The Story of Odin

It was already late at night, but Erik the little Viking didn’t want to go to sleep. Instead, he was running around the fire and swinging his stick around.

“Off you go to bed, Erik,” his mother ordered sternly. “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, we’ll go out to harvest the field together and then I’ll show you how to treat injuries big and small,” she continued.

“I don’t want to dig in the dirt, I want to be a great warrior,” Erik shouted into the darkness as he poked his stick into the fire.

His dad appeared in the firelight. “Your mum’s right, though, Erik. Even warriors need to learn. Wisdom and knowledge are the most valuable things we have. What’s in your head is even more important than how strong your muscles are. Come, I’ll tell you a bedtime story about the wisest of the wise.”

And so, a moment later, Erik had tucked himself up in his cosy sheepskin and was waiting quietly and patiently for his father to start telling the story...

“Once upon a time, there was a very powerful god. He lived in Asgard, which was where all the gods ruled from. His name was Odin. He had a long white beard, wore a hat with a wide brim, and was known for his wisdom and thirst for knowledge.

One day, Odin decided that he wanted to learn all the secrets of the world and become an even wiser ruler. He set out on a long journey to Mímir’s well, which was said to be the source of all life. However, as the name suggests, this precious well was guarded by the giant Mímir.

When he saw Odin, Mímir spoke in a deep voice:…