Odin

Jacob Grimm, Hélène Adeline Guerber and others have drawn parallels between Sinterklaas and his helpers and the Wild Hunt of Wodan or Odin, a major god among the Germanic peoples, who was worshipped in Northern and Western Europe prior to Christianization.

In Europe, the imagery of Odin riding his eight-legged steed and the connection between Santa Claus and Odin have been suggested as possible origins for Christmas traditions.