Odin

Odin(/ˈoʊdɪn/;fromOld Norse:Óðinn) is a widely reveredgodinGermanic paganism.Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and therunic alphabet, and depicts him as the husband of the goddessFrigg. In widerGermanic mythologyand paganism, the god was also known inOld EnglishasWōden, inOld SaxonasUuôden, inOld DutchasWuodan, inOld FrisianasWêda, and inOld High GermanasWuotan, all ultimately stemming from theProto-Germanictheonym*Wōðanaz, meaning 'lord of frenzy', or 'leader of the possessed'.
Odin appears as a prominent god throughout the recorded history ofNorthern Europe, from the Roman occupation of regions ofGermania(fromc.2BCE) through movement of peoples during theMigration Period(4th to 6th centuries CE) and theViking Age(8th to 11th centuries CE). In the modern period, the rural folklore of Germanic Europe continued to acknowledge Odin. References to him appear in place names throughout regions historically inhabited by the ancient Germanic peoples, and the day of the weekWednesdaybears his name in many Germanic languages, including in English.
In Old English texts, Odin holds a particular place as aeuhemerizedancestral figure among royalty, and he is frequently referred to as a founding figure among various other Germanic peoples, such as theLangobards, while some Old Norse sources depict him as an enthroned ruler of the gods. Forms of his name appear frequently throughout the Germanic record, although narratives regarding Odin are mainly found inOld Norseworks recorded inIceland, primarily around the 13th century. These texts make up the bulk of modern understanding of Norse mythology.
Old Norse texts portray Odin as the son ofBestlaandBorralong with two brothers,Vili and Vé, and he fatheredmany sons, most famously the godsThor(withJörð) andBaldr(withFrigg). He is known byhundreds of names. Odin is frequently portrayed as one-eyed and long-bearded, wielding a spear namedGungniror appearing in disguise wearing a cloak and a broad hat. He is often accompanied by his animalfamiliars—the wolvesGeri and Frekiand the ravensHuginn and Muninn, who bring him information from all overMidgard—and he rides the flying, eight-legged steedSleipniracross the sky and into the underworld. In these texts he frequently seeks greater knowledge, most famously by obtaining theMead of Poetry, and makes wagers with his wife Frigg over his endeavors. He takes part both in thecreation of the worldby slaying the primordial beingYmirand in giving life to the first two humansAsk and Embla. He also provides mankind knowledge of runic writing andpoetry, showing aspects of aculture hero. He has a particular association with theYuleholiday.
Odin is also associated with the divine battlefield maidens, thevalkyries, and he overseesValhalla, where he receives half of those who die in battle, theeinherjar, sending the other half to the goddessFreyja'sFólkvangr. Odin consults the disembodied,herb-embalmedhead of the wiseMímir, who foretells the doom ofRagnarökand urges Odin to lead theeinherjarinto battle before being consumed by the monstrous wolfFenrir. In later folklore, Odin sometimes appears as a leader of theWild Hunt, a ghostly procession of the dead through the winter sky. He is associated with charms and other forms of magic, particularly in Old English and Old Norse texts.
The figure of Odin is a frequent subject of interest inGermanic studies, and scholars have advanced numerous theories regarding his development. Some of these focus on Odin's particular relation to other figures; for example,Freyja's husbandÓðrappears to be something of an etymological doublet of the god, while Odin's wifeFriggis in many ways similar toFreyja, and Odin has a particular relation toLoki. Other approaches focus on Odin's place in the historical record, exploring whether Odin derives fromProto-Indo-European mythologyor developed later inGermanic society. In the modern period, Odin has inspired numerous works of poetry, music, and other cultural expressions. He is venerated with other Germanic gods in most forms of the new religious movementHeathenry; some branches focus particularly on him.
TheOld NorsetheonymÓðinn(runicᚢᚦᛁᚾon theRibe skull fragment)is acognateof other medieval Germanic names, includingOld EnglishWōden,Old SaxonWōdan,Old DutchWuodan, andOld High GermanWuotan(Old BavarianWûtan).They all derive from thereconstructedProto-Germanicmasculine theonym*Wōðanaz(or*Wōdunaz).Translated as 'lord of frenzy',or as 'leader of the possessed',*Wōðanazstems from the Proto-Germanic adjective*wōðaz('possessed, inspired, delirious, raging') attached to the suffix*-naz('master of').
Internalandcomparativeevidence all point to the ideas of a divine possession or inspiration, and anecstaticdivination.In hisGesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum(1075–1080 AD),Adam of Bremenexplicitly associatesWodanwith the Latin termfuror, which can be translated as 'rage', 'fury', 'madness', or 'frenzy' (Wodan id est furor: "Odin, that is,furor").As of 2011, an attestation ofProto-NorseWoðinz, on theSträngnäs stone, has been accepted as probably authentic, but the name may be used as a related adjective instead meaning "with a gift for (divine) possession" (ON:øðinn).
