Викингский бог Один: от мудреца и воина до предшественника Санта-Клауса

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Let’s talk about a one of the better-known Norse or Viking gods: Odin. Odin, also known as Woden or Wotan in some regions, was the leader of the gods. He was the god of the aristocrats and was revered by dedicated warriors and poets. In his book The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings, John Haywood writes: “…Odin was the god of wisdom, power, war and poetry; he was a sorcerer and could deprive men of their wits and exercise his power of life and death in wildly unpredictable ways.” Odin was a complex god: a force for good with a dark side. In her chapter on Odin in Ancient Gods, Dee Dee Chainey reports: “He is both a god of magic, wisdom and healing, but also a god of death. He is a noble ruler, yet also a trickster.” Odin inspired poets and gave warriors courage in battle. Dee Dee Chainey writes: “Odin is said to rule wisdom and knowledge, hence is master of both poetry and the runes.” Odin has at least 177 names and kennings. There were times when he appeared as an old man, ravaged by time, who would be invited into the homes of the mortals. Some modern writers feel that this image of Odin may have been the precursor to the Christian Santa Claus. Dee Dee Chainey writes: “Most of what we know about him comes from 13th century texts written in Old Norse, mostly originating from Iceland.”