“Odin was the most prominent among them, and from him they learned all the skills, because he was the first to know them. Now as to why he was honoured so greatly—the reasons for that are these: he was so handsome and noble to look at that when he sat among his friends it gladdened the hearts of all. But when he was engaged in warfare he showed his enemies a grim aspect.. He spoke so well and so smoothly that all who heard him believed all he said was true. All he spoke was in rhymes, as is what is now called the art of poetry, he and his temple-priests were called verse-smiths.. Odin was able to cause his enemies in battle to be blind or deaf or terror-struck, and he could cause their swords to cut no better than a willow wand. His own men went to battle without armour and acted like mad dogs or wolves. They bit into their shields and were as strong as bulls or bears. They killed men, and neither fire nor iron harmed them. This madness is called berserker fury.. Odin had with him Mimir’s head, which told him many tidings from other worlds; and at times he would call to life dead men out of the ground, or he would sit down under men that were hanged. On this account he was called Lord of the Undead or of the Hanged. He had two ravens on whom he had bestowed the gift of speech. They flew far and wide over the lands and told him many tidings. By these means he became very wise in lore. And all these skills he taught with those runes and songs which are called magic songs [charms].”