Abstract
A monograph about the Old Norse deity Odinn. Firstly it presents the cultural and historical context of the Viking age and early Scandinavian Middle ages and gives the readers an overview of the Old Norse religion and mythology.
The close up description of Odinn follows, based on the primary sources and providing a systematic presentation of the deity's features and functions. This description is followed by the most detailed section of the treatise, which is the analysis of four prominent myths connected with Odinn.
In these narratives the deity undergoes a difficult trial and quest and obtains the mythical Mead, which is a symbol of knowledge and inspiration. These four myths are then analysed by the author and a common structural core is postulated, which explains their similarities and differences via the structural pattern of initiation and sacrifice.
This particular observation is then used to shed light both upon the figure of the Old Norse deity on one hand and on the principal relationship between the structure of initiation and sacrifice on the other.