Other Germanic cognates derived from*wōðazincludeGothicwoþs('possessed'), Old Norseóðr('mad, frantic, furious'), Old Englishwōd('insane, frenzied') andDutchwoed('frantic, wild, crazy'), along with thesubstantivizedforms Old Norseóðr('mind, wit, sense; song, poetry'), Old Englishwōþ('sound, noise; voice, song'), Old High Germanwuot('thrill, violent agitation') andMiddle Dutchwoet('rage, frenzy'), from the same root as the original adjective. The Proto-Germanic terms*wōðīn('madness, fury') and*wōðjanan('to rage') can also be reconstructed.Early epigraphic attestations of the adjective includeun-wōdz('calm one', i.e. 'not-furious'; 200 CE) andwōdu-rīde('furious rider'; 400 CE).
PhilologistJan de Vrieshas argued that the Old Norse deities Óðinn andÓðrwere probably originally connected (as in the doubletUllr–Ullinn), withÓðr(*wōðaz) being the elder form and the ultimate source of the nameÓðinn(*wōða-naz). He further suggested that the god of rage Óðr–Óðinn stood in opposition to the god of glorious majesty Ullr–Ullinn in a similar manner to the Vedic contrast betweenVarunaandMitra.
The adjective*wōðazultimately stems from aPre-Germanicform*uoh₂-tós, which is related to theProto-Celticterms*wātis, meaning 'seer, sooth-sayer' (cf.Gaulishwāteis,Old Irishfáith'prophet') and *wātus, meaning 'prophesy, poetic inspiration' (cf. Old Irishfáth'prophetic wisdom, maxims',Old Welshguaut'prophetic verse, panegyric').According to some scholars, theLatintermvātēs('prophet, seer') is probably a Celtic loanword from the Gaulish language, making*uoh₂-tós ~ *ueh₂-tus('god-inspired') a shared religious term common to Germanic and Celtic rather than an inherited word of earlierProto-Indo-European(PIE) origin.In the case a borrowing scenario is excluded, a PIEetymon*(H)ueh₂-tis('prophet, seer') can also be posited as the common ancestor of the attested Germanic, Celtic and Latin forms.
More than 170 namesare recorded for Odin; the names are variously descriptive of attributes of the god, refer to myths involving him, or refer to religious practices associated with him. This multitude makes Odin the god with the most known names among the Germanic peoples.Steve Martin has pointed out that the name Odinsberg (Ounesberry, Ounsberry, Othenburgh)inCleveland Yorkshire, now corrupted toRoseberry (Topping), may derive from the time of the Anglian settlements, with nearby Newton under Roseberry and Great Aytonhaving Anglo Saxon suffixes. The very dramatic rocky peak was an obvious place for divine association, and  may have replaced Bronze Age/Iron Age beliefs of divinity there, given that a hoard of bronze votive axes and other objects was buried by the summit.It could be a rare example, then, of Nordic-Germanic theology displacing earlier Celtic mythology in an imposing place of tribal prominence.
In his opera cycleDer Ring des Nibelungen,Richard Wagnerrefers to the god asWotan, a spelling of his own invention which combines the Old High GermanWuotanwith theLow GermanWodan.
The modern Englishweekday nameWednesdayderives from Old EnglishWōdnesdæg, meaning 'day of Wōden'. Cognate terms are found in other Germanic languages, such asMiddle Low Germanand Middle DutchWōdensdach(modern Dutchwoensdag),Old FrisianWērnisdei(≈Wērendei) andOld NorseÓðinsdagr(cf. Danish, Norwegian, Swedishonsdag). All of these terms derive from Late Proto-Germanic *Wodanesdag('Day of Wōðanaz'), acalqueof LatinMercurii dies('Day ofMercury'; cf. modern Italianmercoledì, Frenchmercredi, Spanishmiércoles).
The earliest records of the Germanic peoples were recorded by the Romans, and in these works Odin is frequently referred to—via a process known asinterpretatio romana(where characteristics perceived to be similar by Romans result in identification of a non-Roman god as a Roman deity)—as the Roman godMercury. The first clear example of this occurs in the Roman historianTacitus's late 1st-century workGermania, where, writing about the religion of theSuebi(a confederation ofGermanic peoples), he comments that "among the gods Mercury is the one they principally worship. They regard it as a religious duty to offer to him, on fixed days, human as well as other sacrificial victims. Hercules and Mars they appease by animal offerings of the permitted kind" and adds that a portion of theSuebialso venerate "Isis". In this instance, Tacitus refers to the god Odin as "Mercury", Thor as "Hercules", andTýras "Mars". The"Isis" of the Suebihas been debated and may represent "Freyja".
