Odin, Allfather

Odin is the king of the Norse gods and their realm, Asgard.  Unlike most polytheistic deities, Odin isn't really the "god of" any one thing.  He is renowned for his abilities as a warrior, but he is not the god of war.  He maintains his own afterlife, but he is not the god of death.  He gave writing and magic to mankind in the form of the Runes, but he is not the god of writing or magic.  He rules Asgard, but he is not the god of leadership.  He frequently goes about in disguise to see what's really happening and hand out secret tests of character, but he is not the god of stealth, trickery, or disguise.  He sacrificed an eye for infinite wisdom, but he is not the god of wisdom.  He is all this, and so much more.

Odin goes by many nicknames, but his most famous is Allfather, which is somewhat ironic, since many myths actually credit him with a father of his own, and few myths credit Odin with the creation of humanity, in something of a departure from most origin myths.  Rather, Odin is the actual father of many Norse gods, and those whom he did not sire defer to his great wisdom and strength, making him their symbolic father if not their literal one.  The more you learn about Odin and the tales of him, the more you see his paternal side, guiding others with a wise, firm, yet loving hand.

Odin is also a figure of great tragedy.  The trait for which he is most often credited, infinite wisdom and knowledge, was earned by the sacrifice of one of his eyes in the well of Mimir, meaning "memory."  While Odin happily made this sacrifice and never regretted the loss of one eye, he saw the future, when all the gods of Asgard would be destroyed.  The is the apocalypse of Norse myth, Ragnarok, and Odin knew he could do nothing to stop it.

But that didn't keep him from trying.

Odin obtained the services of the Valkyries, powerful warrior women sworn to Freya, the goddess of love.  The Valkyries would go among the slain after each battle, choosing half of them to reside in Valhalla, Odin's hall of the dead.  There, the slain warriors would sally forth each morning, to do battle amongst themselves all day.  At sunset, all wounds would be healed, all doubly-slain warriors revived, and they would return to the hall, where they would drink and feast.  Valhalla is Odin's boot camp, raising an army to defend Asgard come Ragnarok.

Odin may not be as flashy as Thor, as sexy as Freya, or as gloriously underhanded as Loki, but there is great value in his lessons of cool, steady wisdom and willingness to fight even the most unavoidable of fates.

ERIK BJELKE