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Pagan Portals - Odin: Meeting the Norse Allfather
Blending history and personal experience this book introduces you to Odin, his mythology, and modern worship.
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2018
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301 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 12, 2018
I'm going through a bit of a Norse mythology phase at the minute and looking at what books are out there on the subject.
This is a bit of a beginner's guide to understanding the basics of Odin worship. I found a lot of useful information. It's brief but has lots of information if you're looking for a quick read. It was easy to read and not bogged down by rambling descriptions. I would actually have liked a bit more detail but overall it's not a bad book.
Free arc from netgalley
This is a bit of a beginner's guide to understanding the basics of Odin worship. I found a lot of useful information. It's brief but has lots of information if you're looking for a quick read. It was easy to read and not bogged down by rambling descriptions. I would actually have liked a bit more detail but overall it's not a bad book.
Free arc from netgalley
February 10, 2018
Little be easy and not so researched informations. We keep it on the surface and even if it can be interesting for neophyte, it's also not much of an interest for anybody who have the slightest knowledge about Norse mythology. Not bad, but just too simple for really stand out!
April 13, 2018
A decent introduction to Odin, a good blend of academic, historical mythology and modern interpretations leavened with personal experience. Definitely better than 90% of the texts I've seen on the subject. The bibliography is extensive and the books included are reputable.
January 26, 2020
I'm not into the Norse mythology, nor do I approach any aspect of Norse Paganism - so this book was really not directed towards me. However, as a beginning perspective on Odin, its an excellent piece of work. To aid a seeker in more knowledge on Odin, Morgan has added a large amount of reference material in the bibliography. if you are interested in finding out more about Odin this is, in my opinion, an excellent starting point. --T /|\
February 25, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-reader copy of this book for me to review!
This is a good beginner's guide to understanding the basics of Odin worship. Anyone, Pagan, Heathen, scholar, or not, would find something useful in this book about the All-Father. It's brief but still informative if you're looking for a quick know-all prior to more detailed research and practice. The style was clear and easy to understand aside from a handful of sentences that were confusing.
The last quarter of the book was about current practice for Odin worship, based on the author's research and experiences with the deity herself. This includes poetry, ideas for offerings, and modern rune practices. This was, to me, the best part of the book. She gave an incredible insight into modern Pagan worship and the relationships we form with our deities.
On some more detailed notes, some of the wording throughout the book was repetitive, particularly with the word "complex". Understandably, this deity (and general Norse mythology) has many branches, family members, and interpretations. It only slightly threw me off of what I was reading, constantly wondering how it was complex, and of course, never finding out how complex it actually was because the book can only be so long.
Additionally, there were several instances where I questioned, the credibility of the author to write this book. While no one expects the writer of a beginner's guide to be a wholesome expert, I would imagine the author would have done enough research so that they don't have to write such sentences as "I've also heard X, but I can't remember the source at the moment" or "I'm not an expert in X, so you're going to need to do further research to learn more". Such sentences could have been omitted, or been thoroughly more researched to provide a reliable source, or even replaced with a statement like "This resource says X, but in contrast, this source says X". While I don't doubt the research and experiences the author has had and done were extensive, I expected something done with a little more professional finesse.
That aside, the information that was more researched was in-depth and interesting to read about. Daimler put in all of the information that was essential to know about Odin, and didn't make it seem boring.
This is a good beginner's guide to understanding the basics of Odin worship. Anyone, Pagan, Heathen, scholar, or not, would find something useful in this book about the All-Father. It's brief but still informative if you're looking for a quick know-all prior to more detailed research and practice. The style was clear and easy to understand aside from a handful of sentences that were confusing.
The last quarter of the book was about current practice for Odin worship, based on the author's research and experiences with the deity herself. This includes poetry, ideas for offerings, and modern rune practices. This was, to me, the best part of the book. She gave an incredible insight into modern Pagan worship and the relationships we form with our deities.
