Slow Havamal: 138

In verse 138, Odin hangs himself from a wind-battered tree for nine nights, sacrificing himself to himself. The roots of the tree are said to grow from a place no one has ever seen,

In one of the most famous and peculiar verses of Havamal, we at last encounter Odin’s sacrifice. There is no advice here for Loddfafnir or anyone else—at least not directly. Most people assume the tree is Yggdrasil, the world-tree. Odin is no stranger to giving up something of himself for wisdom, as when he gives an eye for a drink from Mimir’s well, located at the base of one of the three roots of the tree. In this verse, it’s likely that he hopes to gain something similar during his nine long nights.
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