Dwarves killed Kvasir and mixed his blood with honey to form a potion that granted wisdom and the gift of poetry. The wisest being who ever lived was Kvasir (pronounced VAHS-eer), whom the gods had formed from their own saliva. Odin had the power to change his appearance, and this shape-shifting played a part in the myth that explains Odin's connection with poetry. It was not unusual, for example, for him to break his word or to turn people against each other to start conflicts. Yet, although Odin was wise, he could also be sly and treacherous.
This self-sacrifice gave him knowledge of the runes, the Norse symbols used for writing and fortune-telling. Another myth says that Odin stabbed himself with his magical spear, called Gungnir (pronounced GOONG-nir), and hung from Yggdrasill for nine days and nights in a living death. The waters of this well, which seeped from among the roots of the enormous tree known as Yggdrasill (pronounced IG-druh-sil) that supported the world, contained great wisdom. He paid a high price for this gift, however, giving one of his eyes in exchange for a drink from the well of Mimir (pronounced MEE-mir). Odin was credited with great wisdom, including knowledge of magic and the ability to see the future. There Odin feasted them and prepared them for Ragnarok (pronounced RAHG-nuh-rok), the final battle in which the gods were doomed to perish. Valkyries, female deities who served Odin, carried the bravest of the warriors straight to Valhalla. As the god of war, Odin watched over warriors who fell in battle. He ruled them from his palace Valhalla (pronounced val-HAL-uh) in the heavenly realm called Asgard (pronounced AHS-gahrd). Odin-the favorite deity of princes, nobles, and warriors-came to be seen as the supreme Norse god, the one to whom the other deities turned for help and advice. Among the deities said to have been Odin's children were Balder (pronounced BAWL-der) and Thor. He then created the first man and woman from an ash tree and an elm tree. Odin arranged the heavens for the gods, the middle world for humans and dwarfs, and the underworld for the dead. They used Ymir's bones, blood, and flesh to form the universe. Before the world existed, he and his two younger brothers, Vili and Ve, killed the frost giant Ymir (pronounced EE-mir). Odin spanned the history of the Norse mythic world from its creation to its destruction. Odin was married to Frigg (pronounced FRIG), the guardian of marriage. The god probably originated in the myths of early Germanic peoples, who called him Wodanaz. His name means “fury” or “frenzy,” the quality of fierce inspiration that guided warriors and poets alike. He was the god of battle and also of wisdom, magic, and poetry. Sometimes called Allfather, Odin played a central role in myths about the creation and destruction of the world.
Odin was the ruler of the Aesir (pronounced AY-sur), a group of deities, or gods, in Norse mythology. Son of Bestla and Borr Character Overview
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