Woden

Woden

Woden with his ravens, Huginn and Muninn

Type	God
Religion	Wodenism
God of	Wisdom
Home	Valhalla
Other Names	All-Father
Symbols	Valknut, Triskellion, Ravens, Wolves, Eye of Woden
Related To	Thor (son), Frigg (wife)

Woden the All Father is the principal deity of the Wodenist religion. He is the purported creator of all of Otan including all the races of Otan from the Ælfes and Dweorges to the humans and Grendel. Despite his role as the creator, Woden he is often seen wandering Otan in the form of an elderly one-eyed man. He is said to routinely father children in his travels and many noble bloodlines claim Woden as one of their ancestors.

Depictions

Woden is most often depicted as an elderly man, missing his left eye, which is said to be floating around Otan making observations. This legend is undoubtedly supported by the Eye of Woden, a satellite that circles the Otan sky. Woden is frequently described as carrying a staff or spear. His constant companions include two wolves, Geri and Freki and two ravens Huginn and Muninn, who bring him information from all over Otan. When he's in a hurry, he will ride his flying, eight-legged steed Sleipnir across the sky or into the underworld.

Lore

There are countless legends of Woden retold by figures as authoritative as the Wodenist clergy to the schoolyard tales of imaginative children. While they vary in the telling, they vary little in the content. The most salient of the tales involve the creation of Otan, the adoption of Loki and the rescue of his children, and his ultimate fate at Ragnarok.

The Creation of Otan

The primordial being Ymir became engrossed in a dispute with Woden in which the god slew him and fashioned Otan from his flesh. He went on to make the oceans from his blood, the mountains from his bones, trees from his hair, and so forth. Humans, Ælfes, Dweorgs, Grendel and the other races were given life from a combination of Ymir's flesh and blood (or earth and sea).

It is perhaps not a coincidence that the primordial being Ymir is sometimes conflated with the primordial substance Ylem and many believe that they are one in the same. This conflation adds to the possibility of the creation story being an actual historical account rather than a fantastical metaphor; in the spirit of most religious folk tales. As more in the Wodenist clergy become familiar with Ylem, this supposition has gained strength with the church.

Intercession

In his travels he routinely interacts with humans, imparting wisdom to them and in some cases, mating with them.

Creations

Woden is the apparent author of the Book of Woden.

Notes for 5e Spellcasters

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