Odin is the Norse god of war,
Magic,
Runes,
And poetry.
Often referred to as the All-Father,
He is known for being an avid seeker of wisdom.
So strong was his quest for knowledge that,
According to legend,
He sacrificed one of his eyes in order to drink from Mimir's well to make him one of the wisest of all Norse gods.
He also sought out the secret of the runes.
Runestones are used to this day for divination and magic.
The word rune means whisper or secret,
And runes are used for divination and answers to questions being asked.
They are symbols that were used by Germanic peoples for divination and magic.
The original Elder Futhark runes consisted of 24 symbols,
Each with its own name,
Meaning,
And message.
Odin is known for keeping two ravens,
Huginn and Muninn,
In his company,
Regularly sending them out into the land so that they could return and report their findings to him.
Because of this,
He is also known as the Raven God.
Humans in Northern Europe believed that,
During the Twelve Nights of Yule,
Odin would ride across the sky in what came to be known as the Wild Hunt.
He would seek out and reward the good with gifts,
While also dealing with those who drew the wrath of the gods.
Germanic children would leave out gifts of food for Odin's flying horse,
And find gifts in their boots the following morning.
Many believed this,
And Odin's long white beard,
To be an early incarnation of Santa Claus.
Because of this,
Yule Father was added to the list of Odin's many names.
Wreaths,
Mistletoe,
And evergreens were used by the Norse and Germanic peoples to ward off negative or dark spirits chased down by the Wild Hunt.
He was considered a hero,
And the protector of heroes.
He is revered as a god of poetry and prophecy,
And a master of magic.
The word Wednesday has its roots in the Old English name,
Woden's Day,
Honoring both Odin and Mercury.
An incense offering to Odin can be something like the following,
Rosemary,
For protection and purification,
Sage,
Also for protection and purification,
Clove,
For added power and speed,
Fennel,
For warding off negative energies,
And Frankincense,
For meditation and cleansing.
The following invocation of Odin the All-Father is from the Pagan Book of Hours.
Hail Odin,
Lord of Asgard,
Warrior and Wanderer,
Valiant and Wise,
You to whom all the gods of Asgard look,
Sky-Father on the eight-legged steed,
You who traded an eye for wisdom,
And ruled a turbulent realm.
Give us the wisdom to accept the twists and turns of fate,
Even as You surrendered Yourself to the mercies of the Norns.
Protect us,
All-Father,
From what harm may come to us.
Lead us through the wilderness,
And bring us safely to that great hall that You have reserved only for the brave of spirit.
This is a very brief look at a complex figure of Norse mythology.
I will conclude by playing,
In its entirety,
A song I wrote about him,
Called Hail Odin.
Blessed be.
