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Was Odin a genuine human being?
Summary
- Thor Heyerdahl and Per Lillieström have found interesting indications in their work Jakten på Odin (The search for Odin) that suggests that there is a distinct possibility for Odin to be, in fact, a human chief of a people called Asas that were located around the Azov-lake and Azov in southern Russia, sometimes between 100 BC - 300 AD.
- Indications from Anglo-Saxon kingdom genealogies in England suggests that there existed a human named Odin of Saxon descent, in english sources named Wodan, sometimes between 100 AD - 250 AD that became the ancestor for their kings, through his son Beldeg (Balder).
- The hypothesis rasied in this article will be entered as soon as the complete background research is done.
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Content
Was Odin a genuine human being?
- Summary
- Content
- Introduction
- Ancient sources referencing the Asa gods
- Occurences of Odin in ancient nordic sources
- Quotes on Odin from Saxo Grammaticus
- Quotes on Odin from Snorri Sturluson
- Other icelandic sagas
- Genealogy listings
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
- History of the Goths and the Heruls
- Legendary origin of the Goths and the Heruls
- Archeological and sources foundations
- Odin - high priest and human warrior
- Odin - a title for the high priest
- References to Odin as a high priest
- Morphological basis
- Odin as a human warrior chief
- Discussion on Odin as a priest and warrior
- Notes on Odin as high priest and human warrior
- Time-line calculations for a human Odin
- Basis for calculations from Anglo-Saxon genealogies
- Genealogy lists of Odin and Anglo-Saxon kings
- Time-line collaboration with ancient litterature
- Indications from ancient northern litterature
- Indications from Asia Minor history
- Discussion on time-line calculations
- Discussion on genealogy lists
- Notes on ancient northern litterature
- Notes on Asia Minor history
- Conclusions from time-line calculations
- Discussion
- Article references
- Litterature and background articles
- Background articles
- Litterature
- External links
- Article revision history
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Introduction
A human Odin treated as a God in northern Europe was the hypothesis for Thor Heyerdahl in his last project, Jakten på Odin (The search for Odin).
However, most northern scholars consider this part of Snorri's Heimskringla and Ynglinga saga to be just fabrications and imaginative creations of the creative compiler; there has not been shown any evidence for a people called 'Asas', nor 'Vans', their supposed worst enemies, in ancient Scandinavia.
Purpose:
This article will argue from ancient sources together with the findings of Thor Heyerdahl and Per Lillieström in their book summarizing the above mentioned project, Jakten på Odin (The search for Odin) and try to translate their findings into a mathematically valid collaboration with contemporary and historically valid sources.
When convienient, other sources will be referenced too, as needed.
Question:
- Is it possible that Odin was in fact a historical person, as stated by Snorri Sturluson in his Edda and Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum, who managed to get a reputation to be stemming from the gods, and who became worshipped as a god in northern Europe - thus founding the Asa-faith?
Hypothesis:
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Ancient sources referencing the Asa gods
This is no place for a complete survey of Asa mythology; other works ar far more complete in this sense than an article such as this can ever strive to be. Amongst such prominent works can be mentioned Bæksted in [Ref. 14] and Davidson in [Ref. 17] (swedish edition, 19931) or [Ref. 16] (english edition, 1964), both building upon the paradigm of the Asa cult being founded upon a non-human origin.
However, for the purpose of investigating whether there can be found indications of an Odin-character interacting with the human beings in ancient Nordic sources, tales legends and sagas, we should briefly examine the background for rendering Odin the main god amongst the Asas.
Occurences of Odin in ancient nordic sources
Odin, or what is generally described as a very old, one-eyed man, seem to be a vital part of many legends beyond just the Asa myths. In these legends or sagas, the character aligned with Odin are actively participating in the events of the main characters in the stories - either as a helper, or, especially when he has been rejected, as a helper of the enemy. One characteristic is thus that he seem never to be quite reliable.
There exist different accounts for the myth and cult of Odin in the northwestern european hemisphere. Basically, as the God he is given out to be, he acts both as a warrior and a shamanstic priest. This was thoroughly examined by Ingemar Nordgren 1998 in his dissertation Goterkällan2.
For instance, Snorri Sturluson and Saxo Grammaticus are two contemporary and (according to this author) independent writers of the early middelages that states that a human tribe of schamanistic wizards gained the reputation of being gods in ancient Scandinavia.
