Who can tell me about Odin, the Old Man?

Question

Is there a connection between Him and Santa? Seriously, not trying to mock here. Can He be trusted? I'm devoted to Thor and know He's always reliable and trustworthy, but I've always had a lingering doubt about getting involved with Odin.

Answer 1

He's pretty crafty. That one eye doesn't miss much.

I've never personally been involved with him, but the only person i know who works in that pantheon treats Odin very cautiously.

Answer 2

Yes, one can draw connections between Odin and Santa Claus. They are too numerous to mention here (though Boar's Heart probably will when he sees this :-) ), but a good book about that and other subjects is Laure Lynch's Odhroerir: Nine Devotional Tales of Odin's Journeys (link at bottom. It's a very good read. I recently picked it up and highly recommend it.

As far as trustworthiness goes... just be careful what you give or promise the Old Man. Be very clear about what you're giving and what you expect to get in return. And never, EVER try to cheat Odin. You will regret it in the end, and you probably won't get away with it, or realize that you didn't get away with it, until it's too late for you to do anything about it. But in general, he can be trusted. Just be sure to be careful.

Also, it depends on what you are going to him about. Do you want to learn the runes? Or are you looking for poetic inspiration? Or are you looking for success in battle? Those are three different things, and likely to have three different prices.

And pay no mind to the Fenrir-Ragnarok worshipper above. If anyone says Odin, Thor, and Tyr are bad, they are either a crazy Christian, a crazy monster-worshipper (Fenrir, Jormungand, etc.), or just foolish. I'm a Thor's man, and like Thorhall the Hunter from Eirik's Saga, I can say that Thor has never let me down. Hail Thor!

Answer 3

You are just being silly of course. Must have been a bad dream Eric. I'm a lifelong member of the Sons of Norway, my ancestors evidently believed Odin was real, but that was a thousand years ago. They would have spelled your name Erik. My grandfather told me the stories about how the Norwegians who came to America logged the North Woods in Minnesota. By then Odin was nothing but a legend, and remains so to the modern day Norwegians. If you want to make up an encounter with an American Norwegian legend, why not try Paul Bunyon and his blue Ox Babe? They could have showed up at your remote location gate guard job with a bunch of mushrooms or something.

Answer 4

Let me join Rob in telling you to *completely* ignore J.P.! Yes, heathenry has heretics too, and the freakin' Lokeans and Rokkr/Jotuntru are among them.

Odhinn is "Father Yule" in many traditions, but there are also parallels between Santa and Thor, comes to that. Truth is, no one really knows. Santa *does* spring from the same cultures, but a lot of the time what seems to have happened is that the stories pass into folklore, and then into "fairy tales," and then . . . slowly change. Frau Holde is another example of this process.

Odhinn is hailed and bloted for victory, in the Lore. So if THAT'S what you need . . . make your deal and keep it. But in Texas we call the Valknut "Insert Spear Here." :-)

His Way is *knowledge through ordeal* and he doesn't put up with sissies, lol. I have some Odhinnsmen in my circle of friends, and best I can tell you is that if Odhinn wants you, you'll know it. And he won't take no for an answer . . . as a Freyrsman, I'm a bit cautious around the Old Man too. *G*

Answer 5

I have never thought to associate Odin with Santa Claus. Thor, for his good nature and cheer seemed a more likely comparison, his chariot (for which Odin is not known) drawn by goats transformed into rain deer. Remember that one of them is even named Donder (thunder). But it is well documented that Santa is an American creation. We see no direct parallel in the Old European traditions.

Can Odin be trusted? Many have asked the same. In the winning of the mead of poetic inspiration Odin appears before the king introducing himself as Bolverk (The-Evil-Doer) and commits a series of deceptions and even murders (in the contemporary understanding) to achieve his aim. I believe it is telling that in the course of the poem we see him transform himself once into a snake, and then later into an eagle.

Ye Old One-Eyed Man is a known sorcerer, one who is willing and able to manipulate himself in a way that allows him to manipulate the awareness and expectations of others for his own ends. That is the symbolism of the snake and the eagle, representing his ability to move himself from the lowest and most cruel of human nature, to the highest and most exhalted, indifferent to praise or blame.

Odin welcomes only heroes into his hall. While in America today there is a hero on the news two or more times a week, in more challenging times of the past a hero was one who was not only willing but managed to give one's life for one's cause -- and to do it with style. Often we can detect of the great men of history that they were aware of their nemesis, and they courted it till the end. In today's world, where apparently life on any terms is considered better than the alternative, we may say this is crazy or foolish. Was a time, however, the pursuit of acclaim at any cost was considered bold.

So, yes, he can be trusted, if you accept that his favor comes at the ultimate committment and cost.

Answer 6

An alternative name for this Norse god is Wodin, from which the English word Woods (meaning forest) is derived. Odin is known to be a trickster.

My favorite story tells of a man who encountered Odin in the woods. Odin tells the man to fill his pockets with rocks, and at the end of his journey he would both be happy and sad.

When the man arrived at his destination, he noticed the rocks had turned to gold. He was overjoyed by his good fortune, but lamented he hadn't grabbed more rocks.

Answer 7

I know this is terrible to say and all, but it's often hard to trust someone with just one eye.


However, Odin is worth it in the end. No one messes with Odin.

Answer 8

Absolutely NOT. Oddhinn, Thor, and ESPECIALLY the Betrayer, Tyr, are not to be trusted!

The Æsir and Vanir are liars and betrayers all!

Hail Father Fenrirulfr, come Ragnarok soon!

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Rob Thorsman:

Face it. Tyr -- God of Battle & later God of Justice... Gave his OATH to Fenrirulfr, that Gleipnir would be removed.

That oath was broken.

Tyr, appointed the god of Justice... is an oathbreaker. Odhinn and all the other Æsir and Vanir share in his shame by complacency and conspiracy.

I as a varulf, a scion of Fenrirulfr the Wolf-Father, see no room for forgiving such treason.