Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. Today we’re going to be discussing Odin.
With only one eye, a broad-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face, and a long cloak that
billowed in the wind, Odin was an imposing figure. He was the god of poetry, the dead,
wisdom, and war, and he was the head of the Norse pantheon. Though he was the chief architect in the
creation of the world and of man, he wasn’t a benevolent god. He was as unpredictable as the
flip of a coin, as capricious as the wind, and as fickle as a sellsword. He was powerful and could
be generous, but he was also mercurial and could be treacherous, as likely to bring victory as he
was defeat. His erraticness and unreliability were contrived, for sowing strife was an activity of
great profit for him. As a god of war, brewing volatility and prolonging conflict were to his
benefit. Perpetual war, not ephemeral battles, best suited him. Odin was the divine patron of
rulers and outlaws. Those who sought status and wished to immortalize their legacy - whether
through honor, prestige, victory, or nobility - worshipped him. A level playing field was
something Odin scorned, and accordingly, virtues like justice and fairness he held in contempt.
Odin possessed two magical items that he held dear above all others, a spear,
Gungnir that was said to never miss when thrust or thrown, and a golden ring, Draupnir, from
which eight copies are spawned every ninth night. Both of these items were crafted by the dwarves.
Odin was a man of many titles, and there are quite literally too many to name in this video.
But here are a few to give you an idea: he was called Alfodr (Allfather),
Hangagud (God of the Hanged), Valfodr (Father of the Slain), Glapsvidir
(Swift Trickster), Vidurr (Destroyer), Yggr (terror), and Sigford (Father of Victory).
Odin wasn’t the strongest god - that honor went to his son, Thor - but he was the most powerful god.
Most myths that center on Odin have him endeavoring - often through some
extreme forms of self-sacrifice - to expand his mind in some way,
deepening his knowledge, making his wisdom more profound, or increasing his magical mastery.
He was taught Seid, a feminine type of magic, from the vanir goddess, Freja; he became the master of
poetry by stealing the mead of poetry and bringing it back to Asgard; he learned the secrets of the
runes and runic magic by impaling himself with his spear and hanging himself from Yggdrasil,
the world tree, for nine days and nine nights; he sacrificed one of his eyes to Mimisbrunn,
mimir's well, so that he could gain its mystic visions; and he embalmed the severed
head of Mimir with herbs, resurrecting it, so that he could learn its secret knowledge.
Odin was adept at shapeshifting and astral projection. He could transform himself into
any animal. Birds were his favourite, and he often soared through the skies as a great eagle.
Odin could also project his spirit into animals, near or far,
inhabiting and controlling them while his own body appeared to be sleeping, deep in trance.
Many animals were loyal to Odin. He had two ravens, Hugin and Munin, who flew back to
Odin each day to report news from all around the world, and two wolves, Geri and Freki,
were always by his side. It was said that all the food from Odin’s plate went to his two wolves,
for he only required wine for subsistence. Odin also possessed the eight-legged steed,
Sleipnir, which was the best horse in all the nine realms.
It was sired by a great horse when it mounted Loki, who had disguised himself as a mare.
Odin played a central role in the creation myth and is fated to play a central role in Ragnarok,
the all-consuming conflict that will end the current age in the mythic future.
In the beginning there was only a great void. To the south emerged a realm of fire, and to
the North emerged a realm of ice. Frost and fire met in the middle, creating moisture,
and from the droplets quickened the first giant, Ymir, from whom the race of giants is descended.
Another life also quickened from the droplets, a cosmic cow,
Audhumbla, who found nourishment by licking the surrounding ice,
and after three days of licking, a man, Buri, the first god, was thawed free. Buri had a son,
Bor, who married Bestla, one of the descendants of Ymir, and by her he sired three sons, Odin, Vili,
and Ve, who, after a time, killed Ymir and used his body to fashion the world. They later found
two logs on a beach and used them to create the first two people, Ask, a man, and Embla, a woman.
Frigg was Odin’s wife, and he sired many sons by her, the two most important being Thor and Balder,
who was the first god to die, an event that shocked the gods, but Odin most of all;
for he alone was aware of all the implications. Balder’s death was one of the main events said
to herald Ragnarok, so with his son’s death, Odin knew that the end battle would soon be upon them.
Come Ragnarok, Odin is fated to be devoured by the monstrous wolf Fenrir, the most powerful monster
in Norse mythology. But not long after, Vidar, Odin’s son, slays Fenrir and avenges his father.
He’s able to do this with the aid of a special boot, the making of which has been continuous
since time immemorial. This boot was fashioned by every piece of scrap leather
left over every time a shoe was made or repaired. It makes Vidar’s foot impervious to harm,
allowing him to press his leg down on Fenrir's lower jaw. He does this while
simultaneously pressing upwards on Fenrir’s upper jaw, tearing the wolf’s head apart.
Odin was the lord of the Einherjar, who were the dead soldiers handpicked by the valkyries
and brought to the halls of Valhalla, where they fought each day and feasted each night.
This was all done by Odin’s design. His goal was to amass a vast army of the greatest warriors
so that they could fight for him when the skies darkened and all the enemies of
Asgard gathered to assail it when Ragnarok covered all the world in flood and flame.
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