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Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Empire's partial occupation of Germania ( BCE), the Migration Period (4th–6th centuries CE) and the Viking Age (8th–11th centuries CE). Consequently, Odin has hundreds of names and titles. Several of these stem from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic theonym Wōðanaz, meaning "lord of frenzy" or "leader of the possessed", which may relate to the god's strong association with poetry.
Most mythological stories about Odin survive from the 13th-century Prose Edda and an earlier collection of Old Norse poems, the Poetic Edda, along with other Old Norse items like Ynglinga saga. The Prose Edda and other sources depict Odin as the head of the pantheon, sometimes called the Æsir, and bearing Gungnir and Draupnir. Wider sources depict Odin as the son of Bestla and Borr; brother to Vili and Vé; and husband to the goddess Frigg, with whom he fathered Baldr. Odin has many other sons, including Thor, whom he sired with the earth-goddess Jörð. He is sometimes accompanied by animal familiars, such as the ravens Huginn and Muninn and the wolves Geri and Freki. The Prose Edda describes Odin and his brothers' Creation myth through slaying the primordial being Ymir, and his giving of life to the first humans. Odin is often referred to as long-bearded, sometimes as an old man, and also as possessing only one eye, having sacrificed the other for wisdom.
Odin is widely regarded as a god of the dead and warfare. In this role, he receives slain warriors—the einherjar—at Valhalla ("Carrion-hall" or "Hall of the Slain") in the realm of Asgard. The Poetic Edda associates him with Valkyrie, perhaps as their leader. In the mythic future, Odin leads the einherjar at Ragnarök, where he is killed by the monstrous wolf Fenrir. Accounts by early travellers to Northern Europe describe Human sacrifice being made to Odin. In Old English texts, Odin is euhemerism as an ancestral figure for royalty and is frequently depicted as a founding figure for various Germanic peoples, such as the Langobards. In some later folklore, he is a leader of the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession of the dead.
Odin has an attested history spanning over a thousand years. He is an important subject of interest to Germanic studies. Some scholars consider the god's relations to other figures—as reflected, for example in the etymological similarity of his name to the name of italic=no's husband italic=no. Others discuss his historical lineage, exploring whether he derives from Proto-Indo-European mythology or developed later in Germanic society. In modern times, most forms of the new religious movement Heathenry venerate him; in some, he is the central deity. The god regularly features across all forms of modern media, especially genre fiction, and—alongside others in the Germanic pantheon—has lent his name to a day of the week, Wednesday, in many languages.
Internal and comparative evidence all point to the ideas of a divine possession or inspiration, and an ecstatic divination. In his Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (1075–1080 AD), Adam of Bremen explicitly associates Wodan with the Latin term furor, which can be translated as 'rage', 'fury', 'madness', or 'frenzy' (Wodan id est furor : "Odin, that is, furor"). As of 2011, an attestation of Proto-Norse Woðinz, on the Strängnäs 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).Gustavsson, Helmer & Swantesson, Jan O.H. 2011. Strängnäs, Skramle och Tomteboda: tre urnordiska runinskrifter , in Fornvännen.
Other Germanic cognates derived from *wōðaz include Gothic language woþs ('possessed'), Old Norse óðr ('mad, frantic, furious'), Old English wōd ('insane, frenzied') and Dutch language woed ('frantic, wild, crazy'), along with the Nominalization forms Old Norse óðr ('mind, wit, sense; song, poetry'), Old English wōþ ('sound, noise; voice, song'), Old High German wuot ('thrill, violent agitation') and Middle Dutch woet ('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 include un-wōdz ('calm one', i.e. 'not-furious'; 200 CE) and wōdu-rīde ('furious rider'; 400 CE).]]Philologist Jan de Vries has argued that the Old Norse deities Óðinn and Óðr were probably originally connected (as in the doublet Ullr), with Óðr (* wōðaz) being the elder form and the ultimate source of the name Óðinn ( *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 between Varuna and Mitra.
