Every Christmas, people come out of the woodwork to claim that Santa Claus is the Christian incarnation of Odin. They point to similarities and coincidences to support their case: Odin has a beard; so does Santa. Odin delivers gifts; so does Santa. Odin’s steed, Sleipnir, has eight legs; Santa has eight reindeer. Therefore, Odin must be Santa… or Santa must be Odin. Either way, they are the same person. (Some sites do offer more nuanced arguments, but where’s the fun in that?)
Sleipnir and Eight Tiny Reindeer
When Odin isn’t wandering the world in disguise or presiding over the Wild Hunt, he rides Sleipnir. Sleipnir is an eight-legged white horse, swift enough to carry Odin between worlds and into battle. Odin rides directly on Sleipnir’s back, not in a chariot or sleigh.
By contrast, our modern conception of Santa Claus shows him driving a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. Those who argue that Santa derives from Odin would be better served by pointing to older traditions in which Santa rode, or was pulled by, a white horse. Instead, most arguments focus almost entirely on the shared number eight, treating it as a meaningful coincidence rather than a superficial one.
Eight Legs = Eight Reindeer?
There is evidence that Vikings hunted caribou and traded in their antlers. Thor’s chariot was pulled by goats, and Freyja’s by cats. However, there is no evidence that the Vikings used reindeer to pull sleighs or sleds. While the Sámi people, who lived north of the Norse, did not begin large-scale reindeer herding until around the 1500s, they did make limited use of semi-domesticated reindeer as decoys and pack animals.
The idea of Santa Claus using reindeer to pull his sleigh did not appear until “Old Santeclaus with Much Delight”, published in 1821. Clement C. Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas”), published in 1823, was the first work to specify both the number—eight—and the names of the reindeer. Whether Moore was inspired by Sleipnir’s eight legs is purely speculative. It is far more likely that he chose eight to suit his poetic structure and rhyming convention.
Christianity’s Penchant for Co-opting Paganism
Christianity has a long history of adapting and reinterpreting pagan traditions, holidays, and symbols. However, using Sleipnir’s eight legs as proof that Odin became Santa Claus stretches the argument well past the available evidence. While this coincidence does not entirely rule out cultural influence, it significantly weakens the claim for those who argue the connection too enthusiastically.
For a deeper exploration of Odin and Santa Claus, see our article “Odin to Santa Claus: What’s the Connection?“
Sources: https://6abc.com/post/where-do-santas-reindeer-come-from–/4879787/
https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/22/opinion/galloway-reindeer
https://www.altogetherchristmas.com/traditions/reindeer.html
