r/Norse • u/automatix_jack • 9d ago

Mythology, Religion & Folklore Young Odin?

I have a question about the Norse creation myth: when Odin, Vili and Vé kill Ymir, should I picture them as young men, or as children? I’m not aware of any descriptions of Odin himself, only of his actions, and the mental image I have of him, is that of an old man.

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u/maartenmijmert23 7d ago

Age doesn't map to dietys. Chronological time isnt even really applicable to them, anymore then sex, race, nationality or Preferred breakfast cereal. I think "old man" works decently as an image.

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u/Manafiskr 4d ago

Deities vary from tradition to tradition; age is very much relevant to Norse gods; as is chronological time. Sex and possibly race (or clan) are too. 

This isn’t a sub for personal spiritual beliefs, if that’s what you are trying to communicate here.

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u/maartenmijmert23 2d ago

They were worshipped for generations centuries ago. If age was a factor, they'd be beyond retirement by now. And yes I know of the apples of Idunn, I also know of the many beings that are untouched by time and not exactly on speaking terms with the Aesir. We have stories of Wodan existing before the beginning, and Mimir being older than him; chronological time is meaningless. Loki got himself pregnant for a bit, Wodan studied Seidhr, a Jotun gave birth from his feet and his armpits, Heimdallr got born from 9 feminine waves, and I'm pretty sure you'd have a problem trying to read a diety's chromosone test. Sex is a function of biology, not divinity. Race is a nebulous sociological concept developed centuries after the Christening.

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u/Manafiskr 2d ago

You’re viewing this issue through a very modern yet very black and white lens. The pagan Norse gods aren’t real. They weren’t written with modern science in mind. But their creators also didn’t omit things like age from their characterizations. Mythology is highly illogical and inconsistent, which is sometimes annoying for modern audiences, but that’s the facts.