However, with the limited information that is presented, can a lineage be traced to the true daughters of Odin? Or was the Viking culture so male-dominated, that even the women deities were second place to the male gods?įrom the sources that exist, pieces from various Scandinavian folklore s can be tied together to create a coherent lineage. It was only after his title as the Allfather that everyone gods, giants, and mortals were called his children. He had very few wives and hardly any daughters of mention. However, unlike other gods, his lovers were secretive and numerous. Of all the gods, Odin was the master of all. Odin, the supreme god of war, gave up one of his eyes for knowledge. He was so obsessed with the knowledge that he traded one of his eyes for a cup of water from the blessed well of wisdom. In his legends, he also attained the title of being the god of wisdom and poetry after he hung for nine days, pierced by his own spear over the world tree to memorize 18 runes of sorcery and nine songs of power. While Odin is the supreme god of war and father to the slain, he was just as hungry for knowledge. Although Sturluson’s version incorporated some Christian beliefs into his translations, his works are still considered some of the best Icelandic collections of Scandinavian myths to exist. Most of the Scandinavian myths, that are known, derive from two collections: The Poetic Edda, which was written some time in 1056 AD, and the Prose Edda, which was written by Snorri Sturluson sometime in the 13 th century. Much of this probably comes from the cold and barren land itself, which spawned such tales of grief.

It is only in their songs of death that these myths are poetic and beautiful. Scandinavian mythology, though beautiful in its words and vivid in the landscapes, is cold, brutal, and depressingly direct in the descriptions of the gods, giants, and mortals.

However, his relationships with his wives and his daughters may not have been as all-great or even all-knowing. Odin controls all things, no matter how great or small. He is the Allfather who lives in all ages and watches all of time. In the Norse myths, the moment Odin sat high on the throne of Asgard, he became all-knowing and ever powerful, as written by Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda.

Prose edda snorri sturluson