The adjective *wōðaz ultimately stems from a Pre-Germanic form *uoh₂-tós, which is related to the Proto-Celtic terms *Vates, meaning 'seer, sooth-sayer' (cf. Gaulish wāteis, Old Irish fáith 'prophet') and * wātus, meaning 'prophesy, poetic inspiration' (cf. Old Irish fáth 'prophetic wisdom, maxims', Old Welsh guaut 'prophetic verse, panegyric'). According to some scholars, the Latin term vātēs ('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 earlier Proto-Indo-European (PIE) origin. In the case a borrowing scenario is excluded, a PIE etymon *(H)ueh₂-tis ('prophet, seer') can also be posited as the common ancestor of the attested Germanic, Celtic and Latin forms.
In his opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, Richard Wagner refers to the god as Wotan, a spelling of his own invention which combines the Old High German Wuotan with the Low German Wodan.
Anthony Birley noted 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 of psychopomp. 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.Simek (2007:244). Also, Tacitus's "among the gods Mercury is the one they principally worship" is an exact quote from Julius Caesar's italic=yes (1st century BCE) in which Caesar is referring to the Gauls and not the Germanic peoples. Regarding the Germanic peoples, Caesar states: "They 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 the Goths, and the existence of a cult of Odin among them is debated. Richard North and Herwig Wolfram have 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 Gothic Ring of Pietroassa is 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-bracteate discovered in Denmark in 2020. Dated to as early as the 400s, the bracteate features a Proto-Norse Elder Futhark inscription reading "He is Odin’s man" ( iz Wōdanas weraz).Brooks (2023). Although the English kingdoms were nominally converted to Christianity by the end of the 7th century, Woden is frequently listed as a founding figure among the Old English royalty.Herbert (2007 1994:7).
Odin is also either directly or indirectly mentioned a few times in the surviving Old English poetic corpus, including the Nine Herbs Charm and likely also the Old English rune poem. Odin may also be referenced in the riddle Solomon and Saturn. In the Nine Herbs Charm, Woden is said to have slain a wyrm (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 of nan to 'man' has been proposed. The next stanza comments on the creation of the herbs chervil and fennel while 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 to the 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 poem Maxims I also mentions Woden by name in the (alliterative) phrase Woden worhte weos, ('Woden made idols'), in which he is contrasted with and denounced against the Christian God.North (1997:88).
The Old English rune poems recounts the Old English runic alphabet, the futhorc. The stanza for the rune ós reads as follows:
The first word of this stanza, ōs (Latin 'mouth') is a homophone for Old English os, 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.For example, Herbert (2007 1994:33), Pollington (2008 1995:18). Kathleen Herbert comments that "Os was cognate with As in Norse, where it meant one of the italic=no, 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 word os could be substituted without ruining the sense, to keep the outward form of the rune name without obviously referring to Woden."Herbert (2007 1994:33).
In the prose narrative of Solomon 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.Cross and Hill (1982:34, 36, 122–123). One of the Solomon and Saturn poems is additionally in the style of later Old Norse material featuring Odin, such as the Old Norse poem italic=yes, featuring Odin and the italic=no engaging in a deadly game of wits.Williamson (2011:14).
The 7th-century italic=yes, and Paul the Deacon's 8th-century italic=yes derived from it, recount a founding myth of the Langobards (Lombards), a Germanic people who ruled a region of the Italian Peninsula. According to this legend, a "small people" known as the Winnili were ruled by a woman named Gambara who had two sons, Ybor and Aio. The Vandals, ruled by Ambri 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 the italic=yes): "Whom I shall first see when at sunrise, to them will I give the victory."Foulke (2003 1974:315–16).
Meanwhile, Ybor and Aio called upon Frea, Godan's wife. Frea counselled them that "at sunrise the Winnili 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 the Langobards ('long-beards').Foulke (2003 1974:316–17).
