By Goði Anlengðarclan
Odin is a man of intrigue, danger, love, and betrayal, to name but a few of his personal traits. The Allfather seeks and gives wisdom on his journeys, as a warrior, and a poet.
According to Prose Edda, the Allfather is the “highest and oldest of all the gods” and the literal father of many of the Aesir deities. He is the Norse God of Wisdom, Death, War, and Sorcery.
In this article, we will be exploring one of the most prominent Gods of the Æsir. A God who has more names than bones in the human body, Odin or Óðin (Oo-theen). He is also referred to as Wodan or Wotan.
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Keep reading for ways to worship Odin and plan your altar space.
Where Did Odin Come From?
The origins of Odin are well documented in the Creation Edda Poems from the Prose and Poetic Eddas of the Northern European Iron Age civilizations. These stories were written by Snorri Sturlusson and his Co-authors around the 13th Century in Iceland.
The Poetic Edda is a series of poems that were originally passed by word of mouth by traveling storytellers, sang by Skalds, and recited around the family fire in the evening.
It is said that Odin was born to the third generation of Æsir the main Tribe of Gods that built and resided in Asgard. His grandfather, Buri, was the first of the Æsir licked from a block of Ice by Auðumla, the sacred cow.
Odin's father was half Jötunn and half Æsir Bor. The Jötunn or Jotun are a race of beings not clearly defined who come from the world Jötunheimr.
Odin's mother was the Jotnar Bestla, making Odin only one quarter Æsir and ¾ Jotun.
Odin is one of four brothers. Odin, Villi, Vi and Hœnir. The first three, appear to have come first as Hœnir is not mentioned in the Origin saga.
The Norse god Odin enthroned, flanked by his two wolfs, Geri and Freki, and his two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, and holding his spear Gungnir. Photo from Murray, Alexander (1874). Manual of Mythology : Greek and Roman, Norse, and Old German, Hindoo and Egyptian Mythology. London, Asher and Co.
Who is Odin?
This is a question that scholars, such as myself, have been asking since the beginning of our studies, and it will be up to you to form your own conclusions.
Odin is first and foremost, part of a family. A big rambling family who like many were often at odds with each other.
Odin was married to the goddess Frigg and they had two sons, Baldur and Hodr. Frigg is the ultimate example of a wife and mother. A goddess in her own right, she is blessed with the gift of prophecy.
He also had an affair with the giantess JordIn and they had a son Thor the God of the Common Man.
Being a romantic fellow, Odin had a lesser-known son with the Jotnar Rindr. It is said that their son, Váli was born with the purpose to avenge his half-brother, Baldr’s life.
Another affair with the giantess Grid produced his son Vidar. Vidar would be the son that avenges Odin’s death by killing the wolf Fenrir. He became known as the God of Vengeance.
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Odin and His Familiars
No friend of wolves, he has two as pets. Gerri and Freki, or starving and ravenous. Often he is described as mistreating them, feeding them only on scraps and striking them if they dare to sit on his throne. His treatment of them is likely a byproduct of knowing that it will be a Wolf, Fenrir, that one day ends his life.
He is however much kinder to his Ravens, Hugin and Munin whose names mean thought and memory. He feeds them the best food and treats with great respect despite them still being more like employees than pets.
Odin possessed an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. Sleipnir is described in the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. He is incredibly fast and carries Odin in his journeys around the world.
His origin is most unique.Sleipnir is the son of Loki. Loki shapeshifted into a beautiful mare and mated with the stallion Svadilfari. He can also travel between the world’s of the living and the dead.
Read our blog Norse Gods and Their Spirit Animals
How Can You Worship Odin?
There are two holidays that he is the main focus, or plays a large role in throughout the year. Both of which seem to be focused around the wintertime.
The first is Winter-Nights, where you may gather with your family and if you chose to, thank Odin for not taking any of your family with him or asking him to see those he did take safely to their final rest.
Read our article Winter-nights
The second, showing a much softer side of the All-Father, is Yule. A time when it is said that he travels upon his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, and makes sure that we are all safe in the winter.
