For questions about the deity in Norse mythology, also known as Woden, who was the king of the Aesir gods.
Questions tagged [odin]
31 questions
28
votes
2 answers
Why was Odin afraid that his ravens would not return back to him?
Odin's ravens would continuously fly all over Midgard to collect information and bring it back to Odin.
In Norse mythology, Huginn (from Old Norse "thought") and Muninn
(Old Norse "memory" or "mind") are a pair of ravens that fly all
over the…
anon
27
votes
3 answers
Why is the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil so similar to that of Jesus on the cross?
I hope this actually has an answer, I couldn't find anything but speculation on the web.
Basically, the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil is very similar to that of Jesus on the cross. Here are the stories broadly:
In order to learn of the runes…
Lara
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What did Mimir do with Odin's eye?
Odin is known to be one-eyed because of a trade between Mimir and Odin. When Odin asked Mimir for some water in the well, Mimir declined him of giving any water unless Odin gave him an eye. Surprisingly, Odin took one of his eyes out and gave it to…
Anthony Pham
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21
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Is Odin the only being who gained knowledge of the runes?
In order to learn the secrets of the runes (symbols of some of the most powerful forces in the cosmos), Odin hangs himself from Yggdrasil, pierces himself with his own spear, and peers downward to the Well of Urn for nine days. He fasts during this…
Kreann
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Does Odin choose who enters Valhalla?
Ero Sɘnnin's answer in How was it decided which warriors would go to Fólkvangr and which to Valhalla? seems to suggest that Odin gets to choose who enters Valhalla:
Valhalla is presided over by Odin, and to gain entrance to it, one must be chosen…
yannis
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11
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Did Yggdrassil exist before the world's creation
In the cosmos creation myth, Ymir is born from the clash of ice and fire that comes from Muspelheim and Niflheim. When Odin and his brothers kill Ymir and create the world using his body it sounds like the creation of midgard, but not Yggdrasil…
8
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Why would Odin and Freyja send fallen men to Helheim?
Since it's known that when Ragnarok occurs, all of the fallen vikings who weren't worthy of Valhalla or folkvangr are sent to helheim to eventually be led by Fenrir to destroy Odin and all of the Aesier, then why would Odin allow for more men to be…
tkennedy741
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8
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Is there a specific term in Norse mythology for Odin's self-sacrifice?
Norse mythology knows some terms for quite complex concepts, such as "Ragnarök". Is there a term for Odin's nine-day self-sacrifice?
AFoeee
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8
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Did Odin Have A Relationship With Freya?
Some scholars hypothesize that both Frigg and Freyja may have their origin in a Common Germanic goddess. There is no firm evidence for this, but scholars have found some similarities both in their mythological features and the possible etymologies…
Lady F
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8
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Did Frigg cheat on Odin?
I read a story where Odin gave all his possessions to his brother Villi and Ve and made them the rulers of the Universe. One of Odin's possessions is his wife, Frigg. Hence, while Odin is away, his brothers "took possession" of Frigg. How true is…
user1385
8
votes
2 answers
When did Odin and Loki became blood brothers?
In the beginning of the Lokasenna, Bragi denies Loki a seat with the gods. However, Loki reminds Odin that the two of them had their "blood mixed", and that Odin had promised that neither of them would drink with the gods unless both of them were…
yannis
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Hugin and Muninn in runes
Is there a way to write the names "Hugin" and "Muninn" in Norse runes? Are there differences in the meaning of each ("memory" and "thought")?
Xhark
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How often were Odin and Loki allied?
In their answer to my question about Odin and Loki being blood brothers, chaimedes quotes a footnote in Henry Adams Bellows' translation of the Poetic Edda that claims Odin and Loki were "often allied in enterprises":
9. There exists no account of…
yannis
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Is Odin Thor's father?
Before you automatically downvote this question, I highly suggest reading this article: Thor vs. Odin.
The article background covers the relationship of Thor and Odin, and reveals that things are not as straight forward as is commonly believed:
The…
DukeZhou
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Books analysing Norse mythology (specifically Odin)?
What I am looking for is not a collection of stories and myths per se, but something more general like an analysis/dissection or meta discussion of the myth of Odin and Norse mythology in general. Something like Campbell's "Hero with a thousand…
St. Barth
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