Odin

Odin is a pretty well known and popular god. He is considered the all father but that is a more literary theme later on. Skaldic poetry, pre-Christian Viking poetry, is the father of Baldr, Thor, and Vali but Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century added Heimdall, Týr, Bragi, Vidarr, and Hodr as his sons making him all father. He is the wisest of wise and a god of war, death, poetry, runes, and magic. He is an Aesir and helped create the nine worlds under Yggdrasil. He rules over Asgard and collects the slain in Vahalla.

He is married to Frigga but many of his children have different mothers, like Zeus from greek mythology he is a womanizer. It seems a common theme that all father god figures are womanizers and maybe that is for them to be able to be the father of all gods yet all gods to not be fully related, course Zeus isn't quite the all-father since he has 3 brothers.

What is best known about Odin is his wisdom and the journey he went on to gain this wisdom and all he sacrificed for wisdom. He went to his uncle Mimir's well of wisdom and plucked out the eye to drink from the well and gain the wisdom. Another well-known example of his thirst for knowledge he hung himself upside down for 9 days with a wound in his side from a spear to gain knowledge of the ruins.

He wasn't a calm peaceful god he loved to incite war. He did not bestow his favor or any warrior he only favored the extraordinary warriors and berserkers. He did not care what the war was about he only cared about the raw crazy battle, the blood and gore, and the glory that comes from it.

Odin is accompanied by the ravens Hugin and Munin, the wolves Geri and Freki, and the valkyries. The ravens Hugin and Munin have been seen with Odin for a long long time. They sit on his shoulders in many old Norse depictions of him. Ravens are carrion and always seen after battles on battlefields eating the dead. They are associated with war and death because of this. They are also considered one of the most intelligent birds so they fit very well with the knowledge and wisdom aspect of Odin as well as the war and death aspect. Geri and Freki, the wolves whose names mean the ravenous or greedy one, are said to prowl the battleground to eat the dead. It is said that Odin only needs wine to sustain himself so he feeds his wolves all of his food. Mostly everyone has heard of the Valkyrie, winged women that collect the dead from the battlefield and bring them to Valhalla to make up the army of Odin who will release them during Ragnarok. To make it to Valhalla it was believed that you had to die with a weapon in your hand during battle. The Valkyrie were seen as absolutely beautiful women warriors.

He had a very prominent part in the aesir-Vanir war. The Vanir are another tribe of deities tho less commonly known. The Vanir came from Vanaheimr and was made up of fertility gods and magicians, Seidr. the Aesir were seen as masculine and the Vanir as feminine parts of the pantheon of Viking gods. The war could be won by either and when they realized it'd drag on for eternity they made peace.

Odin dies in Ragnorak, he is killed by Fenrir, swallowed whole, and still fighting. Frigga is devastated and Vidarr avenges his father by tearing Fenrir apart by his mouth and killing him.

Odin is many things, I find him amazing. he isn't a kind and easy god but he is wise and knowledgable, he is tricky and witty. he is a warrior king and a magician. An all-knowing all father.