Yule is a large event as you may know but for specifically Odin. Children place their shoes outside their doors with some salt lick on their toe caps and hay on the shoe to assist them on their long journey.
It is said that he would sometimes leave a piece of coal for your fire or a wooden figurine toy for you to play with.
A less structured thing you might partake in is a request for him to test you in order to achieve personal growth. This is not something undertaken lightly as it is said that he will cause you to suffer to allow you to realize your true strength and survival abilities.
Giving time or money to a Veteran’s organization is a good way to honor Odin. Another important cause would be animal rescues.
Feast
As pagans, we love to feast! Have a shared meal.
Our Norse forefathers would have feasted on smoked salmon, pickled herring on rye bread, foods to represent spears such as leeks, asparagus, garlic, and certainly plenty of mead (responsibly of course!). Snorri states in the Gylfaginning that Odin prefers to drink red wine.
Yule Blót at 19th December 2010 in Gothenburg, Västergötland, Sweden. The two tall statues are the Norse deities Freya (Freyja) and Frey (Freyr). The smaller cult images are the deities Frey (Freyr), Thor (Þórr), Odin (Óðinn), and Freya (Freyja).
Set Up An Altar For Odin
An altar is a great way to honor and communicate with Odin.
Check out our article How To Set Up A Norse Pagan Altar
Corresponding colors for Odin: gray, black, and navy blue.
Symbols: Spear, volknut, wolves, ravens
Herbs: elm leaves, parsley, myrrh, burn ash leaves as this tree is associated with Yggdrasil
Statue or picture of Odin, figurines of his animals or feathers to represent ravens
You can also make a food offering to his horse, wolves, and ravens
Family Altar Time
A fun way to honor Odin as a family is to read Nordic poetry together. Poetry was an important part of Norse culture. You can read some poems or write your own.
Odin represents overcoming challenges. Talk with your children about overcoming challenges they face.
Check out our blog on Simple guide to Become A Norse Pagan
How Do I Celebrate?
When I perform a ceremony in honor of Odin as our Clan Goði, I undergo a two-part ritual. First, the very formal part includes my clan and our extended family where we offer sacrifices in his name and share in a ritual horn of mead past from person to person.
After the formal part, we have a more relaxed celebration involving the consumption of drinks and a shared meal. After the meal, we sit around the fire and I will recite sagas where Odin plays a part.
Fun fact, while not so much of an issue today, it was forbidden to consume horse meat as the meal as it was considered meat worthy only of a God, specifically Odin's favorite.
Due to Covid, I recommend everyone drinking from their own vessel for the foreseeable future.
For this simply make him an offering by giving up something you would have enjoyed in his name, and make the request. Then all you need to do is wait and see if your life is turned on its head to know if he has answered your request.
Oath Breaker
An Oath Breaker is an individual who makes a promise beginning with the words "I Oath". One such promise led to a first son fighting a superior foe that he knew would kill him.
This was to ensure that his younger brother didn't become an Oath Breaker after the brother drunkenly shouted "I Oath to make my brother's wife my own".
Some have suggested Odin is a renowned Oath Breaker, but when we delve into his sagas we see that he never breaks an oath but is a master of loopholes. He never makes an Oath that he might not be able to keep.
The one time he does make an Oath without preparing workarounds is with Loki. He Oaths to never sit at a table where Loki is not welcome and to never harm Loki's blood, which by extension means Oðin can not harm Fenrir despite learning that it is his fate to die in his jaws.
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Odin is a being who teaches us that while wisdom is useful it can also be our downfall. There is a reason that in the Havamal he details that the wise are rarely happy.
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In my opinion, he also has a lot in common with Loki, only their stories seem to show us the choices that they have to make where Odin chooses the, debatably, more honorable and calculated path compared to Loki going down a more chaotic and unpredictable path.
We also often see Odin breaking his own rules. As the Chief of Asgard, he set out clearly defined and very strict Laws for the city. This includes the outlawing of magic as it is seen as taking the easy way to solve a problem.
Want to learn more about the Norse faith? Read our article Introduction to Norse Paganism.
What Sources Exist for Odin?