However, we can easily depict fragments of the same basic mythological constituents in others sources, most of which in some way are connected with ancient iranian or early indo-european tradition. An interesting finding by Løftingsmo 19903 - discussing myths and religious cults in Russia, Sibiria and northeast Scandinavia resembling the content of the Edda myths by Snorri - for instance finds the character Väinämöinen in the great Finnish epos Kalevala remarkably coherent with the picture of Odin, amongst others as the old and wise, an alignment which cannot always be explained as later influences from western to eastern Scandinavia or northern Russia.
Quotes on Odin from Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus refers a man named Odin, and he is very clear on the fact that Odin is indeed a normal human being, but that he and his men have managed to fool'half of Europe' that they are Gods.
Saxos account for Odin as a genuine human being
Saxo Grammaticus4, around 1200 AD (but no later than 1220), gives the following account for these people:
- "[...] efter lang Strid om Herredømmet vandt disse Hexemestere Sejer over Jetterne og fik ikke blot Magten i Landene, men ogsaa Ord for at være Guder."5
- "His tamen apud delusas praestigiis mentes divinitatis accessit opinio."6
The tale of Balder and Hod
Saxo tells the interesting story of how Odin in disgrace is forced to leave his position as a `God', to be replaced by another man who assumes the identity of Odin, only to later, having `payed his due', return and reclaim his position as Odin.
This is part of the story of Odins son Balder, in a quarrel with the swedish chieftain Höder (Hod) over the woman Nanna, which ends first with Balders death and later the revenge of Balder by Odins newborn son Bue. It is when Odin seduces the Russian princess to conceive Bue that he disgraces himself, and so badly that `the Gods seated in Byzans' demand Odins abdikation in order to preserve the proper respect amongst the people for the gods. (Odin goes to a lot of trouble and in fact rapes the daughter of the Russian king when she refuses his proposals, which results in Bue.)
The man is bannished and forced into exile, whilst another man, Oller, takes his place, as well as the name - Odin. Later, the judgement is revoked and the original Odin is reinstated and Oller seeks refugee in Sweden but is killed by the Danes.
Quotes on Odin from Snorri Sturluson
Snorris account for Odin as a genuine human being
Snorri Sturluson7, around 1220- 1240, gives the following account for these people:
- "The country east of the Tanaquisl in Asia was called Asaland, or
- Asaheim, and the chief city in that land was called Asgaard. In
- that city was a chief called Odin, and it was a great place for
- sacrifice. [...] People8 sacrificed to Odin and the twelve chiefs from Asaland, and called them their gods, and believed in them long after."9
- "En Ódin og tá höfdingja tólf blótudu menn og kölludu god sín og trúdu á lengi sídan."10
Other icelandic sagas
Genealogy listings
Several ancient sources refer either the name Odin, or Gaut, as an original or prominent ancestor. Besides the Ynglingar in e.g. Snorris Heimskringla, for instance also the Jutes and Danish Skjoldungs as well as Vandili hasdings and langobardic kings. In Jordanes Getica, the name of the ancestor Gapt is generally interpreted as Gaut11. In the Anglo-Saxon chronicles [Ref. 9] and german sources, the name is Woden or Wodan/Wotan.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
One important ancient source referring the name of Odin (or rather Woden) is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, [Ref. 9]. Written during the 10th century for the king Alfred the great, they lists the alleged genealogies of these Saxon kings, stemming back (and beyond) a man called Woden.
The time-line calculations based upon this source is held in Genealogy lists of Odin and Anglo-Saxon kings, on page 28.
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History of the Goths and the Heruls
Any discussion of the history of Asia minor in connection with Scandinavia must be considered incomplete without an examination of the history of the Goths, and perhaps even more so concerning a discussion of the tribe known as the Heruls. Both these tribes, or rather collection of tribes12, shows a lot of similarities with religious culture, burial ceremonies and to some extent archeological findings, to leave out from a discussion on the possible interpretation of Odin as human being.
Legendary origin of the Goths and the Heruls
The Goths
The most prominent source to the history of the Goths are Jordanes, [Ref. 60], who - himself being of Gothic origin - during the 6th century made a summary of the, in his own words, more thorough work of Gothic history written some decades earlier by Cassiodorus. Another important source is Procopius...
