Odin
All-Father Odin
Odin is a deity appearing in Dungeons & Dragons. He is the chief god of the Norse pantheon.
Odin appears as a grey-haired man, seeming around fifty years of age, with a missing eye covered with a patch. His remaining eye blazes like the sun. He is often accompanied by two ravens, Hugin and Munin, who rest upon his shoulders, and his wolves, Freke and Gere.
In his travels through the human realm of Kralkan, Odin disguises himself as an ordinary mortal wanderer, wearing a tattered wide-brimmed hat which casts a shadow over his face.
Odin favors dark clothing, especially grey, and often wears an eyepatch over his missing eye. He appears with a grey beard, broad shoulders, and a hunched back. He leans on a wooden staff as he walks. By some accounts, this staff is the same object as Odin's spear Gungnir.
Personality and Alignment
Odin is revered for his great wisdom, knowledge, and cunning. His dedication to the acquisition of magic is severe. Odin once hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil for nine nights in order to receive the knowledge of the runes of magic.
By custom, Odin cannot slay the direct offspring of gods. However, he has on at least one occasion slain his own distant mortal descendants on the battlefield.
Odin is heroic, proud, and stern, resembling a great Norse chieftain. He is obsessed with the acquisition of power, always planning to amass forces for the prophecied battle of Ragnarok. He has a reputation of short temper when he is crossed, and lesser gods of the Norse pantheon often command respect among more powerful deities for fear of offending Odin. Odin does not appreciate being spied upon, and will summon beings into his presence who scry upon him for too long.
Titles and Aliases
Odin is an ancient deity with many titles reflecting his past. He is called the All-Father, Father of the Slain, God of the Hanged, God of Prisoners, God of Cargoes, the High One, the Inflamer, Swift Tricker, Father of Victory, the Blind One, Shifty-Eyed, One with a Magic Staff, Destroyer, and Terror.
Odin has assumed many false names on his travels, often descriptive of his appearance or personality in the languages of the lands he travels. Among his many names are Allfod, "All-Father"; Baleyg, "Flame-eyed One"; Biflindi, "Spear Shaker"; Bileyg, "One-Eyed"; Bolverk, "Worker of Evil"; Farmagud and Farmatyr, "God of Cargoes"; Fjolnir, "Much-Knowing"; Fjolsvid, "Very Wise One"; Grani, "Horsehair"; Grim and Grimnir, "Masked One"; Hangagud, "God of the Hanged"; Haptagud, "God of the Gods"; Har, "High One"; Harbard, "Greybearded One"; Helblindi, "One Who Blinds with Death"; Herjan, "Raider"; Herteit, "Glad of War"; Hjalmberi, "Helmeted One"; Hnikar and Hnikud, "Spear Thruster"; Jafhnar, "Just as High"; Jalk, "Gelding"; Omi, "One Whose Speech Resounds"; Oski, "Fulfiller of Desire"; Sanngetal, "One Who Guesses Correctly"; Sidhott, "Deep-Hooded One"; Sidskegg, "Long-Bearded One"; Sigfod, "Father of Battle"; Svipall, "Changeable One"; Thekk, "Pleasant One"; Thirdi, "Third"; Thund, "Thin One"; Vak, "Alert One"; Veratyr, "God of Men"; Vidrir, "Ruler of Weather"; and Ygg, "Terrible One".
Odin cannot raise men from the dead, though other gods have that power. Healing forces him into a long sleep, during which Loki takes the opportunity to cause mischief.
Odin can control the Bifrost bridge to connect Asgard to any world of the material plane. The only other deity known to have this power over Bifrost is Heimdall.
The cult of Odin seek to emulate their deity in the acquisition of knowledge, wisdom and cunning. Odin teaches his followers to make use of their intelligence to appreciate the world, but not to become cold to humanity in the pursuit of knowledge.
