Odin and Friends

Did our modern day Santa Claus evolve from Odin? Here’s some things to consider:

– both have big ass mongo beards

– both travel the sky utilizing flying animals – Santa in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer; Odin on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir.

– Skaldic poetry refers to Odin as Jólnir — “Yule figure” — and describes him traveling the sky and hunting during the winter solstice.

– In some traditions, children used to leave boots filled with carrots, straw, and sugar next to the chimney for Sleipnir to eat. Odin would reward those children by replacing the horse food with gifts and candy, the origin of the modern Christmas stocking.

I don’t know… I think the last one about the boots filled with horse treats seals the deal. Odin was Santa Claus until he got mugged by the Coca Cola Company.