Anthony Birleynoted that Odin's apparent identification with Mercury has little to do with Mercury's classical role of being messenger of the gods, but appears to be due to Mercury's role ofpsychopomp.Other contemporary evidence may also have led to the equation of Odin with Mercury; Odin, like Mercury, may have at this time already been pictured with a staff and hat, may have been considered a trader god, and the two may have been seen as parallel in their roles as wandering deities. But their rankings in their respective religious spheres may have been very different.Also, Tacitus's "among the gods Mercury is the one they principally worship" is an exact quote fromJulius Caesar'sCommentarii de Bello Gallico(1st century BCE) in which Caesar is referring to theGaulsand not the Germanic peoples. Regarding the Germanic peoples, Caesar states: "[T]hey consider the gods only the ones that they can see, the Sun, Fire and the Moon", which scholars reject as clearly mistaken, regardless of what may have led to the statement.
There is no direct, undisputed evidence for the worship of Odin/Mercury among theGoths, and the existence of a cult of Odin among them is debated.Richard North andHerwig Wolframhave both argued that the Goths did not worship Odin, Wolfram contending that the use of Greek names of the week in Gothic provides evidence of that.One possible reading of the GothicRing of Pietroassais that the inscription "gutaniowi hailag" means "sacred to Wodan-Jove", but this is highly disputed.
The earliest clear reference to Odin by name is found on a C-bracteatediscovered in Denmark in 2020. Dated to as early as the 400s, the bracteate features a Proto-NorseElder Futharkinscription reading "He is Odin’s man" (iz Wōd[a]nas weraz).Although the English kingdoms were nominallyconverted to Christianityby the end of the 7th century, Woden isfrequently listedas a founding figure among the Old English royalty.
Odin is also either directly or indirectly mentioned a few times in the surviving Old English poetic corpus, including theNine Herbs Charmand likely also theOld English rune poem. Odin may also be referenced in the riddleSolomon and Saturn. In theNine Herbs Charm, Woden is said to have slain awyrm(serpent,Germanic dragon) by way of nine "glory twigs". Preserved from an 11th-century manuscript, the poem is, according to Bill Griffiths, "one of the most enigmatic of Old English texts". The section that mentions Woden is as follows:
The emendation ofnanto 'man' has been proposed. The nextstanzacomments on the creation of the herbschervilandfennelwhile hanging in heaven by the 'wise lord' (witig drihten) and before sending them down among mankind. Regarding this, Griffith comments that "In a Christian context 'hanging in heaven' would refer tothe crucifixion; but (remembering that Woden was mentioned a few lines previously) there is also a parallel, perhaps a better one, with Odin, as his crucifixion was associated with learning."The Old English gnomic poemMaxims Ialso mentions Woden by name in the (alliterative) phraseWoden worhteweos, ('Woden made idols'), in which he is contrasted with and denounced against theChristian God.
The Old Englishrune poemrecounts the Old English runic alphabet, thefuthorc. The stanza for the runeósreads as follows:
The first word of this stanza,ōs(Latin 'mouth') is ahomophonefor Old Englishos, a particularly heathen word for 'god'. Due to this and the content of the stanzas, several scholars have posited that this poem is censored, having originally referred to Odin.Kathleen Herbertcomments that "Oswas cognate withAsin Norse, where it meant one of theÆsir, the chief family of gods. In Old English, it could be used as an element in first names: Osric, Oswald, Osmund, etc. but it was not used as a word to refer to the God of Christians. Woden was equated with Mercury, the god of eloquence (among other things). The tales about the Norse god Odin tell how he gave one of his eyes in return for wisdom; he also won the mead of poetic inspiration. Luckily for Christian rune-masters, the Latin wordoscould be substituted without ruining the sense, to keep the outward form of the rune name without obviously referring to Woden."
In the prose narrative ofSolomon and Saturn, "Mercurius the Giant" (Mercurius se gygand) is referred to as an inventor of letters. This may also be a reference to Odin, who is in Norse mythology the founder of the runic alphabets, and the gloss a continuation of the practice of equating Odin with Mercury found as early as Tacitus.One of theSolomon and Saturnpoems is additionally in the style of later Old Norse material featuring Odin, such as the Old Norse poemVafþrúðnismál, featuring Odin and thejötunnVafþrúðnirengaging in a deadly game of wits.
The 7th-centuryOrigo Gentis Langobardorum, andPaul the Deacon's 8th-centuryHistoria Langobardorumderived from it, recount a founding myth of the Langobards (Lombards), a Germanic people who ruled a region of theItalian Peninsula. According to this legend, a "small people" known as theWinniliwere ruled by a woman namedGambarawho had two sons,Ybor and Aio. TheVandals, ruled byAmbri and Assi, came to the Winnili with their army and demanded that they pay them tribute or prepare for war. Ybor, Aio, and their mother Gambara rejected their demands for tribute. Ambri and Assi then asked the god Godan for victory over the Winnili, to which Godan responded (in the longer version in theOrigo): "Whom I shall first see when at sunrise, to them will I give the victory."
