Odin Read online

  Praise for Odin

  “It was said in the lore and legends of Norse mythology that people who got interested in Odin, the god of hunters, warriors, and oracular seers were “seized” by this deity, fascinated by this multifarious character. Diana Paxson, author of historical novels and short stories on themes from Norse and Celtic mythology was clearly seized, somewhat to her own surprise. She here beautifully retells some classic stories from this mythic complex and relates how they are reflected in the ceremonial practices of the contemporary Neo-Pagan revival. I recommend Odin highly.”

  —Ralph Metzner, PhD, author of The Well of Remembrance

  “Diana Paxson is both a scholar and a storyteller, which shows in her exhaustive yet enthralling Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic. The figure of Odin, God of battles, but also of inspiration and poetry, lord of the slain, looms through the background of Western culture, affecting everything from our conception of kingship—Queen Elizabeth is descended from him through the Saxon kings of Wessex—to the figure of Gandalf in Tolkien's work. Paxson takes us back to the original and shows the archetypic, mythic power of this figure.”

  —S. M. Stirling, author of the Emberverse series

  “Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic is a journey through personal histories of encounters with Odin, a weaving of old lore and modern thought and a guide to practices that deepen your connection to his mysteries. Even if you don't work with Odin or this pantheon, this book is a treasure house of ideas for anyone who is serious about working with goddesses and gods. Moreover, there are people that are dear to me that work with Odin and this book has given me insight into the whys and wherefores of their spiritual path. This remarkable book is at times ribald and reverent, world-wise and innocent, pragmatic and idealistic, as needed to masterfully show the ways of a very complex god.”

  —Ivo Domiguez Jr., author of Keys to Perception

  “Diana Paxson's wonderful book Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic follows the trail of Odin, a wandering god, from his misty origins to his current manifestations. Paxson explores Odin's history, as well as the poetry, literature, and other entertainments that he has inspired and in which he stars, both ancient and modern, from the Eddas to American Gods and from Tolkien to Wagner and Marvel. A god for the ages, Odin's veneration remains vital and active. Paxson, a priestess, provides songs, rituals, magical exercises, and sound, practical advice to help you develop your own personal relationship with the Lord of Runes and Ecstasy. There is no one in the world that I'd rather learn about Odin from than Diana L. Paxson. Highly recommended.”

  —Judika Illes, author of Encyclopedia of Spirits,

  Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells and other books

  devoted to the magical and spiritual arts

  “Reading Diana Paxson's most excellent book, Odin: Ecstasy, Runes, and Norse Magic, whilst listening to Wardruna. This is perhaps the most comprehensive book ever written about Odin. Written with sound scholarship allied to intuitive perception. Capturing the best of both, and a sense of humour to boot. Each chapter is ended by a list of suggestions for working with him. Apart from the scholarship and poetic vision, it is also a most pleasant read! Recommended for everyone interested in Odin. Very, very helpful to students, but also rich in details and associations from other good books. which are listed in the bibliography. All in all, a very worthwhile work and, as such, equally useful to old timers like me.”

  —Freya Aswynn, author of Northern Mysteries

  and Magick: Runes & Feminine Powers

  This edition first published in 2017 by Weiser Books an imprint of

  Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

  With offices at:

  65 Parker Street, Suite 7

  Newburyport, MA 01950

  www.redwheelweiser.com

  Copyright © 2017 by Diana L. Paxson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

  Excerpts from pp. 22, 119, 12-3 (339 words) from AMERICAN GODS by NEIL GAIMAN. COPYRIGHT © 1999 by NEIL GAIMAN. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

  Excerpts from Egilssaga, translated by E. R. Eddison and published in 1930 by Cambridge University Press.

  Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologizes for any errors or omissions and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

  ISBN: 978-1-57863-610-5

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Paxson, Diana L., author.

  Title: Odin : ecstasy, runes, and Norse magic / Diana L. Paxson.

  Description: Newburyport : Weiser Books, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017010497 | ISBN 9781578636105 (6 × 9 tp : alk. paper)

  Subjects: LCSH: Odin (Norse deity) | Mythology, Norse.

  Classification: LCC BL870.O3 P39 2017 | DDC 293/.2113--dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017010497

  Cover design by Jim Warner

  Interior by Steve Amarillo / Urban Design LLC

  Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro, Aon Cari Celtic, Adobe Bembo, Open Sans Italic

  Printed in Canada

  MAR

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  www.redwheelweiser.com

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  To all those who have heard Odin calling—

  my fellow travelers on this road.

  “One word led on to another word,

  One work led on to another work . . .

  —Hávamál 141

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  INTRODUCTION

  Interlude: King Gylfi Visits the Hall of Hár

  CHAPTER ONE Will the Real Odin Stand Up, Please?