Although Odin rejoices at battle between the strong, he forbids oppression of the poor and defenceless. Odin pledges to crush without mercy all those who do so. It also forbidden for a visitor to harm his host, to desecrate a sacred standing stone, or pillage a shrine.
Odin's cult believes in self-reliance. One should not rely on the favor of Odin or take the gods' assistance for granted, for the Father of Victory is known to switch sides unexpectedly in battle. Odin's followers will, likewise, switch loyalties quickly if their ruler is foolish or weak.
Losing an eye in battle is believed to be a symbol of Odin's favor. Intentionally putting out one's own eye to emulate Odin is strongly discouraged by the cult, who consider it foolish and vain. The fanatic Thorgest One-eyed performed such an act.
Followers of Odin consider runic standing stones to be sacred to Odin.
His clerics believe that all other gods of the Norse pantheon are subservient to Odin, although in reality is power is not absolute. If Odin fell, another powerful deity such as Tyr, Thor, or Loki would readily take his place.
Worshipers
Odin is worshiped primarily among the mortals of Hivendelge, a realm which he himself created from the flesh of his progenitor Ymir.
He is particularly followed by those who seek knowledge, and heroes who seek to enter Odin's hall Valhalla in the afterlife. His followers especially include gnomes, bards, fighters, rogues, sorcerers, and wizards.
The clergy of Odin emulate their deity by wearing dark, wide-brimmed hats decorated or made from raven feathers. They wear patches over their left eyes.
Odin's priesthood are valued as counselors to powerful nobles. They serve primarily as diplomats and advisors.
Chieftains number among Odin's priesthood. They are expected to fight bravely in the front lines of battle, and to be wise leaders and excellent tacticians.
Rituals
The Followers of Odin practice ritual hanging and piercing by spears in emulation of their god. These painful rituals are used to test the faithful, and are not intended to be lethal.
In one such ritual performed by clerics of Odin, a noose is placed around the supplicant's neck, where they are buried in a coffin in a sacred bog for nine nights. The cleric is fed a poison which induces paralysis for the duration. The ritual is dangerous, and in some cases can cause death or madness. The ritual is hoped to grant the cleric knowledge of one of the twenty-four sacred runes of Odin.
The Followers of Odin often sacrifice animals in the hopes of receiving victory in battle, or making a successful voyage. Some followers practice mortal sacrifice, in which the victim is hanged, stabbed through the heart with a spear, and the remains burned on an oaken pyre.
Orders
A group of clerics known as Odin's Ravens are tasked with assisting local rulers in the judgement of criminal charges. They use magic to detect lies on both the accused and on witnesses.
Temples to Odin are long, fortified halls which serve as feasting and brawling. The temple's roof is traditionally supported by oaken pillars carved with images of gods and heroes. Sacrifices of gold and silver are made to Odin each lunar month.
Visitors are generously offered a meal and a tankard of mead, with free accomodation offered to those who work to advance the craft of magic. Many temples also contain a store of knowledge and magic items, which the priests of Odin are happy to trade in.
Shrines
Communities often have a shrine to Odin, called the Place of Judgement. Here, priests of Odin use magic to determine the truth when a man is accused of a crime. Runes are often engraved on this shrine to prevent violence during the trial. Judges often award punishments of weregild, or fines paid to a victim or their family in lieu of blood vengeance.
Many smaller shrines to Odin appear in the wilderness, often in locations that overlook the surrounding terrain.
Holy symbol
Odin's holy symbol is a watchful blue eye.
In some circles, Odin is represented by the head of a man with a raven on each shoulder.
Favored Weapon
Odin favors the shortspear.
By blood or marriage, Odin has strong family ties to many of the gods of the Norse pantheon and several human heroes of legend.
Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve were the first of the Aesir gods of the Norse pantheon, and all Aesir descend from these three. He is blood brother to the Norse deity Loki.
Odin is married to the goddess Frigga, although he has had several wives, and several sons by different mothers.
