I wish I had more for you today, I
started late again today, and as it turns out O is another letter
that is more full of proper names than actual culturally significant
Norse things to know. I also spent a significant part of my free time
today working on KAG business, so I didn't even get a chance to do
the Dawn Patrol write up.
O is for Odin, the Chief God of the
Aesir, Husband of Frigg, Father of Balder and Thor, Blood-Brother of
Loki, Brother of Vili and Vé, King of the Gods. Lord of the Slain,
God of the Gallows, Giver of Victory, etc. He does pretty much
everything he can to get the knowledge necessary to avert Ragnarök,
or at least see that his side is best prepared for it when it does
arrive; at great personal sacrifice. In the end, all he really
achieves is the lack of total destruction and the continuation of
life, a new cycle begins. He and most of the people and things he
knows and loves will be destroyed, but his victory will be the
continuation of life itself. Balder will return from the land of the
dead, a younger generation of gods will start to rebuild in Asgarð
and humankind will restart again in Midgarð.
O is for Oath and Norsemen took oaths
seriously, they were sacred. A man's word really was his bond.
O is for Örlög, a word that means
almost the same thing as destiny or fate or doom.
O is for Ód, the missing husband of
Freyja, for whom she weeps her tears of gold; and the reason some
scholars believe that Frigg and Freyja may have once been the same
Goddess.
O is for Ódrerir, the sources are
unclear on this one, it is either name of the pot in which the mead
of poetry was brewed, or the actual name of the mead of poetry.
I find the "betrayer of warriors" aspect of Odin to be very interesting. The idea that the "big picture" (i.e. preparation for Ragnarok) might require individuals to be sacrificed is very different than one often looks for from a patron deity. It makes worship a lot more complex, which also makes the cleric class a bit more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have a sneaky little house rule I am going to slowly start implementing as the PCs start leveling up that's inspired by the old TSR mini-game Saga, so it's quite possible that Odin might eventually betray them to their deaths, when he feels they are worthy.
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