F.l'ITHETS OF <>I>1\. 



57 



other gods are, they all serve him us children a father. Frigg, 

 his wife, knows the fates of men though she cannot prophesy. 

 Odin is called Allfodr, because he is the lather of all the gods ; 

 he is also called Valfodr, because all those who fall in battle 

 (valr = the slain) are his chosen sons. These he places in 

 Valholl and Vingolf (a hall owned by the goddesses), and 

 then they are called Einherjar. He is also called Hanga-gud 

 (god of the hanged), Hapta-gud (god of the chained), and 

 Farma-gud (god of cargoes), and he gave himself still more 

 names when he was at King Geirrod's Gangleri said : 

 ' Wonderfully many names have you given to him, and surely 

 it needs great wisdom to know the events which are the 

 reasons of every one of these names.' Flar answered : ' Great 

 wits are needed to explain this carefully, but, to tell it shortly, 

 most of the names have been given because, as there are many 

 different tongues in the world, every nation thinks it necessary 

 to change his name according to their language, that they 

 may invoke and pray to him for themselves. His journeys 

 have given rise to some of these names, and they are told 

 among people ' " (Later Edda, c. 20). 



" Two ravens J sit on his shoulders and tell into his ears 

 all the tidings, which they see or hear ; these are Hugin and 

 Munin. At the dawn of day he sends them out to fly all 

 over the world, and they come back at day-meal time (the 

 biggest meal of the day) ; hence he knows many tidings ; 

 therefore he is called Hrafnagud (Raven-god)" (Gylfa- 

 ginning, c. 38). 



Among the earlier myths connected with Odin may be 

 mentioned the following account of the origin of his horse 

 Sleipnir. 



" Gangleri asked : ' Who owns Sleipnir the horse, or what 

 hast thou to tell of him ? ' Har answered : ' Thou knowest 

 nothing about Sleipnir nor whence he sprang, but it will seem 



1 Grimnisnml, 

 these ravens. 



19-20, also mentions 



19. 



The battle-tamer (Odin) feeds 



Geri and Freki, 



The famous father of hosts (Herjafodr) 



And by wine alone 



The weapon-famous 



Odin always lives. 



20 



Hugin and Muuiu 

 Fly every day 

 Over the wide earth ; 

 I am afraid Hugin 

 Will not come back, 

 Put still more of Muuin. 



Poetical names were given to these 

 ravens by Eyvind Skalda-spillir; they 

 'are called the Swans of Farmatyr (the 

 god of cargoes), i.e., the Swans of Odin. 



