Óðin Basics
Óðin is attested heavily through many early sources across Europe. He is claimed as the ancestor of many kingly lines and is thus mentioned in ancient lineage records. More commonly known sources include Tacitus’s late 1st-century Germania, Adam of Bremen’s Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum in the 11th century, the 12th century Bryggen inscriptions, the Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Heimskringla, and many of the sagas.
Óðin’s image can also be found on many archaeological finds: wooden and stone carvings, statues and crosses, tapestry fragments, armor and weapons, and decorative objects.
He is considered a god of wisdom, battle, death, magic and kinship, and considered popularly to be the leader of the Æsir. In later Christian texts, he is referred to as “king” of the gods, though this is more a reflection of the time period. In older texts it’s attested that the power structure of the Æsir mirrored that of human clan groups, with a community spokesperson who was involved with important decisions, represented the community at local Things and who presided over legal disputes. This leader was elected by the community, and could easily be un-elected and replaced. Óðin held this position of honour among the gods. As such, he is included in most of the stories of the gods, in brief cameos or to further the plot.
Óðin is the husband of Frigg, and by her is the father of Baldr and Höðr. Pagan marriage was often broader in scope, and he had other consorts, including the giantess Jörð with whom he fathered Thor. By the giantess Gríðr, he is the father of Viðarr, and by the giantess Rindr, Váli. He is sometimes listed as the father of Bragi and Ullr, though the reference to Ullr is likely a later invention. He may have also been a husband of Freya.
He is the son of Borr and Bestla, and along with his brothers Vili and Vé (or sometimes Hœnir and Lóðurr) slew the first being, the giant Ýmir, and turned their body into the Earth. Walking along the shores of this new world, he and his brothers stumbled upon driftwood from the World Tree. These they fashioned into the first man, Ask and the first woman, Embla. As noted in the Poetic Edda:
“Spirit they possessed not, sense they had not, blood nor motive powers, nor goodly colour. Spirit gave Óðin, sense gave Vili, blood gave Vé, and goodly colour.”
Thus the three brothers created the human race and gifted us consciousness and all of our senses. Under the protection of the Æsir, Miðgarðr became our home.
Óðin is famous for his pursuit of wisdom, and many stories revolve around the sacrifices he makes to acquire knowledge and mastery. Early in his mythologies, a detailed scene is played out in which he raises a dead seeress, and questions her about the future of the gods. After learning of the future death of Baldr, the coming Ragnarök, and his own death at the jaws of Fenrir, he sets off on quests to find how to stop, or at least stave off, the end of the world. The lore says that he appears in the world as a wanderer, or sometimes as the wind itself.
He is portrayed as one-eyed because he traded his eye to the beheaded god Mímir for a drink from Mímisbrunnr, the well of wisdom. Óðin also hangs himself upside-down from a tree (generally agreed to be Yggdrasil) denies himself food and drink, stabs himself with a spear, dies and resurrects to gain hidden knowledge – most notably the secrets of the Runes. In other stories, Ullr takes the high seat of the Æsir while Óðin wanders the world for years at a time, seeking answers to his questions and bestowing gifts upon mortals.
In the Prose Edda, he disguises himself as three characters: High, Just As High, and Third. In answering the questions of a man named Gangleri (the king Gylfi, also in disguise to test the wisdom of the gods) we learn that Óðin has two ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) who fly over the world to gather information for him daily. He also has two wolf servants, Geri and Freki, to whom he gives all of his meals, preferring to sustain himself on red wine alone. Through other readings, we discover that Óðin’s horse is eight-legged Sleipnir, the greatest of all horses, and the son of Loki.
In the Poetic Edda, a disguised Óðin seeks out the wisest of the giants, Vafþrúðnir for a contest of knowledge to the death. The two seem matched until Óðin asks Vafþrúðnir what Óðin whispered into the ear of his son, Baldr on his funeral pyre. At this point, the giant realizes that his guest is the wisest of the gods, and concedes that he cannot answer, forfeiting his life. We are led to believe through these tales of Óðin’s pursuits that he is indeed the wisest of beings – and yet he still cannot prevent the fall of the Æsir and the coming Ragnarök. Norse myth is rich with such dialectics and paradoxes.
