Skip to main content
This post was translated from French by Google Translate. If you see any errors, please let me know!

In the Grímnismál, a didactic eddic poem, Odin mentions his ravens in stanza 20.

Norse

Hvginn oc Mvninn
flivga hverian dag
iormvngrvnd yfir;
ovmc ec of Hvgin,
at hann aptr ne comiþ,
þo siámc meirr vm Mvnin

English

Huginn and Muninn
Fly every day
Above the immense ground;
I worry that Huginn
Don’t come back
Yet it is for Muninn that I am the most anxious.

Odin’s ravens … and the crow.

In Norse mythology, Hugin (from Old Norse huginn meaning “thought” or “spirit”) and Munin (from Old Norse muninn meaning “memory”) are the two messenger crows that accompany Odin.

At dawn, they leave and roam the nine worlds and return the next morning to report to the god what they have seen and heard, whispering it in his ear.

The Raven was considered in ancient pagan wisdoms as a mediator between the world of Gods and that of Men, and also between the world of the living and that of the dead.

Recent studies have shown that the crow is one of the most intelligent birds in existence, renowned for its social organization far superior to the average of other birds.

Ravens have appeared in a number of different mythologies throughout the ages. In some cases, these black feathered birds are seen as an omen of bad news, but in others, they can represent a message from the Divine.

Voilà! Hope you enjoyed this article ?!

  • If so, feel free to share it. It helps me with Google SEO and it doesn’t cost you anything.
  • Also, you can subscribe to my private list, by entering your email address and your first name, at the bottom of this page. That way, you’ll be notified when I publish a new article!
  • And finally, your opinion / comment is welcome!

 

May Odin be with you!

Cover photo: Élisabeth Racine.
Sources: Wikipedia, MenVIKING.
2496
You can download this article in PDF format to print it or read it later.
Louis Houde

Author Louis Houde

More posts by Louis Houde

Leave a Reply

VIKINGR Chronicles