post #1503008

Odin, also known as, Wōden, Uuôden, Wuodan, Wêda, and Wuotan is an extremely important figure in Norse Mythology and Germanic Paganism. He is the God of wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet.

In Norse Mythology, Odin is featured in the Gylfaginning or Norse Creation Myth, where he and his brothers Vé and Vili killed the progenitor of the Jotunar Ymir, and converted his corpse into to create the realm of Midgard which Odin came to rule over. Odin lived in the realm of Asgard ruling as it's king and holding the title of Allfather. He had many consorts such as Frigg, Freya, Jörð and many children including, Braggi, Tyr, Thor, Heimdall, and Vidar.

Odin is often characterized by his mad obsession with obtaining knowledge and wisdom, especially when it pertains to information about the future. Notable, myths centering around this obsession include: Odin traveling the world in disguise to get people to drop their guard and give him information, stealing the mead of Kavasir to obtain knowledge over all poetry, his marriage to Frigg who had the ability to predict the future, gouging out one of his eyes and giving it to Mimir to drink from his well, and sacrificing himself to himself by stabbing himself with his spear and hanging himself from a nose on the branches of Yggdrasill the world tree for 9 nights until he could read the runes.

The result of this mad quest for knowledge led to Odin obtaining foreknowledge of the prophecy of Ragnarök, a series of events that would lead to his death and the end of the world. Odin attempted to forestall this in a number of ways: Entering a blood brotherhood with Loki of the Jotunar, creating the fields of Valhalla and Fólkvangr to assemble an army of the strongest most powerful warriors from the fallen, conceiving several immensely powerful children and grandchildren, exiling/imprisoning Loki's monstrous offspring who were destined to be a major cause behind Ragnarök, sending Thor to terrorizing Jotunheim, constructing a massive border wall around his home of Asgard, and various other things.

Odin has two pet ravens named Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory) which he sends out into the Midgard to collect more knowledge for him. He also has pair of wolf familiar pets named Geri and Freki. He rides upon the back of an 8 legged horse named Sleipnir which is actually his nephew from that time Loki got impregnated by a giant stallion. Odin wields a magic spear, also gifted to him by Loki known as Gungir which is guaranteed to pierce the hearts of whomever Odin throws it at and return to his hand at will. He also owns a magic gold ring named Draupnir which magically produces 8 duplicates every 9 days

Despite all of Odin's many preparations and extensive knowledge, he is still destined to die in Ragnarök as the very first casualty, swallowed whole by the wolf Fenrir and subsequently avenged by his son Vidar, the silent god of vengeance and justice.

Due to syncretism, Odin's character and figure has split off or combined with numerous other European Figures. Most notably, The Wild Hunt and subsequently, in the figure of Holly King and Old Man Winter. The Latter two in turn eventually became the modern idea of Santa Claus.