What is Odin the god of? What does the odin meaning in jewelry?
The word Viking has always had a mysterious appeal in popular culture. Many people have learned about Viking culture through film and television works, etc., and are deeply attracted by it. Today, people still use Viking weapons, ships, and Viking jewelry. Today, let's discuss the beliefs of Vikings-Odin, one of the Norse gods.
who is odin
In Nordic mythology, Odin, the king of the gods of the Asa, mastering wisdom, prophecy, power, healing, poetry, magic, war and death. He is a one-eyed, white-bearded god who wears an eagle helmet and golden armor, holds eternal spear Gungnir and wearing the golden ring of Draupnir. At his feet are two fierce wolves, Geri and Freki (both meaning "greedy one" or "the ravenous"), ready to protect Odin at any time. On the shoulders are two ravens, Hugin & Munin, who will fly around the nine worlds and report back to Odin. When Odin intends to go out, he will wear a cloak and wide hat, and ride on an eight-legged mythical horse (Sleipnir) across the sky and even into the underworld. He occasionally enjoys a feast at the Halls-of-Valor, but only drinks and feeds the meat from the table to the two faithful wolves.
odin mythology
odin rune symbol
The legend about the runes begins with Odin's one-eyed story. In order to increase his ingenuity, predict the future, and rule better, Odin was determined to drink water from the well of wisdom, the holy spring beside the roots of the ash tree. But the giant who guarded the well, Mimir, asked him to pay for one eye. Without hesitation, Odin hung himself upside down on the Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights, sacrificed himself, blinded one eye, and then drank the water of wisdom and became a wise man. This is where the Hanged Man in the tarot comes from.
During Odin hung on the Yggdrasil , he comprehended the runes and spread it to humans. In stanza 138 of the poem Hávamál, it reads:
I know that I hung on a windy tree
nine long nights,
wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,
myself to myself,
on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run.
No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn,
downwards I peered;
I took up the runes,
screaming I took them,
then I fell back from there. [1]
Thus, Odin acquired the wisdom and mysteries of the Runes. Runes is a type of incantation, which can obtain infinite power if it is carved on wood, stone, metal, or even any material. The Norns engraved this written fate on the golden shield. That is why he is also "the god of knowledge".
odin valorant
Odin himself also likes to disguise himself as a human and roam in the world. He has a variety of ways of disguising. If it is to bring war, he wears an eagle helmet; if it is peace, he wears a black cloak and wears a helmet. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat to cover one eye.
The warrior Nordic warriors believed that if they could be blessed by Odin during the war, they would be able to obtain a force with the spirit of a bear and the bravery of a wolf, that is, "Berserker rage", and they would be invincible on the battlefield and become a "Berserker". On the battlefield, they don't wear armor, they often wear bear or wolf skin, and they don't hold weapons. They charge into battle in a violent manner, and they can kill the enemy with their bare hands and bite the enemy's throat, but they will not be injured in the slightest.
Ragnarok
Because Ragnarok was already known from the prophecy, in order to face and deal with it, he gathered enough troops and dispatched Valkyrie to collect the souls of the dead and turn them into heroic warriors. The Germanic people believed that Odin would lead the undead to fly in the sky, so the storm was the wind of death brought by Odin.
Although he tried his best to avoid it, the end still came, and he also died in the fight with the demon wolf Fenrir. In the end, only the sons of Odin, the Great and Vali, and two human beings survived and established a new world, which is the end of Norse mythology. Odin made Viking warriors who believed in Norse mythology fearless in the battlefield.
Summary
Odin is warlike and good at resourcefulness, and uses himself to thoroughly penetrate the deep tragic mood of Norse mythology. He is the king of the Norse gods, the belief of the Vikings, and the hero respected by everyone who loves Viking culture!
Odin is the embodiment of wisdom, survival and bravery. We combine the image and myth of Odin with jewelry that is worn as if Odin were around, granting the wearer wisdom and bravery. So here’s a little discussion, do you know any other legends about Odin? Welcome to discuss actively!
Thank you for reading. If you want to read more articles about Odin, read here. Or you can just read our previous posts here.
[1] Larrington, Carolyne (Trans.) (1999). The Poetic Edda. Oxford World's Classics.ISBN 0-19-283946-2.