Many of the sagas and poems that were written at the time include stories of Oðin, including but not limited to the Voluspa, The Havamal, and one of the main sources we have, Vafþrúðnismál.
Many of these sources show him to be very cunning and doing whatever It takes to achieve wisdom. Others, in no uncertain terms, show him to be a bit of an ass.
In the Voluspa we see him undergoing various attempts to either save Baldr or to save himself, a topic of high debate in the Norse communities and at some point, it will be up to you to decide on what you believe his motives are.
In Vafþrúðnismál we see Odin risk his own head in a bet that he is wiser than the wisest Jotun is known to all, Vafþrúðnir. This saga comes after the death of Baldr at a time when we see Odin's motives change to Tom Foolery and Wisdom gaining.
An example of the questionable actions he takes, under the disguise of a ferryman, he goads Thor and threatens to have his way with Sif, Thor's wife, solely to wind Thor up with no other motives for his actions being apparent.
Despite his rules on the use of magic, he often uses it without shame. A few examples are the preservation of Mimir's head and in obtaining the Runes from one of the three Wells that feeds Yggdrasil. He does, however, accept his punishments for breaking the rules including a nine-year banishment from Asgard.
Some hypothesised that using his abilities as a master of disguise, he does break his banishment by returning as Odr and marrying Freyja as Odr disappears just as Odin returns. This is only speculation based on his character and not a confirmed fact.
How is Odin Viewed Today?
While simply one of many, both today and in Ancient times he was elevated to a position of prominence within the community.
Some see him as the good guy and some as the bad and as said above this isn't a decision I can make for you. I would suggest that any time you consider your view on him that you keep in mind that he had an idea of how he would die and also how his beloved son would die.
My advice would be not to judge him on a single act but on his actions as a whole.
One major role he is believed to fill is as the Head of the Wild Hunt, every year. This is the event that leaves the first frost as it passes, marking the beginning of winter worship practices.
Today we still see him as the head of the Norse pantheon and the wisdom he handed down to Mankind via the Havamal is at the forefront of the Norrøn faith. That said, it is important to remember that the Havamal are not rules, but guidelines for how to live wisely.
Can Odin See the Future?
The short answer is no. He sacrificed an eye at Mimir's Well to gain knowledge of all that had been up to that point. This did not grant him the ability to gain future knowledge or even to receive updates on the goings-on.
To remain keyed on current events he uses his trusty Ravens Hugin and Munin to report back to him every morning.
As such it is wise to always show a Raven kindness should you see one perched around you.
Some suggest that he can use the Runes to tell the future but many Norrøn believe these are more tools to affect the future as opposed to a way of reading it. Ultimately we can not be sure as they are a force far more powerful than even the Gods can truly fathom.
Odin's full story is one of the pain of not knowing all the details, beyond that which the Volva told him, and the dangers that come with trying to control the future.
As he says in the Havamal, no one can know their future and so all should simply live in the merriment of the moment until they leave this realm.
Take Away
Odin is a complex being who has been the source of many late-night arguments and debates for hundreds of years. With his enjoyment of tricks and pranks, I believe that he quite likes this so wouldn't get your hopes on him coming down and solving these debates any time soon.
Whether he loves us or sees us as nothing more than tools to use in Ragnarok, we will likely never know as he is often seen plating his cards very close to his chest.
I find the best lesson Odin has ever taught me is "It is what it is" and "Don't take life too seriously", both things that at times he has failed to do and paid the price.
Like all of the Gods and beings, he is flawed. An imperfect mixture that, if nothing else, we can take from that it's okay to have no idea what to do next as long as you never give up.
Guest Author, Goði Anlengðarclan. , a devoted Norrøn pagan for over ten years, and a dedicated teacher of the traditionalist ways of the Ancient Scandinavian Religion.
So, you want to become a Norse pagan? That's great! In general, pagan religions don’t ask you to convert, proselytize, or profess allegiance to a single God.
Norse paganism is open to anyone who believes in their deities and practices. There is a growing interest in Nordic religions. In fact, the old Norse religion is going through a major revival.