Odin is the god of both war and death. Half of the warriors who die in battle are taken to his hall of Valhalla. He is the one-eyed All-Father, who sacrificed his eye in order to see everything that happens in the world! Not sure how many people would sacrifice an eye for that?! His history is so vast, but for the sake of literally not writing a book, I am going to just touch on the basics.

He had two sons, Balder, by his first wife Frigg and Thor, by Jord (a sexual partner of Odin). Odin learned the magical art of prophecy from Freyja, (the sister and female counterpart of Freyr). Odin, also had several animals. His two ravens Hugin and Munin (thought and memory) flew around the world and reported back what they saw. Sleipnir the eight-legged horse ridden by Odin, could run through all the worlds. Geri and Freki were Odin’s wolves. You will see all of these animals in many of the pictures of Odin.

One dark and chilly Autumn day, as Odin was sitting on his throne, Hlidskjalf, with Frigg in the hall of Valhalla—- Odin looked out across the whole world. Odin desperately wanted to know everything and gain wisdom and knowledge of things hidden from him. Odin watched the Norns from his seat in Asgard and envied their powers and their wisdom. He then bent his will toward the task of coming to know the runes. This was the desire that ultimately drove him to sacrifice himself. In the days following:

Odin………..

Would sacrifice his eye in Mimir’s well and then throw himself on his spear, Gungnir. The most commonly discussed root of Yggdrasil (there were several), was the one that extended over the Giants’ world was a well that was called “Mimir’s Well” AKA Well of Knowledge, because it was guarded by Mimir (the wisest of the gods of the tribe Aesir; he was also believed to be a water spirit). Mimir was wise because he frequently drank from the well. The price of drinking from the well was not small, but Odin was willing because he saw the benefits of all the knowledge that Mimir gained! See how it all ties in together?!?!

Odin then hanged himself in Yggdrasil, The World Tree, for nine days and nine nights in order to gain knowledge of other worlds and be able to understand the runes. At the center of the Norse cosmos stands the great tree Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil’s upper branches cradle Asgar— the home and fortress of the Aesir gods and goddesses, of whom Odin is the chief. During his sacrificial actions, he saw visions and received secret wisdom. The magical knowledge Odin gained made him able to cure the sick, calm storms, turn weapons against his attackers, make women fall in love and render those who were dangerous, harmless – often just with a look. What an awesome power to have!

Odin was also a shapeshifter, meaning that he could change shape. He could fall into an ecstatic trance and send out his soul, allowing him to adopt the form of another person or an animal. While his body lay in a trance, he could travel as a bird or a four-legged animal, a fish or a snake, through all the worlds and to far-off places.

Odin was often portrayed as a charming man who enjoys drinking mead and wine. Equipped with the knowledge of how to wield the runes, he became one of the mightiest and most accomplished beings in the cosmos. He learned chants that enabled him to heal emotional and bodily wounds, to bind his enemies and render their weapons worthless, to free himself from constraints, to put out fires, to expose and banish practitioners of dark “magic”, to protect his friends in battle, to wake the dead, to win and keep a lover/lovers, and to perform many other incredible actions like these.

Stay tuned for more Norse Mythology. It truly is fascinating!