The Gesta Danorum (Books I-IX) on Odin

The Danish History, > Book One.

• attestation: Odin was falsely credited with divine status throughout Europe but chose Upsala as his primary residence

  "there was one Odin, who was credited over all Europe with the honour, which was false, of godhead, but used more continually to sojourn at Upsala"

• attestation: Northern kings commissioned a golden statue of Odin and sent it to Byzantium as an act of worship

  "The kings of the North, desiring more zealously to worship his deity, embounded his likeness in a golden image; and this statue, which betokened their homage, they transmitted with much show of worship to Byzantium"

• attestation: Odin hanged the smiths and enchanted the statue to speak when touched by mortals

  "Odin hanged them, and mounted the statue upon a pedestal, which by the marvellous skill of his art he made to speak when a mortal touched it"

• attestation: Odin went into exile due to the double dishonour of his wife's adultery and the destruction of his statue

  "Odin, wounded by the double trespass of his wife, resented the outrage to his image as keenly as that to his bed; and, ruffled by these two stinging dishonours, took to an exile overflowing with noble shame"

• attestation: Odin returned from exile after his wife's death, which restored his divine reputation

  "The death of Odin's wife revived the ancient splendour of his name, and seemed to wipe out the disgrace upon his deity"

• attestation: Odin forced all pretenders who had claimed divine rank during his absence to relinquish their titles and leave the country

  "he forced all those, who had used his absence to assume the honours of divine rank, to resign them as usurped; and the gangs of sorcerers that had arisen he scattered"

The Danish History, > Book Three.

• attestation: Odin consulted prophets and diviners to learn how to avenge his son Balder's death

  "Odin, though he was accounted the chief of the gods, began to inquire of the prophets and diviners concerning the way to accomplish vengeance for his son"

• attestation: Odin disguised himself and entered the Ruthenian king's service as a soldier, winning victories and being elevated to chief friend of the king

  "Odin, when he heard this, muffled his face with a cap, that his garb might not betray him, and entered the service of the said king as a soldier"

• attestation: When Odin sought a kiss from Rinda she rebuffed him with a cuff

  "when he sought a kiss from the maiden, he received a cuff"

• attestation: Odin returned to the Ruthenian court disguised as a smith named Roster, crafting bronze ornaments and jewelry

  "He said that his name was Roster (Hrosstheow), and that he was skilled in smithcraft"

• attestation: Odin returned a third time disguised as a soldier but was knocked to the ground when he tried to kiss Rinda

  "When he tried to kiss her at his departure, she repulsed him so that he tottered and smote his chin upon the ground"

• attestation: Odin retaliated by touching Rinda with a spell-inscribed bark that drove her to frenzy

  "he touched her with a piece of bark whereon spells were written, and made her like unto one in frenzy"

• attestation: Odin disguised himself as a woman named Wecha, claiming to be a physician, and was taken into the queen's household as a waiting-woman to Rinda

  "assuming the garb of a maiden, this indefatigable journeyer repaired for the fourth time to the king, and, on being received by him, showed himself assiduous"

• attestation: When Rinda fell sick Odin used his position as physician to gain access and impregnate her while she was bound for treatment

  "the physician seized the chance of love, and, abandoning his business of healing, sped to the work, not of expelling the fever, but of working his lust"

• attestation: An alternative version says the king knowingly allowed Odin to lie with his daughter as reward for his services

  "the king, when he saw the physician groaning with love, but despite all his expense of mind and body accomplishing nothing, did not wish to rob of his due reward one who had so well earned it"

• attestation: The gods, whose chief seat was at Byzantium (identified with Asgard), expelled Odin from their society for disgracing godhead

  "the gods, whose chief seat was then at Byzantium, (Asgard), seeing that Odin had tarnished the fair name of godhead by divers injuries to its majesty, thought that he ought to be removed from their society"

• attestation: The gods replaced Odin with Oller and gave him Odin's name and both royal and divine authority for nearly ten years

  "they exiled him and put one Oller (Wulder?) in his place, to bear the symbols not only Of royalty but also of godhead"

• attestation: After ten years the gods pitied Odin and restored him to his former splendour

  "For nearly ten years Oller held the presidency of the divine senate; but at last the gods pitied the horrible exile of Odin"

• attestation: Odin urged his son Boe (born of Rinda) to avenge the slaying of his brother Balder

  "finding that Boe, his son by Rhlda, was enamoured of the hardships of war, he called him, and bade him bear in mind the slaying of his brother"

The Danish History, > Book Six.

• attestation: Odin granted Starkad bravery, poetic skill, and three lifespans so he would commit three crimes in return

  "he graced Starkad, who was already remarkable for his extraordinary size, not only with bravery, but also with skill in the composing of spells, that he might the more readily use his services"

• attestation: Odin endowed Starkad with three spans of mortal life to commit three abominable deeds

  "he also endowed him with three spans of mortal life, that he might be able to commit in them as many abominable deeds"