2026-08-22
Óðinn is 'the god of the sky' or 'the god of everything'. Snorri Sturluson named him 'the father of all' ('Allföðr' or 'Alföðr'. See: Gylfaginning ch 3). He has one burning eye: the sun. His solar horse is named Sleipnir and it has eight legs. Why does Sleipnir have eight legs? I believe that his legs represent the eight months of the solar year. The Germanic peoples divided the compass rose in eight parts. And they divided the solar year in eight months of one and a half moon.
A Synodic moon has 29.5 days. 12 moons in a year add up to 354 days, while a year has 365.24 days. So at the end of the year they added a half moon. This time was called 'Between the years' or Yule.
12.5 Moons in a year add up to 368 to 369 days. So after a while the calendar needed to be reset. That was done once in every nine years. In Uppsala (Sweden) there was a great feast once in every nine years, to reset the calendar. See: The temple at old Uppsala. For Denmark, Thietmar of Merseburg mentions a similar festival in Lejre. During that time one month was trimmed to a moon or a half moon according to their needs.
When a year has 12.5 moons, it means that if one new year starts with full moon, the next starts with new moon. So one year starts with full moon and favors outward behavior, and the next year starts with new moon and favors inward behavior and starting new things.
'Calendar of Óðinn' is a name I have given this type of calendar. Probably the old Germanic peoples used more than one calendar for different purposes. But names of calendars are not written down.
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Werewolves and werebears
Origin of traditional festivities
Ancient initiations
Introduction
General information
Germanic tribes lived from about 3500 BC to 100 AD. Each tribe had its own myths and customs. And they changed over time.
So we can not say things like: "The Germanic people were like this and they believed that".
When you put a 'V' before the word Edda, you get Vedda or Veda.
Vedda or Wedda is related to the Dutch word 'weten' and the Germand word 'wissen' (to know) and the English word 'Wit'
The Edda, the Rig Veda en the Zend Avesta have the same origin.
According to DNA research of David Reich et al. the Germanic people came from Central Asia from the Yamnaya culture.
The Pre-Christian pagans of Europe are often pictured as 'primitive', 'barbaric', 'cruel', 'vicious', et cetera. Quite often they have been accused of sacrificing humans. Based on what evidence?
This article is about the bias of many people against the Pre-Christian pagans of Europe. This bias is just another form of racism.
Did the old Germanic peoples hate or despise women?
In the Edda's and other old writings about the Germanic peoples and their mythology the women are almost completely ignored. Does this reflect the attitude of the old Germanic peoples or the attitude of the Christian writers?
When authors use the label Óðinn, what are they referring to? Do different authors use the label Óðinn to refer to the same 'thing'?
I distinguish the following different meanings of Óðinn.
Óðinn as father of all, as Anima Solaris.
Óðinn as Hangatýr.
Woden woody as deity of the woods.
Óðinn as father of the fallen.
Óðinn as a heroic person, a king, a sorcerer, a con-artist.
Úlfheðnár are the original werewolves, shamans that had the wolf as power animal. They were the teachers of the native Europeans.
Bersekrs are the werebears, shamans that had the bear as power animals. They were the healers of the native Europeans.
In this article I will present a very different interpretation of Heimdallr. Heim-dallr means: 'Dick of the world' or 'House-dick'. His horn is his dick. In Rigsþula he is named Rigr. This means 'rigid'. So Rigsþula should be interpreted as: 'The tale of Stiffy, a telling of his epic journey bedding all couples and fathering all humans'.