Óðin has several halls within Ásgard, and his main is Valaskjálf (Shelf of the Slain) which contains the tower holding Hliðskjálf, the high seat from which he can see everything happening in all worlds. The other important hall is Valhöll (Hall of the Slain) which is home of the Einherjar, Óðin’s chosen warriors for the battle at the end of the world, who are served mead by the valkyrja at night, and who practice fighting all day.
In Germanic and English folklore, he was believed to lead the Wild Hunt, a parade of dead souls he has gathered along the way, haunting the rural countryside. The Wild Hunt were believed to ride out from ghostly realms on Halloween, bringing with them frost and Winter winds. Ullr was also associated with the Hunt. The procession was greatly feared by Christians, and the tradition of jack-o-lanterns appeared, which were carved and set out as wards, that the Wild Hunt might pass by without recruiting those who dwelled within to their number. This procession is celebrated in modern times in the forms of Krampus parades at Christmas time.
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Thoughts on Óðin
Óðin is believed to be a powerful, active figure. He is famous among modern Heathens for “recruiting,” or reaching out to non-Heathens through dreams, meditations and visions, and inviting them into a spiritual relationship with him.
He is called the All-Father for good reason – not only because he pals around with mortals, gods, and jötunn alike, but because he is the mythic creator of the human race, and a figure of Divine leadership among the Æsir. He embodies wisdom, strength in battle, and the spirit of self-sufficiency. He is a god who participants in existence with us: suffering, struggling, pleasure and joy. Óðin is thought to be both a god of war and sex, of all that is exhilarating, and the experience that accompanies being alive. Though we often see him portrayed as an old man in armor or his trademark dark blue cloak, it should be noted that Óðin can take many forms, and has been kept eternally youthful by Iðunn’s golden apples.
In the lore, the All-Father isn’t afraid to go the distance, and he never asks his children to do anything he wouldn’t – which isn’t much. He’s even delved into seiðr in pursuit of wisdom, which is a traditional shamanic practice exclusive to women. He is also the master of galdr, or men’s magic. Galdr includes all magic that is consciously directed. Today we might call it hypnotism, psychology, and persuasive speech. Seiðr we might call intuition, dream interpretation, and oracular practice.
Óðin’s horse, Sleipnir, is likely a metaphor for the trance and meditation journeys that he took. Sleipnir represented shamanic practice, and the horse was even able to travel through Hel and back.
Working with Óðin is reported as an intense experience for a lot of people, as he demands exchange for insight. Modern Heathens who work with him have noted that he tends to have a domineering, pushy quality and is rewarding to work with, albeit demanding.
Óðin was widely worshiped throughout northern Europe, including Celtic lands, as the Celts and Norse were in constant contact. He shares archetypal similarities and motifs with the Celtic god Lugh. The Romans saw Óðin as alternately Mercury, Hades, or both.
Óðin is depicted as doing everything he can to avert and postpone Ragnarök. He constantly seeks out wisdom with which to do so, as well as recruit the spirits of the slain to serve as his elite force of Einherjar to help fight in the decisive battle. One way to work with Óðin is to help him in like manner. What is one solution you could employ that could assist in the repair of the world? What solutions to the world’s ills are there that you could learn about? Even solutions that you could take a small part of, in the decisive battle against climate change, could be an offering to this end.
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Suggested Signs & Symbols
Spears, ravens, all runes, poetry and writing. Hanged men and the valknut. The colours gold, royal and midnight blue. The wind and breath. Travelers, wizards (think Gandalf!) and shamans. Pirates and other one-eye imagery. The runes Odal and Óss. The numbers three and nine, and the day Wednesday. Red wine. Wolves and werewolves.
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Associated Names
Óðinn, Woden, Wotan, Wodanaz, Wuotan, All-Father, Grimnir, Harbardr (‘grey-beard’) are some of the main ones, but there are sooooooooooo many – Over 170 recorded so far!