There are many interesting references to Ravens in the manuscript sources, and Hugin and Munin are just two of them.
Their association with battlefields inevitably leads them to be referred to as valkyrja (choosers of the slain) in multiple sources. Both Old Norse and Old English sources (wælcyrie) make the same connections.
Given the strong connection between Oðinn and the Valkyrja who both lead the Einherjar (Slain warriors) to Valhol (Hall of the slain) it is not unreasonable to draw a strong connection between Oðinn and Ravens. Just as there also seems to be a connection between Sleipnir, Oðinn's eight legged horse, which is used to carry the Einherjar on their final journey, and the funeral bier carried by four men. Even the description of Valhol itself appears to be just a rather glorified burial mound.
Oðinn's role it seems is largely that of a psychopomp transporting valiant dead to the afterlife and his popularity with the rich and powerful in Viking times was probably due to the need for warriors that would willingly lay down their lives for their leaders.
As with all commentaries on beliefs held by people over a thousand years ago there are of course considerable gaps in our knowledge and understanding.
The written sources are fragmentary at best and distorted by later creeds at worst.
The historical sources are mostly written from an adversarial Christian point of view and Archaeology can tell us very little about religious practices.
A combination of all these sources may allow us to make inferences but is always open to different interpretations.
The popular perception that Oðinn was "superior" to the other gods seems to have mostly been promoted by his own followers. Most of that survives of course in the writings of Snorri Sturlusson
The poetic and historical sources are much less definite. According to Roman sources, Týr appears to have been the principle god but his importance must have diminished somewhat by the 13th century when Sturlusson is writing.
The Romans usually translated the names of local gods into their own, believing in their own superiority of course, but Tacitus named the Germanic "Mars" (believed to be Týr) as the primary deity, along with the Germanic "Mercury" (believed to be Odin), "Hercules" (believed to be Þórr) and "Isis" (Possibly Freyja/Frig)
Saxo Gramaticus suggests that Þórr was actually seen as the greatest challenge to incoming Christianity by the end of the pagan period. This conclusion is also drawn convincingly by H.R.Ellis Davidson in both “Gods and Myths of Northern Europe” and “The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe”
From this we could draw several differing conclusions amongst which are:
1. The Cult of Þórr was the largest. (The majority of the population would have been simple farmers and artisans by far rather than warriors and Nobles.)
2. The Cult of Þórr posed the most opposition to conversion.
3. Other Cults such as that of Oðinn had already converted.
Archaeology points towards a few changes happening in the late pagan period. (These are general impressions made from studying many finds mostly in Scandinavia.)
First:
1. The status of woman’s burials reduces when compared to male burials of the same period.
2. Rich burials become richer and poor burials become poorer.
3. Very large buildings start to appear while poor dwellings become more widespread.
Then:
1. Many of the large buildings are destroyed, often by fire.
2. Rich burials start to decline.
3. Poor burials improve.
4. Christian burials start to appear.
5. Þórr’s Hammer amulets start to become more popular.
This is where we have to start reading between the lines and unfortunately if you put ten archaeologists in a room together you will get a hundred or more different theories.
These then can only ever be my own theories although I have discussed them with many learned people and found much general agreement.
The changes in burial practices points toward an increasing Patriarchy in Norse society even before the adoption of Christianity and an increasing power base amongst the rich, this is also reflected in building status.
Then something changes, perhaps the poor have had enough of their lot and decide it’s time for a change, we’ll probably never really know.
What we do know is that many of the big buildings are destroyed and there seem to be less rich pagan burials about.
At about the same time Christianity gains a foothold.
One possibility is that the rich decide to give up their wealth and become poor Christians... That seems a little unlikely to me.
Another possibility is that the rich are kicked out and seek refuge with another patriarchal system which supports their divine rights of leadership...
If so, then it would appear that the rich and powerful, who were also the most likely to be followers of the Oðinnic Cult, were amongst the first to convert, leaving the more popular Cult of Þor as the main target for Christian missionaries. There is some family name evidence for this in the Christian histories.
This also fits nicely with the rising fashion of Þórr’s hammer pendants which is not matched with any corresponding fashion for symbols of Oðinn even though the followers of Oðinn would presumably have been much more likely to afford such symbols.
That provides an interesting perspective to the writings of later scholars such as Sturlusson and the anonymous recorders of the poetic sources. Not only were they Christian but as many would have come from wealthy families, their ancestry was more likely to have supported the Oðinnic Cult and correspondingly more likely to record surviving myths from their own perspective.
