Odin

Odin is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. He is known by hundreds of names and titles, many coming from the ancient Proto-Germanic word for "lord of frenzy." 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 associated with 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, including a giant wolf.

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

Woðinz (read from right to left), a probably authentic attestation of a pre-Viking Age form of Odin, on the Strängnäs stone

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 all come from an older Proto-Germanic word *Wōðanaz, which 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, his stories, or his religious practices. For example, in Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, he is called Wotan, a name Wagner created by mixing Old High German and Low German words. 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, all coming from the idea of 'Day of Wōðanaz'.

Attestations

The earliest records of the Germanic peoples were written by the Romans. In these works, Odin is often called the Roman god Mercury. This identification happened because the Romans saw similarities between Odin and Mercury, such as both being depicted with a staff and hat, and both being associated with travel and trade. However, Odin was mainly worshipped by the Suebi, a group of Germanic peoples.

One of the Torslunda plates. The figure to the left was cast with both eyes, but afterwards the right eye was removed.

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, including in a charm where he battles a serpent using nine magic sticks. Odin also appears in Old English rune poems and other early texts, 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 who gave strength to his people. 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

References to or depictions of Odin appear on many ancient objects. Gold bracteates from the Migration Period show a figure above a horse, holding a spear and flanked by birds, which are often identified as Odin with his ravens, Huginn and Muninn. These bracteates have been found in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and England.

Vendel Period helmet plates from Sweden also show a figure riding a horse, accompanied by two birds, interpreted as Odin with his ravens. Picture stones from Gotland, Sweden, depict eight-legged horses, thought to be Sleipnir, Odin's famous steed, with riders that some scholars believe to be Odin. Other artifacts, such as bird-shaped brooches from Denmark and a silver figurine from Lejre, Norway, also feature imagery linked to Odin and his ravens.

Origin and theories

Many scholars have debated where Odin came from and how he became an important god in Norse mythology. Some, like Henry Petersen, thought Odin was a later god who came to Scandinavia, while others, like Bernhard Salin, believed he and the runes arrived from Southeastern Europe during the Iron Age.

Other ideas suggest that Odin and the group of gods called the Æsir were introduced to Northern Europe later, replacing older local beliefs. Some historians even thought Odin was the first king of Sweden, though this was based on made-up stories. Scholars also study Odin's roles, seeing him as a god of sovereignty, magic, and the dead, comparing him to gods from other cultures.

Modern influence

Further information: Tolkien and the Norse

Odin has inspired many artists, writers, and musicians over the years. In art, Odin has been depicted in drawings, statues, and paintings by various artists since the early 1800s.

In literature, Odin appears in poems, novels, and plays written from the 1700s through the 1940s. He was also featured in modern stories, such as the Marvel Comics series starting in 1962, where he was played by Sir Anthony Hopkins in movies like Thor and by Ian McShane in the TV series American Gods.

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

Explanatory notes

This section provides additional notes to help explain the context of Odin's story in Norse mythology. It includes references to historical periods and cultures that influenced the tales about him. These notes help connect the myths to real events and places, such as the Roman Empire and the Viking Age, making the stories more understandable.