Re: Odin the Immigrant?

From: William P. Reaves
Message: 10274
Date: 2001-10-16

Hej Chris,

>Ummm...can we give up this lunacy about the "Odin migration"? I am really
getting tired of hearing about it - the subject is such a waste of time -
really no better than discussing how aliens built the pyramids. If you are
not intelligent enough to understand that the Odin migration legend is a
medieval euhemerization and provably has
no basis in reality, then you likely do not belong on a list
dedicated to scientific discussion, which is what Cybalist was meant to be
(and not the playground of kooks with their crackpot pet- theories).


I am glad to see someone refute this theory so strongly. Personally, I
believe that Odin is none other than the *Dyuas Pater of the Germanic
tribes.

The 19th century Swedish philosopher and mythologist Viktor Rydberg makes an
interesting case that Odin, as far as attributes and position most resembles
the other Indo-European sky-fathers. Rather than a change of position, Odin
simply underwent a name change.

Some of the evidence Rydberg cites is Odin's place among two brothers and
co-creators. His battle for supremecy over an earlier race of giants, whom
he is related to. His position as a Sky-god. (His single eye represents the
single eye of the sky, either sun or moon). His positon as ruler of
storms/battle. His casting weapon (Gungnir). His marriage to the earth. Also
his designation as All-father.

The case for Tyr as the Dyuas Pater of the Germanic tribes is based on
nothing more than etymology of the name. And the theory that the Germans had
an earlier god named *Tiu which was displaced by Odin is unfortunately still
current in many scholarly books.

I tend to believe that if the Germanics had a god named *Tiu it was merely
Odin himself under an earlier name, rather than the god Tyr who was
displaced by the migrant Odin.

Wassail, William



"I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory';
but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the
other in the purposed domination of the author."

J.R.R. Tolkien