (2013). Belief and Religion in Barbarian Europe c. 350–700 (1st ed.). Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4411-0023-8.

• Friis-Jensen, Karsten, ed. (2015). Saxo Grammaticus: Gesta Ganorum: The History of the Danes. Vol. 2. Translated by Friss-Jensen, Karsten. Oxford University Press.

• Heebøll-Holm, Thomas Kristian; Mortensen, Lars Boje (2024). A Companion to Saxo Grammaticus. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-51812-4.

• • Lassen, Annette. "Saxo and Nordic Paganism". In Heebøll-Holm & Mortensen (2024), pp. 92–134.

• Heizmann, Wilhelm; Böldl, Klaus; Beck, Heinrich; Schier, Kurt, eds. (2009). Analecta Septentrionalia: Beiträge zur nordgermanischen Kultur- und Literaturgeschichte. Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde. De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-021869-5.

• • Sundqvist, Olof. "The Hanging, the Nine Nights and the “Precious Knowledge” in Hávamál 138–145: The Cultic Context". In Heizmann et al. (2009), pp. 649-668.

• Koch, John T. (2020). Celto-Germanic, Later Prehistory and Post-Proto-Indo-European vocabulary in the North and West (PDF). Aberystwyth Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru. ISBN 978-1907029325. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

• Kroonen, Guus (2013). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic. Brill. ISBN 978-9004183407.

• Larrington, Carolyne, ed. (2014). The Poetic Edda (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-967534-0.

• Lassen, Annette (2022). Odin's Ways: A Guide to the Pagan God in Medieval Literature. Translated by Lesley, Helen; Cormack, Margaret. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-032-03571-0.

• Lee, Stuart D., ed. (2022). A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien (2nd ed.). Wiley Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-119-69140-2.

• Lindow, John (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515382-8.

• Matasović, Ranko (2009). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-17336-1.

• Munch, Peter Andreas (1970). Olsen, Magnus (ed.). Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes. Translated by Bernard Hutsvedt, Sigurd. AMS Press.

• North, Richard (1997). Heathen Gods in Old English Literature (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-03026-7.

• Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-34520-5.

• Orel, Vladimir E. (2003). A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-12875-0.

• Petersen, Peter Vang (1990). "Hugin and Munin". In Kjærum, Poul; Olsen, Rikke Agnete; Margrethe; Det Kongelige Nordiske Oldskriftselskab (eds.). Oldtidens ansigt [Faces of the Past]. S.l. ISBN 978-87-7468-274-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

• Price, Neil (2019). The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia (2nd ed.). Oxbow Books. ISBN 978-1-84217-260-5.

• Schjødt, Jens Peter; Lindow, John; Andrén, Anders (2020a). The Pre-Christian Religions of the North. Vol. 1. Brepols. ISBN 978-2-503-57489-9.

• • Schjødt, Jens Peter; Lindow, John; Andrén, Anders (2020b). Introduction. In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020a), pp. xxiii—xxx.

• • Schjødt, Jens Peter (2020t). "Theoretical Considerations". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020a), pp. 1–40.

• • Hermann, Pernille. "Memory, Oral Tradition, and Sources". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020a), pp. 41–62.

• • Vikstrand, Per. "Language: Placenames and Personal Names". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020a), pp. 117–135.

• Schjødt, Jens Peter; Lindow, John; Andrén, Anders (2020d). The Pre-Christian Religions of the North. Vol. 2. Brepols. ISBN 978-2-503-57489-9.

• • Quinn, Judy (2020d). "Gender". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020d), pp. 509–528.

• • Schjødt, Jens Peter (2020k). "Kings and Rules". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020d), pp. 529–599.

• • Schjødt, Jens Peter (2020f). "Continuity and Break: Indo-European". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020a), pp. 223–246.

• Schjødt, Jens Peter; Lindow, John; Andrén, Anders (2020c). The Pre-Christian Religions of the North. Vol. 3. Brepols. ISBN 978-2-503-57489-9.

• • Schjødt, Jens Peter. "Óðinn". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020c), pp. 1123–1194.