Meanwhile, Ybor and Aio called upon Frea, Godan's wife. Frea counselled them that "at sunrise the Winnil[i] should come, and that their women, with their hair let down around the face in the likeness of a beard should also come with their husbands". At sunrise, Frea turned Godan's bed around to face east and woke him. Godan saw the Winnili and their whiskered women and asked, "who are those Long-beards?" Frea responded to Godan, "As you have given them a name, give them also the victory". Godan did so, "so that they should defend themselves according to his counsel and obtain the victory". Thenceforth the Winnili were known as theLangobards('long-beards').
Writing in the mid-7th century,Jonas of Bobbiowrote that earlier that century the Irish missionaryColumbanusdisrupted an offering of beer to Odin (vodano) "(whom others called Mercury)" inSwabia.A few centuries later, 9th-century document from what is nowMainz, Germany, known as theOld Saxon Baptismal Vowrecords the names of three Old Saxon gods,UUôden('Woden'),Saxnôte, andThunaer('Thor'), whom pagan converts were to renounce asdemons.
A 10th-century manuscript found inMerseburg, Germany, features a heathen invocation known as theSecond Merseburg Incantation, which calls upon Odin and other gods and goddesses from the continental Germanic pantheon to assist in healing a horse:
Old English royal genealogiesrecord Woden as an ancestor of the kings ofLindsey,Mercia,DeiraandBernicia(which eventually becameNorthumbria,Wessex, andEast Angliaaccounting for in 7 of the 8 genealogies, and all but Essex, who instead traced their ancestry toSaxnot.Some of these genealogies expand on ancestry beyond Woden, giving his father as Frealaf beginning in the 8th century.
The Welsh 9th centurryHistoria Brittonumalso includes Woden in its pedigree of Hengist, and shows Woden's ancestry as "VVoden, filii Frealaf, filii Fredulf, filii Finn, filii Fodepald, filii Geta",who is said to be the son of a god other than Yahweh.This lines up with the Lindsey genealogy which says that Frealaf was the son of Friothulf, son of Finn, son of Godulf, son of Geat,although Nennius seems to have replaced Godulf with Fodepald.  Other genealogies of Odin include further ancestry beyond Geat, giving Geat's father as Tætwa son of Beaw son of Sceldi son of Heremod son of Itermon son of Hathra son of Guala son of Bedwig son of Sceaf, who is the son ofNoahfrom theBible.
In the 11th century, chroniclerAdam of Bremenrecorded in ascholionof hisGesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificumthat a statue of Thor, whom Adam describes as "mightiest", sat enthroned in theTemple at Uppsala(located in Gamla Uppsala, Sweden) flanked by Wodan (Odin) and "Fricco". Regarding Odin, Adam defines him as "frenzy" (Wodan, id est furor) and says that he "rules war and gives people strength against the enemy" and that the people of the temple depict him as wearing armour, "as our people depict Mars". According to Adam, the people of Uppsala had appointed priests (gothi) to each of the gods, who were to offer up sacrifices (blót), and in times of war sacrifices were made to images of Odin.
In the 12th century, centuries after Norway was "officially" Christianised, Odin was still being invoked by the population, as evidenced by a stick bearing a runic message found among theBryggen inscriptionsin Bergen, Norway. On the stick, both Thor and Odin are called upon for help; Thor is asked to "receive" the reader, and Odin to "own" them.
Odin is mentioned or appears in most poems of thePoetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from traditional source material reaching back to the pagan period.
The poemVöluspáfeatures Odin in a dialogue with an undeadvölva, who gives him wisdom from ages past and foretells the onset ofRagnarök, the destruction and rebirth of the world. Among the information thevölvarecounts is the story of the first human beings (Ask and Embla), found and given life by a trio of gods; Odin,Hœnir, andLóðurr:
In stanza 17 of thePoetic EddapoemVöluspá, thevölvareciting the poem states thatHœnir,Lóðurrand Odin once found Ask and Embla on land. Thevölvasays that the two were capable of very little, lacking inørlögand says that they were given three gifts by the three gods:
The meaning of these gifts has been a matter of scholarly disagreement and translations therefore vary.
Later in the poem, thevölvarecounts the events of theÆsir–VanirWar, the war betweenVanirand theÆsir, two groups of gods. During this, the first war of the world, Odin flung his spear into the opposing forces of theVanir.Thevölvatells Odin that she knows where he has hidden his eye; in the springMímisbrunnr, and from it "Mímirdrinks mead every morning".After Odin gives her necklaces, she continues to recount more information, including a list ofvalkyries, referred to asnǫnnor Herians'the ladies of War Lord'; in other words, the ladies of Odin.In foretelling the events ofRagnarök, thevölvapredicts the death of Odin; Odin will fight the monstrous wolfFenrirduring the great battle atRagnarök. Odin will be consumed by the wolf, yet Odin's sonVíðarrwill avenge him by stabbing the wolf in the heart.After the world is burned and renewed, the surviving and returning gods will meet and recall Odin's deeds and "ancient runes".
