The religion of the Northmen bore a close resemblance to
that of the other Teutonic peoples. The leading deity was Odin (German Woden),
whose exploits are celebrated in many of the songs of the Elder Edda.
Odin was represented as a tall, gray-bearded chieftain, carrying a shield and a
spear which never missed its mark. Though a god of battle, Odin was also a
lover of wisdom. He discovered the runes which gave him secret knowledge of all
things. Legend told how Odin killed a mighty giant, whose body was cut into
pieces to form the world: the earth was his flesh, the water his blood, the
rocks his bones, and the heavens his skull. Having created the world and
peopled it with human beings, Odin retired to the sacred city of Asgard, where
he reigned in company with his children.
THE GOD THOR
Enthroned beside Odin sat his oldest son, Thor (German Thunor),
god of thunder and lightning. His weapon, the thunderbolt, was imagined as a
hammer, and was especially used by him to protect gods and men against the
giants. The hammer, when thrown, returned to his hand of its own accord. Thor
also possessed a belt of strength, which, when girded about him, doubled his
power.
