56 



ODIN OF THE NORTH 



every mind was delighted ; but when he was in a host, then 

 he looked fierce to his foes. This was because he knew the 

 idrottir of changing looks and shapes in any way he liked. 

 Another of his idrottir was that he spoke with such skill and 

 so glibly that all who listened thought it the only truth ; he 

 always spoke in poetry (hendingar) like that which now is 

 called skaldskap (skaldship, poetry). He and his temple- 

 priests are called Ljodasmidir (lay-smiths, song-smiths), for 

 that idrott came from them into the northern lands. Odin 

 had power to cause his foes to grow blind or deaf or full of 

 fear, and to make their weapons bite no more than wands 

 (sticks of wood). His own men fought without armour 

 madly, like dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and had the 

 strength of a bear or bull ; they cut down the foe, and neither 

 fire nor iron hurt them. That is called berserksgang (rage 

 or fury of Berserks) " (Ynglinga, c. 6-7). 



In the poetical language of the Sagas and Eddas a very 

 great number of figurative names are given to Odin, which 

 show how numerous his attributes were believed to be, and 

 many of which recall the language of Homer ; among them 

 we may mention : 



The thunderer. 1 



Father of ages. 



The wise walker. 



The lord. 



The helmet bearer. 



The cheerful. 



The loving one. 



The high one. 



The fickle. 



The true-guessing one. 



The evil-eyed. 



The mauifold. 



The wise in beguiling. 



The much knowing. 



The father of victory. 



The father of the slain. 



The conqueror in fights. 



The entangler. 



The feared one. 



The rover. 



The serpent (from his 



being able to assume 



its shape). 

 The soother. 

 God of the hanged. 2 

 God of the ravens. 

 God of victory. 

 God of the Gautar. 

 The shouting god. 

 The one-eyed one. 

 The fierce one. 

 God of the earth. 

 Friend of Mimir. 

 The foe of the Fenrir- 



wolf. 

 The lord of the spears. 



The god of hosts. 

 The father of all. 

 The wish-god. 

 The wind-whispering. 

 The burner. 

 The wide-ruling. 

 The work-skilled. 

 The swift-riding. 

 The god of battle. 

 The almighty god. 

 The host blinder. 

 The true one. 

 The long-bearded. 

 The god of cargoes. 

 The father of hosts. 

 The useful adviser. 

 The shaper of battle. 

 The swift rider. 



" Then Thridi said : Odin is the highest and oldest of the 

 Asar; he rules over everything, and, however mighty the 



1 We must here remark that nowhere see Havamal where he is said to have 



is Thor called the God of Thunder. 



y See Havamal, the lord of the gallows ; 



hung on a tree. 



