In Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods, Odin uses the name Mr. Wednesday while living as a modern American.
Mr. Wednesday is one of the novel’s central figures and recruits Shadow Moon for a journey across the United States. His identity is gradually revealed as the Norse god Odin, who is gathering the old gods for a conflict with newer technological and cultural deities. The name “Wednesday” reflects the traditional association between the weekday and Odin; Wednesday derives from Old English Wōdnesdæg, meaning Woden’s day.
The character’s name is also a clue for readers familiar with Germanic mythology. Odin is called Woden in Anglo-Saxon tradition, and the weekday name preserves that connection. American Gods was first published in 2001 and combines mythological figures with a contemporary American road narrative. Mr. Wednesday should not be confused with Wednesday Addams, a separate fictional character whose name comes from the same weekday tradition.