2026-08-22
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 do not believe that. The label Óðinn is used for very different 'things'. That is what the title is saying: the label Óðinn at one place does not refer to the same 'thing' as the label Óðinn at other places.
According to scholars, the continental Woden is 'the same' deity as the Icelandic Óðinn. The Norwegian language has lost the letter 'V' or 'W' in front of many words. And Icelandic is derived from Norwegian. When you put a 'W' before Óðinn you get Woden. So it seems reasonable to assume, that the Icelandic Óðinn is similar to the continental Woden. But were the emotions, thoughts and feelings of the Icelandic authors around Óðinn similar to the emotions, thoughts and feelings of the continental tribal peoples around Woden?
The name Óðinn is derived from Woden. Scholars have tried to explain the etymological origin of the name Woden from words with the meaning of 'possessed, inspired, delirious, raging'. This is just a theory of linguists and nothing more. I believe that Woden refers to the origin of Woden: the woods. See: Woden woody as deity of the woods.
Tacitus wrote, that the Germanic peoples sacrifice humans to Mercury, and it is assumed that Mercury was the Roman name for Woden. According to Adam von Bremen and Thietmar of Merseburg the Germanic people held a festival every nine years with human sacrifices. In Icelandic writings Óðinn has become known as Hangatyr, the god of the hanged. In Hávamál 138 there is a reference to 'hanging on a tree'. Because of these writings it is often assumed, that Óðinn / Woden was worshipped with human sacrifices. I doubt this and I offer a different interpretation. I believe, that people were initiated by hanging them in a tree in a leather sack made of the hide of a horse. That is why the tree of worlds is called Yggdrasil (The horse of Yggr). After hanging for nine days in that sack, the ropes were cut and the initiated shaman fell down. That is why Óðinn is often called 'Valföðr' (Fall-father, Father of the fallen).
When I read books of scholars on old Germanic peoples, I see a lot of cultural bias. Scholars usually see Óðinn and Woden as mental constructions. They try to describe how pagans saw Óðinn or Woden and how they worshiped these deities. For modern pagans Óðinn is not 'just a mental construction'. They usually have an emotional, sentimental and spiritual connection with 'the thing' that the word Óðinn refers to. For Christian authors in medieval Iceland and continental Europe Óðinn was often an object of fear and was often the equivalent of 'the devil'. And we can only guess what Woden meant for prehistoric pagans. Óðinn was 'the civilized version' of Woden. The continental Christians had a deep fear for Woden, much more than average educated modern people can understand. (Most likely psychiatrists that have terrified patients can understand this.)
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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?
The calendar of Óðinn had eight months of one and a half moon. Then followed the 'time between the years' or Yule. This period lasted a half moon.
A year consisted of 12 and a half moon. As a result, the year started alternating with a full moon or a new moon. This resulted in feminine and masculine years or positive and negative years.
In this calendar a year is 3.89 days to long. In nine years this amounts to 35 days. So once in every nine years the last month was shortened by a whole moon or with one and a half moon.
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'.
