Odin Altar Statues

Odin, also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan, one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. His exact nature and role, however, are difficult to determine because of the complex picture of him given by the wealth of archaeological and literary sources. Later literary sources, however, indicate that at the end of the pre-Christian period Odin was the principal god in Scandinavia.

Odin has many names and is the god of both war and death. Half of the warriors who die in battle are taken to his hall of Valhalla. He is the one-eyed All-Father, who sacrificed his eye for wisdom.

He has two sons, Balder by his first wife Frigg and Thor by Jord. Odin also has several animals. His two ravens Hugin and Munin (thought and memory) fly around the world and report back what they see. Sleipnir the eight-legged horse can run through all the worlds. Geri and Freki are Odin’s wolves.

He learned the magical art of prophecy from Freyja.

Here I have depicted him leaning on the world tree (Yggdrasil), sitting infront of a forgotten rune stone that has started to grow moss. This is to symbolise his own ancientness and how much of the information and wisdom we gather from mythology and history can go under overgrowth as time passes, if we do not give them the proper care and attention they deserve. So here's to all the stories that have gone missing, but live on in our collective and bestow us with wisdom forever!

** Runes on the back read 'think of me, I'll think of you' which is from a poem found on various weaving knives throughout Sweden and Norway. The full poem goes 'Think of me, I'll think of you. Love me, I'll love you'. The other half of the poem is behind the statue of his wife, Frigg.