In Padraic Colum’s The Children of Odin, Odin’s eight-legged horse is Sleipnir.
Sleipnir is Odin’s remarkable steed in Norse mythology. The horse can travel across land, sea, and air, making it especially suited to Odin, the god who frequently moves between the worlds. Its eight legs are commonly understood as a sign of exceptional speed and supernatural power.
In the traditional myth preserved in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, Sleipnir is the son of Loki and the stallion Svaðilfari. Loki became pregnant after transforming into a mare to distract Svaðilfari, and later gave birth to Sleipnir. This unusual origin is one of the best-known episodes involving Loki’s shapeshifting.
Sleipnir is sometimes confused with other mythological horses, including Gullfaxi, associated with the giant Hrungnir, and Hófvarpnir, the flying horse of the goddess Gná. The name Sleipnir is also commonly spelled Sleipner in some English-language sources.