Huginn and Muninn: The Backstory of Odin's Ravens

The story of Odin and his ravens is an important part of Norse mythology. Odin, the chief of the Aesir gods in Norse mythology, had two ravens named Huginn and Muninn, which are often translated as "Thought" and "Memory", or "Mind" and "Memory." These ravens played significant roles in Odin's role as a god of wisdom, war, and magic. 

Huginn and Muninn were more than just ordinary ravens; they were special creatures that served as Odin's messengers and scouts. Every day, they would fly out from Odin's side to explore the world and gather information. At night, they would return to Odin and share the knowledge they had acquired during their travels.

Huginn represented the intellectual aspect of Odin's nature, symbolizing his constant quest for knowledge and wisdom. Muninn, on the other hand, represented the memory aspect, as he retained and conveyed the information gathered by both ravens.

These two ravens were crucial in helping Odin maintain his all-knowing and all-seeing persona. They would often whisper secrets and information into his ears, aiding him in making important decisions and strategizing for the future.

The connection between Odin and his ravens is highlighted in various Old Norse poems and sagas. For example, in the "Hávamál," a collection of ancient Norse wisdom, Odin speaks of his ravens and their importance to him:

"Huginn and Muninn
Fly every day
Over all the world;
I worry for Huginn
That he might not return,
But I worry more for Muninn."

This passage emphasizes the value Odin placed on the knowledge brought to him by Huginn and Muninn.

In Norse mythology, Odin's ravens are a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and the importance of staying vigilant and observant in a world filled with mysteries and dangers. They are also a reminder of the interconnectedness of thought and memory, which are crucial for the pursuit of wisdom and understanding.

Here at Birds of Valhalla, we honor Odin's Ravens and Corvids in general with several incredible, highly rated and carefully curated products. 

 The Raven hand soap we make here at BOV is quite unique. We use molds hand made by a small business in Poland. We offer two versions, representing each of Odin's Ravens, in two very different scents. You can choose Huginn to ground your thoughts with the slightly earthy aroma of Moonflower Nectar. Or, pick Muninn to awaken hidden memories with the invigorating Night Violet scent. To make them even more special, there are crystals and runes hidden inside each bar. 

The Raven Signature Soap is the CEO's favorite soap that we have made at BOV of all time. It was one of the original creations, back when we were New Valhalla Soap and has only gotten better over time. Scented in Tea Tree, Citron and Mandarin, this bar also features a ton of clarifying and deeply cleansing activated charcoal and a finely ground oatmeal for the most stubborn oils, grime, motor oil, art supplies and more. The "rave," reviews for the raven have been steadily pouring in from all over the world, from all sorts of people that work hard jobs like blacksmiths, gardeners, oil painters, artists that work in clay, mechanics and more. Many claim this particular soap has magical properties and we cannot claim it doesn't. They say that nothing else gets the smell and the grime off their hard working, dry hands and leaves them soft, clean and moisturized. We have even heard that it works better than certain additional products sold to remove motor oil and other hard-to-remove substances. In addition, because of the recipe, many successfully use this same bar for their beards, their locs, their hair, their faces; The Raven could be your all-over soap. This is the perfect bar of soap and you can only find it here! Try it today and let us know if it is as good as people say it is!