  Interlude: “Wanderer”

  CHAPTER TWO The Wanderer

  Interlude: The Second Merseberg Charm

  CHAPTER THREE Master of Magic

  Interlude: “Rune Song”

  CHAPTER FOUR Rider of the Tree

  Interlude: The Building of Bifrost

  CHAPTER FIVE All-father

  Interlude: “In Gunnlödh's Bed”

  CHAPTER SIX Desired One

  Interlude: “Head-Ransom”

  CHAPTER SEVEN Battle God

  Interlude: Bölverk and the Thralls

  CHAPTER EIGHT Bale-Worker

  Interlude: “Wodan's Hunt”

  CHAPTER NINE God of the Dead

  Interlude: At Mimir's Well

  CHAPTER TEN God of Ecstasy

  APPENDIX I Rituals

  APPENDIX II Music

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Acknowledgments

  I offer my profound thanks to all those who shared their experiences, their poetry, and their songs, especially my kin in the Troth and Hrafnar kindred. Where not otherwise attributed, poems, translations, and music are my own. Since I first began to learn about Odin, the availability of sources, both in translation and the original, has increased a thousandfold.

  Scholarship is always a work in progress, and I have tried to work with both old interpretations and new. I am grateful to Dr. Stephan Grundy for helping me with the facts, and to my beta readers for helping me make them comprehensible.

  For more information on what I am doing, go to www.diana-paxson.com. For news about Hrafnar kindred, see www.hrafnar.org.

  Introduction

  It's March 2013, and my friend Lorrie and I are sitting in her living room watching th
e eagerly awaited first episode of the History Channel's Vikings! On a wild hillside, warriors battle in a scene that could have come from any of the sagas. Better still, as the battle ends, ghostly valkyries carry off the spirits of the slain. Ragnar Lothbrok, a young warrior with glinting blue eyes, stands as victor, but he is clearly thinking that there must be something more to life than endless battles that serve other men's aims. Ravens soar overhead, and then, half-seen through the mists, we glimpse a dark-clad figure with a broad hat and a tall spear. That is what we were waiting for.

  The Lord of the Ravens challenges Ragnar to become a leader and seek a wider world. He challenges us as well.

  But who is he?

  Odin—god of words and wisdom, runes and magic, giver of battle fury and death but also transformer of consciousness, trickster who teaches truth, and wise old man—appears in many guises and has more names than any other god. In the Middle Ages, his worship was suppressed, but in the Icelandic Eddas, his legends endured. In the 19th century, he made a comeback in the Ring operas of Richard Wagner. In the 20th, Carl Jung blamed him for the rise of the Nazis. In the universe of Marvel comics, Odin is a warrior king. We can see his reflection in J. R. R. Tolkien's Gandalf and perceive a modern aspect in Mr. Wednesday, an “American God” from Neil Gaiman's novel.

  Odin is also among the most popular gods in the contemporary Heathen revival, and has become notorious for spontaneously claiming the attention of people who might not ever even have heard of him.

  For example:

  Somewhere around late 1986 or early 1987 I was at an emotional low ebb. One night I dreamed I was being attacked by something and Odin showed up. I was not Asatru at the time and in fact wouldn't encounter the word Asatru for well over a year, but my recognition of Odin was instant and without any doubt whatsoever. This certainty was key to the way in which the dream was to affect me over the years.

  In the dream, Odin pointed Gungnir past me so vividly that I felt like I could touch it. The meaning was clear. From this point forward I could handle my problems on my own. And from that moment my life took a turn for the better. I have never known if this was an energy infusion or simply a reminder that I should recognize the strength of my human soul and start acting accordingly.

  Then he gave me a nod and the image disintegrated. I awoke with a start. Even though no words were exchanged I understood the meaning of the nod. Maybe it was telepathic. It meant “follow.” (Freyburger 2009, 14)

  People who encounter Odin often find that the only way to express what has happened is through poetry, as in the poem “Odin's Call,” by my friend from the Troth, Jennifer Lawrence.

  Like the spider spinning his web in a high wind,

  You were persistent, tapping again and again

  At the door to my heart and head, until I listened,

  Opened the door, and let you in.

  I thought I had nothing to do with the gods of the North,

  Preferring to walk another path, thinking my life

  Already too complicated and confused to warrant

  Following any others.

  But you would not accept my refusal, sending

  Little signs and omens: two ravens following

  My car, a gray cat adopted on Wednesday who wanders

  And will not shut up: so like you.

  What need had I for your guidance? I was stubborn,

  Did not want to take the steps to meet you,

  Knowing how much you would demand of me,

  Not knowing whether I could give it.

  After a hard lifetime, I tend to think myself unworthy

  Of such attention, and you confused me, chasing after

  Me so relentlessly; I preferred to think I only imagined it,

  Because what would you want with one such as myself?

