Pagan symbolism: Wodan & Odin

The Viking god Odin evolved from the Germanic god Wodan. Odin is a central figure in Germanic and Old Norse paganism. He appears in many mythological stories and folklore such as the Wild Hunt. He was the chief god of the Vikings and much symbolism in their visual art and writings refers to Odin. In this blog, we delve into him and discover that not everything about this god is as it seems. 

The story of Odin is complex. The god is by far the most researched god from the Germanic and Old Norse pantheon, many of his characteristics are subjects of scholarly debate. In this blog, we attempt to mention as much as possible about this god to form the most accurate picture possible of this popular god. 

While Wodan and Odin are fundamentally the same god, there are some differences. Gods reflect the culture and the time period in which they are worshipped. Therefore, over the centuries, Wodan and Odin are essentially the same god, but not identical. In this blog, we use the name Wodan when referring to the Germanic god and Odin when viewing him from the Old Norse perspective.

Why do we know that Odin evolved from Wodan and not the other way around? This has to do with linguistics. In Old Norse, the 'w' before the letter 'u' disappears; for example, the Germanic word wulf (wolf) becomes ulf in Old Norse. Thus, Wodan became Odan and later Odin.

Most information about Odin comes from Old Norse stories. In Old English texts, Wodan is often described as an ancestral figure who plays an important role in the genealogies of royal houses. Additionally, he appears in the traditions of other Germanic peoples, such as the Langobards.

Odin has a complex and multifaceted role. He is the god of wisdom, who plucks out his own eye to gain knowledge. He is the patron of poetry and the master of the runes. 

Additionally, he is a god of death, who gathers souls for Valhalla. He governs the transition to the afterlife. He is the leader of the Wild Hunt. With his army of the dead, he travels between álfablót and Yule across the land to restore the cosmic order. Thus, the light can return after Yule and the earth can become fertile again. Dogs (wolves) and ravens, both associated with Odin, also represent death and journeys between both worlds.

His relationship with war and battle is expressed in the berserkers and the úlfheðnar, who were inspired by him. In some studies, he is also identified as a wind god.

Odin is the son of Borr and Bestla and the brother of Vili and Vé. He is the husband of the goddess Frigg. He fathers several sons, of whom Thor and Baldr are the best known.

Odin is often depicted as a one-eyed figure with a long beard, armed with the spear Gungnir and clad in a cloak and wide-brimmed hat. He is accompanied by the wolves Geri and Freki and the ravens Huginn and Muninn, who provide him with information. His eight-legged horse Sleipnir carries him through the air and to the underworld. Odin has an insatiable thirst for knowledge, exemplified by his quest for the mead of poetry. Moreover, he plays a crucial role in the creation of the world, bringing the first humans (Ask and Embla) to life, and imparting knowledge about runes and poetry. His connection with the Wild Hunt and Yule celebration highlights his significance in seasonal rituals.

Another important association of Odin is with the Valkyries, the divine warrior maidens, and Valhalla, where he receives fallen warriors (the einherjar). At the same time, he is linked with Freyja, who welcomes the other half of the fallen warriors into her realm, Fólkvangr.

Odin consults the head of Mímir, which grants him wisdom and warns him of Ragnarök. During this apocalyptic event, he will battle the wolf Fenrir, who will eventually devour him.

Odin, Hœnir, and Lóður find the first humans, Ask and Embla. The first humans are almost helpless. The three gods give them their soul, their mind, and their blood. According to the Prose Edda, it is the brothers Vili, Vé, and Odin who find the humans on a beach; they give Ask and Embla the breath of life, movement and mind, form, speech, hearing, and sight.

Odin is a creator and giver of life in both stories.

Odin has an insatiable thirst for wisdom. He sacrifices one of his eyes to drink from Mimir's well and thus gain more wisdom. He is therefore often depicted with only one eye. This is a unique aspect of Odin; Wodan is depicted with two eyes.

Odin also wants to learn the secret of the runes. To prove he is worthy of possessing this magical knowledge, he pierces himself with his spear and hangs himself from a tree (likely Yggdrasil). He sacrifices himself to himself and hangs there for nine days and nights, until the runes reveal themselves to him. 

These stories mark Odin as an archetype of self-sacrifice and a god of knowledge. Odin is not the only Norse god who suffers injury. Fenrir bites off Freyr's hand during Ragnarök, and Baldr dies during Ragnarök.