On some more detailed notes, some of the wording throughout the book was repetitive, particularly with the word "complex". Understandably, this deity (and general Norse mythology) has many branches, family members, and interpretations. It only slightly threw me off of what I was reading, constantly wondering how it was complex, and of course, never finding out how complex it actually was because the book can only be so long.
Additionally, there were several instances where I questioned, the credibility of the author to write this book. While no one expects the writer of a beginner's guide to be a wholesome expert, I would imagine the author would have done enough research so that they don't have to write such sentences as "I've also heard X, but I can't remember the source at the moment" or "I'm not an expert in X, so you're going to need to do further research to learn more". Such sentences could have been omitted, or been thoroughly more researched to provide a reliable source, or even replaced with a statement like "This resource says X, but in contrast, this source says X". While I don't doubt the research and experiences the author has had and done were extensive, I expected something done with a little more professional finesse.
That aside, the information that was more researched was in-depth and interesting to read about. Daimler put in all of the information that was essential to know about Odin, and didn't make it seem boring.
July 20, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review!
To preface this - Odin is not one of the deities that I work with or worship. I am not *particularly* interested in him.
This book, another small but mighty Pagan Portals, kept me engaged enough to learn something new about this god, and there was quite a lot to learn! He has a vast amount of information, and his current popularity means that there are a ton of folks out there who will find this book helpful.
For someone who hasn't delved into the Norse culture or mythology (as my own spirituality is rooted in the Irish) I appreciated the amount of research that has gone into this book. His list of names/epithets in the first chapter alone made this a worthy read, in my opinion.
This book also goes over his family, lovers, relations etc, which was fascinating as these figures were names that I had heard in Pagan circles, but being able to place them in a family tree was very satisfying for me to learn about.
The book, like most of Daimler's work, is a great balance of personal material, and academic mythology, which has made Daimler one of the pillars in the modern Pagan communities. This book won't disappoint as well!
To preface this - Odin is not one of the deities that I work with or worship. I am not *particularly* interested in him.
This book, another small but mighty Pagan Portals, kept me engaged enough to learn something new about this god, and there was quite a lot to learn! He has a vast amount of information, and his current popularity means that there are a ton of folks out there who will find this book helpful.
For someone who hasn't delved into the Norse culture or mythology (as my own spirituality is rooted in the Irish) I appreciated the amount of research that has gone into this book. His list of names/epithets in the first chapter alone made this a worthy read, in my opinion.
This book also goes over his family, lovers, relations etc, which was fascinating as these figures were names that I had heard in Pagan circles, but being able to place them in a family tree was very satisfying for me to learn about.
The book, like most of Daimler's work, is a great balance of personal material, and academic mythology, which has made Daimler one of the pillars in the modern Pagan communities. This book won't disappoint as well!
April 10, 2018
When Morgan Daimler announced the pending release of this book last year, I immediately knew that I HAD to have a copy. I finally added it to my eReader last night and devoured it this afternoon. As it turns out, this book contains many answers I have been seeking for the better part of a year and clarified things for me in a way I was not expecting.
The Norse Mythologies are daunting, to say the least. Have you seen the size of “The Sagas of the Icelanders”? It seems to scream “Go ahead. Attempt to read me. I DARE YOU!” (insert evil laugh here)
In contrast, “Odin: Meeting the Norse Allfather” is both easy to read and an in-depth look at this Norse God. A great place to start and build your knowledge, so that perhaps the larger tomes are not quite as intimidating. I had no idea he was known by so many names, had so many aspects. I am especially drawn to “Yule Father” and feel he would be a meaningful way to deepen my Yuletide celebrations.
This is a book that I will return to, time and time again. A valuable reference for anyone who is interested in learning more about Odin and the Heathen path.