  I don't ask those questions anymore—or if I do, I know

  That, while I might not be able to answer them, you must

  Have your reasons. Better, then, to serve you as best I can,

  Though what gifts I have to offer are little enough.

  These verses will win me no friends. Your followers are a

  Bold and boasting lot, whereas I have always striven to be

  Meek and mild, hiding my lights away, better to go unnoticed,

  Better to avoid strife, sorrow, and conflict.

  But hiding from you did not work, and so I am here,

  Hoping that someday I will understand why you wanted me,

  Knowing because you did that there must be more that I can offer

  Than the nothing I believe myself to be.

  Not all of those who find themselves involved with Odin already think of themselves as Pagan. Psychotherapist Ralph Metzner observes:

  The old legends say that the followers of Odin were “seized” by the god, and often I felt as though I was seized, or inspired. I would think of Odin and get insights or answers to my questions, including questions about the meaning of certain myths. Or I would suddenly find pertinent myths that I had not known before. Strange though it may sound, I would have to say that much of what I am relating in this book [The Well of Remembrance] has been directly given to me by Odin. (Metzner 1994, 10)

  I had the same feeling when I was working on the lectures that eventually turned into my book, Taking up the Runes, and I have a sense of Odin's presence as I am writing now. I certainly never anticipated the way my life would change after my first close encounter with the god.

  As I explored feminist spirituality in the seventies, I saw him as just one more blustering patriarchal deity. I was quite content to focus on the goddesses until one weekend in August 1987 when I attended a shamanic workshop led by Michael Harner. For some time, I had been having good results with the practices in his book The Way of the Shaman. I went to the workshop hoping to improve what I was doing and pick up some new techniques, but my long-term desire was to learn traditional Northern European magical and spiritual skills.

  Here is how I wrote about my experience two years after the workshop:

  I am walking through a gray land . . . a world of mist that swirls among mighty stones. The raven flies ahead of me, not dark as she was in the Underworld, but brilliant as the image of the sun against closed eyelids, bright/dark/bright wings flashing against the shadowed stones.

  “Where are you leading me?” I ask, and try to go faster.

  I was aware of faint sounds from the world that I had left behind me, but wrapped in my gray cloak, I was insulated from both the noises and the chill of the building where the workshop was being held. Long practice helped me control my breathing and sink back into trance, to trust myself to Michael Harner's steady drumming, and let it thrust me into the vision again.

  The brown stones stand like pylons to either side, their rough surfaces inscribed with scratches whose meaning has been worn away by the winds of countless years. The raven alights on one of them, wings twitching impatiently. Clearly, she considers me rather stupid, but she waits for me to catch up again.

  “You asked for a teacher—” she tells me. “That's where I'm taking you.”

  I don't argue. I would never have dared to claim a raven as an ally. Especially not this one, this Grandmother of ravens, whose tongue is as sharp as her pointed beak.

  But I thought that she was going to teach me what I want to know . . .

  Grandmother Raven had turned up on the first day of the workshop and insisted upon being part of the action. That first interaction is described in my book, Trance-Portation. For the second journey, Harner told us to go into the Upper World and look for a teacher in human form. What I had not anticipated was what would happen when someone I trusted was doing the drumming, and I was not distracted by responsibility for others. Already, what had begun as active imagination, a visualized journey, was approaching a level of involvement that I had never experienced before. But could I believe what was coming through?

  Knowledge is a two-edged tool. Since childhood, I had been a student of myt
hology, and a graduate degree and years of esoteric study and practice made me familiar with the great myths of Europe and their meaning; but I suffer from the separation between knowledge and gnosis that plagues the educated Westerner—the perception of personal experience as less valid than textbook knowledge or even the life-learning of “natural” man.

  And I had a further reason for suspicion. I am a writer, a crafter of archetypes and images and those symbols we call words. When I sought a power animal in the Underworld, I understood the significance of the raven who came to me. But just because I recognized her, it was easy to suspect myself of wishful thinking. If I had been inventing an ally for a character in one of my novels, I might have chosen a raven. That, too, was a reason to doubt what I was hearing. I make my living writing. Was I inventing one now?

  “Did anybody ever tell you that you think too much?

  Shut up and come along!” The raven flaps away.

  The way is hard, but I have journeyed too far, waited too long, desired this too fervently to turn tail now. I have no choice. I have to follow her.

  The pillars lead to an arena of rock, and Someone is waiting there, a broad hat pulled down. The folds of his grey cloak seem to flow from the stone. He turns and I see the spear in his hand, the greying hair, the missing eye . . .

  No. Oh no. Raven, what are you trying to do to me?

  The goddess Freyja, or maybe Heide the wisewoman—these were Powers I might have expected and welcomed. But at that moment, I was finally convinced that what was happening to me was not a daydream, because I recognized the god. I've always been the cautious type, and no sensible person would ask to learn magic from Odin.