On the one hand, this can mean that gods are not omnipotent. They can also symbolize self-sacrifice. One must be willing to sacrifice oneself to prevent Ragnarok (total chaos). Gods and humans can die, but their heroic poetry lives on eternally. Achieving a goal often involves pain and sacrifice.

In the war between the Æsir and the Vanir, Odin throws the first spear. Thus, he is not only a god of war but also the source of conflict. This reinforces his role as a double-edged sword: wisdom and destruction.

During Ragnarök, the mythical end of times, Odin is killed by the wolf Fenrir. This symbolizes both the end of a cosmic cycle and the inevitability of renewal, with his son Víðarr embodying vengeance and rebirth.

Odin sits on Hlidskialf, the throne from which he oversees all worlds, positioning him as omniscient and almighty within the mythology. His role as the progenitor of both gods and kings connects him with the origin and structure of the cosmos.

Odin is seen as the master of seiðr. This form of Old Norse magic was normally reserved for women, and it was considered degrading for men to practice it. Possibly this was not the case for Odin because he had drunk from the well of Mímir.

Seiðr may have had a shamanistic origin. Odin is often associated with shamanistic, ecstatic, and magical practices. The German mythologist Jan de Vries compares Odin to other gods who could enter ecstatic states, such as Rudra in the Vedic tradition and Hermes in the Greek mythology.

These gods are seen as intermediaries between the human world and other dimensions, emphasizing the versatility of Odin's function.

It is possible that the shamanistic rituals around Odin were influenced by the Sami, with whom the Vikings coexisted in Scandinavia. Odin has more well-known shamanistic attributes than Wodan, which reinforces this suspicion.

The earliest descriptions of Germanic peoples were recorded by Roman authors. In these accounts, Wodan (Wotanaz) is often identified with the Roman god Mercury through the process of interpretatio romana, where Romans associated non-Roman gods with Roman counterparts based on basic of perceived similarities.

An important example of this can be found in Tacitus' Germania (1st century AD), where he describes how the Suebi (a Germanic confederation) worship "Mercury" as their principal god. Tacitus reports that on certain days they offer both human and other sacrifices to him, while Hercules and Mars are satisfied with animal sacrifices. In this context, Tacitus identifies Odin with Mercury, Thor with Hercules, and Týr with Mars. The deity "Isis," mentioned by Tacitus, is sometimes interpreted as a reference to Freyja.

Both Wodan and Mercury are known as practitioners of magic. Around the time Tacitus mentioned Wodan, Wodan was already associated with ravens like Mercury. In Bornheim-Heemerich, an inscription was found to Mercuo Hremnoni. Mercury-raven. Wodansday is also called Mercuryday in other languages. 

Historian Anthony Birley suggests that the association of Wodan with Mercury has less to do with Mercury's role as the messenger of the gods, and more with their shared function as psychopomps (guides of souls to the afterlife). Other possible similarities, such as carrying a staff and hat, their role as wandering gods, and associations with trade, may have also contributed to this equivalence. Yet, their positions within their respective religious hierarchies were likely different.

Interestingly, Tacitus' claim that the Suebi worshiped Mercury as their chief god literally corresponds with an earlier observation by Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (1st century BC), where he said this about the Gauls, not the Germans. This likely also arose because a Gallic god was accompanied by a raven, not because the functions of the god were the same as those of Mercury.

The question of whether Wodan was worshiped by the Goths remains controversial. Richard North and Herwig Wolfram argue that the Goths did not worship Wodan, with Wolfram pointing to the use of Greek weekdays in Gothic as evidence against a Wodan cult. An alternative reading of the inscription "gutaniowi hailag" on the Gothic Ring of Pietroassa suggests a possible reference to "Wodan-Jupiter," but this interpretation is highly contested.

The origin and role of Odin in Norse mythology has been a topic of discussion among scholars, who have employed various approaches to understand his place in Scandinavian religion and culture. Historically, the discussion about Odin's origin is intertwined with broader theories about the introduction of Indo-European gods in Northern Europe and the influence of other cultures.

Although the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity by the end of the 7th century, Wodan remains a prominent figure in their founding myths. He plays an important role in various Old English works and traditions,

In this Old English text, Woden defeats a serpent with nine "glorious twigs." This poem, from an 11th-century manuscript, contains imagery that some scholars find parallels with Norse mythology, such as Odin's sacrifice to Yggdrasil to gain wisdom. The text emphasizes Woden's role as a healer and magician.

