Odin

**Odin** is the Norse God of Royalty and Wisdom.

## **Background**

Odin appears as a prominent god throughout the recorded history of Scandinavia, from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania (from c.  2 BCE) through movement of peoples during the Migration Period (4th to 6th centuries CE) and the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries CE). In the modern period the rural folklore of Nordic Europe continued to acknowledge Odin. References to him appear in place names throughout regions historically inhabited by the ancient Norse peoples.

Odin is mentioned or appears in most poems of the *Poetic Edda*, compiled in the 13th century from traditional source material reaching back to the pagan period.

The poem *Völuspá* features Odin in a dialogue with an undead völva, who gives him wisdom from ages past and foretells the onset of Ragnarök, the destruction and rebirth of the world. Among the information the völva recounts is the story of the first human beings (Ask and Embla), found and given life by a trio of gods; Odin, Hœnir, and Lódurr: In stanza 17 of the *Poetic Edda* poem *Völuspá*, the *völva* reciting the poem states that Hœnir, Lódurr and Odin once found Ask and Embla on land. The *völva* says that the two were capable of very little, lacking in *ørlög* and says that they were given three gifts by the three gods.

Later in the poem, the völva recounts the events of the Æsir–Vanir War, the war between Vanir and the Æsir, two groups of Norse gods. During this, the first war of the world, Odin flung his spear into the opposing forces of the Vanir. The völva tells Odin that she knows where he has hidden his eye; in the spring Mímisbrunnr, and from it "Mímir drinks mead every morning". After Odin gives her necklaces, she continues to recount more information, including a list of Valkyries, referred to as *nǫnnor Herians* 'the ladies of War Lord'; in other words, the ladies of Odin. In foretelling the events of Ragnarök, the völva predicts the defeat of Odin; Odin will fight the monstrous wolf-demigod Fenrir during the great battle at Ragnarök. Odin will be consumed by the wolf, yet Odin's son Vidar will avenge him by stabbing the wolf in the heart. After the world is burned and renewed, the gods will meet and recall Odin's deeds and "ancient runes".
Odin sacrificing himself upon Yggdrasil as depicted by Lorenz Frølich, 1895
The poem *Hávamál* (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 of Óðrœrir, the vessel containing the mead 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

Odin is mentioned throughout the books of the *Prose Edda*, composed in the 13th century and drawing from earlier traditional material. In the *Prose Edda* book *Gylfaginning* (chapter 38), the enthroned figure of High (Harr), tells Gangleri (king Gylfi in disguise) that two ravens named Huginn and Muninn sit 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 from *Grímnismál* is then quoted.

In the same chapter, the enthroned figure of High explains that Odin gives all of the food on his table to his wolves Geri and Freki and that Odin requires no food, for wine is to him both meat and drink.

## **Personality**

Odin is extremely paranoid about anything and everything that he believed would possess even the slightest chance of threatening his rule and that of the gods, such as the events foretold at Ragnarok. Odin is obsessed with prophecies of the future, stylizing himself to be "all-knowing and all-seeing" but more importantly, motivated to control the future, his fate, and every realm.

Odin could be very cruel if pushed too far, as seen when he ordered Loki to be chained up to a rock and having a snake drip venom into his eyes for thousands of years after learning of the prophecy that Loki would play a major role in the battle of Ragnarok. Centuries of reigning as well as a lifetime of failed trials however, had gradually affected him to the point where he was unable, or perhaps, unwilling to accept that his some of his actions had negative consequences.

However Odin's intentions are noble, if sometimes misguided, and he genuinely wants what is best for his people and everyone else in general as he seeks to prevent Ragnarok, an event that would go on to kill myriads of innocent people, from happening. He is also a loving father and husband who loves his wife Frigg and his children.

## **Appearance**

Odin often takes on the form of a white-haired, bearded older man. His most noticeable physical trait is that he is missing one of his eyes, which he sacrificed in exchange for vast wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Odin is frequently seen wielding a spear named Gungnir and wearing a cloak and a broad hat or battle helmet. He is often accompanied by his animal companions such as ravens and wolves.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

As the King of the Norse Gods, Odin is incredibly powerful, possibly the most powerful of his pantheon.

* **Super Strength** - Odin has tremendous amounts of strength as the King of the Gods, being at least stronger than gods such as Balder and Thor. The only known god to surpass his strength is Hel, whos powers are incredibly enhanced while she is in Helheim, while his brothers Vili and Ve are equal to him in strength.
* **Super Stamina** - Since Odin is a god, he doesn't require sustenance or sleep to maintain himself as he can do indefinitely without it.
* **Super Agility** - Being associated with royalty and war, Odin is a skilled warrior god, and is able to preform incredible feats of agility in battle as he possesses enhanced reflexes.
* **Immortality** - Odin, as a god, is immortal, having lived for many millennia, as he is immune from aging and disease.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - Odin is extremely durable as he was able to to remain unharmed after a clash with Ymir, the first Jotunn in existence. During Ragnarok Odin is also foretold to being unharmed during a battle against Surtr, Ymir's brother and the strongest Fire Giant.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - Odin is virtually indestructible, no mortal weapon is capable of causing any harm to him. Only a sufficiently powerful divine weapon or an extremely powerful god can severely damage him. However, it is foretold that Odin will be eaten by the demigod Fenrir at Ragnarok.
* **Regeneration** - Despite his body's resistance, Odin can be injured like any other god. However, his metabolism enables him to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissue with greater speed and efficiency than a human being is capable of. He isn't able to grow back missing organs though, as he lost his right eye after sacrificing it and it has not been healed back since.
* **Foresight** - Odin possesses the power of foresight, as he is the god who foresaw the coming of Ragnarok and the events that will unfold.
* **Shapeshifting** - As mentioned in the Prose and Poetic Eddas, Odin could shapeshift into various human forms and animals such as a raven.
* **Power Negation** - Odin can cast curses so powerful that not even gods like Freyja are able to lift them despite her own highly stated power. He can prevent gods and other beings from leaving a realm and can in general negate their overall power. Odin can also conceal events that happen to others, even if the person is a powerful seer who is able to see into the future.
* **Reality Warping** - He can cast powerful protection enchantments on objects making them unbreakable, such as making objects immune to divine weapons.
* **Soul Manipulation** - After he and his brothers destroyed Ymir, Odin was in charge of breathing spirit and life into the first humans Ask and Embla.
* **Mental Manipulation** - Odin can somehow absorb people's knowledge into himself using his power as he did with the Jotunn seiðr Gróa.
* **Teleportation** - Odin is able to teleport anywhere in existence, he commonly travels between Earth and Asgard.
* **Conjuration** - When Ymir was destroyed, Odin used parts of his corpse to create different realms such as Asgard, Vanaheim, Niflheim, Muspelheim, Alfheim, Helheim, Svartalfheim, Jotunheim and Midgard (Scandinavia).
* **Astral Perception** - While other realms are normally invisible to other beings such as humans, Odin is able to perceive them.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - Sufficiently more powerful gods are able to overpower and injure him.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Weapons of a god can cause serious harm to Odin.