Norse Beliefs The Vikings and their ancestors believed in a variety of gods. Chief among them was Odin. Odin The Allfather Replica of 7th century bronze statue of Odin available at Viking Shield. Odin is the highest of the gods and the others all defer to him as if he was their father. Hence Odin is called the Allfather. He has many names including the Anglo-Saxon name Woden. He is first among the Aesir along with his brothers Vili and Ve. In the sagas he is typically depicted as having one eye, carrying his spear Gungni, and wearing a wide-brimmed hat and cloak. He appears in many of the sagas to help famous heros and kings. For example he tells the hero Sigmund how to kill the mighty dragon Fafnir. In Asgard he has his ravens: Hugin and Munin. They fly throughout the world and bring him back news each day. He also has two pet wolves: Freki and Geri. Odin's horse is the great eight-legged Sleipnir, best of all steeds. Odin sacrificed himself in order to bring the runes to the world. Pierced by his spear he hung from the tree Yggdrasil. As he hung he has visions of the runes. Great warriors who die in battle go to Odin's great hall, Valhalla. This is the greatest honor of any warrior. After each battle the Valkyries search the field of battle for brave warriors who died in battle. These brave warriors are then brought to Valhalla where the have great battles during the day and feast in the evening. This continues till the great battle Ragnarok. Sources Orchard, Andy. Cassell Dictionary Of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell: London, 1997. Viking Warrior | Viking Life | Norse Beliefs | Viking Longships | Viking Timeline | Viking News | Runes | Reading | Viking Movies & Music | Viking Discussion Forum | Home