Odin | God of War Wiki | Fandom

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Personality

Psychotic Spiteful Charismatic Cruel Barbaric Manipulative Narcissistic Materialistic Superficial Paranoid Liar


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Power

Magic Elementokinesis Cryokinesis Geokinesis Pyrokinesis Toxikinesis Umbrakinesis Bifröst Manipulation Genius-Level Intellect Immobilization Master Combatant Superhuman Strength Superhuman Speed Superhuman Durability Realm Travel Block Shapeshifting Energy Projection Teleportation


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Codex Description [ ]

“ Like his son before him, Odin has come to our door. He does not seek vengeance for Baldur, but instead he speaks of peace and inaction. Odin claims that Atreus has been searching for Týr and has requested he halt this endeavour. I am not pleased that he knows more about what my son is doing than I. While I do not approve of what Atreus has done behind my back, I will not abide the gods of this realm coming to my home and dictating our actions. If he does not want us searching for Týr, it is likely that it is exactly what we should be doing. I must note that he offered a deal of peace for our inaction. If I did not have better counsel, I would have been tempted to take it. His threat to Freya made this impossible. She may persist as a danger, but to ally against her with her former husband is... unacceptable. ” – Kratos

“ After all the terrible things I've heard about Odin, I never expected him to be so... respectful of me. Back at the cabin , when he invited me to Asgard , and since arriving here, he seems genuinely interested to know who I am and what I think. I know I can't trust him too far... but it's nice to be listened to. I feel safer around him than I thought I would. Let's see what answers he has for me... ” – Atreus


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Personality [ ]

