Odin/Wodin/Woden/Wotan of Scandinavia

Here are the factual answers regarding Odin (also known as Wōden, Wōdan, or Wotan), the chief god of Germanic and Norse mythology.


 

Of all the figures on 19th-century "crucified savior" lists, Odin is the one whose inclusion is easiest to understand, because he does have a famous myth where he hangs from a tree pierced by a spear. However, as historians constantly point out, this was not a Roman crucifixion, nor was it a sacrifice to wash away human sin. It was a shamanic ordeal he inflicted upon himself to gain magical power.


 

Timeline & Locations

  • Active Period: Germanic paganism was practiced from antiquity, peaking during the Viking Age, and gradually ending with the Christianization of Northern Europe between the 8th and 12th centuries CE.


     

  • Calendar Date of Birth: Norse myths do not record calendar dates for the births of their gods.


     

  • Locations: Worshipped across Scandinavia, Germania, and Anglo-Saxon England.


     

Appearance & Names

In the Old Norse Eddas, Odin is described as a mature, imposing man with a long grey beard and only one eye (having sacrificed the other at Mímir's well for cosmic wisdom). When wandering Midgard (Earth), he disguises himself in a wide-brimmed hat and a blue cloak. He wields a magical spear named Gungnir, rides an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, and is constantly accompanied by his two ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory).


 

Odin on Sleipnir (Tjängvide image stone) - World History Encyclopedia
  • Different Names: Odin (Old Norse), Woden (Old English), Wotan (Old High German). He had hundreds of titles, most notably the Allfather. The day of the week "Wednesday" (Wōden's Day) is named after him.


     

Life, Death, & Resurrection

  • Crucified? (The Hanging Myth): No. He was not executed on a cross. In the poem Hávamál, Odin tells the story of how he hung himself upside down from the branches of the world tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nine nights. He fasted completely and pierced his own side with his spear. He did this to stare into the watery depths below until the magical secrets of the Runes revealed themselves to him. He then pulled the runes up, freeing himself. This was a self-initiated shamanic ritual for knowledge, not an execution.


     

  • When & How He Died (Who Killed Him): Odin's actual death happens at Ragnarök (the end of the world). During the final apocalyptic battle, Odin fights the colossal, monstrous wolf Fenrir. Fenrir opens his jaws so wide they touch the earth and the sky, and swallows Odin whole, killing him.


     

  • Age at Death: As a god, he was immortal and did not age like a mortal human.


     

  • Did He Resurrect? No. After Fenrir kills him, Odin's son Víðarr immediately avenges him by ripping the wolf's jaws apart. Odin remains dead in the new world that follows Ragnarök.


     

  • Descend to Hell or Ascend to Heaven? Neither. He lives in Asgard (the realm of the gods) and presides over his specific hall, Valhalla.


     

Actions & Theological Comparisons

  • Did He Die for the Salvation of Man? No. Odin was a god of war, wisdom, poetry, and death. He was intensely self-serving in his quest for knowledge and power. He did not shed his blood to forgive human sins.


     

  • What Actions Did He Take? He, along with his brothers, created the world by slaying the primeval giant Ymir and fashioning the earth from his corpse. He later created the first humans (Ask and Embla) from tree logs. Throughout mythology, he wanders the realms seeking prophecies to help him prepare for the inevitable doom of Ragnarök.


     

  • Born of a Virgin? No. He was the son of Borr (an early god) and Bestla (a giantess).


     

  • Called the Son of God? No. He was the supreme patriarch of the Norse pantheon (the Allfather).


     

  • Part of the Trinity? Sometimes he acted in a triad with his brothers Vili and Vé, or with the gods Hœnir and Lóðurr. However, these were simply groups of three distinct gods, not a theological Holy Trinity of one unified being.


     

  • Will He Judge Man in Heaven? No. Odin sends his Valkyries to battlefields to collect half of those who die bravely in combat. He brings them to Valhalla to feast and train as his personal army (Einherjar) so they can fight for him at Ragnarök. He is not a moral judge of all humanity.


     

Worship & Followers

  • How He Was Worshiped: He was worshipped through blót (sacrificial feasts). Historical and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that worship of Odin sometimes involved human sacrifice, specifically by hanging the victims from trees and piercing them with spears to mirror his ordeal on Yggdrasil.


     

  • Who Worshipped Him? While Thor was the god of the common farmer, Odin was the patron god of rulers, jarls, warriors, poets, and outlaws.