To Keep the Strange

To Odin was it given to ward the world, watching and keeping over its majesty, and yet he had another charge besides this, a secret one perhaps more important, yet a cause of much confusion about him. For in addition to keeping, the Great Lower Powers charged him with keeping the world strange. For this he wods. All the holy powers of old delight in pleasure and even comfort, but wonder must be kept alive in the world, and can only be refreshed through the aliveness of the strange. Thus there are many times the world shall baffle, as it must, for if it ceased, it would not be the world, but hard and terrible barrenness. They say it was Urd herself who gave Woden that charge.