Post by Laurasia on Sept 4, 2006 11:33:03 GMT -5
The prime deity in our ancient path is one who is really at the center of the Gods, rather than a solitary being claiming omnipotence, & who is not at all adverse to having other deities called upon for aid or blessing. In the Eddas & the various related lore he never demanded to be chief of the Gods, but due to his vast wisdom was respected & consulted by the Gods & men alike.
Odin may be seen in 2 ways, both aspects of the same way, & valid. The more common way is in his persona of All-Father, a view more commonly ascribed by those with a Christian background. It is this aspect on which we call in matters pertaining family, folk, & land, where wisdom & guidance are valued above all. In this aspect Odin is sometimes pictured as a heroic, strongly built patriarch, a view which is valid most of the time.
The second aspect is similar to Mercury, or Hermes; sharpness of mind, quiet, adept at magics & the altering of the flow of circumstance, always wandering, wise in the ways of the world, yet always interested in learning more, & giver of victory in conflicts. Since earliest times he has been pictured as a tall, lank individual wearing a wide-brimmed hat & a cloak of blue or grey, & carrying a staff which, while useful for walking, also possessed immense powers. This is the manner in which he was most often viewed in ancient times.
Odin is also one-eyed. The legends say that he valued knowledge so greatly that he gave his right eye in ransom for it. He is possessed of vast strength & will power. The same legends say that he had himself fixed to a tree to gain the deepest of wisdom, & hung alone on the tree for 9 days & 9 nights. "Word by word I sought out words. Fact by fact I sought out facts," he said.
Often it is said that he roamed the world alone & solitary, accompanied only by a pair of wolves or a pair of ravens. Sometimes he rode a strange, 8-legged steed "Slepnir", who represents time itself. His son, who would often ride behind him, is the yearly reborn spirit of life.
the legends indicate that Odin has always preferred to be involved with people, families in particular. He takes an interest in dynasties that show promise, & follows them through the centuries. Odin cares for people, even if at times it must be a stark & hard caring that comes up against fate itself, & presses against the very boundaries of possible & impossible, of life & death.
Psychologically, Odin is the patron who wakes each of us from our earlier, magical world view to a more mature & intellectual outlook on life. He represents abstract thought & the ability to make the abstract come into complete reality. Odin also gives godlike inspiration & solid worldly success to those who strive for & deserve them.
In many ways, Odin seems to be the ultimate priest for Gods as well as for men. His way of gaining the knowledge which he treasures so much is strikingly familiar to the way in which a Siberian shaman, or priest, will seek the secrets of life & death. His self-crucifixion on the Tree to gain wisdom is a ritual which looks strikingly similar to the Native American Sun dance. Based on this, some have felt that Odin may have originally been an ordinary man who sought godhead & ultimately attained it. Whatever the truth, this story provides the ultimate inspiration & challenge to humankind, saying, "Where I am now, so also may you be, if you are willing & strong."
Taken from the book "The Rites of Odin" by Ed Fitch
Odin may be seen in 2 ways, both aspects of the same way, & valid. The more common way is in his persona of All-Father, a view more commonly ascribed by those with a Christian background. It is this aspect on which we call in matters pertaining family, folk, & land, where wisdom & guidance are valued above all. In this aspect Odin is sometimes pictured as a heroic, strongly built patriarch, a view which is valid most of the time.
The second aspect is similar to Mercury, or Hermes; sharpness of mind, quiet, adept at magics & the altering of the flow of circumstance, always wandering, wise in the ways of the world, yet always interested in learning more, & giver of victory in conflicts. Since earliest times he has been pictured as a tall, lank individual wearing a wide-brimmed hat & a cloak of blue or grey, & carrying a staff which, while useful for walking, also possessed immense powers. This is the manner in which he was most often viewed in ancient times.
Odin is also one-eyed. The legends say that he valued knowledge so greatly that he gave his right eye in ransom for it. He is possessed of vast strength & will power. The same legends say that he had himself fixed to a tree to gain the deepest of wisdom, & hung alone on the tree for 9 days & 9 nights. "Word by word I sought out words. Fact by fact I sought out facts," he said.
Often it is said that he roamed the world alone & solitary, accompanied only by a pair of wolves or a pair of ravens. Sometimes he rode a strange, 8-legged steed "Slepnir", who represents time itself. His son, who would often ride behind him, is the yearly reborn spirit of life.
the legends indicate that Odin has always preferred to be involved with people, families in particular. He takes an interest in dynasties that show promise, & follows them through the centuries. Odin cares for people, even if at times it must be a stark & hard caring that comes up against fate itself, & presses against the very boundaries of possible & impossible, of life & death.
Psychologically, Odin is the patron who wakes each of us from our earlier, magical world view to a more mature & intellectual outlook on life. He represents abstract thought & the ability to make the abstract come into complete reality. Odin also gives godlike inspiration & solid worldly success to those who strive for & deserve them.
In many ways, Odin seems to be the ultimate priest for Gods as well as for men. His way of gaining the knowledge which he treasures so much is strikingly familiar to the way in which a Siberian shaman, or priest, will seek the secrets of life & death. His self-crucifixion on the Tree to gain wisdom is a ritual which looks strikingly similar to the Native American Sun dance. Based on this, some have felt that Odin may have originally been an ordinary man who sought godhead & ultimately attained it. Whatever the truth, this story provides the ultimate inspiration & challenge to humankind, saying, "Where I am now, so also may you be, if you are willing & strong."
Taken from the book "The Rites of Odin" by Ed Fitch