Writing in the mid-7th century, Jonas of Bobbio wrote that earlier that century the Irish missionary Columbanus disrupted an offering of beer to Odin ( vodano) "(whom others called Mercury)" in Swabia.Munro (1895:31–32). A few centuries later, 9th-century document from what is now Mainz, Germany, known as the Old Saxon Baptismal Vow records the names of three Old Saxon gods, UUôden ('Woden'), Saxnôte, and Thunaer ('Thor'), whom pagan converts were to renounce as .Simek (2007:276).
A 10th-century manuscript found in Merseburg, Germany, features a heathen invocation known as the Second Merseburg Incantation, which calls upon Odin and other gods and goddesses from the continental Germanic pantheon to assist in healing a horse:
The Welsh 9th centurry Historia Brittonum also 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 of Noah from the Bible.
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 the Bryggen inscriptions in 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.McLeod, Mees (2006:30).
The poem italic=yes features Odin in a dialogue with an undead völva, who gives him wisdom from ages past and foretells the onset of italic=no, the destruction and rebirth of the world. Among the information the italic=no recounts is the story of the first human beings (Ask and Embla), found and given life by a trio of gods; Odin, italic=no, and italic=no: In stanza 17 of the Poetic Edda poem italic=yes, the völva reciting the poem states that italic=no, italic=no 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:
The meaning of these gifts has been a matter of scholarly disagreement and translations therefore vary.Schach (1985:93).
- 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:Dronke (1997:11).
- Spirit they possessed not, sense they had not,
- blood nor motive powers, nor goodly colour.
- Spirit gave italic=no, sense gave italic=no,
- blood gave italic=no, and goodly colour.
- Benjamin Thorpe translation:Thorpe (1866:5).
- Soul they had not, sense they had not,
- Heat nor motion, nor goodly hue;
- Soul gave italic=no, sense gave italic=no,
- Heat gave italic=no and goodly hue.
- Henry Adams Bellows translation:Bellows (1936:8).
Later in the poem, the italic=no recounts the events of the italic=no War, the war between italic=no and the italic=no, two groups of gods. During this, the first war of the world, Odin flung his spear into the opposing forces of the italic=no.Dronke (1997:42). The italic=no tells Odin that she knows where he has hidden his eye; in the spring italic=no, and from it "italic=no drinks mead every morning".Dronke (1997:14). After Odin gives her necklaces, she continues to recount more information, including a list of , referred to as nǫnnor Herians 'the ladies of War Lord'; in other words, the ladies of Odin.Dronke (1997:15). In foretelling the events of italic=no, the italic=no predicts the death of Odin; Odin will fight the monstrous wolf italic=no during the great battle at italic=no. Odin will be consumed by the wolf, yet Odin's son italic=no will avenge him by stabbing the wolf in the heart.Dronke (1997:21–22). After the world is burned and renewed, the surviving and returning gods will meet and recall Odin's deeds and "ancient runes".Dronke (1997:23).
The poem italic=yes (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 italic=no, 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).Larrington (1999 1996:14–38). Among the various scenes that Odin recounts is his self-sacrifice:
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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 tree italic=no, and if the tree is italic=no, then the name italic=yes (Old Norse 'Ygg's steed') directly relates to this story. Odin is associated with hanging and gallows; John Lindow comments that "the hanged 'ride' the gallows".
In the prose introduction to the poem italic=yes, the hero Sigurd rides up to italic=no and heads south towards "the land of the Franks". On the mountain italic=no sees a great light, "as if fire were burning, which blazed up to the sky". italic=no approaches it, and there he sees a skjaldborg (a tactical formation of shield wall) with a banner flying overhead. italic=no enters the skjaldborg, and sees a warrior lying there—asleep and fully armed. italic=no removes the helmet of the warrior, and sees the face of a woman. The woman's corslet is so tight that it seems to have grown into the woman's body. italic=no uses his sword Gram to cut the corslet, starting from the neck of the corslet downwards, he continues cutting down her sleeves, and takes the corslet off her.Thorpe (1907:180).
The woman wakes, sits up, looks at italic=no, 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. italic=no asks for her name, and the woman gives italic=no a drinking horn of mead to 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 named italic=no and that she is a valkyrie.Larrington (1999:166–67).
