Odin

Odin is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. He is known by many names and titles. Odin is often pictured as a wise, one-eyed old man with a long beard, carrying a spear and wearing a ring.

In myths, Odin is the leader of the Æsir, a group of major gods. He has many children, including Thor, and is married to the goddess Frigg. Odin is also linked to poetry, wisdom, and magic. He is said to have sacrificed one of his eyes to gain knowledge.

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

Odin is especially linked to war and death. He welcomes fallen warriors to Valhöll, a grand hall in Asgard, where they prepare for the end of the world, called Ragnarök. During this event, Odin will lead these warriors against powerful forces.

Today, Odin remains an important figure in studies of ancient Germanic cultures and is honored by many followers of Heathenry. He also appears often in books, movies, and games, and his name lives on in the word for Wednesday in many languages.

Name

The name Odin comes from Old Norse, where he is called Óðinn. This name is related to many other old Germanic names like Wōden in Old English and Wōdan in Old Saxon. These names come from an older word that means 'lord of frenzy' or 'leader of the possessed'. This connects Odin to ideas of divine inspiration and ecstatic divination.

Odin has many other names, more than 170 in total, which describe his qualities or his stories. For example, in Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, he is called Wotan. The day we call Wednesday comes from Old English Wōdnesdæg, meaning 'day of Wōden'. This is similar to names for the same day in other Germanic languages.

Attestations

The earliest records of the Germanic peoples were written by the Romans. In these works, Odin is often called the Roman god Mercury. The Romans thought Odin and Mercury were similar because both carried a staff and wore a hat. They were also both linked to travel and trade. Odin was mainly worshipped by the Suebi, a group of Germanic peoples.

One of the oldest mentions of Odin by name is on a small metal piece found in Denmark, dating back to around the year 400. In Old English poetry, Odin is mentioned several times. He appears in charms and poems, showing his importance across different Germanic cultures.

During the Viking Age, Odin continued to be a central figure in Norse mythology. In the 11th century, a chronicler named Adam of Bremen described Odin as a god of war. Odin was also mentioned in inscriptions and poems from this time, showing his lasting influence in Scandinavian culture.

Ǫnd þau né átto, óð þau né hǫfðo,

lá né læti né lito góða.

Ǫnd gaf Óðinn, óð gaf Hœnir,

lá gaf Lóðurr ok lito góða.

Old Norse:

Spirit they possessed not, sense they had not,

blood nor motive powers, nor goodly colour.

Spirit gave Odin, sense gave Hœnir,

blood gave Lodur, and goodly colour.

Benjamin Thorpe translation:

Soul they had not, sense they had not,

Heat nor motion, nor goodly hue;

Soul gave Othin, sense gave Hönir,

Heat gave Lothur and goodly hue.

Henry Adams Bellows translation:

I know that I hung on a wind-rocked tree,

nine whole nights,

with a spear wounded, and to Odin offered,

myself to myself;

on that tree, of which no one knows

from what root it springs.

Bread no one gave me, nor a horn of drink,

downward I peered,

to runes applied myself, wailing learnt them,

then fell down thence.

Benjamin Thorpe translation:

I ween that I hung on the windy tree,

Hung there for nine nights full nine;

With the spear I was wounded, and offered I was,

To Othin, myself to myself,

On the tree that none may know

What root beneath it runs.

None made me happy with a loaf or horn,

And there below I looked;

I took up the runes, shrieking I took them,

And forthwith back I fell.

Henry Adams Bellows translation:

I know that I hung on a windy tree

nine long nights,

wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,

myself to myself,

on that tree of which no man knows

from where its roots run.

No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn,

downwards I peered;

I took up the runes, screaming I took them,

then I fell back from there.

Carolyne Larrington translation:

Archaeological record

Odin appears on many old objects. Gold bracteates from the Migration Period show a man above a horse, holding a spear and with birds beside him. Many think this is Odin with his ravens, Huginn and Muninn. People found these bracteates in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and England.

Vendel Period helmet plates from Sweden also show a man riding a horse with two birds. Some believe this is Odin with his ravens. Picture stones from Gotland, Sweden, show eight-legged horses. These may be Sleipnir, Odin's famous horse, with riders some think are Odin. Other objects, like bird-shaped brooches from Denmark and a silver figurine from Lejre, Norway, also show images linked to Odin and his ravens.

Origin and theories

People have wondered where Odin came from and why he became an important god in Norse mythology. Some, like Henry Petersen, thought Odin was a newer god who came to Scandinavia. Others, like Bernhard Salin, believed he and the runes came from Southeastern Europe during the Iron Age.

Some ideas say that Odin and the group of gods called the Æsir came to Northern Europe later, replacing older local beliefs. Some historians even thought Odin was the first king of Sweden, but this was based on made-up stories. Scholars study Odin's roles, seeing him as a god of leadership, magic, and the dead, and compare him to gods from other cultures.

Modern influence

Further information: Tolkien and the Norse

Odin has inspired many artists, writers, and musicians. Artists have shown him in drawings, statues, and paintings since the early 1800s.

In books, Odin is in poems, novels, and plays from the 1700s to the 1940s. He is also in modern stories, like the Marvel Comics series that began in 1962. Actors such as Sir Anthony Hopkins and Ian McShane have played him in movies and TV shows.

Odin is also in video games like Age of Mythology, God of War Ragnarök, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Smite.

Explanatory notes

This section has extra notes to help explain Odin's story in Norse mythology. It talks about old times and cultures that shaped the tales about him. These notes link the myths to real places and events, like the Roman Empire and the Viking Age, to make the stories easier to understand.

Odin

Odin

Name

Attestations

Archaeological record

Origin and theories

Modern influence

Explanatory notes

Images