Odin, 2018
Odin, 2018
Oil on canvas 60 x 50cm
The Subject
This work depicts the Norse God Odin surrounded by a spear, a drinking horn, and the branches of a tree. Odin, also known as the All-Father, is the god of wisdom, poetry, death, divination, and magic in Norse mythology. Each element in this work relates to Odin in different ways.
The spear on the left represents Odin's spear, Gungnir, which is said to never miss it's target.
The drinking horn on the right represents the Norse story in which Odin sacrificed his eye in order to drink from Mimir's well - The Well of Urd. A drink from this well gave Odin wisdom and knowledge of past, present, and future events.
The tree above Odin represents the world tree Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil is a sacred tree in the Norse Mythology universe which connects the nine worlds, such as Asgard and Midgard. There is a Norse myth in which Odin hanged himself for nine days in order to learn about the runes.
Many Norse myths reflect Odin's desire to gain more and more knowledge, so for this reason I painted the branches spreading from Odin's head to represent growth.
Detail Shot
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