The Power of Heiti
My assistant is currently hard at work delving into all of Freya’s bynames (I am currently busy harassing her to put what she’s written so far up on her blog lol). This has inspired me to return to Odin’s Heiti in a similar fashion. Every by-name, every epithet is a mystery. It’s a word of power. It’s a doorway into a very specific face of a God. It’s multi-faceted and complex, and each and every one has a life of its own. It’s been many years since I did any kind of extended meditation on Odin’s epithets (and He has *a lot* of them). Returning to this practice now seems almost like a homecoming.
Since I have my favorite by-names, those to which I return again and again, I thought I would ask my readers which of Odin’s by-names you are most interested in. Which would you like me to focus on? Is there one that is puzzling you, vexing you, or intriguing you? I would welcome your input and invite you to post in the comments here. Let me know which of His hundreds of names you would like me to gnaw upon and I will do my best to oblige. I think this is going to be my ongoing project for the next few months at least if not longer.
Anyway, I look forward to reader suggestions below. 🙂
Posted on September 6, 2021, in Uncategorized and tagged Devotional Work, Heathenry, Northern tradition, Odin, Odin's heiti. Bookmark the permalink. 11 Comments.
Gangleri's Grove 
Fundinn (meaning the Found I think?) from Óláfsrímur Tryggvasonar A III
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Bon courage! I hope more people start exploring holy names and maybe even adding music.
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Greetings from the Texas Gulf Coast, USA. Does your offer work in reverse? I have a personal, contemporary kenning for Odin – The God With an Agenda. Which of His many traditional by-names “fit” under that umbrella? I use “The God With an Agenda” when someone asks about the wide range of His activities – kind and beneficent and cruel.
Another by-name I have for Odin is “The Master Gardener of Asgard”. The seeds He plants; the harvest He oversees is the Einherjar.
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I do like His name Galdraföðr, or Galder Father, Father of Magical songs. Perhaps we can learn more by addressing Him thusly.
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I am particularly interested in His aspect as Vegtam, “way-tame”. To put it succinctly, it seems as if this aspect of His may be connected with the shamanic journeying-trance, and may be connected with His aspect as a master shaman, and teacher of spirit-workers. Interested to hear what you think about this heiti.
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I would love to hear you discuss your views on Odin’s heiti of Jalkr.
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Ygg. I keep getting the insight he is directly involved with witchcraft and the Wild Hunt
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How fortuitous (and perhaps not entirely coincidental) – for I had just recently had an inspiration that for the month of December this year, I should choose one name of Odin per day to meditate on, study about, connect with, etc., as a way of drawing closer to Him. So I’ll be reading whatever you write on the topic with interest!
I have not delved deeply into this subject at all, but I suppose at this point my favorite heiti is Grimnir. Not surprisingly, I’m sure.
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Svafnir. My mind goes immediately to the Volsung Ring Cycle, but I suspect there is more to this name than that….
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ok. y’all gave me some really good ideas. I’ll slowly work through these various suggested Heiti over the next few weeks. 🙂 Thank you!
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Bolverk! Every God or Goddess I have been close with has a snake aspect, and if I remember correctly, that was the name He used right before He transformed into a snake to get into the mountain with Gunnlod to get to the Mead …..
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