The poemHávamál(Old Norse 'Sayings of the High One') consists entirely of wisdom verse attributed to Odin. This advice ranges from the practical ("A man shouldn't hold onto the cup but drink in moderation, it's necessary to speak or be silent; no man will blame you for impoliteness if you go early to bed"), to the mythological (such as Odin's recounting of his retrieval ofÓðrœrir, the vessel containing themead of poetry), and to the mystical (the final section of the poem consists of Odin's recollection of eighteen charms).Among the various scenes that Odin recounts is his self-sacrifice:
While the name of the tree is not provided in the poem and other trees exist in Norse mythology, the tree is near universally accepted as the cosmic treeYggdrasil, and if the tree isYggdrasil, then the nameYggdrasil(Old Norse 'Ygg's steed') directly relates to this story. Odin is associated with hanging andgallows;John Lindowcomments that "the hanged 'ride' the gallows".
In the prose introduction to the poemSigrdrífumál, the heroSigurdrides up toHindarfelland heads south towards "the land of theFranks". On the mountainSigurdsees a great light, "as if fire were burning, which blazed up to the sky".Sigurdapproaches it, and there he sees askjaldborg(atactical formationofshield wall) with a banner flying overhead.Sigurdenters theskjaldborg, and sees a warrior lying there—asleep and fully armed.Sigurdremoves the helmet of the warrior, and sees the face of a woman. The woman'scorsletis so tight that it seems to have grown into the woman's body.Sigurduses his swordGramto cut the corslet, starting from the neck of the corslet downwards, he continues cutting down her sleeves, and takes the corslet off her.
The woman wakes, sits up, looks atSigurd, and the two converse in two stanzas of verse. In the second stanza, the woman explains that Odin placed a sleeping spell on her which she could not break, and due to that spell she has been asleep a long time.Sigurdasks for her name, and the woman givesSigurdahornofmeadto help him retain her words in his memory. The woman recites a heathen prayer in two stanzas. A prose narrative explains that the woman is namedSigrdrífaand that she is a valkyrie.
A narrative relates thatSigrdrífaexplains toSigurdthat there were two kings fighting one another. Odin had promised one of these—Hjalmgunnar—victory in battle, yet she had "brought down"Hjalmgunnarin battle. Odin pricked her with a sleeping-thorn in consequence, told her that she would never again "fight victoriously in battle", and condemned her to marriage. In response,Sigrdrífatold Odin she had sworn a great oath that she would never wed a man who knew fear.SigurdasksSigrdrífato share with him her wisdom of all worlds. The poem continues in verse, whereSigrdrífaprovidesSigurdwith knowledge in inscribingrunes, mystic wisdom, andprophecy.
Odin is mentioned throughout the books of theProse Edda, composed in the 13th century and drawing from earlier traditional material. The god is introduced at length in chapter nine of theProse EddabookGylfaginning, which explains that he is described as ruling overAsgard, the domain of the gods, on his throne, that he is the 'father of all', and that from him all the gods, all of humankind (by way ofAsk and Embla), and everything else he has made or produced. According toGylfaginning, in Asgard:
In theProse EddabookGylfaginning(chapter 38), the enthroned figure ofHigh(Harr), tellsGangleri(kingGylfiin disguise) that two ravens namedHuginn and Muninnsit on Odin's shoulders. The ravens tell Odin everything they see and hear. Odin sends Huginn and Muninn out at dawn, and the birds fly all over the world before returning at dinner-time. As a result, Odin is kept informed of many events. High adds that it is from this association that Odin is referred to as "raven-god". The above-mentioned stanza fromGrímnismális then quoted.
In the same chapter, the enthroned figure of High explains that Odin gives all of the food on his table to his wolvesGeri and Frekiand that Odin requires no food, for wine is to him both meat and drink.
Odin is mentioned several times in the sagas that make upHeimskringla. In theYnglinga saga, the first section ofHeimskringla, aneuhemerisedaccount of the origin of the gods is provided. Odin is introduced in chapter two, where he is said to have lived in "the land or home of theÆsir" (Old Norse:Ásaland eða Ásaheimr), the capital of which beingÁsgarðr.Ásgarðrwas ruled by Odin, a great chieftain, and was "a great place for sacrifices". It was the custom there that twelve temple priests were ranked highest; they administered sacrifices and held judgements over men. "Calleddiaror chiefs", the people were obliged to serve under them and respect them. Odin was a very successful warrior and travelled widely, conquering many lands. Odin was so successful that he never lost a battle. As a result, according to thesaga, men came to believe that "it was granted to him" to win all battles. Before Odin sent his men to war or to perform tasks for him, he would place his hands upon their heads and give them abjannak('blessing', ultimately from Latinbenedictio) and the men would believe that they would also prevail. The men placed all of their faith in Odin, and wherever they called his name they would receive assistance from doing so. Odin was often gone for great spans of time.
