- `Title:` [[( The true appearance of Odin]] - `Author:` [PatrickAnimation](https://www.facebook.com/PatrickAnimation/) - `Notable Authors:` - `Link:` <https://www.facebook.com/PatrickAnimation/posts/1712553955594611> - `Reference:` [[Odin]] - [[Thor]] - `Publish Date:` 2021-08-07 --- ![[Pasted image 20210808005641.png]] --- Reconstructing an image of Odin as pagans might have imagined him in the late Viking era. I've used the Old Norse Literature and contemporary images and idols. Odin Rauðgrani – the red moustache. Marvel depicts Odin as an elderly man. Odin does indeed occasionally appear as an elderly man in the sources, but it’s important to realise this is a disguise from his actual form. Odin uses this form when he travels in secret through the nine worlds. The only clue to his identity is his missing eye. And a staff and hat, perhaps parodying his customary spear and golden helmet. In the late 11th century Eddic poem Hárbarðsljóð Odin appears going by the name Hárbarðr (grey-beard) and even his own son Thor does not recognise him in this form. And this shows us clearly that Odin in this old man form is unrecognisable from his usual imagined appearance. In Skaldskaparmal of the Poetic Edda, we find that Idunn’s apples of youth prevent the gods and goddesses from becoming old and grey. Whatever Odin’s hair colour was imaged to be- It was not grey. So what was Odin’s hair colour? This is a harder question to answer. But there are a few clues, not in the Eddas, but in the medieval sagas of the Icelanders. In Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss, an Odinic figure appears, going by the name Rauðgrani (Red-moustache.) And this is not the only saga using this name. In the legendary saga of Örvar-Oddr, Odin appears by the same name. And this time he described as being one eyed, red haired and red bearded. This makes sense because Thor, Odin’s son is said to have red hair too. It’s not a ton of evidence, but the interpretation of Thor with red hair is based on slim saga evidence too. Odin and Thor’s hair are not really described in the Eddas. There are also a few clues as to what Odin’s facial hair is supposed to look like, from other sources. In other poems, Odin goes by names such as Síðgrani (drooping moustache) Síðskeggr (drooping beard), and Hrosshársgrani, (Horse hair moustache). All of which correspond quite nicely with the archaeological depictions we associate with Odin, like the idol from Skåne, Sweden. (7th century?) Or the Ribe Pendent from Denmark (8/10th century) Odin Gapþrosnir- the one in gaping frenzy Unlike the much more lovable and popular god Thor, Odin in the medieval sources appears as quite unsettling and sometimes downright sinister god of the warrior elite. A god of the hanged, the slain, magic, esoteric wisdom, sexuality, war and battle frenzy. Far from the benevolent grandfatherly figure often presented in popular culture and the marvel universe. Adam of Bremon, a late Viking age German, describes Odin’s idol at Uppsala, as appearing like “our people depict the god Mars.” Adam may have been familiar with depictions of Mars, from late roman coins. Here Mars is depicted as a strong young warrior god armoured and wielding a spear. This fits very much with a description of Odin going to battle in Gylfaginning “He wears a gold helmet, a magnificent coat of mail, and he carries his spear called Gungnir” – Byock (2005) Prose Edda, pp72 The name Odin means mad. And many of Odin’s other names and titles associate him with rage, madness and battle frenzy. Lord of the berserkers, Odin lives on alcohol alone. A 13th century carving in the Hegge Stave Church show’s us an image of one-eyed male figure, his face contorted. And this is perhaps how Odin would have been imagined. An armed warrior in battle frenzy. Surrounded by his totemic animals, the ravens and wolves consuming the dead. Odin Löndungr- wearer of the shaggy-cloak Odin’s is described throughout the sagas and eddas as wearing a “blá hekla”. A hekla is a name for a kindof cloak or mantle. It’s hard to know exactly what it would have looked like. As usual the meanings of these terms can change, and it’s very hard to know how exactly they looked, or what surviving garments -or clothing depicted in art -these terms might relate too. Colour in old Norse can also be a little confusing too. Blár is used for a wide variety of blues, and perhaps purples, navy, and other colder and darker colours. Jackson Crawford’s