Woden is explicitly mentioned in the line Woden worhte weos ("Woden made idols"), where he is contrasted with the Christian god. This reflects the transition from pagan to Christian beliefs.

The Old English rune poem contains explanations of the 29 Anglo-Saxon runes. The rune Ōs is explained as "god" or "divine inspiration". Due to the noticeable Christian influence in the poem, some scholars consider it may have been censored. The association of language and wisdom with a divine figure may refer to Wodan.

The prose text Solomon and Saturn is a question-and-answer text, particularly about Christian subjects. In one of the riddles, "Mercury the Giant" is mentioned as the inventor of letters. This is presumably Wodan. In Christian texts, old gods are often depicted as giants, and in the interpretatio romana, Wodan is equated with Mercury.

Many royal genealogies trace their origins back to Woden, for example, those of Wessex and Northumbria. These genealogies combine pagan and Christian traditions, integrating Woden into a Biblical context through figures like Noah.

According to the Origo Gentis Langobardorum ('Origin of the Lombard People'), Wodan (Godan) granted victory to the Winnili by having their women appear with beard-like hairstyles. This illustrates his influence on all Germanic peoples.

The Second Merseburg Incantation shows Wodan as a healer, as he and other deities are invoked to heal a horse. This emphasizes his prominent role in the folk religion of Germanic communities.

In the Old Saxon baptismal vow, Wodan is mentioned as a demonic figure that had to be renounced upon conversion to Christianity, along with Saxnot and Thor.

The Christian chronicler Adam of Bremen describes Odin in the 11th century as a war god, with his spear and military character, and compares him to Mars. This shows how the figure of Odin was interpreted early on by outsiders and associated with classical pagan traditions such as those of Roman gods.

These inscriptions show that Odin (along with Thor) was still invoked even after the Christianization of Scandinavia. This indicates a strong survival of the old god cult in the daily lives of ordinary people.

In later folktales, Odin continues to live on, often as a mysterious traveler or a supernatural being. The idea of "Odin's Hunt" (the Wild Hunt), where Odin rides through the night sky, connects him with weather against chaos, but also with the boundary between the visible and the invisible.

Odin is known by hundreds of nicknames. These names give an impression of how this Germanic god was perceived. The list below is not exhaustive, but it provides an insight into how Odin was approached:

Father of mankind, Man-Gautr, Awfather, Joy of Frigg, The one with the eagle head, Lord of the Aesir, Attacker, Friend of wealth, Enemy of the Wolf, Balder's father, The one with fiery eyes, The one with the painted shield, The blind, Promoter of battlefields, Malefactor, Son of Bor, Commander, Lord, Brother of Vili, The brown, Heir of Bor, Distorted version of Biflindi, Spear bearer, Lord of the undead, Lord of the spirits, The eternal thunder, Dweller in Frigg's embrace, Travel supporter, God of burdens, Burden of the gallows, The one who catches, the one who leads fallen heroes to Valhall, Mighty god, Mighty Thuler, powerful speaker, powerful wise, Form god, The one who knows much, The very wise, Pagan ǫlvir, The one who rides away, The one who is found, The one who advises against, The one who is tired of walking, God of Gautland, Gotlander, Spear charger, Gore/Spear God, Gore/Spear Master, Payments, Blind Guest, Trickster, Quick in deceit, quick deceiver, wise in magical spells, Goði of the raven sacrifice, God-protecting, Screamer, King of Hliðskjalf, Covered, masked, Mask, Battlefield blinder, Skilled worker, Lord of the hanged, God of the hanged, Hanged, Commander of leaders, God of prisoners, Teacher of the gods, Gray beard, High, Supreme, Hel Blinder, Hangkaak, Overthrower, pusher, Hat wearer, Supreme, Raven God, Raven, Chain dissolver, tearer, Roarer, Wise, Horse hair mustache, Courage of the grinder, Roarer or Contradictor, Glorious ruler, Even high, Yule figure, The mighty, Keel, Feeder, Long beard, Hairy cloak bearer, Borr's descendant, User, enjoyer or needed, Resonating, God of wishes, wished, Red mustache, Wagon God or God of riders, Ruler, God of runes, Mover of constellations, Truthful, Finder of Truth, Long beard, Broad hat, Victory giver, Father of victory, Victory geat, Protection of victory, Victory writer.

