Invocation Norse rites where Odin is invoked to "ride" workers of seidr (Norse shamanism), much like the god rides his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Indeed, forms of possessive invocation appear throughout the world in most mystical or ecstatic traditions, wherever devotees seek to touch upon the essence of a deity or spirit. Some have performed invocation for the purpose of controlling or extracting favors from certain spirits or deities. These invocations usually involve a commandment or threat against the entity invoked. The following is a curious example of such an invocation, found engraved in cuneiform on a statue of the Assyrian demon
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