With Frigga he fathered Tyr, Baldur, and Hod. With the giantess Jord he fathered Thor. With Gunlod he fathered Bragi. He is also father of Heimdall, Vidar, Vali, Hermod, and Meile.
He is grandfather to Baldur's son Forseti and Thor's sons Modi, Magni and Uller.
As blood brother to Loki he is technically uncle to the world-serpent Jörmungandr, Hel, Garmr, and his own horse Sleipnir.
Enemies
Odin has made many enemies through the ages.
The frost giants hold a grudge against Odin for slaying almost all of their species, including the progenitor giant Ymir.
Odin is fated to be slain at Ragnarok by the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki. Loki will side with the fire giants against Asgard, holding a grudge against Odin for imprisoning him within a cave for an age as punishment for his part in the killing of Baldur.
Odin has enmity with the goddess Hel, who rules the land of the dead. She is jealous of Odin's love of life, and angry that Odin has reincarnated the spirits of the worthy as the children of nobles and rulers.
Odin shackled the titan Jeuron to the bottom of the sea for posing as a deity.
Allies
Odin is chief of the gods of Asgard, and nearly all of them shall side with him at the battle at Ragnarok.
Odin's son Vidar is fated to avenge him at Ragnarok.
Odin prefers to travel Kralkan in person, under disguises and many names.
It is speculated that the Norse sun god Odur is an aspect of Odin.
The deity Woden of the Anglo-Saxon pantheon is also speculated to be an earlier aspect of Odin.
Creatures
Odin rides an eight-legged legendary horse named Sleipnir. It is the offspring of the god Loki, who assumed once the form of a mare.
Odin is served by two legendary ravens: Hugin, whose name means "Thought"; and Munin, "Memory", who search the world each day collecting information for Odin. He has also two wolves, Freke and Gere.
The valkyries bring fallen heroes to Odin's domain at Asgard, but do not follow Odin exclusively.
Odin carries a rune wand. It has the powers of the rod of rulership, can summon elementals, store spells, and kill any mortal. It drains the life force of anyone but Odin who touches it.
He wears Draupnir, a magical gold ring forged by the Dwarves, and said to be worth as much as one million gold pieces. It splits into nine equal rings every nine nights, each worth at least 3,000 gp.
Hlidskjalf, Odin's High Seat in Asgard, allows Odin to scry any place in the world regardless of distance.
Odin has the power to create magic items, which he often gives as rewards to worthy heroes. He had the Dwarves in Asgard craft the legendary sword Gram, called also Odin's sword or the sword of Odin, which was wielded by Sigurd Fafnirsbane.
He is also associated with Odin's Bow and the sword Fist of Odin.
Odin rules over the halls of Valhalla and Valasjkalf in the plane of Asgard.
Valhalla is a grand hall, with five hundred and forty doors, each wide enough for eight hundred men to pass at a time.
Valaskjalf, a place whose name means "Shelf of the Slain", is the hall where Odin holds his High Seat. The artifact throne Hlidskjalf here allows Odin to see any place in the entire world.
Odin was one of the first gods to be born, in a time before the earth itself existed. He is descended from the frost giant Ymir, who was the first being to coalesce out of the mists, and Buri, a man dug from the primordial ice by the cow Audhumla. Buri produced offspring with giants, and from their line came Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve.
Creation of Hivendelge
Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve, first of the Aesir gods, slew their progenitor Ymir and created the world of Midgard from his flesh, the sky from Ymir's skull, and the clouds from his brains. So much blood was spilled that all but one of the frost giants drowned, Bergelmir, progenitor of all other frost giants.
Ancient History
Odin and the Aesir gods, who had become many in number, took up residence in the plane of Asgard, building great halls from which they ruled. The Aesir came into conflict with the Vanir, a rival faction of fertility deities. The war was long and drawn-out, and the two sides tired of it and desired peace.
To secure the peace treaty, the two sides traded hostages, as was the tradition. The Vanir sent Njord and his children Frey and Freya to live with the Aesir, and in exchange the Vanir received Mimir, the wisest of the Aesir, and Honir, who the Aesir promised to be the strongest leader, but who in reality was much weaker than promised.