The Heruls
A fierce tribe known from the area of the Black Sea in the first centuries AD is the Heruls.
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Archeological and sources foundations
According to Peter Heather13, the most evidence from archeological findings that may back up a migration from Scandinavia into northern Poland, is that only a few aristocratic clans can be claimed to have migrated. Even so, the indigenous populations south of the Baltic had already adopted most of the new customs which made them archeologically distinctive, and they were already known as Goths.
- "The core of any argument in favour of a link between the Goths and Scandinavia remains, therefore, the Getica's account of Berig's migration..."
From the findings made, Heather concludes that mutually confirmatory information of ancient aources and the archeological record both suggest that Goths can first be identified beside the Vistula.
As a contrast, or complement, to the statements of Heather, Christenson in his dissertation (published as [Ref. 77]) claims that the validity of Jordanes Getica on Gothic history to serve as a basis for analysis must be reevaluated:
- "The present study demonstrates that Cassiodorus and Jordanes did not base their accounts on a living Gothic tradition of the past, as the Getica would have us believe. On the contrary, they got their information only from the Graeco-Roman literature. The Greeks and Romans, however, did not know of the Goths till the middle of the third century AD. Consequently, Cassiodorus and Jordanes created a Gothic history partly through an erudite exploitation of the names of foreign peoples partly by using the narratives about other peoples' history as if they belonged to the Goths. The history of the Migrations therefore must be reconsidered."14
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Odin - high priest and human warrior
A discussion about the meaning of the name Odin is in place. It is generally assumed that the name refers to the main God of the Asa cult, but we must also consider other references to the name, besides the mentioning of Odin in ancient Nordic sources as the Asa god.
Odin - a title for the high priest
References to Odin as a high priest
There are several accounts of a man being called, or a man functioning as, the high priest Odin:
- We know that Odin had some priests that were called 'drottnar' (rulers) or diar 15.
- From the findings of Heyerdahl and Lillieström16, we know that in China, the emperor of the Han-dynasty in 200 - 100 BC was called Wu-di. But his name was not Wu-di - this was a title, meaning 'the honorable warrior' (wu), and 'king' or 'ruler' (di) - and the title was given to him after his death.
- Furthermore, Lillieström references the sinolog Cecila Lindqvist17, who states that there was a chinese king named Wu-Ding that lived around 1200 - 1100 BC18. This king belonged to the Shang-dynasty which, according to Lillieström, based on modern research have been dated as beginning around 1523 BC, leaving power to the Zhou-dynasty in 1028 BC. [Note 2]
Hence, the existence of 'Di' as a title is not unknown, and from that to be regarding the highest of them as the O-di or O-din is not so farfetched.
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Morphological basis
The name Odin derived from a class of Celtic priests
Ludwig Rubekeil has made a recent study concerning the historical morphology of the name19, and at that examined some important medieval sources. He builds upon the old Germanic name Wodan, the Old English name Woden and the old Norse name Odinn (all resembling the same original name, or title - authors remark) and claims that a revisement must be done of the old interpratation as based on the german appelative `Wut' - meaning rage.
Instead, he finds that the name most probably is a prehistoric pertinentive derivation of *uatis (Gaul.-Lat, vates), a term that designated a class of Celtic priests.
The origin of the god Wodan/Odin, then, can be described as a product of the contact area of Celtic and Germanic peoples, and seems to be a result of certain rites concerning human sacrifices.
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Name differences between ancient english, german ans scandinavian
The name differences between different ancient germanic languages is irrelevant - compare how 'Uvigg' was supposed to be written as 'Wig' in the Anglo-Saxon genealogy of Wessex, and 'Wu-di' in the Chinese tradition.
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Odin as a human warrior chief
- The Germanic tribe Heruls possibly emigrated from Själland (Sealand) in Denmark sometimes after Christ was born, and they seem to have worshipped a God called both Gaut and Wotan.
- When Saxo tells the tale of Hod and Balder (see The tale of Balder and Hod, on page 22), he details a controverse between swedish and danish chieftains, one of them being Odins son, Balder. Following this he explains how Odin becomes the father of a son (Bue) who revenges Balder and kills Hod, in which scenario Odin is very much an active human, as seen by Saxo.
