by Vadim Osadchi

Created on: January 06, 2009

As the mist receded, a growing shadow grew into existence. The cover faded and a great horse came into view. A godly man, head held high, adorned in a flowing grey robe rode his beast onward, into Valhalla. His thundering flight brought a cloud of dust rolling after him.

Often, Odin was depicted like such.

Son of Bor and Bestla, Odin was a father and chief of the Norse pantheon. He later fathered Thor, a god of Thunder, from the goddess Jord.

Depicted as a middle aged man with curly hair and a beard, a wide-brimmed hat helped him to avoid unwanted attention. Odin is not only considered a god of war, but was also said to be the chief god and overseer of wisdom, war, battle, death, magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt. As usual with Norse gods, his role is deep and flexible. The origination of Odin dates back to the Proto-Germanic paganism. During this time Odin was also called "leader of souls". Odin, seen riding upon a horse and wielding a spear, exhibited shape-shifting powers. He would change into various animals and many assume he'd first originated as a sinister horse god.

Amid the land of Asgard, Odin had ruled over three residences. In Gladsheim, he reigned over the twelve Diar, or Judges. His second home was Valaskjalf, which was built of solid silver and from where he could watch over Earth and whatever passed there. Then there was Valhalla, where all the souls of fallen warriors drifted.

As an ambivalent deity, Odin is linked to poetry' as well as madness and fury'. He owns a spear, Gungir, which never misses its target and the severed head of Mimir, which could foretell the future. In Norse myth he arrives to war bringing victory. With a malevolent move, Odin has been said to start wars simply by bringing down his spear.

Huginn and Munin (Thought and Memory), Odin's two pet ravens would fly over the land and return to tell him of every passing event.

Odin held the power to choose who died in battle. Their fate was his choosing.

He'd sacrificed an eye at the well of Mimir to gain inner wisdom. Later, he brutally hung himself upon the World Tree Yggdrasil with his own spear to gain the power of the Runes. Every one of his actions was tied to knowledge and wisdom. And, as a god who traversed the mental plane of awareness, he could bend fate itself.

As seen, Odin sacrifices much to gain the seed of his power, knowledge.

He owns a horse, with eight legs, named Sleipnir. A nightmarish scene it must've made when Odin rode the steed into the thick of battle, scattering foes with his magic spear.

And while this would probably make him a more conspicuous god, he preferred traveling in secret. With his shape shifting talent and an arsenal of false names, Odin traversed the land as a mysterious wanderer.

It is said that Odin, along with the brothers Ve and Vili, helped to shape and bring our world into being. In such case, it's only fitting that Wednesday (Wodensdaeg) is named in tribute to Odin!

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