dissertation (The Historical Development of Basic Color Terms in Old Norse-Icelandic, 2014) helpfully records some of the ways “blár” is used throughout the literature. These include descriptions of the sky, the sea, flames, corpses, swords, bruises, ravens’ wings, eyes and flowers. In the context of a cloak it was probably a fine expensive blue dye. In the sagas it was artistic convention to have the character wear a fine blue cloak when committing a killing. It was important to dress up for a duel or a killing as it was considered a public act. It was important that it was public, so that the killer was not accused of a dishonourable murder or assassination. It might be Odin’s association with death and killing that made the wearing of blue cloak important. In the saga of Þiðrekr of Bern, wearing blue shows “a cold breast and a grim heart.” (Edward Haymes, 1988, pp112) This colour was also among the most expensive and therefore also associated with the elite and with royalty. In Bárðar saga and Örvar-Odds saga Odin is described as wearing a spotted or mottled blue hekla (bláflekkótta). In Harðar saga ok Hólmverja it is blue striped (bláend) hekla. In Óðins nöfn in the Poetic Edda, Odin is described at the "Lödungr" - wearer of the shaggy-cloak. As much as all the terms seem to be exclusive, I think there is a possible type of textile that could fit all of these descriptions. Pile-weaving was quite popular in the early middle ages. This involved weaving coarse locks of wool into the fabric, creating a fake fur effect. This could be used to create all kinds of patterns, stripes, or spots using different colours. In the Icelandic sages references to pile cloaks “vararfeldir’ appear frequently. The popularity of this type of textile is attested by the unusually wide variety of finds from the Viking age, including finds from Hedeby, York, Isle of Man, Mammen , Dublin, and Birka. I spoke to Nille Glæsel, an expert in medieval textiles. Who suggested a pattern could be created using blue, and undyed wool. One cloak fragment from Birka displays at least three colours. This way the cloak could be mottled, striped and of course shaggy. I’ve chosen to pin my shaggy cloak with a Scandinavian silver penannular brooch found in Orkney, Scotland. Some of these are absolutely enormous in size, and were worn by the elite of society. Odin Hjálmberi - “Helmetbearer” In the Prose Edda we find the simple description of Odin as wearing a golden helmet. In Gylfaginning . And again in Skaldskapamal, When a giant asks “…Who it was that wore a golden helmet and rode through the sky…” – Byock (2005) The Prose Edda, pp86 Odin is associated with the helmet throughout the poems of the Poetic edda too, going by the name Helmet-bearer (Hjálmberi) in Grímnismál, and Óðins nöfn Unfortunately, relatively little helmet evidence survives archeologically. This burial at Gjermundbu, Norway provides the most complete picture we have of a fully armoured Viking warrior. The burial mound contained a short-sleeved mail coat, about the size of modern-day T-shirt. A spectacled and spiked helmet. A sword and spears. The surviving helmet is fairly plain. However, there are other smaller fragments of helmet, nearly all of which are highly decorated. Including the piece of helmet brow from Tjele in Denmark. The idea of a fully gilded Viking helmet could have possibly existed amongst the absolute highest status of the warrior elite. As they existed late in the middle ages. But it’s unlikely we will ever know what one might look like exactly. So there is a fair amount of conjecture involved in reconstructing Odin’s golden helmet. Odin Geirtýr – The spear god. There are few details in the sources about what Odin’s spear, Gungnir, looked like. Although from Viking age artwork it seems to be no more fantastical than the contemporary Viking age spears. In Sigrdrífumál we learn that in ages past -along with the teeth of Odin’s horse- it was carved with runes. But the poem goes on to describe the runes being shaved off and stirred into the sacred mead of poetry. So we have to discard even that strange detail. We can perhaps infer that it was a lighter, shorter spear, since it is often used at throwing weapon. I’ve chosen to represent Gungnir, with a beautiful spear found in the Gjermundbu burial in Norway. I’ve also given him the Gjermundbu mail coat to fit the description from the prose edda. And a reconstruction of the Belt from the Gokstad ship burial. ---