Chapter 3 says that Odin had two brothers,Vé and Vili. While Odin was gone, his brothers governed his realm. Once Odin was gone for so long that theÆsirbelieved that he would not return, his brothers began to divvy up Odin's inheritance, "but his wifeFriggthey shared between them. However, afterwards, [Odin] returned and took possession of his wife again".Chapter 4 describes theÆsir–VanirWar. According to the chapter, Odin "made war on theVanir". TheVanirdefended their land and the battle turned to a stalemate, both sides having devastated each other's lands. As part of a peace agreement, the two sides exchanged hostages. One of the exchanges went awry and resulted in theVanirdecapitating one of the hostages sent to them by theÆsir,Mímir. TheVanirsentMímir's head to theÆsir, whereupon Odin "took it and embalmed it with herbs so that it would not rot, and spoke charms [Old Norsegaldr] over it", which imbued the head with the ability to answer Odin and "tell him manyoccultthings".
InVölsunga saga, the great kingRerirand his wife (unnamed) are unable to conceive a child; "that lack displeased them both, and they fervently implored the gods that they might have a child. It is said thatFriggheard their prayers and told Odin what they asked", and the two gods subsequently sent aValkyrieto presentReriran apple that falls onto his lap while he sits on a burial mound andRerir's wife subsequently becomes pregnant with the namesake of theVölsungfamily line.
In the 13th century legendary sagaHervarar saga ok Heiðreks, the poemHeiðreks gáturcontains a riddle that mentionsSleipnirand Odin:
Local folklore and folk practice recognised Odin as late as the 19th century inScandinavia. In a work published in the mid-19th century,Benjamin Thorperecords that onGotland, "many traditions and stories of Odin the Old still live in the mouths of the people". Thorpe notes that, inBlekingein Sweden, "it was formerly the custom to leave a sheaf on the field for Odin's horses", and cites other examples, such as inKråktorpsgård,Småland, where abarrowwas purported to have been opened in the 18th century, purportedly containing the body of Odin. After Christianization, the mound was known asHelvetesbackke(Swedish "Hell's Mound"). Local legend dictates that after it was opened, "there burst forth a wondrous fire, like a flash of lightning", and that a coffin full of flint and a lamp were excavated. Thorpe additionally relates that legend has it that a priest who dwelt aroundTroienborghad once sowed some rye, and that when the rye sprang up, so came Odin riding from the hills each evening. Odin was so massive that he towered over the farm-yard buildings, spear in hand. Halting before the entry way, he kept all from entering or leaving all night, which occurred every night until the rye was cut.
Thorpe relates that "a story is also current of a golden ship, which is said to be sunk inRunemad, near theNyckelberg, in which, according to tradition, Odin fetched the slain from thebattle ofBråvallatoValhall", and thatKettilsås, according to legend, derives its name from "oneKetill Runske, who stole Odin's runic staves" (runekaflar) and then bound Odin's dogs, bull, and amermaidwho came to help Odin. Thorpe notes that numerous other traditions existed in Sweden at the time of his writing.
Thorpe records (1851) that in Sweden, "when a noise, like that of carriages and horses, is heard by night, the people say: 'Odin is passing by'".
Odin and the godsLokiandHœnirhelp a farmer and a boy escape the wrath of a bet-winningjötunninLoka TátturorLokka Táttur, a Faroese ballad dating to theLate Middle Ages.
References to or depictions of Odin appear on numerous objects.Migration Period(5th and 6th century CE) gold bracteates (types A, B, and C) feature a depiction of a human figure above a horse, holding a spear and flanked by one or two birds. The presence of the birds has led to the iconographic identification of the human figure as the god Odin, flanked byHuginnandMuninn. Like theProse Eddadescription of the ravens, a bird is sometimes depicted at the ear of the human, or at the ear of the horse. Bracteates have been found in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and, in smaller numbers, England and areas south of Denmark.Austrian GermanistRudolf Simekstates that these bracteates may depict Odin and his ravens healing a horse and may indicate that the birds were originally not simply his battlefield companions but also "Odin's helpers in his veterinary function."
Vendel Periodhelmet plates (from the 6th or 7th century) found in a grave in Sweden depict a helmeted figure holding a spear and a shield while riding a horse, flanked by two birds. The plate has been interpreted as Odin accompanied by two birds; his ravens.
Two of the 8th century picture stones from the island of Gotland, Sweden depict eight-legged horses, which are thought by most scholars to depictSleipnir: theTjängvide image stoneand theArdre VIII image stone. Both stones feature a rider sitting atop an eight-legged horse, which some scholars view as Odin. Above the rider on theTjängvideimage stone is a horizontal figure holding a spear, which may be a valkyrie, and a female figure greets the rider with a cup. The scene has been interpreted as a rider arriving at the world of the dead.The mid-7th centuryEggjastonebearing the Odinic nameharas(Old Norse 'army god') may be interpreted as depictingSleipnir.
