Happy Woden's Day

You God of Many Names

You God of many names,
how shall I call you?

Wanderer,
which path will you choose?

Hangatyr,
what sacrifice will you demand?

Grimnir,
how will you show yourself to me?

Host-Father,
I will follow you!

One-Eye,
teach me to see

Wafuðr,
let me feel you

Raven-God,
let me fly for you.

© Kolag Hraban - ARF - Asatru Ring Frankfurt from http://www.odins-gift.com/.

Odin's name comes from the word odr meaning fury or excitation. He is a very complex god who has many roles and names. According to Wayland Skallagrimsson, "These were called heiti. Each of them corresponded to a different part of his nature. Some of them seem extensions of him that are so well developed they have a near independent existence."

"There is something that all of these things have in common. Death is the destruction of the physical self. Battle is the transcendence of the self in the moment, as seen in the berserkergang. Poetry writing in particular, and inspiration in general involve the loss of the self as it is caught up in the information coming in from the outside. Wine brings about loss of the self through dulling of the hugr. Sex is loss of the self in another, and in the moment. And seidh involves spiritual death and rebirth in a different form. Transgendering of course is loss of gender-self. All of Odin's functions at heart relate to the same thing. He is a god of the loss of the self, the death of the ego, in all the many ways that can happen."

For more names and information go to http://www.uppsalaonline.com/uppsala/odin.htm. This is a great website for learning about heathenism.

Another website with an awesome list of names of the gods, goddesses, giants, dwarves and wights can be found at http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/gods.html#A.