Odin:
Let’s start with the All-father, shall we? He’s one of the most complex characters in Norse mythology. Odin has been a war god since the earliest times, and he appeared in many heroic Norse mythology stories as the protector of heroes. The fallen warriors joined him in his palace, Valhalla. Odin was a great magician among the gods and was often associated with runes. He was also the god of poets, wisdom, death, divination, and magic. He had female handmaidens called Valkyries, who gathered dead viking warriors to come to Valhalla (the “Hall of the Slain”). He’s the son of Borr and the giantess Bestla, chief of the Æsir, and the King of Asgard. He’s married to the goddess Frigg, and is the father of Thor, Baldur, Höðr, Víðarr, and Váli. It’s said that he speaks only in poems. Myth says that Odin created the universe after killing the primal frost giant, Ymir, with the help of his brothers. After that, they made the first man and woman, Askr and Embla, from an ash tree and an elm tree. His most common symbol is the Valknut symbol:
Another symbol commonly associated with Odin is his spear, Gungir, which he acquired from the trickster god, Loki, after he stole it from the dwarves that made it. Also, he is said to have created Geri and Freki, his two pet wolves, when he was lonely. In Valhalla, Odin sits on his throne, Hlidskjalf, and watches over the Nine Realms. He once hung from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, with a spear in his side for nine days and nights without food or drink to learn further knowledge of the runes. He always had a never-ending quest for wisdom. Odin rode on a flying, eight-legged stallion called Sleipnir. Myth says that he could often cause battles between mortals just by throwing his spear. The name Odin means "frenzy, rage, inspiration".
-Wolf of 300
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