A narrative relates that italic=no explains to italic=no that there were two kings fighting one another. Odin had promised one of these—italic=no—victory in battle, yet she had "brought down" italic=no in 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, italic=no told Odin she had sworn a great oath that she would never wed a man who knew fear. italic=no asks italic=no to share with him her wisdom of all worlds. The poem continues in verse, where italic=no provides italic=no with knowledge in inscribing runic alphabet, mystic wisdom, and prophecy.Larrington (1999:167).
In the Prose Edda book italic=yes (chapter 38), the enthroned figure of High (Harr), tells italic=no (king italic=no 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 italic=yes is then quoted.Faulkes (1995:33).
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.
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 the italic=no believed that he would not return, his brothers began to divvy up Odin's inheritance, "but his wife italic=no they shared between them. However, afterwards, Odin returned and took possession of his wife again". Chapter 4 describes the italic=no War. According to the chapter, Odin "made war on the italic=no". The italic=no defended 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 the italic=no decapitating one of the hostages sent to them by the italic=no, italic=no. The italic=no sent italic=no's head to the italic=no, whereupon Odin "took it and embalmed it with herbs so that it would not rot, and spoke charms Old over it", which imbued the head with the ability to answer Odin and "tell him many occult things".
In italic=yes, the great king italic=no and 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 that italic=no heard their prayers and told Odin what they asked", and the two gods subsequently sent a Valkyrie to present italic=no an apple that falls onto his lap while he sits on a burial mound and italic=no's wife subsequently becomes pregnant with the namesake of the italic=no family line.
In the 13th century legendary saga italic=yes, the poem italic=yes contains a riddle that mentions italic=no and Odin:
italic=no said:
Thorpe relates that "a story is also current of a golden ship, which is said to be sunk in italic=no, near the italic=no, in which, according to tradition, Odin fetched the slain from the battle of italic=no to italic=no", and that italic=no, according to legend, derives its name from "one italic=no, who stole Odin's runic staves" (runekaflar) and then bound Odin's dogs, bull, and a mermaid who came to help Odin. Thorpe notes that numerous other traditions existed in Sweden at the time of his writing.Thorpe (1851:51).
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.Thorpe (1851:199).
Odin and the gods italic=no and italic=no help a farmer and a boy escape the wrath of a bet-winning italic=no in italic=yes or italic=yes, a Faroese ballad dating to the Late Middle Ages.Hirschfeld (1889:30–31).
Vendel Period helmet 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.Simek (2007:164) and Lindow (2005:187).
Two of the 8th century picture stones from the island of Gotland, Sweden depict eight-legged horses, which are thought by most scholars to depict italic=no: the Tjängvide image stone and the Ardre VIII image stone. Both stones feature a rider sitting atop an eight-legged horse, which some scholars view as Odin. Above the rider on the italic=no image 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 century Eggja stone bearing the Odinic name haras (Old Norse 'army god') may be interpreted as depicting italic=no.Simek (2007:140).
A pair of identical Germanic Iron Age bird-shaped brooches from italic=no in northern Denmark may be depictions of italic=no and italic=no. 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.Petersen (1990:62). Archaeologist italic=no comments 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. italic=no notes 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." italic=no says that Odin is associated with disguise, and that the masks on the ravens may be portraits of Odin.
The italic=no tapestry fragments, discovered within the Viking Age italic=no ship 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, scholar italic=no interprets these birds as italic=no and italic=no flying over a covered cart containing an image of Odin, drawing comparison to the images of Nerthus attested by Tacitus in 1 CE.Ingstad (1995:141–42).
Excavations in Ribe, Denmark have recovered a Viking Age lead 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 the Vikings went—from eastern England to Russia and naturally also in the rest of Scandinavia."Jensen (1990:178).
