n.
or Wotan
One of the principal Norse gods.
A war god from earliest times, Odin appeared in Scandinavian heroic literature as the protector of heroes. Fallen warriors were believed to join him in Valhalla . Odin was the great magician among the gods and was associated with runic writing . His eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, could gallop through the air and over the sea. Odin was usually depicted as a tall old man with a flowing beard and only one eye (the other he gave in exchange for wisdom); he wore a cloak and a wide-brimmed hat and carried a spear. The wolf and the raven were dedicated to him.