When the Vanir realized they had been deceived, they slew Mimir and sent his head back to the Aesir. Odin placed Mimir's head in the well beneath Midgard into which the tree Yggdrasil grows one of its three roots, and thereafter that well became known as a source of wisdom. The Vanir remained at peace with the Aesir and the two familes intermarried.
Odin would later sacrifice an eye to the well of Mimir in exchange for the power of wisdom. In another instance he hung himself from the tree Yggdrasil by his spear for nine days in order to learn the secrets of magical runes. His dedication and suffering impressed the son of the giant Bolthor, who taught Odin nine magical songs and eighteen new magical spells.
Odin's self-sacrifice and the eighteen spells he learned appear at the end of the poem Havamal. Among his abilities are to blunt an enemy's weapons, to stop a spear in flight, to extinguish fire, and to speak with the dead.
Recent History
Odin spends much time watching conflicts between men, lending his aid to one side or another and ensuring that the greatest heroes join his army of the brave at Valhalla. For example, Odin granted the sword Gram to the hero Sigmund, only to later slay that hero personally in battle.
Prophecy
Odin is destined to die at the battle of Ragnarok, killed by the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki, who will side with the fire giants against Odin. Odin's sons Vali and Vidar will survive the battle.
Description
AppearanceOdin appears as a grey-haired man, seeming around fifty years of age, with a missing eye covered with a patch. His remaining eye blazes like the sun. He is often accompanied by two ravens, Hugin and Munin, who rest upon his shoulders, and his wolves, Freke and Gere.
In his travels through the human realm of Kralkan, Odin disguises himself as an ordinary mortal wanderer, wearing a tattered wide-brimmed hat which casts a shadow over his face.
Odin favors dark clothing, especially grey, and often wears an eyepatch over his missing eye. He appears with a grey beard, broad shoulders, and a hunched back. He leans on a wooden staff as he walks. By some accounts, this staff is the same object as Odin's spear Gungnir.
Personality and Alignment
Odin is revered for his great wisdom, knowledge, and cunning. His dedication to the acquisition of magic is severe. Odin once hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil for nine nights in order to receive the knowledge of the runes of magic.
By custom, Odin cannot slay the direct offspring of gods. However, he has on at least one occasion slain his own distant mortal descendants on the battlefield.
Odin is heroic, proud, and stern, resembling a great Norse chieftain. He is obsessed with the acquisition of power, always planning to amass forces for the prophecied battle of Ragnarok. He has a reputation of short temper when he is crossed, and lesser gods of the Norse pantheon often command respect among more powerful deities for fear of offending Odin. Odin does not appreciate being spied upon, and will summon beings into his presence who scry upon him for too long.
Titles and Aliases
Odin is an ancient deity with many titles reflecting his past. He is called the All-Father, Father of the Slain, God of the Hanged, God of Prisoners, God of Cargoes, the High One, the Inflamer, Swift Tricker, Father of Victory, the Blind One, Shifty-Eyed, One with a Magic Staff, Destroyer, and Terror.
Odin has assumed many false names on his travels, often descriptive of his appearance or personality in the languages of the lands he travels. Among his many names are Allfod, "All-Father"; Baleyg, "Flame-eyed One"; Biflindi, "Spear Shaker"; Bileyg, "One-Eyed"; Bolverk, "Worker of Evil"; Farmagud and Farmatyr, "God of Cargoes"; Fjolnir, "Much-Knowing"; Fjolsvid, "Very Wise One"; Grani, "Horsehair"; Grim and Grimnir, "Masked One"; Hangagud, "God of the Hanged"; Haptagud, "God of the Gods"; Har, "High One"; Harbard, "Greybearded One"; Helblindi, "One Who Blinds with Death"; Herjan, "Raider"; Herteit, "Glad of War"; Hjalmberi, "Helmeted One"; Hnikar and Hnikud, "Spear Thruster"; Jafhnar, "Just as High"; Jalk, "Gelding"; Omi, "One Whose Speech Resounds"; Oski, "Fulfiller of Desire"; Sanngetal, "One Who Guesses Correctly"; Sidhott, "Deep-Hooded One"; Sidskegg, "Long-Bearded One"; Sigfod, "Father of Battle"; Svipall, "Changeable One"; Thekk, "Pleasant One"; Thirdi, "Third"; Thund, "Thin One"; Vak, "Alert One"; Veratyr, "God of Men"; Vidrir, "Ruler of Weather"; and Ygg, "Terrible One".
