To those wondering why he would not use that knowledge to heal himself, the answer is that restoring the eye would remove the element of sacrifice from Odin’s act, which would render moot the entire transaction.

Odin acquiesced, trading the orb for the virtually infinite knowledge of the Universe through a drink from the Well of Wisdom. He impaled himself upon his spear and hung from Yggdrasil, the Norse Tree of Life from which the nine worlds of existence sprout.Īfter nine deals of agonizing penance, he was asked to make one more sacrifice – give his eye in return for the wisdom of the ages. They tell of how Odin, in his quest for wisdom, was required to undergo an excruciating ordeal. However, a reading of the story behind the loss of that eye is a wonderful introduction to the world of textured tales that the Norsemen of old have left for us. It seems incongruent that the mighty being who leads the race of gods cannot heal himself of what we would presume to be a small feat for an individual of his standing. Odin, Leader and Followerĭepicted most often as an older man, yet powerfully built, the feature that intrigues and baffles most observers is the absence of one of his eyes. Ask and Embla became the progenitors of the human race who live on the earthy plane, which is called Midgard in the Norse tales. Ve then blessed them with the five senses. Vili gave them the ability to think, understand and move. Odin breathed into the couple the breath of Life and gave them souls. From the first, they created the first man and from the other, the first woman. Odin fashioned the oceans from his blood, the soil from his flesh and muscles, the plants from his hair, the clouds from his brains and his bones became the mountains of the world.Īs they walked along the shoreline one day, the three brothers saw two trees, an ash (Ask) and an elm (Embla). Odin slew Ymir with the help of his brothers. Their half god-half giant offspring were Odin, Vili and Ve. On the first day, hair emerged from the it on the second, the head of Buri who would be the first Aesir god, was freed and on the third day, Buri himself stepped out of the ice.īuri’s son, Bor married a giantess named Bestla. The entire race of giants was born from Ymir’s sweat.Ī cow named Audhumbla emerged from the ice and Ymir sustained himself at her teat. The two moved towards each other and the hissing and melting of the ice created the first being, a giant named Ymir. The Creation myth of the Norse people speaks of a time when there was nothing but a void between fire and ice. Proof of that is the popularity of the Norse sagas today, and the enthusiasm with which Hollywood has embraced them to create one blockbuster after another. It makes Norse myths that much more relatable to the average person and broadens the appeal they hold immensely. This absence of omnipotence lends itself to a dichotomous character that is at once both leader and the led.

Odin may be the ruler of the godly realm but he is neither the literal father of all the gods nor all-powerful. He is also the adoptive father of the giant, Loki. Through her, Odin is the father of Thor, Baldur, Hodr and Vali. She is the deity after whom the weekday, Friday, is named. His wife is the beautiful Vanir goddess Frigg, depicted with long, blonde hair. However, he is also the god of poetry and knowledge, creating a well-rounded personality driven by a wonderful mix of interests. He is the god of war and of death, and warriors slain in battle find eternal welcome at the immense hall overseen by Odin, the famous Valhalla (Hall of the Slain Warriors). From his high seat, Odin watches over the worlds of gods and men. Within Asgard is Odin’s seat of power, the throne room called Hlidskjálf. The weekday of Wednesday (Woden’s day) is named for him.Īs in the Greek and Roman myths – where his equal is found in the gods Zeus and Jupiter (Jove) respectively – Odin ruled over the gods in their heavenly home, the Norse version of which is called Asgard. Odin has also been known by the names Othinn, Wotan and Woden by the Germanic tribes who worshipped him.

Odin – From Birth of the World to its End.

The God, His Vestments and His Companions.

God of war mythology