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Question of the Day
Question:
"Dr. Hal, why did Wotan have only one eye?" writes Erik Norden of New York, New York.Answer:
Yes, Wotan, Woden or Odin, the all-seeing, did indeed have only a single eye in Northern mythology. Yet with his remaining eye he could see throughout the worlds of Gods, Giants and Men. He lost his other in a bargain with the Giant Mimir, a water daemon who was the Scandinavian god of wisdom. Mimir was one of the most celebrated of the Giants, even after the Vanir, Norse Nature gods at war with the Aesir at the time, cut off his head when he was left with them as a hostage. Yet the Giant's head was kept in a semblance of life-- Odin embalmed it with his magic art, pronounced over it mystic runes, and used to consult it on critical occasions. Mimir dwelt under the roof of Yggdrasill, where was found Mimir's Well, known as Mimisbrunnr, in which all wisdom lay concealed, and from which Mimir used to drink with the horn Giallar. Odin gave one of his eyes to be permitted to drink of its waters, and thereby became the wisest of the Gods. A bargain, right?
Askdrhal.com by
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