- TBD
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Discussion on Odin as a priest and warrior
Notes on Odin as high priest and human warrior
From being considered legendary by scholars a hundred years ago, the Shang-dynasty is nowadys found to be far from mythologic. Shang, in chinese, means trade, and the most characteristics of the Shang-dynasty was their highly developed trade, in its time controlling parts of the Silky way - and they traded in Maldivian shells, the so called kauri-shells, which were used as payment in far east and arabian trade and which has been found also in northern Norway and Gotland, which has been taken as en evidence for the existence of early trade routes through Russia, and for which trad the key point was Azov - end station for the silky way from Asia.
According to Heyerdahl20, the mumies of a Kaukasian people that have been found in the Taklamakan-desert in Xinjiang, China, living sometimes between 4000 and 2000 years ago (radiocarbon dated to the period from 2000 - 400 BC), were contemporary with the Shang-dynasty.
Therefore, according to this author the trade connection gives a link for the tradition of using the name, or title, of Odin (Wu-di, Wu-ding) also eastwards from Kaukasus and the alleged homw of the Asas.
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Time-line calculations for a human Odin
First, we will see what the findings of Heyerdahl and Lillieström might give in terms of a collaborative time calculation for the existence of a historical person named Odin. We will examine their findings related to Anglo-Saxon kings in England, and compare this with the Ynglinga saga and other ancient northern litterature, as well as historical and archeological findings in Asia Minor.
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Basis for calculations from Anglo-Saxon genealogies
Following Heyerdahl's calculations of 30 year/generation, the man named Odin would have lived sometimes during the later 2nd, early 3rd century AD. The two genealogies of the 6th century Anglo-Saxon kings Cerdic and Ida gives us a birth date for Odin sometimes, roughly, 150 - 200 AD (see Genealogy lists of Odin and Anglo-Saxon kings, on page 28 below).
However, some ancient kings supposedly lived into their 80s, and got kids late that inherited the kingdom... Thus a longer stretch of years is possible (but hardly shorter - for a son to grow up and inherit a kingdom, he should be at least in his 20s when the father dies?). So, calculating 40 years/generation would set a birth date for Odin to be around 100 - 150 AD.
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Genealogy lists of Odin and Anglo-Saxon kings
In relation to Odin and the Asa-faith of ancient Northern Europe, the following table of the list of kings might be of interest (summarized from Thor Heyerdahl's last book, The search for Odin ([Ref. 30]).
The Winchester manuscript lists the genealogy of the West-Saxon kingdom (Wessex) in England, up to king Alfred the great21 and was written in the late 9th century.
The Canterbury manuscript lists the genealogy of the Northumbrian kingdom.
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Time-line collaboration with ancient litterature
Now, how does this add up with the Asa-peoples emigration from the Black Sea to escape the Romans?
Heyerdahl & Lillieström finds that the emigration of the Asas are likely to have happended sometimes around 60 BC. This conclusion they base on tales of the Ynglinga saga and Saxo's Gesta Danorum, as well as on historical facts and tales known from Asia Minor and the Kaukasus area around the Black Sea.
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Indications from ancient northern litterature
- Saxo and Snorri tells of Odins sonson Frode, who should have been king of Denmark around the time of Christ being born, under Roman emperor Augustus[Note 3].
- Heyerdahl & Lillieström uses the genealogy of Ynglinga saga, listing the kings from Njord until Norwegian king Halvdan Svarte, about 830 AD. These comprise 28 generations, 840 years, and at 30 years/generation Njord should have been born around 10 BC. [Note 4]
- Further indications TBD
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Indications from Asia Minor history
We will separate this section into two parts, one referring the findings of Heyerdahl and Lillieström and the critics raised against them, and one referring the time-line indications found from History of the Goths and the Heruls, on page 23.
Findings of Heyerdahl & Lillieström
- The Romans were as far east as Azerbadjan in between 84 or 96 AD, according to inscriptions they made in Gobustan under the ruling of emperor Domitian Germanicus[Note 5].
- Plinius identifies a people called the Odin-people, to be located by the Azov-lake in the first century AD[Note 6].
- There are numerous findings of Scandinavia-like runes in the Kaukasus, dated from 200 - 700 AD. These can clearly not have been brought here by the Vikings - but they can surely have been brought by someone from this area, into Scandinavia!
