Surprising Connection Between Norse God Odin And Attila The Hun Revealed

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - The theory suggesting that Norse God Odin can be somehow connected to Attila the Hun may seem far-fetched when you hear about it for the first time. What can Odin, who was worshipped in Scandinavia, have in common with the leader of the Huns, a nomadic tribe from Central Asia? Odin was a mythological figure, while Attila the Hun was a historical person whose existence has been proven. Surely, these two individuals have nothing in common, or do they?

While digging deeper into this strange connection, we soon discover the theory is by no means far-fetched.

We know that Odin was the most complex figure of all the Norse Gods. In Viking beliefs, Odin was the God of magic, wisdom, and war. Riding on his horse Sleipnir that has supernatural strength, Odin can conquer his enemy using Gungnir, a magical weapon that is unstoppable in its fight and governs the fortunes of war.

God Odin is a man of war, but also knowledge. He is also regarded as the "Father of the Runes." The Vikings believed runes were created when their chief God Odin speared himself to the cosmic world tree, Yggdrasil in hopes of receiving secret knowledge.

Born north of the Danube River, Attila the Hun, the leader of the Hunnic Empire from 434 to 453 A.D., was famous for his skills on the battlefield, and there is no doubt he was one of the most fearsome enemies the Romans ever encountered.

Atilla's nomadic warriors struck fear into much of Europe, and these barbarians attacked the Roman Empire and invaded the southern Balkan provinces, Greece, Gaul, and Italy. Around 370, hordes of Huns took over much of Western Europe, conquering Germanic tribes and forcing others out of their growing territory. When Germanic tribes saw Attila the Hun and his warriors riding fast on their horses, they knew they had only two options; escape or submit to the invaders.

Some years ago, archaeologists discovered a gold pendant depicting the Norse God Odin and his horse Sleipnir on a farm in Kungsbacka, Sweden. Archaeologists think the precious jewelry can be linked to the Heruli, the Huns, and ancient Romans.

Gold pendant of Odin and Slepnir. Image credit: Bengt Nordqvist

This brings us to more discoveries linking God Odin to Attila the Hun. Those who study Norse mythology and compare stories about God Odin with historical events related to the Huns will find many surprising similarities.

Archaeologist Lotte Hedeager, one of the most prominent Nordic experts on this historical period, compares the Huns' war of conquest with the attacks of the Vikings 400 years later.

Hedeager emphasized the importance of the horse used by the Huns as the primary weapon and the extraordinary riding skills of the nomadic warriors.

A nineteenth century depiction of Attila. Certosa di Pavia – Medallion at the base of the facade. The Latin inscription tells that this is Attila, the scourge of God. Credit: Carlo Brogi - Public Domain

As Hedeager points out, the Huns "could move at a speed that made people around them completely defenseless. For those who saw it, it must have been a complete shock."

The Huns conquered everything they came across, and eventually, the nomads controlled a vast area from Friesland in the west via the Baltic coast to Crimea in the east. Hedeager thinks it's inconceivable the nomadic warriors left Scandinavia as a "small oasis."

Hedeager thinks the Huns' influence may well have extended all the way to Scandinavia during the more than 70 years that their rule lasted, and memories of these historical events can be found in Norse mythology.

Hedeager and other researchers have previously suggested that Nordic people were even occasionally allied with the forces of Attila the Hun to pressure the crumbling Roman Empire on gold in exchange for peace.

Returning to the similarities between Attila the Hun and God Odin, we can start by mentioning the importance of animals.

Hedeager explains that Asian influence can be found if we examine art during this period. Nordic people began to adorn their weapons and jewelry with animal ornaments. Norse people produced art depicting creatures that were a mixture of animals and humans. Ancient Viking jewelry was, in most cases made of silver or bronze and sometimes gold. Many Viking ornaments featured images of animals, particularly twisting shapes of snakes.

God Odin's most trusted companions were animals. He always had his two raven companions, Hugin (Huginn)  and Munin (Munnin), on his shoulders. At his feet, Odin had two loyal wolves Geri ('greedy') and Freki ('ravenous'), that kept him company, guarding the border against the giants, who were sworn enemies of men and the Aesir gods.

"We know that the Huns had a shamanistic religion. They believed in the importance of animals as helpers in contact with another world, and Odin has these two ravens that are typical helpers for a shaman," Lotte said in an interview with the Swedish Television, SVT.

It's vital not to misunderstand what Hedeager is implying. She is not saying that Attila the Hun was Norse God Odin. What is suggested is that the myth of Odin may be much older than previously thought. We tend to associate Odin with Norse mythology, but Odin as a god was present in the Germanic pantheon long before Norse people started to worship him.

Hedeager thinks the personality of Attila the Hun may have shaped the image of God Odin.

The Huns had a shamanistic religion. Credit: SVT

"When I researched this, it struck me how great the similarity is between the description of Odin, which we have in the Edda, and the description of Attila. Snorre Sturluson tells us that Odin and his Aesir come in from Crimea," she says.

Are Norse myths memories of the Huns' conquests? Credit: SVT

"One may ask, where do the myths come from? Is it something that someone has invented, or can it be the memories of this that recur in our Scandinavian mythology? We did not want to see the East in our European cultural heritage, but in fact, we have received a lot from the Asian area," she adds.

One has to agree with Hedeager when she says Odin is described as a typical shaman. Readers of Ancient Pages familiar with Norse mythology have most likely noticed that God Odin is somewhat different from other Norse gods. The more we study this fascinating theory and search for similarities, the more plausible it becomes. Perhaps one should seek clues to the identity of God Odin in the history of the Huns and Attila the Hun.

Updated on November 4, 2022

Written by  Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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