TheВ skaldic poetryВ of the Viking Age often usesВ kenningsВ involving ravens to refer to Odin, and vice versa. Already in the sixth and seventh centuries AD вЂ“ well before the beginning of the Viking Age in the late eighth century вЂ“ visual depictions of Odin on helmets and jewelry frequently picture him accompanied by one or more ravens. The connection between Odin and ravens is very old and very deep. SnorriвЂ™s main source for this passage seems to be an evocative stanza in theВ EddicВ poemВ GrГmnismГЎl,В in which Odin says: Thus, he finds out many new things and this is why he is called вЂraven-godвЂ™ (hrafnaguГ°). He sends them out in the morning to fly around the whole world, and by breakfast they are back again. Two ravens sit on his (OdinвЂ™s) shoulders and whisper all the news which they see and hear into his ear they are called Huginn and Muninn. According to the medieval Icelandic historianВ Snorri Sturluson, Where, pray tell, are the prophetic voices today? Munin - memory - is all about MAGA, making America great again.ДЄnd Hugin - ah, a new way of thinking.Hugin and Munin (pronounced вЂњHOO-ginвЂќ and вЂњMOO-ninвЂќ В Old NorseВ HuginnВ andВ Muninn, the meaning of which will be discussed below) are two ravens in Norse mythology who are helping spirits of the godВ Odin. When does the new perch on OdinвЂ™s shoulder? When does he listen? Where do the new thoughts come from? When does Hugin get the floor.

Scientists are taught scientific tradition. How often is a thought a new thought? Philosophers wrestle with tradition. When does Hugin - вЂњthoughtвЂќ - fly higher and stronger than Munin, вЂњmemoryвЂќ? The consideration of these two ravens challenges us still. OdinвЂ™s CNN consisted of those two ravens, Hugin - вЂњthoughtвЂќ and Munin - вЂњmemory.вЂќ OdinвЂ™s consideration of what was going on in the human world - midgard - which is suspended between OdinвЂ™s world, Asgard, and the lower world, Hel, which is, yes, where that word comes from. Thought and memory.ДЄgain: can a thought occur without a memory? What is a thought without a memory?ДЄncient Norwegians appear to have believed that the two became one in OdinвЂ™s consideration of situations. In the more austere northlands, itвЂ™s all about birds who eat carrion - Hugin and Munin. In Greek mythology, Mnemosyne - the goddess of memory - is the mother of the nine muses, those producers of the arts. ThatвЂ™s the place JRR Tolkien famously called вЂњmiddle earth.вЂќД®ach day, the two ravens flew across this expanse, and then, back they flew to Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon, reporting on the thought and memory happening on Middle Earth. These two ravens flew around the earth inhabited by human beings, midgard. One is Hugin, meaning вЂњthought,вЂќ and the other is Munin, meaning вЂњmemory.вЂќ

Geri means вЂњravenousвЂќ and Freki means вЂњgreedy.вЂќ Not surprising when youвЂ™re talking wolves. Wherever your household gods may originate, take a peek at depictions of Odin and youвЂ™ll see a couple of wolves - Geri and Freki.

Not household names unless your household happens to include Freya and Odin and the pantheon of gods of Norse origin.

Hugin and munin meaning