Sleipnir Sleipnir In Norse mythology, Sleipnir (Old Norse "slippy" or "the slipper") is an eight-legged horse ridden by Odin. Sleipnir is attested in the "Poetic Edda", compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the "Prose Edda", written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Sleipnir is Odin's steed, is the child of Loki and Svaðilfari, is described as the best of all horses, and is sometimes ridden to the location of Hel. The "Prose Edda" contains extended information regarding the circumstances of Sleipnir's birth, and details that he is grey in color. Sleipnir is also
Odin peoples; some branches focus particularly on him. The Old Norse theonym "Óðinn" (popularly anglicised as "Odin") and its cognates, including Old English "Wōden", Old Saxon "Wōden", and Old High German "Wuotan", derive from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic theonym "*wōđanaz". The masculine noun "*wōđanaz" developed from the Proto-Germanic adjective "*wōđaz", related to Latin "vātēs" and Old Irish "fáith", both meaning 'seer, prophet'. Adjectives stemming from "*wōđaz" include Gothic "woþs" 'possessed', Old Norse "óðr", 'mad, frantic, furious', and Old English "wōd" 'mad'. The adjective "*wōđaz" (or "*wōđō") was further substantivised, leading to Old Norse "óðr" 'mind, wit, soul, sense', Old English "ellen-wōd" 'zeal',