Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson).
In reward for this devotion Odin watched with special care over his favourites, giving them gifts, a magic sword, a spear, or a horse, and making them invincible until their last hour had come, when he himself appeared to claim or destroy the gift he had bestowed, and the Valkyrs bore the heroes to Valhalla.
“He gave to Hermod
A helm and corselet,
And from him Sigmund
A sword received.”
Lay of Hyndla (Thorpe’s tr.).
Sleipnir
When Odin took an active part in war, he generally rode his eight-footed grey steed, Sleipnir, and bore a white shield. His glittering spear flung over the heads of the combatants was the signal for the fray to commence, and he would dash into the midst of the ranks shouting his warcry: “Odin has you all!”
“And Odin donned