A portion of (a partly surviving runestone erected at Kirk Andreas on the Isle 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.Pluskowski (2004:158). Andy Orchard comments that this bird may be either italic=no or italic=no.Orchard (1997:115). Rundata dates the cross to 940,Entry Br Olsen;185A in Rundata 2.0 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 wolf italic=no during the events of italic=no.Jansson (1987:152)
The 11th century Ledberg stone in 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 by italic=no at italic=no. Below the beast and the man is a depiction of a legless, helmeted man, with his arms in a prostrate position. The Younger Futhark inscription on the stone bears a commonly seen memorial dedication, but is followed by an encoded runic sequence that has been described as "mysterious,"MacLeod, Mees (2006:145). and "an interesting magic formula which is known from all over the ancient Norse world."
In November 2009, the Roskilde Museum announced the discovery and subsequent display of a niello-inlaid silver figurine found in italic=no, which they dubbed Odin 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 throne italic=no, flanked by the ravens Huginn and Muninn.Roskilde Museum. Odin fra Lejre and additional information . Retrieved 16 November 2009.
Various interpretations have been offered for a symbol that appears on various archaeological finds known modernly as the italic=no. Due to the context of its placement on some objects, some scholars have interpreted this symbol as referring to Odin. For example, Hilda Ellis Davidson theorises a connection between the italic=no, the god Odin and "mental binds":
Davidson says that similar symbols are found beside figures of wolves and ravens on "certain cremation urns" from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in East Anglia. According to Davidson, Odin's connection to cremation is known, and it does not seem unreasonable to connect with Odin in Anglo-Saxon England. Davidson proposes further connections between Odin's role as bringer of ecstasy by way of the etymology of the god's name.
More radically, both the archaeologist and comparative mythologist italic=no and the Germanicist Karl Helm argued that the italic=no as a group, which includes both Thor and Odin, were late introductions into Northern Europe and that the indigenous religion of the region had been italic=no.
In the 16th century and by the entire Vasa 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 by Johannes Magnus.Erik Pettersson in Den skoningslöse, en biografi över Karl IX Natur & Kultur 2008 pp. 13 & 24
Under the trifunctional hypothesis of Georges Dumézil, Odin is assigned one of the core functions in the Indo-European pantheon as a representative of the first function (sovereignty) corresponding to the Hindu italic=no (fury and magic) as opposed to italic=no, who corresponds to the Hindu italic=no (law and justice); while the italic=no represent 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, and Jan de Vries compared him to the Hindu god Rudra and the Greek Hermes.
Works of modern literature featuring Odin include the poem italic=yes (1745) by italic=no, italic=yes (1769) by italic=no, italic=yes (1771) by italic=no, the tragedy italic=yes by italic=no, the epic poem italic=yes (1803) by Jens Baggesen, the poem italic=yes (1803) and italic=yes (1809) by italic=no, poems in italic=yes (1819) by italic=no, the four-part novel italic=yes (1833) by italic=no, "The Hero as Divinity" from On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History (1841) by Thomas Carlyle, the poem Prelude (1850) by William Wordsworth, the poem Odins Meeresritt by set to music by Karl Loewe (1851), the canzone italic=yes (1864) by italic=no, the poem italic=yes (1870) by Richard Wagner, the ballad Rolf Krake (1910) by F. Schanz, the novel italic=yes (1918–1923) by italic=no, the comedy italic=yes (1923) by italic=no, the novel Wotan by italic=no, italic=yes (1937) by italic=no, the poem italic=yes (1938) by italic=no, and the novel italic=yes (1941–1942) by italic=no.Simek (2007:244–45).
Music inspired by or featuring the god includes the ballets italic=yes (1818) and italic=yes (1852) by italic=no and the opera cycle italic=yes (1848–1874) by Richard Wagner.Simek (2007:246).
Odin was adapted as a character by Marvel Comics, first appearing in the Journey into Mystery series in 1962.
Odin is featured in a number of video games. In the 2002 Ensemble Studios game Age of Mythology, Odin is one of three major gods Norse players can worship. Odin is also mentioned through Santa Monica Studio's 2018 game God of War and appears in its 2022 sequel God of War Ragnarök. He is a major influence in the 2020 Ubisoft game Assassin's Creed Valhalla in the form of an Isu (a godlike, humanoid species within the Assassin's Creed universe) 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 the third-person multiplayer online battle arena game Smite.