The Norse Mythologies are daunting, to say the least. Have you seen the size of “The Sagas of the Icelanders”? It seems to scream “Go ahead. Attempt to read me. I DARE YOU!” (insert evil laugh here)
In contrast, “Odin: Meeting the Norse Allfather” is both easy to read and an in-depth look at this Norse God. A great place to start and build your knowledge, so that perhaps the larger tomes are not quite as intimidating. I had no idea he was known by so many names, had so many aspects. I am especially drawn to “Yule Father” and feel he would be a meaningful way to deepen my Yuletide celebrations.
This is a book that I will return to, time and time again. A valuable reference for anyone who is interested in learning more about Odin and the Heathen path.
March 29, 2018
As a beginner in Norse Mythology, I must say this was a very informative and enlightening read for me. It's been a while since I've been interested in getting to know the norse pantheon a bit more, and although this book is centred around Odin, there's also an introduction to the whole context of his being, from the beginning of everything, to the most known Norse Gods. It really goes into depth into who Odin is, where the references of his personality come from, his various names, etc. so I would completely recommend this book to people interested in getting to know this god.
*I received this book as an e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*I received this book as an e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
April 22, 2021
It's an intro book that is less than 100 pages long and does a good job of going over him briefly. This is great for people wanting to learn more but not sure where to start while providing further reading in the bibliography. Daimler goes over not just the cool, inspiring parts of Odin, but the rather not great (and at times abhorrent) parts of him too. There are also prayers, meditations, and some rituals that are described here as well that would be helpful for those who wish to utilize them. Daimler draws much of their practice from history and also talks about their own experiences with Odin.
The only issue that I take with this as a whole is that Daimler glosses over folkists and doesn't comment on them further than "racism is not supported in the lore," (Page 65) which is a yikes for me. I'm glad that it was mentioned because newbies definitely need to be aware to be careful of who and what organizations they are supporting. But it isn't hard to just say that racism is bad; I support Declaration 127 (which had a major push in 2016, before this was written (2017) and published (2018))/Declaration of Deeds (a more recent and stronger version of the previous written in 2019, after this was published).
All in all, it is as promised, a brief overview of a controversial and complicated diety in Heathenry. I think it's worth the list price to get your feet wet, but as always, proceed with caution and intention down your path.
The only issue that I take with this as a whole is that Daimler glosses over folkists and doesn't comment on them further than "racism is not supported in the lore," (Page 65) which is a yikes for me. I'm glad that it was mentioned because newbies definitely need to be aware to be careful of who and what organizations they are supporting. But it isn't hard to just say that racism is bad; I support Declaration 127 (which had a major push in 2016, before this was written (2017) and published (2018))/Declaration of Deeds (a more recent and stronger version of the previous written in 2019, after this was published).
All in all, it is as promised, a brief overview of a controversial and complicated diety in Heathenry. I think it's worth the list price to get your feet wet, but as always, proceed with caution and intention down your path.
March 25, 2018
I'm a little confused by the other ratings of this book; I'm thinking they missed it being an overview/ introduction to Odin? Nonetheless, this book is a great introductory guide to Odin, with a slew of resources/references to delve further if one so wishes. Would recommend for newcomers to Odin, Norse myth, and as a great jumping point to more extensive research. I found this to be a very good resource book for my bookshelf.
November 20, 2022
It’s a good starting point for learning about Odin, which means it achieved its goal as a primer.
An issue I had with the book was the lack of reference to the white supremacy issue in the heathen community, especially followers of Odin. It was briefly mentioned once, then quickly moved on.
I liked the inclusion of the poems that the author had written to Odin. As a poet myself, I forget that I can do this to the gods, so this was a useful reference.
An issue I had with the book was the lack of reference to the white supremacy issue in the heathen community, especially followers of Odin. It was briefly mentioned once, then quickly moved on.
I liked the inclusion of the poems that the author had written to Odin. As a poet myself, I forget that I can do this to the gods, so this was a useful reference.
July 7, 2019
Really like Morgans Celtic books but for some reason could nit get into this one. I think it is personal as I have a tendency to lean heavy Vannir and deal with different Deities of this patheon. Look forward as usual ti reading her other books and feel that many will get something out of this one.