Runes are known in Scandinavia from 200 AD - so, if they existed elsewhere in the world at the same time they are likely to have been introduced by some immigrating22 people stemming from the Kaukasus[Note 7].- The excavations in Azov that were initiated by Thor Heyerdahl have found several remains of civilazations in the area, out of which the most interesting is a distinct layer of remains dated from 100 BC until around 300 AD[Note 8].
- Omeljan Pritsak, a Ukrainian historican that worked with Heyerdahl, explains that the people Alans often mentioned in the ancient northern litterature was an Iranian nomadic tribe. They had a next of kin people of Turkish descent living nearby, called al-As (stated by 14th century Abu'l-Fida). This people was called 'Alans' by the Turkish people, but called themselves 'Asas'. Both these tribes have a common ancestory in the Sarmatians, coming from old iranian territories in central Asia who came west and settled in the Kaukasians - and today, this people are known as 'Ossetians'[Note 9].
- In The history of the Alans by V. Koutnezov, it is explained that the Asas existed in the Kaukasus also in the 15th century AD. The first mentioning of the Asas was Strabo, born in 64/63 BC near Azov. In several sources, the people are called 'Alans' but are said to call themselves 'Asas'[Note 9].
- In east Turkey, the province Van has a capitol by the same name, located near the Van-lake which was known as a kingdom from around 800 - 700 BC named Urartu - also called the kingdom of Van. Furthermore, there is an ancient language called Van from the same area, northeastern Anatolia. [Note 10]
- The two greatest iron mines in this parts of Asia are located (1) by the Van-lake, and (2) by the Azov-lake[Note 11].
- About 65 BC, Mithradates king of Pontus in the Van-lake area south of the Black Sea was defeated by the Romans and escaped to the Azov-lake (where the Asas are supposed to have lived).
There are tales of a great warrior fighting in these wars, who later seem to disappear when the Roman forces are getting an advantage in the war.
Throughout the first century BC, and the first century AD, there are constant wars fought around the south Black Sea and the Kaukasus.- There are (unconfirmed) tales among the Odin-people of today of a large group emigrating from their homelands. [Note 12]
- Furthermore, russian antrophologist Alexandre Davydov, to Heyerdahl discloses genealogy legends in the Khorezm area east of the Caspian ocean written by A.V. Vinogradova. In Khorezm lives a people (Uzbekians) that have immigrated from Turkish land. The legends tells of a division of land territories between three sons of Peridon (Feridon), named Tur (pronounced as 'Thor'), Sairima and Arya. The area given to Tur was populated by east-iranian nomads associated with the name 'Turan' or 'Tur'. This is aligned with the land of Turkestan.
This ancestor is also named by Koutnezov, as 'Traetaon'. Tur became the ancestor of the Turan-people, Sairima the Sarmatians, and Arya the Arya-people. [Note 13](Return to content list.)
Time-line collaboration from the history of the Goths and the Heruls
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Discussion on time-line calculations
Discussion on genealogy lists
According to Heyerdahl & Lillieström, the Edda listing of Snorri Sturluson could not have been a copy of the 300 year older Anglo-Saxon chronicles - then he would not have ended the genealogy when he did but copied the complete list. Hence, Lillieström states in The search for Odin23 that this can be viewed as an evidence for Odin in fact being a historical person, giving birth to a series of Anglo-Saxon kings who later conquered England and formed new kingdoms there.
This view is also held by Saxo Grammaticus, who in Gesta Danorum24 tells the tale of Balder and his father Odin and a love story affair involving the Swedish chief Höder, which ends with both Balder and Höder being killed (Book 3, Hod and Balder). Saxo also states that 'Odin has convinced half of Europe that he is a God' (Book 1, Hading), and that the people that became worshipped as gods were a certain tribe of wizards, which in the opinion of this author might be interpreted as schamans.
Thus, we might accept the hypothesis that there was in fact a human person named Odin, or Wodan/Wotan, that became the ancestor of Anglo-Saxon kings. And this person should have lived sometimes, roughly, around 100 - 250 AD.
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Notes on ancient northern litterature
This would imply that Odin was born around 90 BC, to have a son and grandson that became king around 0 BC (calculating 30 years/generation)25.
To have Njord being about the same age as Odin (born in 90 BC) would imply a generation mean of 33 years (not 31 as they calculate in the book, stating Njord as born 60 BC)
Fair enough - it is a possible genealogy!
