Woden

Anglo-Saxon chief god of war, wisdom and magic; divine ancestor of royal houses, cognate with Norse Óðinn.

Domains

• war wisdom
• magic charms

Powers

• Work healing charms and runic magic
• Father the royal dynasties of the English kingdoms

Epithets

• Wōden old-english · WodenOE form invoked in the Nine Herbs CharmLacnunga, Nigon Wyrta Galdor (Nine Herbs Charm), l. 32 (primary)
• Grim old-english · Grim'Masked one', Woden-byname surviving in place-names (Grim's Dyke etc.), cf. ON GrímnirBranston, The Lost Gods of England (1957); cf. ON Grímnir, Grímnismál (secondary)
• Grīm Old English · Grim · cultthe Masked One / Hooded OneEnglish place-names in Grim- (Grimsdyke, Grimsby); cf. Old Norse Grímnir (secondary)

Relations

• spouse: FrigReciprocal of anglosaxon_frig.spouse — Consort of Woden, as Frigg is of Odinn; the pairing echoes in the weekday names.Brian Branston, The Lost Gods of England (1957) (secondary)
• companion: SeaxneatReciprocal of anglosaxon_seaxneat.companion — Renounced together - 'Thunaer ende Uuoden ende Saxnote' - as the three great gods.Old Saxon Baptismal Vow (9th c.) (primary)
• companion: ThunorReciprocal of anglosaxon_thunor.companion — Renounced together - 'Thunaer ende Uuoden ende Saxnote' - as the three great gods.Old Saxon Baptismal Vow (9th c.) (primary)
• equated with: OdinReciprocal of norse_odin.equated-with — Cognates < PGmc *Wodanaz; weekday calque (dies Mercurii > Wodnesdæg/Óðinsdagr) and royal pedigrees align them; Edda Prologue glosses 'Voden, whom we call Odin'. OE side is genealogical-toponymic, no surviving myths.Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda, Prologue ('Voden, þann köllum vér Óðin') (primary); J. de Vries, Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte, 2nd ed. (1956-57) (secondary)

Sources

• existence: Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies; Nine Herbs Charm (Lacnunga); weekday 'Wōdnesdæg' (primary); B. Branston, The Lost Gods of England (1957) (secondary)