12/23/2023 0 Comments Sleipnir symbolOne sip from the Well of Urd bestowed on the drinker those gifts. The well is believed to have contained unfathomable amount of knowledge and insights into the secrets of the cosmos. But have you ever wondered why the All-Father god in Norse mythology has only one eye?Īccording to the myth, Odin’s relentless thirst for knowledge and wisdom led him to plucking his right eye in exchange of a sip of drink from the Well of Urd (also known as Mimir’s Well). Odin’s physical attributes are some of the reasons why he is such a beloved god in Norse mythology. In the end, Odin outsmarted Vafþrúðnir, proving to the Nine Realms that he was indeed the wisest of beings. Odin entered into a contest with the wisest of the giants, Vafþrúðnir in order to determine who was wiser or more knowledgeable. Odin versus Vafþrúðnir, the wisest of the giants This myth explains why Odin was in some cases described as the god of the hanged. After nine days and nights, and having learnt the runes, Odin grew close to infinitely wise. While hanged on Yggdrasil, he explicitly forbade anyone from coming to his aid. Only the worthiest of people in the universe understood those letters. He went through those ordeals so that he could learn the runic alphabet – an ancient and magical Germanic alphabet that contained the hidden secrets of the cosmos. To show his unrelenting commitment, he even pierced himself in the side with a spear while hanged on the tree. Lustful for the knowledge possessed by tree, Odin hanged himself to tree for nine day and nights. Some Norse myths state that Odin once put himself close to death in order to tap into the boundless knowledge of Yggdrasil – the world tree that stood at the center of the cosmos. Often times, those quests made him act in an extremely irrational manner. And like the sin of greed in the case of humans, Odin went to grave lengths to get more and more wisdom. The contradictory meaning of Odin is quite typical of polytheistic religions, where the deities are giving human-like flaws. The Germanic tribes believed that Odin was the force that made their lives worth living. On the flip side of things, Odin, in some way, inspires in his believers feelings of aspirations. Although he was extremely wise and close to all-knowing, Odin often times towed a path of irrationality and sheer brute force. Legend has it that only the fiercest and bravest warriors and mortals could come into his presence. As a result of this, he was worshiped as a war deity. This meaning comes from his fierce and completely terrifying demeanor in battles. In some accounts, his name means “fury” or “rage”. This can be interpreted as “Master of Ecstasy”. The brothers then used Ymir’s skull to create the sky, and finally, from the giant’s bones, the mountains emerged. From Ymir’s blood, the seas of the earth were born. They then formed the earth with Ymir’s flesh. Odin and his siblings trapped Ymir, the giant, and killed him. He also fathered several other children outside of marriage, most notably his eldest son Thor, the god of thunder. With Frigg, Odin fathered Balder, Hod, and Hermod (god of speed). The gods made Asgard their home.įor his wife, Odin took Frigg, the goddess of marriage, motherhood, family and fertility. They, in turn, gave birth to Odin and his two siblings, Vili and Vé.Īfter he teamed up with his brothers to create the earth and the first humans, Odin reigned over Aesir (Æsir), the Nordic gods and goddesses. From Búri, Odin’s parents – Borr and Bestla – came forth. Odin’s grandfather was Búri, the first god to emerge out of the ice. In the comprehensive article below, offers interesting perspectives on the origin story, meaning and symbols of Odin, the one-eyed Norse god. According to Norse myths, he went to the ends of the cosmos, as well as going through several tribulations, in search of more knowledge. He fathered numerous children including Thor (god of thunder), Höðr, Baldr (god of light), Víðarr (god of strength), and Váli.Īlthough he possessed vast amounts of knowledge and wisdom, Odin was never satisfied. Son of Bor and Bestla (Jotunn, the giantess), Odin simply had more attributes and epithets than any other deity in Norse mythology. In addition to being the god of wisdom and poetry, Odin was in charge of a host of things, including death, royalty, sorcery, knowledge, and war. In Norse mythology, Odin was revered as the All-Father god and the Raven God.
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