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Notes on Asia Minor history
[TBD: Each note will as needed be complemented by raised criticism against the findings of Heyerdahl & Lillieström.]
Thus, the Asas are likely to have escaped prior to this.
The Odin-people exists to this day in the Kaukasus!
According to the poetic Edda, it was Odin that brought the runes to Scandinavia.
However, the resemblance of the Germanic and Turkish runes are seemingly rather a liklihood of used material, than a commonly originated script language26.
It is possible that there existed a place called Asgård, or Asgorod exactly where Snorri said it was, when he said it was
Thus, there are several accounts for a tribe called the Asas.
This adequately supports Snorris story of the Asas as a real people and not a fabulation, and thus it is not unlikely that a part of the tribe emigrated in the first century BC.
The conclusion can only be that the 'Asa' people have really existed.
This adequately supports Snorris story of the Vans as a real people and not a fabulation.
A good as any reason to inflict war and competition between the Asas and the Vans.
This does not confirm, but neither does it contradict an emigration to northern Europe.
This might indicate a relevance in the genealogy of Snorri for Odin, tracing the ancestory to Thor that in turn is stemming from a Turkish people - that possibly even was the part of the Trojans that escaped to the north of the Black Sea when the Greeks destroyed Troy in 1250 BC.
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Conclusions from time-line calculations
These indications adequately supports Snorris story of the Asas fleeing for the Roman forces to seek new land up in northern Europe - in Svitjod. But most importantly, the existence of a people called Asas living by the Black Sea around 100 BC - 100 AD can now be confirmed.
It seems plausible that the Asas really could have emigrated from Azov/Asgård around 60 BC, and that a human named Odin could have existed in Scandinavia or northern Germany around 50 BC.
So, to answer the question whether this adds up to support the Asa-peoples emigration from the Black Sea is rather easy:
Thus it seems we have two different approaches for identification of a human being, named Odin, that span at least 200 years apart. It just do not match...
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Discussion
[The hypothesis suggested here will be entered as soon as the complete background research is done.]
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Article references
Litterature and background articles
Background articles
Litterature
- See Litterature references for a list of litterature references
(given in swedish).- See Terminology for a definitions list of used terminology.
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External links
- Genealogy lists of Anglo-Saxon kings.
- A personal account from Bjornar Storfjell, who worked with Thor Heyerdahl in the project.
- The Heruls, written by Troels Brandt.
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Article revision history
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2See Goterkällan; Goterna - Religion, Organisation, Struktur. Om den gotiska etniciteten, [Ref. 45], p.33ff., Odinnskult.
4This article series lists the following references to Saxo: [Ref. 26], [Ref. 62], [Ref. 63] and [Ref. 64].
7This article liststhe following references to Snorri: [Ref. 50], [Ref. 51], [Ref. 65], [Ref. 66] and [Ref. 67].
8The quote leaves out (the [...] inset) the story of Asa immigration into Scandinavia, hence `people' refers to the people in ancient Scandinavia.
11Compare Nordgren 1998, [Ref. 45], e.g. p.137f, Kulten av Gaut och goternas religion - kultförbund? En hypotes.
12Ingmar Nordgren, [Ref. 45] suggests that all references to names like the Goths - götar, geats, gauts etc. - should be taken as a rather religiously connected than tribal reference; they are likely to resemble several tribes from the southern Scandinavian and / or south Baltic Sea region, all referring their ancestral history of rulers back to Gaut, or Odin/Wodan/Woden, being their main god aligned with the role of Odin in the Asa mythology.
14Quote from publisher website summary of the book; see Publishers summary on History of the Goths Studies..., on page 122.
20Victor Mair is referenced by Heyerdahl in [Ref. 30], p. 204f., as being the translater of the Chinese excavation results, from [Ref. 105].
21He was later followed by the grandson Adalstein (Ethelstane), who fostered Harald Hårfagre's son Håkon Adalsteinsfostre.
22The opposite, of course, is also possible - that the emigration went from Scandinavia - at least as long as a thorough dating has not been made as to which were first.
25Another interesting alignment here, is that the qualities of Saxo's Frode corresponds very well with the reputation given to Frey in ancient Sweden - who also might be conceived of as a grandson of Odin, following his father Njord, who in turn followed Odin as the ruler in Svitjod.
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