The Germanic peoples descend from the Proto-Indo-European steppe herders who migrated around 3000 BC from the Pontic steppes to Europe. Due to this common origin, the Germanic peoples share linguistic and cultural features with other Proto-Indo-European peoples such as the Romans, Celts, Slavs, Indo-Iranians and Vedics.

We know quite a lot about these Proto-Indo-Europeans through archaeology, comparative linguistics, and comparative religious studies. Their society was hierarchical and oath-bound, and in their religion, the preservation of the cosmic order was central.

The name of the supreme god of the Indo-European peoples is usually traced back to the reconstructed Indo-European god *Dyḗus ph₂tḗr (the sky father). Examples include the Greek god Zeus (Zeus Patēr), the Roman Jupiter (from Diespiter, *Dijēs-patēr), the Celtic god Dagda (Dagdae Oll-athair, from the proto-Celtic *dago-dēwos ollo fātir, "great father or good god").

But if we follow this reasoning for the Germans and Vikings, we arrive at the Germanic god Tiwaz (*tīwaz) and the Viking god Týr. As described above, it is clear that Odin was the supreme god. So somewhere in Germanic history, the gods within the pantheon have changed places, but when that happened is not certain.

The Old Norse name Óðinn is related to the Old High German Wodan and the Old English Wōden. This is derived from the Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz, which comes from the Proto-Germanic *wōdaz (“fury, manic inspiration, furor poeticus”), and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *weh₂t- (“to be excited”).

The name is related to the Old Norse óðr (“fury”), the Dutch woede (“fury”), the Irish fáidh, and the Latin vātēs.

The attributes of Odin partially align with the Vedic storm god Rudra, the Vedic god of destruction and time Shiva, the Vedic storm god Varuna, and the Roman god of war Mars. Wodan was likely an early Germanic god of war. He was initially associated with the Wild Hunt, death, and fury. Only later did he become the supreme god. 

One of Odin's nicknames is Alfǫðr, which is translated as Allfather or father of everyone. According to Jackson Crawford, this is a misinterpretation. Fǫðr would derive from the Proto-West Germanic word *fadōn, meaning something like ‘to bring into structure’.

This interpretation as ‘Maintainer of all order’ is more logical than ‘Father of everyone’. After all, Odin was not the first god, nor did he create humanity. But he maintained the cosmic order and balanced society. Odin maintained order over the victors, slain warriors, the dead, and the various oath-bound classes known in the Germanic and Viking societies.

If we look at the Indo-European creation story, we can also place him as an enforcer of order.

In the beginning, *Manu and *Yemo were accompanied by a great cosmic cow. To create the world, Manu had to make a sacrifice: he had to sacrifice his own brother Yemo. With the help of the Sky Father (supreme god: *Dyēus ph₂tḗr), Yemo's sacrificed body was transformed. From his parts arose the foundations of the world: the wind, the moon, the sea, and the different kinds of people (aristocracy, warrior class, working class/herders).

Manu became the first priest and created the sacrificial ritual, which maintained cosmic order and harmony. The ritual connected the world of humans with that of the gods, through reciprocity.

The Viking creation story had its origins in this Indo-European creation story. In the beginning, there was nothing, Ginnungagap. Odin (Manu) kills Ymir (Yemo) and from his body, the heavens and earth are created.

Odin, therefore, like Manu, is the controller of cosmic order. He is involved in the creation of man, the creation of classes, and is the ancestor of the first kings. He teaches man how to sacrifice so that man can restore the cosmic order. By maintaining the cosmic order, Odin protects humanity from Ragnarok.

Odin is not the equivalent of the Sky Father (Dyēus ph₂tḗr), but of Manu. As a supreme god, he does not fit into the classical Indo-European pantheon with Dyēus ph₂tḗr at the head.

How Odin exactly became the supreme god remains unclear, but it is logical to reason. Manu showed people how to pursue the cosmic order.

Over time, following Manu, who prescribed how people should worship the gods, changed to worshiping Manu himself. 

The French mythologist Georges Dumézil has been highly influential in the study of Indo-European culture and mythology. He proposed that the Indo-European culture was divided into three classes: the ruling class consisting of kings and priests, the warrior class, and the farmer class.

According to Dumézil, Odin represented the ruling class, as the god of magic, fury, justice, and order. His aristocratic followers had, like him, the hereditary task of preventing total chaos (ragnarok).

Týr seems to fit more within the warrior class in this context, as a brave and victorious warrior and symbol of law and justice.

