Kitty's Corner

Odin is considered the chief god of Valhalla. Valhalla is the hall of the fallen where Odin received the souls of the warriors killed in battle. The souls of women warriors, and those strong and beautiful women whom Odin favored, became Valkyries, who gather the souls of brave warriors fallen in battle, as these would be needed to fight for him in the battle of Ragnarok (The End of the World).

Odin has a number of magical artifacts associated with him: the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target; a magical gold ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight new rings appear; and two ravens Hugin and Munin (Thought and Memory), who fly around Earth daily and report the happenings of the world to Odin in Valhalla at night. He also owned Sleipnir, an octopedal horse, who was given to him by Loki (more about him in a future post), and the severed head of Mímir, which foretold the future. He also commands a pair of wolves named Geri and Freki, to whom he gives his food in Valhalla since he consumes nothing but mead or wine. From his throne, Hlidskjalf (located in Valaskjalf), Odin could see everything that occurred in the universe.

Quite a powerful God, huh?

Odin has fathered numerous children. With his wife, Frigg, he fathered his doomed son Balder and fathered the blind god Høder. By the personification of earth, Fjörgyn, Odin was the father of his most famous son, Thor (yes, there will be a post about him as well... ). By the giantess Gríðr, Odin was the father of Vídar, and by Rinda he was father of Váli.

Odin is one-eyed, and this is how he lost his one eye:

One day his two brothers was lost. He looked everywhere, but he couldn't find them. He got angry and took his horse Sleipner and rode to Mimer. As mentioned earlier, Mimer was just a severed head but was still a good friend and adviser to the Gods. Mimer guarded over Mimer's well, the source to all wisdom in the world. Mimer was very vise because he drank from the fountain every morning. When Odin came to Mimer he said:
- You have to give me some of the water from the well so i can find out where my brothers are.
Mimer said:
- No! What would you think would happen if I gave water from this well to everyone that wanted to drink from the source of wisdom? Then everyone would know what was going to happen and i don't think we would want that.
Odin was devestated and didn't know what to do. He mumbled to himself that he would do anything for just a sip from the well, even sacrifise his own eye.
- Deal! said Mimer.
Odin got pale of terror, he had just mumbled to himself. But he took his eye out and dropped it into the well, and ever since that time the eye have been lying there, looking out into the world. From that day Odin could see both back and forward in time, and he knew eveything that was worth knowing.