Odin

Among the major figures of Viking folklore, few are as influential to the events and deities as Odin. Acknowledged as the deity overseeing War, Battle, Victory and Death, he also has a gentler side where he is associated with Wisdom, Poetry, Magic and Prophecy. Through the derivative Wodan, devotion to Odin is recognized in the dedication of Wednesday.

As a son of Bor, Odin killed Ymir and, with his brothers Ve and Vili, he used the remains of the Frost Giant to create the world of the Vikings. Furthermore, as the ruler of Valhalla, Odin provided a place for slain warriors in the afterlife. But probably his most encouraging feature was his inability to eat food as he consumed nothing but wine.

Odin’s spear, Gungnir, never missed its target, which led to him be pierced by it himself and remaining hung in that predicament for nine days. While pinned to the World Tree, he learned nine powerful songs and twice as many runes, the beginning of his great gift to his people, that of writing.

The tale sounds inconsistent, in that the most powerful of all deities subjected him to such hardship so as to give a gift to his people. Surely he could have achieved the same end without such sacrifice. But that was largely the point of the story. No matter how great you are, you must be prepared to pay your due.

There are many other stories that feature Odin throughout Viking folklore, but the constant is the use of the chief divinity to teach his people.