Episode 11 - Óðinn, Hunter of Souls

Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide

In this episode we'll cover some of your deepest and most pressing questions about Óðinn, the chief of the Norse gods. What does he want? Where did he come from? And I don't mean who was his father, I mean, where did he really come from? How was Óðinn worshipped in ancient times? Did everyone venerate him or just a select few? Is there a secret to getting into Valhǫll without dying in battle? And if someone decides to worship Óðinn, what are the chances he might kill them himself? Join me on a deep dive into the character of this enigmatic hunter of souls and his ancient, frightening origins.

Sources:

• "Die wilde Jagd bei Schwarzkosteletz" by Josef Virgil Grohmann in “Sagen-Buch von Böhmen und Mähren. Erster Theil: Sagen aus Böhmen”, 1863
• “Germania” by Publius Cornelius Tacitus, 1st century
• “Óðinn” by Jens Peter Schjødt in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume III, 2020
• “Óðinn’s Path to Greatness” by Anatoly Liberman in “In Prayer and Laughter: Essays on Medieval Scandinavian and Germanic Mythology, Literature, and Culture”, 2016
• “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”
• “The History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen” by Adam of Bremen 10th century, translated by Francis Tschan
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

Contact:

• Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com
• Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW

Music:

Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/