2: MIMIR'S WELL

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 Odin's quest for wisdom is never-ending, and he is willing to pay any price, it seems, for the understanding of life's mysteries that he craves more than anything else. 

On one occasion, he ventured to Mimir's  Well, located among the roots of the world-tree. There dwelt Mimir, a shadowy being whose knowledge of all things was practically unparalleled among the inhabitants of the cosmos. He achieved this status largely by taking his water from the well, whose waters gave wisdom to its drinker. The water came from Niflheimr itself.

When Odin arrived, he asked Mimir for a drink from the water. The well's guardian, knowing the value of the well, refused unless the seeker offered an eye in return. Odin gouged out one of his eyes and dropped it into the well. Having made the necessary sacrifice, Mimir dipped his horn into the well and offered the now-one-eyed god a drink.

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