Odin is one of the most important and complex figures in Norse mythology. Known as the “Allfather,” he is the ruler of the Aesir gods and is associated with wisdom, war, death, poetry, and magic. Odin’s age is not explicitly stated in Norse mythology, but there are various sources that give clues about his age.
According to the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems that date back to the 13th century, Odin is said to have hung himself from the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights in order to gain knowledge of the runes. The poem “Hávamál” describes this ordeal in detail and suggests that Odin is quite old by the time he gains this knowledge. In one stanza, Odin says:
“I know that I hung on a windy tree nine long nights, wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run.”
This suggests that Odin is already quite old by the time he undergoes this ordeal, though his exact age is not given.
Other sources suggest that Odin is an eternal being who has existed since the beginning of time. In the Poetic Edda, the poem “Völuspá” describes the creation of the world and the birth of the gods. Odin is not mentioned by name in this poem, but it suggests that the gods have always existed and will continue to exist for as long as the world endures.
In the Prose Edda, a 13th-century work by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson, Odin is said to be the son of Bor and the brother of Vili and Ve. Together, they created the world from the body of the giant Ymir. Snorri’s work is heavily influenced by Christian theology, and he presents the gods as powerful but mortal beings who will eventually die in the battle of Ragnarok. However, even in this work, Odin’s exact age is not given.
In modern popular culture, Odin is often depicted as an old man with a long white beard, suggesting that he is quite old. However, this image is largely a product of modern interpretations of Norse mythology and may not reflect the way that Odin was imagined by the ancient Norse people.
In conclusion, while Odin’s age is not explicitly stated in Norse mythology, various sources suggest that he is either quite old or eternal. His exact age remains a mystery, but he remains an important and powerful figure in Norse mythology and continues to capture the imaginations of people around the world.