• • Lindow, John. "Vanir and Æsir". In Schjødt, Lindow & Andrén (2020c), pp. 1033–1050.

• Simek, Rudolf (1993) [1984]. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Hall, Angela. D. S. Brewer. ISBN 978-0-85991-369-0.

• Sturluson, Snorri (1987). Faulkes, Anthony (ed.). Edda. Translated by Faulkes, Anthony. Everyman. ISBN 978-0-460-87616-2.

• • Faulkes, Anthony. Introduction. In Sturluson (1987).

• Sundqvist, Olof (2016). An Arena for Higher Powers: Ceremonial Buildings and Religious Strategies for Rulership in Late Iron Age Scandinavia. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-29270-3.

• Turville-Petre, E. O. G. (1964). Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia (2nd ed.). Greenwood Press.

• Quitzmann, Ernst Anton (1860). Die Heidnische Religion der Baiwaren: Ester Faktischer Bweis für die Abstammung Dieses Volkes (in German). Winter.

• West, Martin L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-928075-9.

• Wolfram, Herwig (1988). History of the Goths. Translated by Dunne, Thomas J. (trans. from 2nd ed.). University of California Press.

Journals

• Brunsdale, Mitzi M. (1983). "Norse Mythological Elements in "The Hobbit"". Mythlore. 9 (4 (34)): 49–55. ISSN 0146-9339.

• Davidson, Hilda E. (1972). "The Battle God of the Vikings". (G. N. Garmonsway Memorial Lecture). York: University of York: Medieval Monographs I.

• Davis, Craig (1992). "Cultural assimilation in the Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies". Anglo-Saxon England. 21: 23–36. doi:10.1017/S0263675100004166.

• Kilby, Clyde S. (1967). "Tolkien as Scholar and Artist". Tolkien Journal. 3 (1 (7)): 9–11. ISSN 0040-909X.

• Imer, Lisbeth M.; Vasshus, Krister S. K. (2023-06-19). "Lost in transition: The runic bracteates from the Vindelev hoard". NOWELE. North-Western European Language Evolution. 76 (1): 60–99. doi:10.1075/nowele.00074.ime. ISSN 0108-8416.

• Philippson, Ernst A. (1938). "Runenforschung und Germanische Religionsgeschichte". PMLA. 53 (2): 321–332. doi:10.2307/458516. ISSN 0030-8129.

• Schulte, Michael (2006). "The transformation of the older fuÞark: Number magic, runographic or linguistic principles?". Arkiv For Nordisk Filologi. 121: 41–74.

• Syam, Niveditha; Prakash, T. Manjima; Pai, Geetha R. (2019). "Norse Mythology in Popular Culture: A Study of the Thor Trilogy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe" (PDF). International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering. 8 (7): 162–164.

• Wanner, Kevin J. (2007). "God on the Margins: Dislocation and Transience in the Myths of Óðinn". History of Religions. 46 (4): 316–350. doi:10.1086/518812. ISSN 0018-2710.

• Wicker, Nancy L.; Williams, Henrik (2012). "Bracteates and Runes". Futhark – International Journal of Runic Studies. 3: 151–213.

News

• "Marvel: Sir Anthony Hopkins says Thor role was 'pointless acting'". BBC. 2023-06-06.

• Brooks, James (2023-03-08). "Oldest known reference to Norse god Odin found in Danish treasure trove". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.

• Chilton, Louis (25 February 2024). "Ian McShane on Deadwood, Twitter and American Gods: 'I was getting bored with it'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2025-04-17.

• Faiola, Anthony (1 February 2016). "Soldiers of Odin: The far-right groups in Finland 'protecting women' from asylum seekers". The Independent.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

• Rogers, Vaneta (2021-09-21). "How does Marvel's Thor measure up to his Norse counterpart?". GamesRadar+.

Sources I can't get but want badly

Liberman, Anatoly. In Prayer and Laughter: Essays on Medieval Scandinavian and Germanic Mythology, Literature, and Culture (2016). Moscow: Paleograph.