Odin And Santa: The Norse God Delivered Gifts With An Eight-Legged, Flying Horse

Viking stele showing Odin's horse, Sleipnir. Pagan. From Tjangvide, Alskog, Gotland, Sweden. 9th century. Swedish History Museum. Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by: PHAS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Santa Claus that we know today is a fusion of myths, legends, and folklore from several different cultures, from the Turkish bishop Saint Nicholas and the German folktales of Sinterklaas. You know all of those guys, but you might be surprised to learn that the Norse god Odin and Santa are also very similar.