Heimskringla and sagas
Odin is mentioned several times in the sagas that make up italic=yes. In the italic=yes, the first section of Heimskringla, an euhemerism account 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 the italic=no" (), the capital of which being italic=no. italic=no was ruled by Odin, a great chieftain, and was "a great place for sacrifices". It was the custom there that 12 temple priests were ranked highest; they administered sacrifices and held judgements over men. "Called diar or 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 the saga, 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 a bjannak ('blessing', ultimately from Latin benedictio) 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.
36. italic=no said:
Modern folklore
Local folklore and folk practice recognised Odin as late as the 19th century in Scandinavia. In a work published in the mid-19th century, Benjamin Thorpe records that on Gotland, "many traditions and stories of Odin the Old still live in the mouths of the people". Thorpe notes that, in italic=no in Sweden, "it was formerly the custom to leave a sheaf on the field for Odin's horses", and cites other examples, such as in italic=no, italic=no, where a tumulus was purported to have been opened in the 18th century, purportedly containing the body of Odin. After Christianization, the mound was known as Helvetesbackke (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 around italic=no had 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 (1851:50–51).
Archaeological record
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 by italic=no and italic=no. Like the Prose Edda description 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.Simek (2007:43, 164). Austrian Germanist Rudolf Simek states 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."Simek (2007:164).
Origin and theories
Beginning with Henry Petersen's doctoral dissertation in 1876, which proposed that Thor was 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 by Bernhard Salin on the basis of motifs in the and , and with reference to the Prologue of the Prose Edda, which presents the Æsir as having migrated into Scandinavia. Salin proposed that both Odin and the runes were introduced from Southeast Europe in the Iron Age. Other scholars placed his introduction at different times; Axel Olrik, during the Migration Age as a result of Gauls influence.
Modern influence
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 drawing italic=yes (1812) and the sketch King Gylfe receives Oden on his arrival to Sweden (1816) by italic=no; the drinking horn relief italic=yes (1818), the marble statue Odin (1830) and the colossal bust Odin by italic=no, the statues Odin (1812/1822) and Odin (1824/1825) by italic=no, the sgraffito over the entrance of Wahnfried (1874) by italic=no, the painting Odin (around 1880) by Edward Burne-Jones, the drawing italic=yes (1883) by italic=no, the marble statue Wodan (around 1887) by H. Natter, the oil painting italic=yes (1890) by italic=no, the graphic drawing italic=yes (1896) by italic=no, the painting Odin and Fenris (around 1900) by Dorothy Hardy, the oil painting italic=yes (1914) by italic=no, the painting The Road to Walhall by italic=no, the wooden Oslo City Hall relief italic=yes (1938) and the coloured wooden relief in the courtyard of the Oslo City Hall italic=yes (1945–1950) by italic=no, and the bronze relief on the doors of the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities, Odin (1950) by italic=no.Simek (2007:245).
(2025). 9781465478900, DK Publishing. ISBN 9781465478900 Sir Anthony Hopkins portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), (2013), and (2017). Also adapted as a character portrayed by Ian McShane Mr. Wednesday, a con artist and the god Odin in American Gods an American fantasy drama television series based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 American Gods.
Explanatory notes
Notes
Sources
John T. Koch (2025). 9781907029325, Aberystwyth Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. . ISBN 9781907029325
Lee Milton (Trans.) Hollander (1964). 9780292730618, University of Texas Press. . ISBN 9780292730618
External links
Categories: Arts Gods, Creator Gods, Death Gods, Dragonslayers, Germanic Gods, Hunting Gods, Killed Deities, Life-death-rebirth Gods, Magic Gods, Semi-legendary Kings Of Sweden, Mythological Rapists, Norse Gods, Oracular Gods, Völsung Cycle, War Gods, Wisdom Gods, Norse Underworld, Wolf Deities, Raven Deities
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