God Index
ODIN
Odin was one of the Aesir, or warrior gods. He
was the first god to exist, and was father of all
the other gods. (His brothers, Vili and Ve,
seem to fade out of Norse Mythology and it is
not known what became of them.)
Odin was also King of the gods, both Aesir and Vanir. He made the Earth and sky. He created humans and all living creatures and ruled over them.
He was a stern and awesome king. Gods and humans feared his anger, which was not always justified. He could be spiteful and sometimes used his powers in unworthy ways. He was respected more than loved and was worshipped by kings and nobles rather than by ordinary people.
God of battle
As the god of battle, Odin caused wars on Earth by flinging down his spear. He decided who won, so warriors.did their best to appease him. He was unpredictable, though, and did not always give victory where expected.God of poetry and wisdom
However, Odin inspired poets as well as warriors. He made a dangerous journey to lotunheim to obtain the Mead of Poetry. Sometimes he allowed a human a sip of it and that person became a great poet. He also sought very hard for wisdom and paid dearly for his knowledge. For this reason he was worshipped by seers and magicians.God of the dead
The bravest of the warriors slain in battle were chosen to join Odin in his great hall, Valhalla. He was a god of the dead but he shared this task with others. Freyja entertained dead warriors. Hel took those who died in their beds or of disease.Valhalla and Valaskjalf
Valhalla, or Hall of the Slain, was Odin's magnificent hall in Asgard. Here, he sported and drank with the chosen heroes. They spent their days fighting and were revived every evening to feast and make merry. Valhalla's walls were made of golden spears and its roof of gold shields. It had 540 doors, each big enough to let 800 armed men through, side by side.Valaskjalf (meaning Shelf of the Slain) was Odin's other hall where his great throne, Hlidskjalf, stood. From his throne, Odin watched over the Nine Worlds. He was helped by two ravens. They flew through the Worlds gathering news which they then whispered in Odin's ears. The ravens were called Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory).
The Valkyries
The Valkyries were female warriors who did Odin's will. They had frightening names like Shaker, Raging Warrior and Shrieking. They swooped over battlefields on horseback, directing the fighting. They picked the heroes to fill Valhalla. A man chosen to die was said to see a Valkyrie just bef ore the fatal blow. The Valkyries also worked as Odin's servants. They served food and drink to the warriors in Valhalla.Odin's travels
Odin would often visit the other Worlds in disguise. He travelled in a blue cloak and a broad-brimmed hat which hid his face. On long journeys he rode his wonderful, eight- legged horse, Sleipnir. His magic spear, called GUNGNIR, and gold arm-ring always accompanied him.FRIGG
Frigg was Odin's wife and Queen of the gods. She was a Mother goddess and cared for all humans, though she was especially concerned for women and children. Frigg and Odin had a son, called Balder. He died tragically and Frigg mourned him terribly. Because of this, many women felt she would be sympathetic to their sorrows. Their other son, Bragi, was married to Idunn .Although she was very beautiful and was desired by many men, she was faithful to Odin. She was a match for Odin, though, and could outwit him if she was determined to get her own way. Like Odin, Frigg could see what the future held for any human and what their fate would be. But she would never tell what she knew.
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