Abilities
Odin has mastered arcane magic. He can communicate telepathically at a distance of hundreds of miles, and inspire berserk rage in a thousand men at once.Odin cannot raise men from the dead, though other gods have that power. Healing forces him into a long sleep, during which Loki takes the opportunity to cause mischief.
Odin can control the Bifrost bridge to connect Asgard to any world of the material plane. The only other deity known to have this power over Bifrost is Heimdall.
Portfolio
Odin is a god of knowledge, magic, travel, trickery, and war. He is also called a god of poetry and inspiration.Worship
DogmaThe cult of Odin seek to emulate their deity in the acquisition of knowledge, wisdom and cunning. Odin teaches his followers to make use of their intelligence to appreciate the world, but not to become cold to humanity in the pursuit of knowledge.
Although Odin rejoices at battle between the strong, he forbids oppression of the poor and defenceless. Odin pledges to crush without mercy all those who do so. It also forbidden for a visitor to harm his host, to desecrate a sacred standing stone, or pillage a shrine.
Odin's cult believes in self-reliance. One should not rely on the favor of Odin or take the gods' assistance for granted, for the Father of Victory is known to switch sides unexpectedly in battle. Odin's followers will, likewise, switch loyalties quickly if their ruler is foolish or weak.
Losing an eye in battle is believed to be a symbol of Odin's favor. Intentionally putting out one's own eye to emulate Odin is strongly discouraged by the cult, who consider it foolish and vain. The fanatic Thorgest One-eyed performed such an act.
Followers of Odin consider runic standing stones to be sacred to Odin.
His clerics believe that all other gods of the Norse pantheon are subservient to Odin, although in reality is power is not absolute. If Odin fell, another powerful deity such as Tyr, Thor, or Loki would readily take his place.
Worshipers
Odin is worshiped primarily among the mortals of Hivendelge, a realm which he himself created from the flesh of his progenitor Ymir.
He is particularly followed by those who seek knowledge, and heroes who seek to enter Odin's hall Valhalla in the afterlife. His followers especially include gnomes, bards, fighters, rogues, sorcerers, and wizards.
Notable followers
Notable followers of Odin include:- Asgrim the Bowed, high cleric of Odin and advisor to King Finn of Ostland
- Theorx the Aged, captain of the legendary ship Spelljammer
The clergy of Odin emulate their deity by wearing dark, wide-brimmed hats decorated or made from raven feathers. They wear patches over their left eyes.
Odin's priesthood are valued as counselors to powerful nobles. They serve primarily as diplomats and advisors.
Chieftains number among Odin's priesthood. They are expected to fight bravely in the front lines of battle, and to be wise leaders and excellent tacticians.
Rituals
The Followers of Odin practice ritual hanging and piercing by spears in emulation of their god. These painful rituals are used to test the faithful, and are not intended to be lethal.
In one such ritual performed by clerics of Odin, a noose is placed around the supplicant's neck, where they are buried in a coffin in a sacred bog for nine nights. The cleric is fed a poison which induces paralysis for the duration. The ritual is dangerous, and in some cases can cause death or madness. The ritual is hoped to grant the cleric knowledge of one of the twenty-four sacred runes of Odin.
