How Odin Won the Runes.
To support my work as a folklorist and storyteller, please consider making a small donation on Patreon: / thestorycrow
This story was originally part of another video, part of a series on Folklore, Symbolism and Mythology of trees and plants of Northern Europe, Britain and Ireland. In this case the Yew Tree, which was arguably the original Yggdrasil - The World Tree. You can see the full video, including more information on the Yew Tree on my channel.
This story is a mash-up of the Odin taking a draft from Mimir's well (the well of memory) and Odin winning the runes from the Norns and the well of Urd through his self sacrifice.
These are treated as separate stories and separate myths by Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic composer of the Prose and Poetic Eddas (our most complete source of Norse and Scandinavian Myth) but there is good reason to believe they were originally the same well - hence why I conflate the two stories in this telling.
As an aside, I use the word Odin in this video. I would normally use the English 'Woden' because it is closer to the original photo germanic Wodenaz. Plus I'm English.
I just figure more people know the name Odin because of, you know, Marvel and the Avengers and stuff.