“ “If he tells you snow is white, he’s lying!” ” –Mimir, speaking about Odin

Odin is shown to be an exceptionally cruel, selfish and deceitful man, but he was also patient, devious and, as Mimir puts it, "almost as clever as he thinks". More than anything, Odin was a man obsessed with a desire for control, most crucially of his own fate, but also of other people and realms. This drive for control is what initially led to him murdering Ymir and creating the world, naming himself "All-Father" in the process, in order to cement himself as the supreme authority of the Nine Realms.
According to Mimir, Odin was extremely paranoid about anything and everything that he believed would possess even the slightest chance of threatening his rule and that of the Aesir, much like how his Greek counterpart Zeus was before Kratos killed him. This included the Giants, the Vanir and even the beloved God of War; Týr, his own son. It is implied that much like Zeus, he has an intense fear of Kratos. Unlike the Olympian, however, Odin's fear was tempered by his knowledge of Kratos' power, not only being aware of the fate of the Greek pantheon, but also of him having faced and killed Modi, Magni, and Baldur. This led to him being more subtle and pragmatic in his dealings, trying to manipulate the Ghost of Sparta in various ways, rather than trying to destroy him outright.
One of Odin’s most impressive traits is his intelligence and desire for more knowledge about the world and even the truth of reality. However, this trait quickly turned into a negative, with Odin using violent and deceitful means to obtain knowledge. Odin prided himself on not only being the smartest man in the room but in the whole of existence. His regard for intelligence in others plays a role in how he views them, one of the most prominent examples being that of his son, Thor. With the Thunder God being far beneath his father’s genius, Odin held this against him, often making snide remarks about Thor’s lack of wit and perception of the world around him, going as far as finding it laughable when Atreus stated that Thor had taught him a lot during their journey in Muspelheim, finding the fact that his son had any worthwhile knowledge to share highly unlikely. This appreciation of intelligence in others also only goes as far as Odin finds their knowledge useful to himself. Two examples of this could be seen with his former advisor Mimir and his second son Týr. Despite Mimir being responsible for the loss of his right eye, Odin swallowed his pride for the time being and hired the foreigner as his advisor, valuing his mind and his ruthlessness when helping to bring the realm of Svartalfheim to heel through a trade agreement rather than Odin’s usual approach of brute force and conquest of the other realms. With Týr, the God of War was knowledgeable not only of the Nine Realms but of Worlds beyond his own, from a desert land along a great river , to a devastated world ruined by a powerful warrior . Despite his son, being just as learned as his father, Odin only cared about the knowledge Týr could help him acquire through taking advantage of his son’s good-hearted nature, tricking him into believing he wanted peace with the Jötnar when he only wanted their prophecies in Ragnarök for himself. It is also likely that he was jealous of his son’s knowledge and how mortals seemed to love the God of War more than the Allfather. Odin’s appreciation of intelligence in others ultimately added up to nothing as he betrayed and imprisoned the smartest minds of the Nine Realms, getting them out of the way so only his genius would be appreciated throughout all existence.
Odin jealously guarded all the knowledge and secrets he collected, betraying and deceiving many revered figures in Norse mythology who possessed knowledge that he did not and once he obtained them, he disposed of them cruelly. Mimir stated that 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. Mimir exploited this to become his adviser when he offered him a "well of knowledge" that allowed him to see visions, not knowing that it was really a well with water laced with hallucinogenic mushrooms. Due to this thirst for knowledge, this ended up costing him his right eye. Odin was also obsessed with an ancient mask that he believed could grant him infinite knowledge, which Mimir acknowledged as the All-Father's "greatest passion".
Odin's cruelty can be seen by him having tortured Mimir every day for 109 winters, with Mimir himself admitting that there was "no end to his creativity", to the point death seemed preferable to remaining Odin's prisoner. He ordered his strongest son Thor to kill every Jötunn he could find and betrayed the Jötunn Ymir at the beginning of all things under the self-righteous belief that he and the Aesir were bringing order to the realms. In truth, he and his brothers believed that they were superior. Additionally, while he may have originally truly loved and cared for Freya, once the goddess wished to break off the marriage, Odin banished her to forever remain in Midgard , as well as robbing the goddess of her warrior spirit; therefore, rendering her unable to directly harm anything, even to defend herself. To add insult to injury, he wrongfully corrupted the Valkyries into monstrous beasts by condemning them to physical forms out of his spite for Freya's rebellion, an act which ended up dangerously overflowing Helheim with the souls of the departed in the process. Finally, he left the Nine Realms to suffer during the desolation, closing Asgard's gates. It would also be revealed that he continued his attacks on Vanaheim, seemingly in the hope of tormenting Freya further, branding her a traitor to her own people, though this would later prove unsuccessful.
