Odin's Reward

: Asgard Stories Tales From Norse Mythology

One night when all was quiet in Asgard and the Aesir had gone to rest,

Odin, the Allfather, sat awake on his high throne, troubled with many

thoughts. At his feet crouched his two faithful wolves, and upon his

shoulders perched the two ravens of thought and memory, who flew far

abroad every day, through the nine worlds, as Odin's messengers.



The Allfather had need of great wisdom in ruling the worlds; after

> thinking a long time on the matters which needed his care, he suddenly

started up, and went forth with long strides from his palace of

Gladsheim into the night. He soon returned, leading his beautiful,

eight-footed steed, Sleipnir, and it was plain that Odin was going on

a journey. He quickly mounted Sleipnir, and rode swiftly away toward

Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, which reached from Asgard, the city of the

gods, down through the air to the lower worlds.



When Sleipnir stepped upon the bridge it trembled, and seemed hardly

strong enough to bear the horse and his rider; but they had no fear of

its giving way, and Sleipnir galloped swiftly onward.



Soon Odin saw Heimdall, the watchman of the bridge, riding toward him on

a fine horse, with a golden mane that reflected light upon the noble

face of his rider.



"You must be bound on some important errand, Father Odin, to be riding

forth from Asgard so late at night," said Heimdall.



"It is indeed a most important errand, and I must hasten on," replied

Odin. "It is well for us that we have such a faithful guardian of the

'trembling bridge'; if it were not for you, Heimdall, our enemies might

long ago have taken Asgard by storm. You are so watchful, you can hear

the grass grow in the fields, and the wool gather on the backs of the

sheep, and you need less sleep than a bird. I myself stand in great need

of wisdom, in order to take care of such faithful servants, and to drive

back such wicked enemies!"



They hurried over the bridge until they came to Heimdall's far-shining

castle, at the farther end of it. This was a lofty tower which was

placed so as to guard the bridge, and it sent forth into the land of

the giant enemies such a wonderful, clear light, that Heimdall could

see, even in the darkest night, any one who came toward the bridge. Here

Odin stopped a few moments to drink the mead which the good Heimdall

offered him.



Then said Odin, "As I am journeying into the land of our enemies, I

shall leave my good horse with you; there are not many with whom I would

trust him, but I know that you, my faithful Heimdall, will take good

care of him. I can best hide myself from the giants by going on as a

wanderer."



With these words the Allfather quitted Heimdall's castle, and started

off toward the north, through the land of the fierce giants.



During all the first day there was nothing to be seen but ice and snow;

several times Odin was nearly crushed as the frost giants hurled huge

blocks of ice after him.



The second day he came to mountains and broad rivers. Often when he had

just crossed over a stream, the mountain giants would come after him to

the other bank, and when they found that Odin had escaped them, they

would send forth such a fierce yell, that the echoes sounded from hill

to hill.



At the end of the third day, Odin came to a land where trees were green

and flowers blooming. Here was one of the three fountains which watered

the world tree, Yggdrasil, and near by sat the wise giant, Mimir,

guarding the waters of this wonderful fountain, for whoever drank of it

would have the gift of great wisdom.



Mimir was a giant in size, but he was not one of the fierce giant

enemies of the gods, for he was kind, and wiser than the wisest.



Mimir's well of wisdom was in the midst of a wonderful valley, filled

with rare plants and bright flowers, and among the groves of beautiful

trees were strange creatures, sleeping dragons, harmless serpents, and

lizards, while birds with gay plumage flew and sang among the branches.

Over all this quiet valley shone a lovely soft light, different from

sunlight, and in the center grew one of the roots of the great world

tree. Here the wise giant Mimir sat gazing down into his well.



Odin greeted the kind old giant, and said, "Oh, Mimir, I have come from

far-away Asgard to ask a great boon!"



"Gladly will I help you if it is in my power," said Mimir.



"You know," replied Odin, "that as father of gods and men I need great

wisdom, and I have come to beg for one drink of your precious water of

knowledge. Trouble threatens us, even from one of the Aesir, for Loki,

the fire-god, has lately been visiting the giants, and I fear he has

been learning evil ways from them. The frost giants and the storm giants

are always at work, trying to overthrow both gods and men; great is my

need of wisdom, and even though no one ever before has dared ask so

great a gift, I hope that since you know how deep is my trouble, you

will grant my request."



Mimir sat silently, thinking for several moments, and then said, "You

ask a great thing, indeed, Father Odin; are you ready to pay the price

which I must demand?"



"Yes," said Odin, cheerfully, "I will give you all the gold and silver

of Asgard, and all the jeweled shields and swords of the Aesir. More than

all, I will give up my eight-footed horse Sleipnir, if that is needed to

win the reward."



"And do you suppose that these things will buy wisdom?" said Mimir.

"That can be gained only by bearing bravely, and giving up to others.

Are you willing to give me a part of yourself? Will you give up one of

your own eyes?"



At this Odin looked very sad; but after a few moments of deep thought,

he looked up with a bright smile, and answered, "Yes, I will even give

you one of my eyes, and I will suffer whatever else is asked, in order

to gain the wisdom that I need!"



We cannot know all that Odin bravely suffered in that strange, bright

valley, before he was rewarded with a drink from that wonderful

fountain; but we may be quite sure that never once was the good

Allfather sorry for anything he had given up, or any suffering he had

borne, for the sake of others.



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