How Odin Became Santa Claus: Symbolism and Pagan Origins of a Gift-Giving Saint

On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 02:10:24 -0800 (PST), LOVE Europe HATE the EU
> wrote:

>How Odin Became Santa Claus: Symbolism and Pagan Origins of a Gift-
>Giving Saint
>by Anja Heij
>
>http://www.odins-gift.com/poth/1imoth/wildhunt2.gif
>http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9...eigh800ip3.jpg
>
>The story begins in the northern regions of Europe where the supreme
>god Odin, also known as Wodan among the German tribes, reigned. (He
>still lives among us in Wednesday, which is Wodan’s day). Odin/Wodan
>was the god of wisdom, magick and occult knowledge, runes, poetry and
>war. His name means “the inspired one”. Like a shaman he could travel
>in other worlds to gather more insight while his two black ravens
>Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) kept him informed about the news
>in the world. Odin was depicted as a tall, old man with a white beard
>and wearing a cloak. He rode the skies and the seas on his fast white
>horse Sleipnir with his 8 (the number of transformation) legs, while
>carrying his never missing spear Gungnir (clear and focused intent) in
>his hand. He had one eye, for he had offered the other eye in exchange
>for gathering wisdom at the well of the head Mimir (Norse
>representation of the Source) and with that he became a shapeshifter,
>able of seeing in the outward world with his normal eye and
>understanding the inward worlds with his black, removed, eye. He was
>very beloved among his friends and followers who felt happy and
>energized in his surroundings (an enlightened being?). His enemies
>however he could paralyze or kill with his sight (insight, the truth).
>Odin trained many men and women as warriors for the final battle
>against the forces of destruction in the underworld at Ragnarok (the
>Norse judgement day). His fearless warriors often painted their bodies
>black and fought in the middle of the night.
>
>The story of Odin/Wodan is the battle between good and evil which will
>stop when we finally realize that black and white are two sides of the
>same coin. Odin is a mythical representation of goodness with his
>wisdom, white beard and white horse (in New Age terms we would depict
>him as ‘white divine light’). And he is wise enough to understand that
>‘black’ is not similar to ‘dark’ in the sense of ‘evil and taboo’ for
>his helpers are black ravens and black (spiritual) warriors. The evil
>he fights is the underworld dragon of false beliefs, untruth and
>selfishness (in New Age terms we would call this ‘ego’).
>(So now we have a wise, good man performing magick/miracles with a
>white horse riding the skies, a white beard, a cloak, a spear and
>black advisors/informers/helpers and he is also god of poetry).
>
>Next we go to the Roman empire where between December 17 and 24 the
>pagan Saturnalia were celebrated, big feasts with a lot of
>merrymaking, dancing, gambling, sensuality and the exchange of gifts.
>This festival was meant to celebrate the return of the sun on the
>shortest days of the year and to counteract the depression due to lack
>of sunlight.
>(Here we find December celebrations with gifts.)
>
>Time goes by. Christianity develops itself. In the 4th century in
>Myra, Turkey, a Christian bishop named Nicholas lived with a great
>reputation for goodness, benevolence and performing miracles for the
>poor and unhappy. He miraculously supplied gold to three (number of
>manifestation) girls as marriage dowries so they did not have to
>become prostitutes and he brought three children back to life who had
>been chopped by a butcher. It is not difficult to understand that
>during the poverty of the Middle Ages (also called Dark Ages) this
>bishop became extremely popular as Saint Nicholas in all parts of
>Europe. His feastday, it was said to be his birthday, was December 5
>or 6, nobody knows. There is no historical evidence however for the
>true existence of this saint.
>(So now we see a benevolent, miracle performing bishop with a white
>dress and a red cloak.)
>
>After the Reformation Saint Nicholas became forgotten in all the
>protestant countries of Europe except Holland. There he became
>Sinterklaas; a kind and wise old man with a white beard, white dress,
>red cloak, a crosier and riding the skies and roofs of the houses on
>his white horse, accompanied by his Black Jacks. Sinterklaas will
>visit you on his birthday December 5 or 6 and donate gifts. His Black
>Jacks have miraculously gathered information about your behavior
>during the last year; if it were good you will now be rewarded with
>presents, if it were bad you will be punished by the Black Jacks who
>will beat you with their rods or even worse: put you in a big bag and
>take you with to Spain, said to be the residence of Sinterklaas. The
>last thing seems to be a Christian influence: punishment by a severe
>father if you don’t behave morally just. On the other hand: if you do
>behave nice you will be rewarded with sweets and gifts accompanied by
>humoristic poems that give insight in your weaknesses.
>(Here the mix becomes clear between Odin the good magician god and the
>miracles of the benevolent Sinterklaas. They both ride a white horse
>in the skies,wear a white beard, a cloak and a spear/cosier. They both
>have black helpers. They try to support goodness and dispel evil
>through knowledge. And remember the poetry part? And the blend with
>Roman influences shows itself in a December feast with gaiety and
>presents.)
>
>In the 17th century Dutchmen emigrated to Northern America and brought
>their tradition of Sinterklaas with. In the new English speaking world
>the name changed into Santa Claus. In 1930 a designer for the Coca-
>Cola Company was asked to draw attractive advertisements for this
>drink that did not sell well in wintertime. He had to use the company
>colors red and white and create some cosy type. He remembered the
>Dutch Santa Claus with his white dress, red cloak, long white beard,
>kindness and benevolence. The eight-legged horse was replaced for
>eight flying reindeer. A punishing Black Jack was inappropriate in
>this concept, so he disappeared. This new Santa Claus became a big
>hit. He became so popular that right now in Europe he is serious
>competition for Sinterklaas. That’s understandable: no more fear for
>punishing Black Jacks, and you no longer have to sweat on suitable
>poetry for your gifts. And the search for human perfection of Odin?
>Well, can’t we just have that as a Christmas present from Santa Claus?
>
>http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=535855