Mimir's Well

Mimir’s Well is a column written for 'The Orcadian' newspaper by members of the team at the Institute of Northern Studies.

Mimir is a giant from Old Norse mythology, renowned for his wisdom. The source of Mimir’s wisdom was the water of a well by the root of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, known as Mimir’s Well. The god Odin wanted a share in Mimir’s wisdom too, which he got, but he had to leave one of his eyes to Mimir as a pledge. This is how Odin became the wisest of the gods.

The column Mimir’s Well appears now and again, depending on what inspires us to write. As we are a multidisciplinary team, the topics of the column will span widely, from history and archaeology via folklore and ethnology to literature and language.

Hopefully it will inspire you, too.