Norse gods and magic

So I was checking out my Norse mythology the other day, and it turns out that Odin utilized Sedr, or Norse magic, and was heavily mocked by Loki for it because magic is for women and weaklings.

But Odin is a god. Why would he need to use magic? I couldn't find anything on the subject other than the fact that he did use magic. Further, Loki shapeshifts all the time. How is that not magic?

Seidr is a particular kind of magic. It's shamanic magic, like humans use, rather than inherent magic like the Etins use. That might be why the Half-giant mocks the Allfather for using it, but it gives him abilities that other deities might not have.

Pretty much what he said.

Also, Loki is a frost giant (or half-giant, or something), which are inherently shapeshifters. So that's not so much magic as just using his natural abilities.

But if they're gods how do they do godly things without magic? Or if they can do god things, why do they need magic?

Most of the Aesir didn't use magic, they just used their muscles to do things.

Seidr isn't like godly magic or Etin magic or alfr magic. It doesn't allow one to change shape or create magical items or anything like that. What it does is let one see the future and see things that even gods, etins and alfar can't normally see. It is powerful but considered by both the Norse and the very hands-on Aesir to be sneaky, devious and not very manly. After all, having to resort to seidr shows that you aren't able to just go through life easily overcoming everything that comes at you without prior warning. Me, I'm a big fan of shamanic magic. Combat Pragmatist and all that.

Oh that makes sense. I didn't know seidr was only for divination.

Oh, not only for divination, but that is perhaps its most powerful use.

I was under the impression Odin removed his eye in exchange for expanded sight and also talked to crows, which he sent around to gather information for him, and that he did not actually use Sedhr, and that Loki just accused him for it because he could indeed see beyond what was in front of him and was probably invoked by human practitioners.

I was also pretty sure magic involved contact with semen, which is why it was considered improper for a man to use it, not that Loki is one to talk.

As mentioned in Lokasenna, "I don't want to hear that from you, horsefucker!"

Many pantheons are on a much more level ground with humans than Christianity.

I've noticed a trend that in many pantheons, Humans Are Special because they have qualities that the gods do not. Sure, we're not immortal and most of us aren't that powerful, but we're frequently able to Screw Destiny, be creative, or just be a Spanner in the Works.

With the Norse, one of our abilities is seidr. Due to the qualities noted by above posters, seidr was primarily a woman's field—Freya was another skilled practitioner.

Hence, Loki's mockery and Odin's retort that the mother of his horse should shut the fuck up.

edited 30th Sep '14 2:34:24 PM by Sharysa