Odin


{oh'-din}

In Norse mythology, as preserved in the Icelandic EDDAS (11th-12th centuries AD), Odin is the chief of the gods and the ruler of the universe. He was the son of the frost giant Bor and the giantess Bestla. Early in his career, together with his brothers Vili and Ve, Odin overthrew the primeval giant YMIR and fashioned the world from his remains. Odin, his wife FRIGG, and the other major Norse divinities--THOR and Tyr--live in ASGARD, near which is located VALHALLA, where Odin was believed to feast with the spirits of slain warriors. At RAGNAROK, the "twilight of the gods," Odin will lead his army against the giants led by LOKI. Odin will be devoured by the wolf FENRIR but then be avenged by his son Vidar. Odin's sacred bird is the raven, and his principal weapon--in addition to his powerful runes, or magical spells--is the spear. He is depicted as tall, bearded, and one-eyed, having exchanged his other eye for wisdom. In pre-Christian Scandinavia the Odin cult was apparently characterized by human sacrifice, which was usually accomplished by hanging the victim from a tree. The German form of his name is Woden, or Wotan; the name Wednesday is derived from Woden's day.