Odin
Odin (Old Norse: Óðinn) is the chief god of the Norse pantheon, associated with wisdom, war, poetry, magic (seiðr), and death. He is known for sacrificing an eye for knowledge and for hanging himself on the world tree Yggdrasil in pursuit of the runes.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-21
Historical fact
Odin is documented in the two primary sources of Norse mythology: the Prose Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson around 1220, and the Poetic Edda, a collection of older poems preserved in a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript. In the poem Hávamál, from the Poetic Edda, Odin's self-sacrifice is narrated: he hung himself on the world tree Yggdrasil for nine nights, wounded by his own spear, seeking knowledge of the runes. In another myth, he trades one of his eyes for wisdom from Mímir's well. He is associated with two ravens (Huginn and Muninn, 'thought' and 'memory'), two wolves (Geri and Freki), and the eight-legged horse Sleipnir.
Interpretation — Eddic Sources (Snorri Sturluson)
In the Prose Edda, Odin is presented as the chief of the Aesir, residing in Asgard, and father to several other deities, including Thor. He is portrayed as an ambiguous, strategic figure — a tireless seeker of knowledge and magic, willing to make great personal sacrifices for wisdom, but also associated with deception and manipulation in several narratives, a god more inclined toward cunning than direct brute force (a role more associated with Thor).
Interpretation — Reconstructed Norse Folk Religion (Ásatrú)
In contemporary reconstructions of pre-Christian Norse religion, such as Ásatrú, Odin is usually honored as the patron of the pursuit of knowledge, of poetry (skaldic), and of personal transformation through voluntary sacrifice — a reading that emphasizes the spiritual-quest aspect of the Yggdrasil hanging myth, distinct from the more warlike focus commonly associated with him in contemporary popular culture (video games, TV series).
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does Odin have only one eye?
- According to the myth recorded in the Prose Edda, Odin traded one of his eyes for the wisdom contained in Mímir's well, a spring associated with knowledge and deep perception — one of several personal sacrifices he makes in pursuit of knowledge across the Norse sources.
- Are Odin and Thor father and son?
- Yes, according to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, Thor is one of Odin's sons. The two have distinct roles in the pantheon: Odin is more associated with wisdom, magic, and strategy, while Thor is linked to direct physical strength and the defense of Asgard against the giants (jötnar).
Sources
- Snorri Sturluson (trans. Anthony Faulkes). The Prose Edda (c. 1220 (1987 ed.)).
- Anonymous (trans. Carolyne Larrington). The Poetic Edda (13th c. manuscript (2014 ed.)).
- H. R. Ellis Davidson. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe (1964).