Odin
/ˈoʊdɪn/noun
The chief god in Norse mythology, associated with wisdom, war, death, poetry, and magic.
Did you know?Odin is linked to the Proto-Germanic *Wōðanaz, a name tied to frenzy, inspiration, and poetic ecstasy — the same deep root behind Wednesday’s old name, Woden’s day.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weh₂t-
“to inspire, blow, or be possessed with ecstatic force”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Wōðanaz
“the inspired one, the furious one”
Old English
OE
Wōden
“the chief Germanic god, associated with wisdom and frenzy”
Old Norse
ON
Óðinn
“Odin, the Norse god of poetry, magic, war, and the dead”
Middle English
English
Odin
“the Norse deity, as known through Scandinavian legend and later literature”