The Followers of Odin often sacrifice animals in the hopes of receiving victory in battle, or making a successful voyage. Some followers practice mortal sacrifice, in which the victim is hanged, stabbed through the heart with a spear, and the remains burned on an oaken pyre.
Orders
A group of clerics known as Odin's Ravens are tasked with assisting local rulers in the judgement of criminal charges. They use magic to detect lies on both the accused and on witnesses.
Holy sites
TemplesTemples to Odin are long, fortified halls which serve as feasting and brawling. The temple's roof is traditionally supported by oaken pillars carved with images of gods and heroes. Sacrifices of gold and silver are made to Odin each lunar month.
Visitors are generously offered a meal and a tankard of mead, with free accomodation offered to those who work to advance the craft of magic. Many temples also contain a store of knowledge and magic items, which the priests of Odin are happy to trade in.
Shrines
Communities often have a shrine to Odin, called the Place of Judgement. Here, priests of Odin use magic to determine the truth when a man is accused of a crime. Runes are often engraved on this shrine to prevent violence during the trial. Judges often award punishments of weregild, or fines paid to a victim or their family in lieu of blood vengeance.
Many smaller shrines to Odin appear in the wilderness, often in locations that overlook the surrounding terrain.
Holy symbol
Odin's holy symbol is a watchful blue eye.
In some circles, Odin is represented by the head of a man with a raven on each shoulder.
Favored Weapon
Odin favors the shortspear.
Relationships
FamilyBy blood or marriage, Odin has strong family ties to many of the gods of the Norse pantheon and several human heroes of legend.
Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve were the first of the Aesir gods of the Norse pantheon, and all Aesir descend from these three. He is blood brother to the Norse deity Loki.
Odin is married to the goddess Frigga, although he has had several wives, and several sons by different mothers.
With Frigga he fathered Tyr, Baldur, and Hod. With the giantess Jord he fathered Thor. With Gunlod he fathered Bragi. He is also father of Heimdall, Vidar, Vali, Hermod, and Meile.
He is grandfather to Baldur's son Forseti and Thor's sons Modi, Magni and Uller.
As blood brother to Loki he is technically uncle to the world-serpent Jörmungandr, Hel, Garmr, and his own horse Sleipnir.
Enemies
Odin has made many enemies through the ages.
The frost giants hold a grudge against Odin for slaying almost all of their species, including the progenitor giant Ymir.
Odin is fated to be slain at Ragnarok by the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki. Loki will side with the fire giants against Asgard, holding a grudge against Odin for imprisoning him within a cave for an age as punishment for his part in the killing of Baldur.
Odin has enmity with the goddess Hel, who rules the land of the dead. She is jealous of Odin's love of life, and angry that Odin has reincarnated the spirits of the worthy as the children of nobles and rulers.
Odin shackled the titan Jeuron to the bottom of the sea for posing as a deity.
Allies
Odin is chief of the gods of Asgard, and nearly all of them shall side with him at the battle at Ragnarok.
Odin's son Vidar is fated to avenge him at Ragnarok.
Minions
Avatars and ProxiesOdin prefers to travel Kralkan in person, under disguises and many names.
It is speculated that the Norse sun god Odur is an aspect of Odin.
The deity Woden of the Anglo-Saxon pantheon is also speculated to be an earlier aspect of Odin.
Creatures
Odin rides an eight-legged legendary horse named Sleipnir. It is the offspring of the god Loki, who assumed once the form of a mare.
Odin is served by two legendary ravens: Hugin, whose name means "Thought"; and Munin, "Memory", who search the world each day collecting information for Odin. He has also two wolves, Freke and Gere.
The valkyries bring fallen heroes to Odin's domain at Asgard, but do not follow Odin exclusively.
Artifacts
His personal weapon, Gungnir, is a powerful spear from which he once hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil in exchange for the knowledge of magic. It is a deadly weapon which can be thrown at great distance and always returns to his hand. All enemies who see it are struck with fear, and allies who Odin allows to touch it is blessed in battle.Odin carries a rune wand. It has the powers of the rod of rulership, can summon elementals, store spells, and kill any mortal. It drains the life force of anyone but Odin who touches it.
