( 69 )
I only suspect that at some period of time more or less early, either he, or his fathers, or the authors of his Religion, came from some country of Scythia, or from the borders of Persia. I may add, that the God, whose prophet or priest he pretended to be, was named Odin, and that the ignorance of succeeding ages confounded the Deity with his priest, composing out of the attributes of the one and the history of the other, a gross medley, in which we can at present distinguish nothing very certain. New proofs of this confusion will occur in all we shall hereafter produce on this subject; and it will behove the Reader never to lose sight of this observation. I shall now mention some farther particulars recorded of Odin by the Icelandic writers; which will not only confirm what I have been saying, but give us some insight into his character.
One of the artifices, which he employed with the greatest success, in order to conciliate the respect of the people, was to consult in all difficult emergencies the head of one Mimer, who in his life time had been in great reputation for his wisdom. This man’s head having been cut off, Odin caused it to embalmed, and had the address to persuade the Scandinavians, that by his enchantments he had restored
