It's been suggested that the seasonal character of "Santa Claus" or "Father Christmas" was influenced by the Norse god Odin. Odin was the head of the Norse pantheon and the god of death and magic ...

planting the seeds for what would later become Santa Claus. Meanwhile, in Germany and Scandinavia, Saint Nicholas’ attributes merged with local folklore figures, such as the Yule Goat and Odin ...

"This story in particular, it really kind of humanised him for me and made him a far more interesting character than I think he's normally portrayed," says University of Winchester's Brian Thornton.