Odin was also shown to hold petty grudges to an almost hilarious degree, as he never forgot that Mimir had outwitted him when they first met. When Mimir finally fell out of favour, Odin removed one of his eyes as revenge for his trickery, before imprisoning and torturing him daily for over a century. In addition, when he lost the arrangement he made with the disguised Hrimthur in finishing Asgard's walls, he feigned to keep his end of the bargain to allow the builder to speak with his queen, Freya, only for the All-Father to then double-cross the Giant and have Thor kill him. In addition, when Skaði spurned his affections, he deceived her into killing her own father during a hunt, causing Skaði to succumb to her own grief shortly after.
It's implied that Odin may possess both a superiority complex and an inferiority complex as he genuinely believes that his way is the only way, and that the Aesir are destined to be the Supreme Rulers of the universe, yet seemingly loses any and all composure when someone or something comes along to challenge these beliefs. However, despite seeing himself as superior, he is quick to extreme anger and vengeance to any who slight, deny, or reject him. Anything that could be constructed of someone looking down on him immediately invoked vicious, irrational anger. He tricked the goddess Skaði into killing her father for rejecting his romantic advances, trapped Freya in Midgard defenseless for leaving their marriage and for refusing to teach him Vanir magic. He also immediately killed his son Thor without hesitation when he refused to follow his father's order.
Many individuals, such as Freya and Mimir, state that Odin was driven by fear of his own fate which is said to be at the hands of Giants, resulting in his paranoia and hatred of them. However, he is also envious and desirous of the Giants' abilities of precognition, wishing to use such abilities to alter his fate when Ragnarök occurs. Perhaps this is the one thing that the All-Father and Kratos, who doesn't believe in fate, have in common and would agree on.
Overall, Odin's depraved actions throughout the centuries have led him to be wholly despised by many figures, such as the Vanir, Freya, The World Serpent , Mimir, most of the Valkyries, and even the Huldra Brothers Brok and Sindri .
However, Odin was not without the ability to feel love and trust others. He was known for having genuinely fallen in love with Fjörgyn, despite his subsequent hatred for the Giants, eventually marrying and conceiving the mightiest of his sons, Thor, with her. Her death caused such grief and sadness to Odin that even Mimir acknowledges that Odin was distraught and lonely after the death of his great love. To alleviate his pain and put an end to the Aesir-Vanir War , Mimir suggested that he marry Freya. During this time, Mimir noticed the same happiness Odin had with Fjörgyn resurfaced and while he married her partly to end the war (as well as to learn her Vanir magic), Odin treated Freya in a loving manner and conceded to most of her wishes, in fact fulfilling so many of Freya's desires that Mimir said that even he lost count of how many wishes that Freya made to Odin that he willingly granted. He was willing to give the Valkyries some measure of freedom because Freya wished it. That relationship eventually became strained when Odin became increasingly obsessed with Ragnarök and the Jötnar, with the final blow being when he asked Freya to give him the same invulnerability she gave their son, Baldur, which caused Freya to break off the marriage, having seen how her spell drove Baldur insane. It's implied that in the beginning Odin's intentions were noble, if misguided, and he genuinely wanted what was best for his people and everyone else in general as he seeks to prevent Ragnarök (an event that would go on to kill myriads of innocent people including the Aesir and the Vanir) from happening. Centuries of reigning undisputed with unlimited power as well as a lifetime of failed trials, however, had gradually hardened him to the point where he was unable, or perhaps unwilling, to accept that his actions and the actions of his fellow Aesir were having a negative effect and were in fact leading them all ironically into causing the very disaster that he was trying so long to avoid.
Odin was an exceptionally gifted manipulator, his most dangerous talent was the ability to see what people wanted and give it to them. In his interactions with Atreus, he immediately makes him feel respected and heard, and promises him answers, the exact things Atreus was looking for from his father at the time. He managed to make Atreus feel safe with him even though the young god was well aware of how dangerous he was. His manipulation is also seen in how he dresses himself humbly, relaxed demeanor, and avoids having grand palaces or testaments to himself; Asgard is humble and simple, his "palace" is a hall where all can gather, and he makes a point to talk to all he passes by casually. These tactful decisions make him seem like a man of the people causing others to quickly follow him. He excels in exploiting and deceiving others with shocking ease, simultaneously praising them while being dismissive. He could be both casual and familiar while still maintaining a strong sense of authority. All of this made people and Gods alike constantly want his approval no matter how badly he treats them.
Odin had a desperate need for control, from his family to his own death. Mimir at one point notes that people like Odin lie "on principle", whether they need to or not, sometimes even knowing they won't be believed, merely as a way to show their control over reality. Lesser examples include covering up the truth about Hrimthur building the walls of Asgard, in order to aggrandize the Aesir, or lying to Atreus how he lost his eye, claiming he lost it gazing into a tear in reality left behind after Ymir's death.