He wears Draupnir, a magical gold ring forged by the Dwarves, and said to be worth as much as one million gold pieces. It splits into nine equal rings every nine nights, each worth at least 3,000 gp.
Hlidskjalf, Odin's High Seat in Asgard, allows Odin to scry any place in the world regardless of distance.
Odin has the power to create magic items, which he often gives as rewards to worthy heroes. He had the Dwarves in Asgard craft the legendary sword Gram, called also Odin's sword or the sword of Odin, which was wielded by Sigurd Fafnirsbane.
He is also associated with Odin's Bow and the sword Fist of Odin.
Realm
Norse CosmologyOdin rules over the halls of Valhalla and Valasjkalf in the plane of Asgard.
Valhalla is a grand hall, with five hundred and forty doors, each wide enough for eight hundred men to pass at a time.
Valaskjalf, a place whose name means "Shelf of the Slain", is the hall where Odin holds his High Seat. The artifact throne Hlidskjalf here allows Odin to see any place in the entire world.
History
OriginOdin was one of the first gods to be born, in a time before the earth itself existed. He is descended from the frost giant Ymir, who was the first being to coalesce out of the mists, and Buri, a man dug from the primordial ice by the cow Audhumla. Buri produced offspring with giants, and from their line came Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve.
Creation of Hivendelge
Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve, first of the Aesir gods, slew their progenitor Ymir and created the world of Midgard from his flesh, the sky from Ymir's skull, and the clouds from his brains. So much blood was spilled that all but one of the frost giants drowned, Bergelmir, progenitor of all other frost giants.
Ancient History
Odin and the Aesir gods, who had become many in number, took up residence in the plane of Asgard, building great halls from which they ruled. The Aesir came into conflict with the Vanir, a rival faction of fertility deities. The war was long and drawn-out, and the two sides tired of it and desired peace.
To secure the peace treaty, the two sides traded hostages, as was the tradition. The Vanir sent Njord and his children Frey and Freya to live with the Aesir, and in exchange the Vanir received Mimir, the wisest of the Aesir, and Honir, who the Aesir promised to be the strongest leader, but who in reality was much weaker than promised.
When the Vanir realized they had been deceived, they slew Mimir and sent his head back to the Aesir. Odin placed Mimir's head in the well beneath Midgard into which the tree Yggdrasil grows one of its three roots, and thereafter that well became known as a source of wisdom. The Vanir remained at peace with the Aesir and the two familes intermarried.
Odin would later sacrifice an eye to the well of Mimir in exchange for the power of wisdom. In another instance he hung himself from the tree Yggdrasil by his spear for nine days in order to learn the secrets of magical runes. His dedication and suffering impressed the son of the giant Bolthor, who taught Odin nine magical songs and eighteen new magical spells.
Odin's self-sacrifice and the eighteen spells he learned appear at the end of the poem Havamal. Among his abilities are to blunt an enemy's weapons, to stop a spear in flight, to extinguish fire, and to speak with the dead.
Recent History
Odin spends much time watching conflicts between men, lending his aid to one side or another and ensuring that the greatest heroes join his army of the brave at Valhalla. For example, Odin granted the sword Gram to the hero Sigmund, only to later slay that hero personally in battle.
Prophecy
Odin is destined to die at the battle of Ragnarok, killed by the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki, who will side with the fire giants against Odin. Odin's sons Vali and Vidar will survive the battle.
Divine Classification
High-God
Current Status
Overseeing the Norse pantheon
Realm
Church/Cult
Age
Immortal
Spouses
Siblings
Loki
(Blood Brother)
Pronouns
he/him
Sex
Male
Gender
Man
Presentation
Masculine
Eyes
MIssing (left), blazing (right)
Hair
Grey
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Fair
Comments