Heimskringla Powers

Óðinn changed shapes. Then his body lay as if it was asleep or dead, while
he was a bird or an animal, a fish or a snake, and travelled in an instant to
distant lands, on his own or other people’s business. He also knew how to
put out fire or calm the sea or turn the winds in any direction he wished
with words alone, and he owned a ship called Skíðblaðnir, on which he
sailed over high seas, but it could be folded together like a cloth. Óðinn
kept Mímir’s head by him, and it told him much news from other worlds,
and sometimes he awakened the dead from the earth or sat himself under
hanged men. Because of this he was called draugadróttinn (‘lord of ghosts’)
or hangadróttinn (‘lord of the hanged’). He had two ravens which he
had trained to speak. They flew over distant countries and told him much
news. From these things he became extremely wise. All these skills he taught
along with runes and those songs that are called galdrar (‘magic spells’).
Because of this the Æsir are called galdrasmiðir (‘magic makers’). Óðinn
knew, and practised himself, the art which is accompanied by greatest power,
called seiðr (‘black magic’), and from it he could predict the fates of men
and things that had not yet happened, and also cause men death or disaster
or disease, and also take wit or strength from some and give it to others. But
this magic, when it is practised, is accompanied by such great perversion
that it was not considered without shame for a man to perform it, and the
skill was taught to the goddesses. Óðinn knew about all the treasure of the
earth, where it was hidden, and he knew songs which would make the earth
and cliffs and rocks and grave-mounds open up before him, and with words
alone he would bind those who were in them and go in and take from there
whatever he wanted. He became very famous because of these powers. His
enemies feared him, but his friends trusted him and believed in his power
and in him. And he taught most of his skills to his sacrificial priests. They
were next to him in all lore and magic. And yet many others learned much
of it, and from there heathendom spread widely and lasted for a long
time. And people worshipped Óðinn and the twelve rulers and called them
their gods and believed in them long afterwards. The name Auðunn comes
from Óðinn, and people called their sons this, and from Þórr’s name come
the names Þórir and Þórarinn, or it is combined with other elements, as in
Steinþórr or Hafþórr, or changed further in other ways.


- Heimskringla, Ynglinga Saga, Chapter 7