A pair of identicalGermanic Iron Agebird-shaped brooches fromBejsebakkein northern Denmark may be depictions ofHuginnandMuninn. The back of each bird features a mask-motif, and the feet of the birds are shaped like the heads of animals. The feathers of the birds are also composed of animal-heads. Together, the animal-heads on the feathers form a mask on the back of the bird. The birds have powerful beaks and fan-shaped tails, indicating that they are ravens. The brooches were intended to be worn on each shoulder, after Germanic Iron Age fashion.ArchaeologistPeter Vang Petersencomments that while the symbolism of the brooches is open to debate, the shape of the beaks and tail feathers confirms the brooch depictions are ravens.Petersennotes that "raven-shaped ornaments worn as a pair, after the fashion of the day, one on each shoulder, makes one's thoughts turn towards Odin's ravens and the cult of Odin in the Germanic Iron Age."Petersensays that Odin is associated withdisguise, and that the masks on the ravens may be portraits of Odin.
TheOsebergtapestry fragments, discovered within the Viking AgeOsebergship burial in Norway, features a scene containing two black birds hovering over a horse, possibly originally leading a wagon (as a part of a procession of horse-led wagons on the tapestry). In her examination of the tapestry, scholarAnne Stine Ingstadinterprets these birds asHuginnandMuninnflying over a covered cart containing an image of Odin, drawing comparison to the images ofNerthusattested by Tacitus in 1 CE.
Excavations inRibe, Denmark have recovered aViking Agelead metal-caster's mould and 11 identical casting-moulds. These objects depict a moustached man wearing a helmet that features two head-ornaments. Archaeologist Stig Jensen proposes these head-ornaments should be interpreted as Huginn and Muninn, and the wearer as Odin. He notes that "similar depictions occur everywhere theVikingswent—from eastern England to Russia and naturally also in the rest of Scandinavia."
A portion ofThorwald's Cross(a partly surviving runestone erected atKirk Andreason theIsle of Man) depicts a bearded human holding a spear downward at a wolf, his right foot in its mouth, and a large bird on his shoulder.Andy Orchard comments that this bird may be eitherHuginnorMuninn.Rundatadates the cross to 940,while Pluskowski dates it to the 11th century.This depiction has been interpreted as Odin, with a raven or eagle at his shoulder, being consumed by the monstrous wolfFenrirduring the events ofRagnarök.
The 11th centuryLedberg stonein Sweden, similarly to Thorwald's Cross, features a figure with his foot at the mouth of a four-legged beast, and this may also be a depiction of Odin being devoured byFenriratRagnarök.Below the beast and the man is a depiction of a legless, helmeted man, with his arms in a prostrate position.TheYounger Futharkinscription on the stone bears a commonly seen memorial dedication, but is followed by an encoded runic sequence that has been described as "mysterious,"and "an interesting magic formula which is known from all over the ancient Norse world."
In November 2009, theRoskilde Museumannounced the discovery and subsequent display of aniello-inlaid silver figurine found inLejre, which they dubbedOdin from Lejre. The silver object depicts a person sitting on a throne. The throne features the heads of animals and is flanked by two birds. The Roskilde Museum identifies the figure as Odin sitting on his throneHliðskjálf, flanked by the ravens Huginn and Muninn.
Various interpretations have been offered for a symbol that appears on various archaeological finds known modernly as thevalknut. Due to the context of its placement on some objects, some scholars have interpreted this symbol as referring to Odin. For example,Hilda Ellis Davidsontheorises a connection between thevalknut, the god Odin and "mental binds":
Davidson says that similar symbols are found beside figures of wolves and ravens on "certain cremation urns" fromAnglo-Saxoncemeteries inEast Anglia. According to Davidson, Odin's connection tocremationis known, and it does not seem unreasonable to connect with Odin inAnglo-Saxon England. Davidson proposes further connections between Odin's role as bringer ofecstasyby way of the etymology of the god's name.
Beginning with Henry Petersen's doctoral dissertation in 1876, which proposed thatThorwas the indigenous god of Scandinavian farmers and Odin a later god proper to chieftains and poets, many scholars of Norse mythology in the past viewed Odin as having been imported from elsewhere. The idea was developed byBernhard Salinon the basis of motifs in thepetroglyphsandbracteates, and with reference to the Prologue of theProse Edda, which presents the Æsir as having migrated into Scandinavia. Salin proposed that both Odin and theruneswere introduced fromSoutheastern Europein theIron Age. Other scholars placed his introduction at different times;Axel Olrik, during theMigration Ageas a result ofGaulishinfluence.
More radically, both the archaeologist and comparative mythologistMarija Gimbutasand the GermanicistKarl Helmargued that theÆsiras a group, which includes both Thor and Odin, were late introductions intoNorthern Europeand that the indigenous religion of the region had beenVanic.
