The Initial Spark

Have you ever wondered from where and how the legend of Santa Claus and his eight flying reindeers came to be? There are many legends throughout history that celebrate a benevolent being that travelled by night bearing gifts for those in need, and this is the story of one of those legends that became part of the Santa Claus we celebrate today. The story begins in the northern regions of Europe. Long before Christianity spread throughout the world, pagan rituals and customs were prevalent throughout the lands, and there was the supreme Odin whose arrival was long awaited by the inhabitants of early Germanic Tribes and Scandinavia. Odin was the father of all the gods and ruler of Asgard in Norse Mythology, and was depicted as a tall, old man with a white beard and almost always wearing a red cloak. He rode the skies and the seas on his fast white eight-legged horse whilst carrying his never missing spear in his hand, and accompanied by his two black ravens which kept him informed a