He initially befriended the giantess Gróa and traded for her knowledge, but once the seer learned of Ragnarök, Odin betrayed her trust and killed her in order to steal her library. According to Mimir, Odin deceived Baldur into believing that following Kratos and Atreus to Jötunheim would bring the cure to his immortality . Odin also tricked the latter two by taking on the form of Týr, attempting to take advantage of Kratos and Atreus' better natures to manipulate the pair, along with those of his ex-wife Freya, her brother Freyr, and the Huldra Brothers.
Odin's skill for manipulation extended even to his own family, in particular his sons Thor, Heimdall, and Baldur. He mercilessly bullied and belittled Thor in almost every interaction between the two, in an effort to undermine him and keep him under control. He drove Heimdall into fanatical devotedness towards him, and as a reward gifted him the Gjallarhorn and the duty to protect Asgard against intruders. Despite being unable to lift the invulnerability spell that Freya placed on Baldur, Odin promised his son he would find a way to lift the spell if he found the Jötunn Guardian. However, it is suggested that, having being married to Freya, and himself being a very knowledgeable deity, it is very likely that he knew that mistletoe was what it was needed to break Baldur's curse.
He seems to be willing to take mercy on his enemies should they provide amusement for the All-Father, as shown when rather than killing Hrungnir, one of the Giants, Odin instead was highly amused by his gullible nature and chose to have him amuse him and his court, as well as forget any personal offences as long as said offender would willingly prove to be a value to him, as shown when he allowed Mimir to become his advisor despite knowing all along that Mimir had fooled him into removing his eye and even Mimir acknowledged that Odin trusted him for a long time until Odin eventually took Mimir's advises of peace as disloyalty and bound him to a tree, not letting anyone but himself harm his former advisor.
Like most of the Aesir, Odin also had a reputation for being a drunkard. Mimir and Freya attest to this in their accounts of him. According to Freya, after Hrimthur completed the wall that encircled Asgard, Odin barged into his and Freya's bedchamber half-drunk and enraged before noon. Mimir also speculates that on how Odin came across a shard of the aforementioned mask was due to him getting drunk and convincing himself that he can change his own fate, then pranced around the Nine Realms until he found a suitably mysterious "bauble to fit the bill".
Ultimately, Odin's selfishness and his obsession with knowledge is his lasting legacy to his family and to his followers. His actions, since they focused solely for his own gain, led to parental neglect for his own children, whom he uses only to do his bidding. This leads to a rippling effect throughout his family, such as how Thor treats his own sons Magni and Modi. Adding to his neglect, Odin noticeably brushes off his own children when they desire for an audience with him, such as Heimdall's one-sided desire to please his father. This distance also proves advantageous to Odin as he is seen as an authoritative figure with a cult-like following, even to his own family, so his flaws and his true nature can remain hidden from them. It is one reason why when he spends a lot of time with Atreus to make the mask used to see through realms, causing others to get noticeably jealous of the latter, since he got a lot of attention from the Allfather. Atreus' quick knowledge in translating and explaining the studies and texts Odin has been trying to study for years also sparks hidden jealousy within Odin, which he does not show explicitly to keep Atreus close.
This all comes to a head during the Invasion on Asgard in Ragnarök, where Odin was shown to have a strong disregard for the Midgardians that he had saved, as he was willing to let them die during Ragnarök. Because of his selfishness and indifference, he was also willing to sacrifice anything/anyone just for his own reasons and purposes. Odin was also a narcissist, as he strongly denied any of the crimes he had really committed and would often shift the blame for them on others, even on his own enemies, regardless if they had done something wrong or not. Even when Atreus rightfully pointed out the All-Father's issues several times during their final battle, Odin refused to listen, revealing himself to be a man incapable of change and beyond saving.
Ironically, despite his obsession with control and lust for knowledge, Odin is shown to either be incapable of or uninterested in introspection and self-examination, never looking into himself and his own faults and mistakes, possibly a result of his narcissism and inflated sense of superiority. After seizing control of Valhalla, Odin explored it in great detail in his efforts to control the Valkyries. However, he found nothing of use, as Valhalla only rewards those who look within themselves and, as Týr put it when retelling the story to Kratos, Odin "always looked outside himself for answers".
Moreover, it was shown time and time again that Odin couldn't fathom the idea of Kratos genuinely outgrowing his violent ways, even when presented with clear evidence where the former Ghost of Sparta unexpectedly welcomed Atreus with open arms and even standing up for his son after the All-Father tricked the latter to free Garm — a plan to ruin the bond between the two which ironically led to their reconciliation since Kratos once committed similarly catastrophic blunders while serving Olympian Deities in the past.
This cynicism, arrogance and lack of insight into his own personality and flaws blinds him to his own lack of self-control, which leads to him needlessly murdering Brok in a moment of impatient rage when the dwarf begins to question him. This act of senseless cruelty is not only what leads to his enemies unleashing Ragnarök, but ultimately leads to his own death. After Kratos, Atreus and Freya all elect to leave Odin's soul inside a marble, locked away but alive, Brok's brother Sindri crushes it with a stroke of his hammer, avenging Brok's murder at the hands of the All-Father.


