Parallels between Matrim Cauthon and Odin
From A Wheel of Time Wiki
[edit] Comparisons between Mat and Odin
- According to prophecy, Mat will give up "half the light of the world to save the world", and in Egwene al'Vere's dreams has been seen to place his eye on a balance scale. Odin was half-blind, giving up his eye for knowledge.
- Mat was hung on Avendesora and his spear after bargaining to replace the holes in his memory; he says he was "hanged for knowledge". Odin hung himself to a branch of Yggdrasil to gain the knowledge of death and his spear pierced his side while he hung. Both Avendesora and Yggdrasil are iconic Trees of the World.
- Mat is a general, and one of Odin's divine domains is war.
- The Aelfinn called Mat "Gambler" and "Son of Battles," and he has developed a reputation of seldom losing. Odin was known as the Gambler and was also called Father of Battles and Bringer of Victory.
- Mat often speaks the Old Tongue, a very poetic and elegant language; he does so unconsciously, as though inspired. Odin was the god of poetry and inspiration.
- Mat's medallion protects him from the One Power, useful in dealing with the Aes Sedai. Odin was the god of magic in a society that considered magic a female pursuit, much like the world of the Wheel although for different reasons.
- Both Mat and Odin are very fond of wine, usually drinking it in spite of alternatives.
- Written on Mat's ashandarei is a poem bracketed by two ravens; the poem includes the line " ...thought is the arrow of time, memory never fades." Odin had two ravens, named Hugin and Munin: Thought and Memory.
- The symbol of the Seanchan, to whom Mat is now connected through marriage, is a pair of ravens just as Odin had.
- Odin was often portrayed as wearing a wide brimmed hat and carrying a spear, the same as Mat.
- Odin's hall of Valhalla was filled with honored dead heroes who waited there to fight for him in the last battle, Ragnarok; Mat is the sounder of the Horn of Valere, which calls long dead heroes back to fight for him at the Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don. Odin's slain warriors are called the Einheriar, and Mat's army is Shen an Calhar. Odin is associated with the concept of the Wild Hunt, a noisy, bellowing movement across the sky, leading a host of slain warriors (taken from Wikipedia)
- Both Mat and Odin were promiscuous (until Mat got married).
