In appearance, Odin is an old, tall, one-eyed man with a long beard, a
broad-brimmed hat, a striped cloak of many colors, and a spear in his
hand. On his arm he wears the gold ring Draupner, two ravens sit on his
shoulders, two wolves lie at his feet, and a huge chariot rolls above
his head. He sits upon a high throne and looks out upon the world, or he
rides on the winds upon his horse Sleipner. There is a deep speculative
expression on his countenance. In the Volsung Saga, Odin is revealed as
follows: King Volsung had made preparations for an entertainment.
Blazing fires burned along the hall, and in the middle of the hall stood
a large tree, whose green and fair foliage covered the roof. (This
reminds us of Ygdrasil.) King Volsung had placed it there, and it was
called Odin’s tree. Now as the guests sat around the fire in the
evening, a man entered the hall whose countenance they did not know. He
wore a variegated cloak, was bare-footed, his breeches were of linen,
and a wide-brimmed hat hung down over his face. He was very tall, looked
old, and was one-eyed. He had a sword in his hand. The man went to the
tree, struck his sword into it with so powerful a blow that it sunk into
it even to the hilt. No one dared greet this man. Then said he: He who
draws this sword out of the trunk of the tree shall have it as a gift
from me, and shall find it true that he never wielded a better sword.
Then went the old man out of the hall again, and no one knew who he was
or whither he went. Now all tried to draw the sword out, but it would
not move, before Volsung’s son, Sigmund, came; for him it seemed to be
quite loose. Farther on in the Saga Sigmund had become king, and had
already grown old when he waged war with King Lynge. The norns protected
him so that he could not be wounded. In a battle with Lynge there came a
man to Sigmund, wearing a large hat and blue cloak. He had but one eye,
and had a spear in his hand. The man swung his spear against Sigmund.
Sigmund’s sword broke in two, luck had left him, and he fell. The same
Saga afterwards tells us that Sigmund’s son, Sigurd, sailed against the
sons of Hunding, on a large dragon. A storm arose, but Sigurd commanded
that the sails should not be taken down, even though the wind should
split them, but rather be hoisted higher. As they passed a rocky point,
a man cried to the ship and asked who was the commander of the ships and
men. They answered that it was Sigurd Sigmundson, the bravest of all
young men. The man said, all agree in praising him; take in the sails
and take me on board! They asked him for his name. He answered: Hnikar
they called me, when I gladdened the raven after the battle; call me now
Karl, from the mountain, Fengr or Fjolner, but take me on board! They
laid to and took him on board. The storm ceased and they sailed until
they came to the sons of Hunding; then Fjolner (Odin) disappeared. In
the same Saga he also comes to Sigurd in the garb of an old man with
long flowing beard, and teaches him how to dig ditches by which to
capture Fafner.