A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Among many colorful epithets of great god Odin was “Lord of the Spear”. Odin owned Gungnir (in Old Norse means “swaying one”), a magical weapon, which was unstoppable in its fight and governed the fortunes of war.
This divine weapon would easily strike whatsoever he aimed at and it always flew straight to its target and it never missed it.
Odin with his spear, Gungnir. Sculpture by Lee Lawrie, Library of Congress
According to Snorri’s Edda, Gungnir, as well as the ship Skidbladnir, and the goddess Siv’s golden hair, were manufactured at the request of Loki, by the dwarf artisans Brokk, and Eitri, who were sons of Ivaldi and lived in the underground cave in Svartalfheim. Brokk, and Eitri were well-known craftsmen among the dwarves.
Another version says that after drinking from Mimir’s Well, Odin broke off a branch of the sacred tree Yggdrasil, which overshadowed the spring, and made from it his favorite weapon – spear Gungnir. In ‘Sigrdrivomal’, which is a part of the Poetic Edda text in Codex Regius, a sailor mentions that Odin carved runes on Gungnir’s cape, and they held magical powers.
Sometimes Odin entrusted to Hermod’s care the precious spear Gungnir, bidding him cast it over the heads of combatants about to engage in battle.
As the god of war, Odin usually carried the infallible spear Gungnir in his hand, and this amazing weapon was so sacred that an oath sworn upon its point could never be broken.
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