July 20, 2019
Nice quick read that combines a decent amount of research on Odin and his various appearances in the Sagas, Eddas, and more as well as biographical information about the authors attraction to Odin and her suggestions for practical worship today. I will check more of her books out as they seem light but very informative.
December 15, 2022
Not a bad introduction. I'm not sure the division between seidh and spae is something that is widely agreed on, but ultimately it's a small quibble. I wish there had been more applicable knowledge and that some of the broader non-Norse connections had been highlighted. Good as a bare bones introduction.
December 24, 2023
I have read other books from Pagan Portals that are concise and an introduction, but I suppose Odin as a topic for a book is not easy to put in such a short format. It really is an overview and it wouldn't hurt to look further into the books in the bibliography.
November 8, 2024
Overall I thought this book was great. Some of the authors referenced in the chapter on runes are highly problematic (Paxson, Thorsson, and Aswynn). I really loved the chapter on poetry and how Daimler weaves in their own experiences of Odin throughout.
May 23, 2018
Rather simplistic, but a fair introduction to this God.
May 4, 2021
It was short, and while not without depth it was very much a beginners book. I guess I expected more of the depth the author shows writing about the Fey Folk, and this is not that.
January 31, 2022
Enjoyed this
I really enjoyed reading about Odin. The book is well-written and informative. Daimler has produced a well thought out book, complete with sources to investigate.
I really enjoyed reading about Odin. The book is well-written and informative. Daimler has produced a well thought out book, complete with sources to investigate.
December 29, 2022
A good book if you are just diving in Odin. A place to start, some basic info and recommendations.
March 9, 2023
Morgan Daimler es increíble. Siempre consigue transmitir mucha información valiosa, de fuentes primarias y estudios relevantes, en libros muy breves, sencillos y accesibls. 🦉🤎
February 4, 2024
Superb
Very informative, a smooth read as though a
friend is guiding you into all things Odin.
Blessed be to Morgan Daimler, May Odin Reward her loyalty
Very informative, a smooth read as though a
friend is guiding you into all things Odin.
Blessed be to Morgan Daimler, May Odin Reward her loyalty
July 30, 2025
It's a well rounded introduction to Odin. From my experience that is what Pagan Portal books tend to be. It is worth a read if you are just being introduced to Odin and Norse mythology.
Read
August 18, 2023This is a very easily accessible introduction to the Norse god Odin. I enjoyed how Daimler included both literary sources and her own experiences working with the god. The northern mysteries are very personal and shamanic, so I like to read how people work with dream work and altered consciousness to develop a new relationship with ancient gods and goddesses.
November 17, 2018
A good place to begin your journey to get to know the Allfather ! Well worth reading.
July 27, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. As someone who has been interested in Norse mythology since I was a child, this new take on an old god was a great read. Perfect for those new and old to Odin, this book also offers plenty of recommendations for further reading.
August 8, 2018
Daimler’s Pagan Portals: Odin serves as a basic introduction to one of Norse mythology's most important deities. There is a general introduction, followed by Odin’s roles in Norse myth, how he is seen outside of Norse culture, and his symbols and associations. The last chapters look at working with Odin today. Each chapter ends with the author's own experiences learning about and working with Odin.
This book would serve as a great beginning intro to the Allfather for those who know nothing of him at all. However, for those who are more familiar, the information added little that was new. I would have liked to see more in-depth information, but what would have really made me happy would have been practical exercises for working with Odin, like the exercises to be found in Pagan Portals: Gwyn ap Nudd. I love the cover, though!
***Many thanks to Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This book would serve as a great beginning intro to the Allfather for those who know nothing of him at all. However, for those who are more familiar, the information added little that was new. I would have liked to see more in-depth information, but what would have really made me happy would have been practical exercises for working with Odin, like the exercises to be found in Pagan Portals: Gwyn ap Nudd. I love the cover, though!
***Many thanks to Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews