Norse Mythology

“That is why Odin is called the all-father. Because he was the father of the gods, and because he breathed the breath of life into our grandparents’ grandparents’ grandparents. Whether we are gods or mortals, Odin is the father of us all.”

The Norse religion was based on a patriarchal pantheon, headed by Odin, the god of wisdom—among other things. The gods’ lineage is typically traced through fathers and sons. Odin becomes the father of all because he was the one of his brothers who gave life to the universe.

“Wisdom flooded into him. He saw farther and more clearly with one eye than he ever saw with two.”

The loss of Odin’s eye is one of the most famous myths in this collection. His eye is a metaphor for knowledge itself. Wisdom can provide greater sight than the corporeal sense of sight ever can.

“‘Because,’ said Thor, ‘when something goes wrong the first thing I always think is, it is Loki’s fault. It saves a lot of time.’”

Thor is not wrong; Loki is, in some way, responsible for most of the negative events in Norse mythology, including Ragnarok—the end of time. This is also indicative of Thor’s simple nature. While he is the most powerful god in Asgard, he is not the most intelligent.