Woden
From Metapedia
Woden is a Germanic deity. He is known as Woden in English and Óðinn(Odin) in Old Norse. In Old High German he was called Wodan, Wuotan, or Wotan and Godan in the language of the Lombards. To the Anglo-Saxons he was known as Woden. His name thought to have been Wōdanaz in the Proto-Germanic language. The Germanic tradition held Woden was the originator of the runes.
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[edit] Origins
Odin is considered to be the fundamental God of the Germanic peoples. In he past researchers believed that Odin was a minor spirit that replaced Gods such as Tiw. Now it is thought that Odin is the continuation of an archaic Indo-European father deity. Odin may originally have been named "wode" meaning fury, Wodan and its varients meaning "master of the fury". In modern German the word for fury is "wuten".
By the Romans he was identified at an early date with Mercurius, whence our name "Wednesday" (Woden's day) as a translation of dies Mercurii. Tacitus states that the ancient Germans worshipped Mercurius more than any other god, and that they offered him human sacrifices. Many scholars connect the origin of the deity with the popular German and Swedish belief in a raging host (in Germany called das wiitende Heer or Wutes Heer, but in Sweden Odens Jagt), which passes through the forests on stormy nights. This was also known as the wild hunt of furious army. However, there is scant evidence to link Odins' original purpose as being connected with the host and Odins' mastery of the host probably developed alongside belief in the God. There is evidence, however, that deities similar to Woden were known to some of the ancient peoples of central Europe, e.g. the Gauls and Thracians.
It is largely owing to the peculiar character of this god and the prominent position which he occupies that the mythology of the north presents so striking a contrast to that of Greece.
[edit] Odins Mythology
Originally Odin was mounted on a horse, leading the Host wearing a wide-brimmed hat and flowing cloak. He is represented as an old man with one eye. Frigg is his wife, and several of the gods, including Thor and Balder, are his sons. He is also said to have been the father of several legendary kings, and more than one princely family claimed descent from him. His exploits and adventures form the theme of a number of the Eddaic poems, and also of several stories in the prose Edda. In all these stories his character is distinguished rather by wisdom and cunning than by martial prowess, and reference is very frequently made to his skill in poetry. It is clear, however, that the god was credited with special skill in magic, both in England and Germany, while the story of the Langobardic migration represents him as the dispenser of victory.
In Ynglinga Saga he is represented as reigning in Sweden, where he established laws for his people. In notices relating to religious observances Odin appears chiefly as the giver of victory or as the god of the dead. He is frequently introduced in legendary sagas, generally in disguise, imparting secret instructions to his favourites or presenting them with weapons by which victory is assured. In return he receives the souls of the slain who in his palace, Valhalla, live a life of fighting and feasting, similar to that which has been their desire on earth.
[edit] Worship among the Germans
Human sacrifices were very frequently offered to Odin, especially prisoners taken in battle. The commonest method of sacrifice was by hanging the victim on a tree; and in the poem Hdvamfil the god himself is represented as sacrificed in this way. The worship of Odin seems to have prevailed chiefly, if not solely, in military circles, i.e. among princely families and the retinues of warriors attached to them. It is probable, however, that the worship of Odin was once common to most of the Teutonic peoples.
Owing to the very small amount of information which has come down to us regarding the gods of ancient England and Germany, it cannot be determined how far the character and adventures attributed to Odin in Scandinavian mythology were known to other Teutonic peoples. From Woden also most of the anglo-Saxon royal families traced their descent.
[edit] See Also