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Powers [ ]

As the King of the Aesir Gods, Odin is by far the most powerful of the Norse Gods and his kind. Contrary to his frail appearance, Odin is a frighteningly potent combatant, masterfully combining excellent fighting skills with his signature weapon and spell-casting to decimate and overwhelm foes, and proved to be a formidable opponent to Kratos, Freya and Atreus, holding all three off for a long enough time before being overwhelmed.

Immortality : Odin, as a Norse God, is immortal, having lived for many millennia. Only a sufficiently powerful weapon or extremely powerful beings are able to kill him. Superhuman Strength : As the King of the Aesir, Odin has physical strength that exceeded other gods, albeit inferior to Thor . Odin was able to impale Ymir with Gungnir, spilling his lifeblood. He also displayed somewhat comparable levels of physical strength to a worn-out Kratos, being able to push him away when he impaled the Leviathan Axe on his shoulder with Gungnir, free himself of Kratos' grip and briefly force him to his knees before Atreus and Freya attacked him simultaneously. While impersonating Týr, he displayed the strength to lift and push heavy weights down, as displayed when with a single hand, he pulled down a wooden lifting platform and later easily pushed down a large statue in Alfheim. He was also able to easily overpower and push aside Light Elves when they came close him, as well as nonchalantly drag one with a single hand. Superhuman Durability : Odin is extremely durable, as he was able to survive a clash with Ymir, the first being in existence and most powerful of the Frost Giants, and had fought in many wars as the leader of the Aesir, including battles with the Vanir. During Ragnarök, Odin was able to withstand a prolonged battle with Kratos, Atreus, and Freya, quickly shrugging off being struck by the Leviathan Axe and Kratos' punches and enduring a vicious beatdown from them with only moderate injuries, still surviving before Atreus finally withdrew his soul into a mural. Superhuman Speed : Odin has been shown to be able to move with incredible swiftness and agility in combat, being able to deliver fast and precise strikes with his spear. With the use of magic, Odin was capable of covering large distances almost instantly during his battle with Kratos, Freya and Atreus, making him difficult to pin down. Magical Mastery : Odin is an extremely powerful and skilled sorcerer, being a master of many magical arts, including ancient magic. He also learned Seiðr from Freya. Odin is also the only one from the Aesir Gods who uses magic which along with his physical abilities makes him even more formidable. Spell Casting : Through Freya's teachings, Odin learned a wide variety of Seiðr spells and curses that he has used both for his own benefit and to severely harm his enemies, these being all the spells and curses that he has used during history: Dark Magic : Odin has the ability to project his dark magic in various ways, mostly in the form of bright, purple energy. When he actively uses his magic, the tattoos on his forearms glow with purple light. Black Breath : Corruption of magic Odin created to act as a deterrent to those who wanted to reach the highest mountain in Midgard. Only the pure Light of Alfheim could dispel it. Curses : Odin can cast curses so powerful that not even Freya is able to lift them despite her own highly stated Vanir abilities, as he was able to strip Freya of her warrior spirit and Valkyrie wings, leaving her extremely handicapped, as she was left unable to take the life of another living being, even in self defense, forcing her to isolate herself for many years. He was also to trap Freya in Midgard by using both his magic and manipulating Yggdrasil's roots, and used archaic magic to corrupt and transform the Valkyries into monstrous, physical versions of themselves, an act that made them unable to carry out their duties of transporting those killed in the battle to Valhalla. Summoning Ravens : Being the King of Ravens, Odin can summon and control ravens to do his bidding. He uses his two main ravens, Huginn and Muninn, for several purposes, as they not only acted as his scouts and spies, but also transported others to desired locations using his magic. Odin also used his ravens in battle, as Odin was also able to break out of Freya's binding spell by using his ravens, and could project a huge swarm of magic ravens that targeted and ensnared his opponents. Additionally, Odin controlled a separate group of spectral ravens that spied all over the Nine Realms, having captured and corrupted their original souls with the Raven-Keeper. Concealing/Bewitching Magic : Odin can conceal events that happen to others, even if the person is a powerful seiðr who is able to see into the future. Additionally he was able to cast a spell on new Einherjar warriors that seemingly restored their identity, with Mimir implying that this spell also warped the Einherjar into retaining fierce loyalty to Odin above all else.  He also presumably used a similar form of magic to wipe the memories of Huginn and Muninn and bind them to his will, as they were once normal ravens before Odin took them under his control. Protection Magic : He can cast powerful protection enchantments on objects making them unbreakable, such as making the tree Mimir was bound to invulnerable to Thor's hammer. Odin also cast a warding spell around Atreus, Heimdall, and Thrúd to grant them immunity to Helheim's cold. Regeneration : Odin can use his powers to infuse strength and regenerate health, as demonstrated when the Valkyries Hrist and Mist invoked the All-Father twice during their battle against Kratos and Atreus. Realm Travel Block : He submerged the Temple of Týr that was in Asgard, thus preventing access to Asgard , Svartalfheim and Vanaheim . Shapeshifting : Odin could shapeshift into many different beings. He could take on the forms of numerous species with an implied prerequisite that they be still alive for him to do so, as with Týr. He is confirmed to take on the form of a Dwarf in Svartalfheim walking on a bridge that spits at Kratos and his companions (with him likely dying sometime between the events preceding and succeeding Ragnarök). He also took on the form of an extremely beautiful person in order to coerce Freyr into giving up Ingrid. He also ability shapeshift into animal like silver hawk due to escaped at Jotunheim. Energy Projection : Odin has the ability to project powerful beams of glowing purple magical energy from his hands or from his Gungnir spear. Teleportation : Odin can teleport to anywhere he pleases in a flock of ravens. Vocal Shock Wave Generation: Odin was able to generate mildly powerful shock waves by screaming, as he did when Atreus broke the mask . The shockwave was powerful enough to shake the surroundings and knock both Kratos and Atreus backwards. Elementokinesis : Odin is a master of commanding the elements and can wield powers from different attributes, being able to wield them in an array of different ways each, and shift between them freely. He can surround himself in elemental barriers, or even bombard foes with multiple elements at once which can affect the terrain hit by them, such as setting them ablaze, freezing it or poisoning it. Pyrokinesis : Odin can wield fire and use it in the form of fireballs which can incinerate the ground, cloak himself in a protective Fire Barrier, cause explosions, or even wield it as a flamethrower. Cryokinesis : Odin can wield ice and uses it mostly in the form of icy projectiles which can freeze the ground, cloak himself in a protective elemental Ice barrier, or even as a potent cold beam to the same effect, albeit on a larger scale. Geokinesis : Odin can manipulate the earth, creating powerful shockwaves that fracture the ground, which he can use to either tear the terrain apart into sections or destroy it entirely. Toxikinesis: Odin can utilise Seiðr poison, used in the form of toxic green projectiles which can infect the ground. Umbrakinesis : Odin can wield darkness as a form of offense, employing it in the form of projectiles or as explosive shockwaves. He can also combine it with his Ravens in the form of energy spheres surrounded by black feathers which when they explode on contact, can cause temporal blinding by obscuring surroundings. Photokinesis: Odin can wield light and use it in the form of projectile shockwaves when using Gungnir in its whip form, which can blind and daze his opponents. Immobilization : Odin can cast a spell on anyone that magically pins their limbs to the floor, rendering them frozen in place for a short time. Bifröst Energy Manipulation: Odin is able to use energy of Bifröst for various purposes; the most common being concealing his spear and then summoning it at a whim, channeling it to make Gungnir and his attacks with it more potent , cloaking himself in a protective energy barrier, and many more. Not only that, his mastery of Bifröst is such that he is immune to this kind of attack.

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Norse Mythology [ ]

Odin (pronounced “OH-din”; Old Norse Óðinn , Old English, Old Saxon Woden , Old High German Wuotan , Wotan , or Wodan , Proto-Germanic *Woðanaz, “Master of Ecstasy”) is one of the most complex and enigmatic characters in Norse mythology . He's the ruler of the Aesir tribe of deities, yet he often ventures far from their kingdom, Asgard, on long, solitary wanderings throughout the cosmoson purely self-interested quests. He's a relentless seeker after and giver of wisdom, but he has little regard for communal values such as justice, fairness, or respect for law and convention. He's the divine patron of rulers, and also of outlaws. He's a war-god, but also a poetry-god, and he has prominent “effeminate” qualities that would have brought unspeakable shame to any historical Viking warrior. He's worshiped by those in search of prestige, honor, and nobility, yet he's often cursed for being a fickle trickster.
Odin’s name can be translated as “Master of Ecstasy.” His Old Norse name, Óðinn , is formed from two parts: first, the noun óðr, “ecstasy, fury, inspiration,” and the suffix -inn, the masculine definite article, which, when added to the end of another word like this, means something like “the master of” or “a perfect example of.” The eleventh-century historian Adam of Bremen confirms this when he translates “Odin” as “The Furious.” Óðr can take countless different forms. As one saga describes Odin, “when he sat with his friends, he gladdened the spirits of all of them, but when he was at war, his demeanor was terrifyingly grim.”
One of Odin’s countless names is “ Allfather ” (Old Norse Alfaðir), “because,” according to Snorri Sturluson, “he is the father of all of the gods.” And, as we’ve already noted, Odin is listed as the divine ancestor of countless families from all over northern Europe. He's simultaneously an Aesir god, a Vanir god (the Vanir god Odr is only an extension or transposition of Odin), and a giant (his mother is Bestla, one of the first frost-giants). One Old Norse poem even identifies him with önd, the breath of life.