In the 16th century and by the entireVasa dynasty, Odin (Swedish:Oden) was officially considered the first king of Sweden by that country's government and historians. This was influenced by an embellished list of rulers invented byJohannes Magnus.
Under thetrifunctional hypothesisofGeorges Dumézil, Odin is assigned one of the core functions in theIndo-European pantheonas a representative of the first function (sovereignty) corresponding to the HinduVaruṇa(fury and magic) as opposed toTýr, who corresponds to the HinduMitrá(law and justice); while theVanirrepresent the third function (fertility).
Another approach to Odin has been in terms of his function and attributes. Many early scholars interpreted him as a wind-god or especially as a death-god.He has also been interpreted in the light of his association with ecstatic practices, andJan de Vriescompared him to the Hindu godRudraand the GreekHermes.
The god Odin has been a source of inspiration for artists working in fine art, literature, and music. Fine art depictions of Odin in the modern period include the pen and ink drawingOdin byggande Sigtuna(1812) and the sketchKing Gylfe receives Oden on his arrival to Sweden(1816) byPehr Hörberg; the drinking horn reliefOdens möte med Gylfe(1818), the marble statueOdin(1830) and the colossal bustOdinbyBengt Erland Fogelberg, the statuesOdin(1812/1822) andOdin(1824/1825) byHermann Ernst Freund, thesgraffitoover the entrance ofVilla Wahnfried in Bayreuth(1874) byR. Krausse, the paintingOdin(around 1880) byEdward Burne-Jones, the drawingThor und Magni(1883) byK. Ehrenberg, the marble statueWodan(around 1887) by H. Natter, the oil paintingOdin und Brunhilde(1890) byKonrad Dielitz, the graphic drawingOdin als Kriegsgott(1896) byHans Thoma, the paintingOdin and Fenris(around 1900) by Dorothy Hardy, the oil paintingWotan und Brünhilde(1914) byKoloman Moser, the paintingThe Road to WalhallbyS. Nilsson, the wooden Oslo City Hall reliefOdin og Mime(1938) and the coloured wooden relief in the courtyard of the Oslo City HallOdin på Sleipnir(1945–1950) byDagfin Werenskiold, and the bronze relief on the doors of theSwedish Museum of National Antiquities,Odin(1950) byBror Marklund.
Works of modern literature featuring Odin include the poemDer Wein(1745) byFriedrich von Hagedorn,Hymne de Wodan(1769) byFriedrich Gottlieb Klopstock,Om Odin(1771) byPeter Frederik Suhm, the tragedyOdin eller Asarnes invandringbyK. G. Leopold, the epic poemOdin eller Danrigets Stiftelse(1803) byJens Baggesen, the poemMaskeradenball(1803) andOptrin af Norners og Asers Kamp: Odin komme til Norden(1809) byN. F. S. Grundtvig, poems inNordens Guder(1819) byAdam Oehlenschläger, the four-part novelSviavigamal(1833) byCarl Jonas Love Almqvist, "The Hero as Divinity" fromOn Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History(1841) byThomas Carlyle, the poemPrelude(1850) byWilliam Wordsworth, the poemOdins MeeresrittbyAloys Schreiber[de]set to music byKarl Loewe(1851), thecanzoneGermanenzug(1864) byRobert Hamerling, the poemZum 25. August 1870(1870) byRichard Wagner, the balladRolf Krake(1910) by F. Schanz, the novelJuvikingerne(1918–1923) byOlav Duun, the comedyDer entfesselte Wotan(1923) byErnst Toller, the novelWotanbyKarl Hans Strobl,Herrn Wodes Ausfahrt(1937) byHans-Friedrich Blunck, the poemAn das Ich(1938) byH. Burte, and the novelSage vom Reich(1941–1942) byHans-Friedrich Blunck.
Music inspired by or featuring the god includes the balletsOdins Schwert(1818) andOrfa(1852) byJ. H. Stunzand the opera cycleDer Ring des Nibelungen(1848–1874) by Richard Wagner.
Odin was adapted asa characterbyMarvel Comics, first appearing in theJourney into Mysteryseries in 1962.SirAnthony Hopkinsportrayed the character in theMarvel Cinematic UniversefilmsThor(2011),Thor: The Dark World(2013), andThor: Ragnarok(2017).
Odin is featured in a number of video games. In the 2002Ensemble StudiosgameAge of Mythology, Odin is one of three major gods Norse players can worship.Odin is also mentioned throughSanta Monica Studio's 2018 gameGod of Warand appears in its 2022 sequelGod of War Ragnarök.He is a major influence in the 2020UbisoftgameAssassin's Creed Valhallain the form of an Isu (a godlike, humanoid species within theAssassin's Creeduniverse) of the same name. The primary protagonist, Eivor, who the player controls throughout the game is revealed to be a sage, or human reincarnation, of Odin.Odin is also one of the playable gods in thethird-personmultiplayer online battle arenagameSmite.