The Wiki + Divine

Unlike his Norse counterpart Odin, almost nothing is known about the Anglo-Saxon and Germanic god Wōden. Though the two gods emerged from the same mythology, the Migration Period in Europe (about 400–800 AD) led many tribes and ethnic groups to separate, and caused religions to likewise break into smaller subgroups. The etymology of the name leads scholars to believe that Wōden was a god associated with intense passion, inspiration, and prophetic poetry. During the 8th and 9th centuries, it became fashionable for Anglo-Saxon royalty to claim descent from Wōden. Because Christianization took place during this period and worship of Wōden as a god was necessarily discouraged, he was re-conceptualized as an ancient king, rather than a deity. Gillen and McKelvie’s Wōden seems to deliberately embody some of the mystery associated with the deity: he wears a Daft Punk-style helmet and full-coverage Tron gear, leaving none of his skin visible. While it’s unclear whether or not Anglo-Saxon religion had concepts parallel to the Norse Valkyries or Valhalla, WicDiv Wōden has both, and he states, vaguely, “I don’t do anything myself, but I’m a maker”, reflecting the concept of Woden as a deity of inspiration.