Odin - Odin (English spelling) Óðinn

The chief god of the Asadi tribe in Norse mythology, and ancestor of the Norse royal family. Son of Bor and the giantess Bestla, brother of Bili and Be. Worshipped by almost all Germanic tribes, he is vividly depicted in the Edda and the Skaldic poems. He had many wives and children, including Baldr with Frigg, Thor with Jorðr, and others such as Tyr, Heimdal, Hermod, and Bragi. Odin created the whole world from the body of the giant Ymir, and together with his brothers Bili and Be, created the first humans from two pieces of driftwood. Odin, an old man with one eye and a long beard, lives in the palace of Valhalla in the sky, and eats only wine, giving all his food to two wolves, Geli and Freki. He sits on the throne of Friðskjalf and looks out over the whole world, and two ravens, Hugin and Muninn, fly around the world to bring him various information. He also rides the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, wields a spear named Gungnir, and a golden bracelet called Draupnir, which produces eight identical ones every nine nights. Odin traded one of his eyes for a sip of water from Mimir, the fountain of wisdom, and gained the wisdom to rule the world. To give victory to his favorite heroes, he dulls the enemy's blades and teaches his allies how to form battles to render them helpless, while at the same time sacrificing his heroes for himself, he has the messenger maidens Valkyries carry the warriors who fell bravely on the battlefield to his palace in Valhalla, where he lives. There, they dedicate themselves to military deeds in preparation for the final battle with the giants at the end of the world. Odin can also freely change his form, becoming a bird, beast, fish, snake, or whatever and traveling to a distant land in an instant. He stole the mead of poetry from the land of the giants and brought poetry to the gods. He also hung himself from a tree where the wind blew nine nights, wounded himself with a spear, sacrificed himself and learned the secrets of the runes and learned the nine magic songs. At the end of the world, he fought the giants and was swallowed by the wolf Fenrir, but his son Beazal avenged him.

Odin, who has such a diverse image, is also considered to be the wind god, the god of death, the god of war, the god of poetry and magic, and in folklore, he is also the leader of the demonic army of night. There are various theories about Odin's identity, including one that says that he was elevated to a higher status as a god of the ruling class during the Viking era, with the skald poets praising royalty, and that he became the chief god, and another that says that he is the god in charge of the primary role of governing sovereignty, rituals, magic, etc. in the mythology of the Indo-European peoples. The English word Wednesday means "Odin's day."

[Yukio Taniguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北欧神話にでてくるアサ神族の主神で、北欧の王家の祖。ボルと女巨人ベストラの子で、ビリとベーの兄。ほとんどすべてのゲルマン種族の間で崇拝され、そのようすがとくに『エッダ』と『スカルド詩』に生き生きと表されている。多くの妻たちとの間に子をもうけ、フリッグとの間にバルドル、ヨルズとの間にトール、そのほかにチュール、ヘイムダル、ヘルモッド、ブラギなどの神々がいる。オーディンは、巨人イミルの身体から全世界をつくり、また兄弟のビリ、ベーとともに2本の流木から最初の人間をつくった。天上のワルハラ宮殿に住み、目は片方だけ見えて長いひげを生やした老人のオーディンは、ぶどう酒以外は口にせず、食物はすべて2頭のオオカミであるゲリとフレキに与えてしまう。フリズスキャールブの王座に座って全世界を見はるかし、2羽のカラス、フギンとムニンが世界中を飛んで、オーディンのところへさまざまな情報をもたらす。また八本足の怪馬スレイプニルに乗り、グングニルという槍(やり)と、9夜ごとにまったく同じものを八つ生むという黄金の腕輪ドラウプニルを持つ。オーディンは自分の片方の目と引き換えに、知恵の泉ミミルの水を一口飲ませてもらい、世界を治めるのにふさわしい英知を得た。ひいきの英雄に勝利を与えるため、敵の刃をなまくらにしたり、味方に陣形を教えて敵を無力にする一方、自らのために勇士を犠牲にして、戦場で勇ましく倒れた戦士たちを、使者の乙女ワルキューリによって彼の住むワルハラ宮殿へ運ばせる。彼らはそこで、世界の終末の巨人族との決戦にそなえ武事にいそしむ。また自由に姿を変えることができるオーディンは、鳥、獣、魚、蛇などとなって一瞬のうちに遠い国へ行くことができた。巨人の国から詩の蜜(みつ)酒を盗み、神々に詩をもたらした。また、9夜風の吹きすさぶ樹(き)につり下がって槍でわが身を傷つけ、われとわが身を犠牲にしてルーン文字の秘密を学び、九つの魔法の歌を習った。世界の終末には巨人族と戦い、オオカミのフェンリルに飲み込まれてしまうが、子のビーザルがその仇(あだ)を討つ。

　このように多様な像をもつオーディンは、風神、死の神、軍神、詩と魔法の神などとされ、民俗学では夜の魔軍の長ともされる。オーディンは、北欧ではバイキング時代にスカルド詩人らの王侯賛美とともに支配者層の神として神格を高め、主神となったとする説や、インド・ヨーロッパ諸族神話のなかの主権、祭祀(さいし)、魔術などをつかさどる第一機能を受け持つ神とするなど、さまざまな説がある。水曜日を表す英語Wednesdayは「オーディンの日」の意である。

［谷口幸男］

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