Related Terms • Runes • Valknut • Solar cross • Mjolnir Related Resources • Neopagan • Asatru • Druid/Celtic Glossaries  • Symbol Glossary • Alternative Religions Glossary • Glossary of Magick and the Occult

Sleipnir (Norse, "gliding one") is the legendary eight-legged horse belonging to Odin, the Father-God of the Norse pantheon. Sleipnir carries Odin between the world of the Gods and the world of matter. The eight legs symbolize the directions of the compass, and Sleipnir's ability to travel through land and air.

The eight legs of Sleipnir are probably symbolic of the eight spokes solar wheel, and probably relate to an earlier form of Odin as a sun-god. There is some evidence that Odin himself was at one time anthropomorphized as a horse; Sleipnir's ability to travel instantaneously associates him with sunlight.

In Norse mythological tales, occult, Sleipnir is the offspring of the God Loki and the horse of the Giants, Svaldifari. Sleipnir can be compared to the otherworldly horses of Celtic gods such as Manannan Mac Lir and In Dagda.

Odin astride

Related Symbols:

Related Resources:

• Asatru
  The customs, history, and links on Norse Spirituality on About.com.
• Asatru Glossary
  Asatru faith; Norse and Germanic mythology. Dozens of entries.
• Runes- The Alphabet of Odin