Hugin and Munin
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Huginn and Muninn, sometimes Anglicized Hugin and Munin, are a pair of ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. Hugin and Munin travel the world bearing news and information to Odin. Hugin is "thought" and Munin is "memory". They are sent out at dawn to gather information and return in the evening. They perch on the god's shoulders and whisper the news into his ears. It is from these ravens that the kenning 'raven-god' for Odin is derived.
The name Munin has its roots in the Old Norse word for memory.
From Grímnismál:
Old Norse:
- Huginn ok Muninn fliúga hverian dag
- iörmungrund yfir;
- óomk ek of Huginn, at hann aptr ne komit,
- þó siámk meirr um Muninn.
English:
- The whole world wide, every day,
- fly Hugin and Munin;
- I worry lest Hugin should fall in flight,
- yet more I fear for Munin.
[edit] See also
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Norse mythology |
|---|---|
| List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Troll | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns | Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freyja | Loki | Balder | Týr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök | |
| Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle | Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence | |
| Society: Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers | |
| People, places and things |
