What Modern Men Can Learn From Odin

The Norsemen or the Vikings have taken on quite the mythological reputation. This is probably because we know so little about the Norsemen or the “men of the North”. Most of the literature from their time period was inscribed by Christians, who were one of the main aims of Norsemen raids.

When someone hears the word “Viking,” it just about instantly invokes images of burly warriors with brutal swords, riding in ships to plunder gullible villages. As the monks and other historians weren’t keen on fondly remembering the Vikings, they didn’t give them much space in their written records, and fairly so.

The scarcity of historically accurate material has turned the Norsemen and their mythology into just a symbol of the warrior epitome, and has also raised their standing to that of gods. However, the Norse people did not see themselves in that regard. They had their own plethora of respected deities, as well as accompanying stories of the role these gods and goddesses played in creating the world.

To the Viking people, these gods provided the very breath of life. They aided as perfect models and idols of manhood to Norse warriors. No matter what religion, faith, or set of beliefs you practice; all humans (especially men) can learn from Norse gods, just as we can learn from Roman, Greek and Hindu gods as well.

Over the course of this article, we shall explore the Viking worldview and gods, which were different and more complex than their classical counterparts. What’s particularly interesting is that these complex subtleties in their character makes them more relatable to us humans than the likes of Zeus, Jupiter, etc. One main difference between these is the flawed nature of the former’s gods and deities. The Norse gods weren’t all “good” like the gods of most monotheistic religions. They more or less had certain desirable characteristics, but in many ways mirrored the humans who worshiped them in their faults and oddities.

"Today, the only reason people acknowledge the existence of Norse gods such as Thor and Loki is because of their depiction in art and pop culture, especially the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, in my opinion, the actual tales of Norse mythology are more interesting than these surface-level depictions."

Among the many Viking deities who inhabit Asgard, the fortress of the gods, Odin plays the role of Chieftain. He is perhaps the most complex god in all of mythology. He is basically an Allfather who is also a bit of a nomadic and magical spiritualist. If you are accustomed to the Lord of The Rings books, J.R.R. Tolkien had designed the character Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer". So when you picture Odin, imagine qualities such as wisdom, discerning, inspiring, fierce; but also quite mysterious and prone to doing unexplainable things.

Like many other chieftain gods, Odin displays characteristics that Viking culture deemed most important and worthy of emulation. Let’s take a look at some of those traits.

An Inexorable Hunt for Wisdom

"He, the eldest of the Gods, would have to win the wisdom that would help save the world. And so, with his face stern in front of his loss and pain, Odin All-Father turned and went toward Mimir’s Well."

One of the most famous stories of Odin is the one about how he lost his eye in seeking greater knowledge and acumen. The story goes that Odin visited a certain well — the Well of Urd — because he knew its waters contained wisdom. When Odin arrived, he was asked by Mimir (the shadowy, wise being who guarded the well’s depths) to sacrifice an eye in order for him to drink from the well. Odin sacrificed an eye, and in return Mimir allowed him to quench his deep thirst. Odin lived the rest of his life with a single eye, but much wisdom.

Taking Responsibility

Odin has never been one to shy away from taking responsibility that tethers from the consequences of some of his actions. When he found and adopted Loki, the son of one of his main rival kingdoms Jotunheim, he knew that he had to raise him responsibly as one of his own and the repercussions this action might carry. In today’s world, men can take a lot of cues from Odin when it comes to being brave and facing the harsh consequences of their decisions and actions.

Whatever the Future Holds, Embrace it

“Odin took the horn in both hands and drank and drank. And as he drank all the future became clear to him. He saw all the sorrows and troubles that would fall upon Men and Gods. But he saw, too, why the sorrows and troubles had to fall, and he saw how they might be borne so that Gods and Men, by being noble in the days of sorrow and trouble, would leave in the world a force that one day, a day that was far off indeed, would destroy the evil that brought terror and sorrow and despair into the world.”

Upon learning the tragedies that would befall his family, and learning that he himself would die in battle, did not run from his fate. Instead, he seeked further knowledge, to become more prepared for the forthcoming events. From this, we can learn that we must face our trials with the same determination and acceptance as we do working toward our goals. They are all part of the same journey of life.

Thus, as we can observe from the excerpts above, Odin was seen as a “breath of life” by Norsemen. His yearning for wisdom, willingness to strive for his family and meritorious bravery to face his demons have all made him a crucial example for today’s men.