by Andrew Pahel

Created on: February 10, 2010

             In Norse mythology, Odin is considered to be the greatest god of Asgard, the capital of the Norse gods. Odin is considered a chief  member of the Pantheon, and is often attributed to prophecy, war, magic, and the hunt. Among those attributed to Odin, he is also known as the god of death, which is represented most of all in modern fantasy stories and games. Odin was also regarded as "the leader of souls", or Psychopompos. Odin has mostly been represented with a horse and spear, bringing death, not unlike the grim reaper.

According to legend, Odin had three residences in Agard: Gladsheim, Valaskjalf, and Valhalla. In Gladsheim he presided over judges, or what was called in that time Diar. Odin appointed these twelve to oversee the affairs of Asgard. Valaskjalf was built entirely of silver, where Odin watched from his throne in a high place. From there he could watch everything that transpired on earth. The final residence of Odin was Valhalla where he received the souls of the Einherjar, or fallen warriors. The souls of women warriors and even some beautiful women Odin favored who were not warriors, became Valkyries who gathered the Einherjar, and brought them to Ragnarok where they were needed to fight for him in the epic battle of Ragnarok. Valhalla had five hundred and forty gates that led to a distant gold hall which fashioned golden spears, shields and armor. 

 Mythology recalled that Odin always carried the Gungir, a spear that never misses it's target and a magic gold ring, where every ninth night eight more rings appeared. It is not mentioned whether or not these rings were also magic rings or simply normal jewelry. Odin also carried with him two ravens who flew around the earth every day and reported the happenings on earth to Odin at night. Odin owned a octopedal horse, Sleipnir, which was a gift from Loki. 

Odin entertained and prepared the fallen warriors for the final epic battle on earth, Ragnarok, to fight for the gods. Odin is also represented as a god of war who brings victory. He has also been known as a god of trickery and deceit, which alludes his enemies and lures them into defeat.

Odin is a god of many faces, and this is just a brief introduction to the complex mythology. Odin had a large family and an even longer history that is recorded in many literary classics, that simply cannot be retold in one account. In the end, Odin's legend died off with the introduction of Christianity, over time Odin turned form a belief to a legend, but should accounts like these never die, neither will his legend.

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