ON ODIN'S LOSING SIDE

2024 copyright by Captain Curtis Hervey, ExecCert, public policy, M.R.E. (USA RET)

In a March 11, 2024, Instagram tribute to her late brother Garrison (25), Mykelti Brown (27) of “Sister Wives” fame, wrote, “My heart breaks for my brother who’s no longer with us but it rejoices knowing he’s with his fellow warriors in Valhalla drinking and fighting with Odin…” Source:? https://www.instagram.com/p/C4YZPEiuPTA/?hl=en

This writer has grudgingly become a fan of the TLC show over the years but has never liked the narcissistic patriarch Kody Brown. In fact, much of Kody’s abusive and self-centered behavior likely contributed to Garrion’s suicide to some degree (he was also a military veteran which also could have been a factor).? However, although this news is tragic, this is beyond the scope of this article.?

Instead, this writer was intrigued by Mykelti’s allusion to “drinking and fighting with Odin” in Valhalla with his fellow warriors, an obvious nod to Scandinavian heathen culture.

Nowadays, the certain members of the Armed Forces who profess the Norse pagan faith, etc. are granted religious accommodation for shaving profiles or beard waivers (Simkins, 2019; Losey, 2020).

The author’s son who serves in the Air Force recently related how a troop triumphantly announced his new shaving waiver based on his Norse heathen religious preference, but when the elated Airman was reminded that he was a professed Christian, the Airman seemed oblivious to the irony or apparent contradiction to his past profession of faith in Jesus Christ.? But this act was denying Jesus nonetheless, a form of apostasy alluded to in Matthew 10:33-35.

This is because Odin (Wotan or Woden), the namesake for Wednesday, is obviously a rival to the Most High of the Holy Bible.? In fact, the Latin word for Wednesday is dies Mercurii.? This means the Romans identified the Scandinavian Odin with their Romanized Mercury (Hermes to the Greeks), the messenger of the Olympian gods. The Apostle Paul was once identified as Mercury in human form due to his gift or oratory and the fact that he was the chief speaker when he evangelized superstitious heathens of Lycaonia (modern-day Turkey) alongside Barnabas whom they dubbed Jupiter (Acts 14:9-15).

Of course, Odin was father of Thor, a storm god, associated with lightning and Jesus said he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18). This means that Satan is also symbolized by lightning. In fact, the Aesir (like their rivals the Vanir) are just fallen angelic Elohim that masquerade as gods (Exodus 20:3-5, Deuteronomy 32:17, Luke 16:13, and 1 Corinthians 10:19-22).

These entities represent the forces of darkness (Odin’s horde, etc.) mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-12 who patiently have been preparing for the final showdown with the forces of light at Armageddon (Revelation 19). In fact, it was for this purpose a disguised Odin mimicking a tall, bearded old man adorned with a wide-brimmed pointed “wizard’s hat” and cloak with a “walking stick” (the spear Gungnir) as angelic beings are wont to do according to Hebrews 13:2, wandering through the earth (or “walking up and down in it” like Satan in Job 2:2), stirring up wars and strife to gather warriors for his army at Ragnar?k (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). This is identical to what the Holy Bible says about Satan’s activities on earth (Job 2:2, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12).

One-eyed Odin, who also hung on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:23, Galatians 3:13) in a non-redemptive act of futility to selfishly acquire magic runes in a bid to avert his own fate, knew he was doomed at the final battle. And he lost. Odin’s army lost. The Aesir/Vanir are losers, but the disciples of Christ are overcomers (1 John 5:4).

Consequently, anyone who chooses to be part of Odin’s horde opposite of Jesus Christ’s forces and will be on the losing side.

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Works Cited:

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018). Odin | Myth & History. In?Encyclop?dia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odin-Norse-deity

Losey, S. (2020, June 24).?Air Force approves five-year medical beard waivers. Air Force Times. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/06/24/air-force-approves-five-year-medical-beard-waivers/

Simkins, J. (2019, December 30). A “defining feature of masculine men” — soldier’s Norse pagan faith earns beard waiver. Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/12/30/a-defining-feature-of-masculine-men-soldiers-norse-pagan-faith-earns-beard-waiver/