Way of the Warrior Saints/Saint Wodin
Wodin was a great king, and a descendant of the First Men, those hearty lords that were created before all others by the Father of Earth and Stones (known to Wodin's Followers as BURI).
He was a mighty warrior, and carried a great spear called Gungnir, and rode an eight-legged steed. His sons were all mighty warriors as well, and valiantly protected their kingdom from the Giants of the Far North. Wodin loved knowledge, and owned two ravens that scoured the world daily, returning to him at night with information. He also willingly gave one of his eyes to the Abyss, in exchange for a drink from a magical well- a well that could give foresight to any that drank from it.
In his quest for knowledge, Wodin went to the Mountain of Buri, and hung himself from the sacred tree by his own spear. He hung there for nine days and nine nights, until finally he was able to retrieve the Runes of Earth and Stones, which gave him knowledge of all things that have come, and all things yet to come. This sacrifice also imbued Wodin with the Power of the Sleeping Father, and after that day, he was as unto a god.
The followers of Wodin believe that the souls of the valiant slain are taken by "Vahlkyrs" (winged warrior women), to fight and feast in the a great hall until Ragh-nah-roke (the Second Holy Cataclysm, or "the Waking"). Often, Wodin's sons are revered as deities as well, most especially Thorr and Bahldurr.
Wodin has two forms: One is a wanderer, becloaked and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. The other is as a mighty Northern warrior, twelve feet tall, wielding his spear, and scaled in grey armor.
Some words of Wodin:
Wounded I hung on a wind-swept gallows
For nine long nights,
Pierced by a spear, pledged to the Wodin,
Offered, myself to myself
The wisest know not from whence spring
The roots of that ancient rood
The sitters in the hall seldom know
The kin of the new-comer:
The best man is marred by faults,
The worst is not without worth.
(verses taken from http://asatru.org/havamal.html)