The Vanir, such as Freyja and Freyr, would represent the third class, related to fertility and prosperity. It is likely that the Vanir were the original, Neolithic gods of Scandinavia, associated with agriculture and fertility. The Æsir, which included Odin, Thor, and Týr, had a proto-Indo-European origin.

Odin and Wodan are extensively visible in archaeological finds. He is often depicted with his characteristic symbols, such as his ravens Huginn and Muninn, his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and sometimes the valknut. 

These images provide insight into his characteristics and role in mythology, and in the development of Germanic culture, sometimes at a regional level.

There are so many symbols associated with Odin that we have written several blogs about these individual symbols and the corresponding part of the Odinist cult.

This blog is limited to Wodan/Odin himself and his depiction in symbolism and on archaeological objects. 

Objects such as the Thorwald Cross (on the Isle of Man) and the Ledberg-stone (Gotland, Sweden) depict Odin in his battle with Fenrir during Ragnarök. The presence of birds such as Huginn or Muninn in these scenes enhances the Odinic association.

The Odin figurine from Lejre and the helmet plates from the Vendel period suggest an association with royal power and the accompanying rituals. The throne, flanking animal heads, and ravens indicate an authoritative role within the mythological and ritual sphere. 

Regularly, in the complex knot and spiral motifs of the Viking art styles, a bearded man is depicted. It is likely that this is Odin and that in this way the object was possibly endowed with a 'soul'.

It is known that weapons, such as spears and swords, were named after Odin by the owner to imbue the weapons with spirit. Sometimes this was emphasized by providing them with runes.

The symbolism of the horned spear dancer is depicted on jewelry, belt fitting, and helmet plates from the Vendel period. This symbolism refers to the Odinistic warrior cult and can be associated with leadership and the aristocracy.

See this blog

The ravens of Odin/Wodan are the most well-known and prevalent depictions that refer to this god. Images are displayed on belt fitting, rune stones, and on many brooches that were worn in pairs. 

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Odin's horse, Sleipnir, is often depicted directly or indirectly in Germanic and Viking art. Sleipnir played an important role as a magical horse in the thousands of years old horse worship that originated in the Proto-Indo-European Steppe culture. 

See this blog

Odin is accompanied by two wolves, Geri and Freki. They possibly symbolize the wolf warriors of the ulfhednar. The ulfhednar and the berserkers (bear warriors) are followers of Odin, members of war bands who were originally part of the aristocratic class. This tradition of war bands can be traced back to the koryos, an Indo-European war band thousands of years old. The wolf was the symbol of many of these koryos bands. 

A Proto-Indo-European tradition thousands of years old. The Ulfhednar and the berserkers are the followers of Odin. Thus, we see wolves in many Germanic and Viking jewelry and other art expressions.

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The well-known Odin's knot possibly represents a mental or oath-bound commitment to this god. The valknut is seen on art forms such as the Oseberg tapestry and Rune stones. 

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Wodan is also indirectly depicted through images of the Wild Hunt. He, as the leader, is central in the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt may have a Proto-Indo-European origin.

See this blog

As the leader of the Wild Hunt, Wodan is also central in the original Sinterklaasfeest. There are many parallels between Sinterklaas and Wodan. Therefore, the Sinterklaasfeest can be associated with Proto-Indo-European traditions that are even older than Wodan himself.  

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Wodan/Odin plays a central role during the Yule festival. Yule-related artworks often contain underlying Odinistic symbolism. 

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Odin is the master of the runes and thus much symbolic meaning around the runic script is related to him. Besides the practical applicability of runes as a script, we also find individual runes that emphasize this magical symbolism. 

See this blog

Odin / Wodan was, at least from the 1st century AD, the most important god in the Germanic pantheon.

Manu is the creator of the earth and humanity and the progenitor of the kings. He teaches humans how to offer sacrifices, allowing them to restore and maintain the cosmic order. In that role, he is the guardian of the cosmic order.

His role as the god of death and leader of the wild hunt expresses his warlike fury. With his army of the dead, he roams in the winter to restore the cosmic order so that the light can return during Yule or the winter solstice, and the earth becomes fertile again.

He is the war god of the ruling class, followed by the ulfhednar and the berserkers. Just as he guards the cosmic order, the aristocracy guards the order in society.

Odin is not a violence-glorifying anarchist. He actually guards the cosmic order and teaches us the necessity of self-sacrifice for it. He obligates his followers to maintain this structure and fulfill their performance promises. He keeps the oath-bound society in balance by ensuring that the different classes fulfill their mutual obligations.