Odin the flying, eight-legged steed Sleipnir across the sky and into the underworld. Odin is the son of Bestla and Borr and has two brothers, Vili and Vé. Odin is attested as having many sons, most famously the gods Thor (with ) and (with ), and is known by hundreds of names. In these texts, he frequently seeks greater knowledge, at times in disguise (most famously by obtaining the Mead of Poetry), makes wagers with his wife Frigg over the outcome of exploits, and takes part in both the creation of the world by way of slaying the primordial being and
Odin Middle Dutch "woet" 'madness' (modern Dutch:"woede" 'anger'), and Old High German "wuot" 'thrill, violent agitation'. Additionally the Old Norse noun "æði" 'rage, fury' and Old High German "wuotī" 'madness' derive from the feminine noun "*wōđīn", from "*wōđaz". The weak verb "*wōđjanan", also derived from "*wōđaz", gave rise to Old Norse "æða" 'to rage', Old English "wēdan" 'to be mad, furious', Old Saxon "wōdian" 'to rage', and Old High German "wuoten" 'to be insane, to rage'. Over 170 names are recorded for Odin. These names are variously descriptive of attributes of the god, refer to myths involving him, or refer to