This does much to explain why Þórr is generally made out to be just a figure of fun and also why all the early independent Goddesses are now simply recorded as the wives of the apparently much more important male Gods. This patriarchic attitude does not really appear in the earliest sources.
The rivalry between Þor and Oðinn is hinted at in many sources but non so clearly as in Hárbarðsljóð which is a flyting between Þor and Oðinn in disguise.
(Spoken by Hárbarðr (Oðinn in disguise))
“The noble who fall in the fight hath Oðinn,
And Þórr hath the race of the thralls.”
Meant as a taunt, so probably an overstatement. Never the less this makes it clear that there is a social divide between the dead gathered by Þórr and Oðinn. (Followers not deemed worthy would of course have fallen within Hel’s remit.)
From GRIMNISMOL
(Spoken by Oðinn)
Five hundred doors and forty there are,
I ween, in Valhall's walls;
Eight hundred fighters through one door fare
When to war with the wolf they go.
Five hundred rooms and forty there are
I ween, in Bilskirnir built;
Of all the homes whose roofs I beheld,
My son's the greatest meseemed.
This provides a reference for the name and a description of Þórr’s hall but also points out that Bilskirnir is the greatest, which indicates that it is large enough to accommodate a majority.
In pre industrial Europe this majority was undoubtedly the peasantry made up of Freemen, Freedmen and Thralls.
Another thing to consider is that while Oðinn was seen principally as a psycopomp or god of death
.
Þórr was clearly considered to be the protector of Asgard and all the gods, including Oðinn.
Their association with battlefields inevitably leads them to be referred to as valkyrja (choosers of the slain) in multiple sources. Both Old Norse and Old English sources (wælcyrie) make the same connections.
Given the strong connection between Oðinn and the Valkyrja who both lead the Einherjar (Slain warriors) to Valhol (Hall of the slain) it is not unreasonable to draw a strong connection between Oðinn and Ravens. Just as there also seems to be a connection between Sleipnir, Oðinn's eight legged horse, which is used to carry the Einherjar on their final journey, and the funeral bier carried by four men. Even the description of Valhol itself appears to be just a rather glorified burial mound.
Oðinn's role it seems is largely that of a psychopomp transporting valiant dead to the afterlife and his popularity with the rich and powerful in Viking times was probably due to the need for warriors that would willingly lay down their lives for their leaders.
As with all commentaries on beliefs held by people over a thousand years ago there are of course considerable gaps in our knowledge and understanding.
The written sources are fragmentary at best and distorted by later creeds at worst.
The historical sources are mostly written from an adversarial Christian point of view and Archaeology can tell us very little about religious practices.
A combination of all these sources may allow us to make inferences but is always open to different interpretations.
The popular perception that Oðinn was "superior" to the other gods seems to have mostly been promoted by his own followers. Most of that survives of course in the writings of Snorri Sturlusson
The poetic and historical sources are much less definite. According to Roman sources, Týr appears to have been the principle god but his importance must have diminished somewhat by the 13th century when Sturlusson is writing.
The Romans usually translated the names of local gods into their own, believing in their own superiority of course, but Tacitus named the Germanic "Mars" (believed to be Týr) as the primary deity, along with the Germanic "Mercury" (believed to be Odin), "Hercules" (believed to be Þórr) and "Isis" (Possibly Freyja/Frig)
Saxo Gramaticus suggests that Þórr was actually seen as the greatest challenge to incoming Christianity by the end of the pagan period. This conclusion is also drawn convincingly by H.R.Ellis Davidson in both “Gods and Myths of Northern Europe” and “The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe”
From this we could draw several differing conclusions amongst which are:
1. The Cult of Þórr was the largest. (The majority of the population would have been simple farmers and artisans by far rather than warriors and Nobles.)
2. The Cult of Þórr posed the most opposition to conversion.
3. Other Cults such as that of Oðinn had already converted.
Archaeology points towards a few changes happening in the late pagan period. (These are general impressions made from studying many finds mostly in Scandinavia.)
First:
1. The status of woman’s burials reduces when compared to male burials of the same period.
2. Rich burials become richer and poor burials become poorer.
3. Very large buildings start to appear while poor dwellings become more widespread.
Then:
1. Many of the large buildings are destroyed, often by fire.
2. Rich burials start to decline.
3. Poor burials improve.
4. Christian burials start to appear.
5. Þórr’s Hammer amulets start to become more popular.
This is where we have to start reading between the lines and unfortunately if you put ten archaeologists in a room together you will get a hundred or more different theories.
These then can only ever be my own theories although I have discussed them with many learned people and found much general agreement.
The changes in burial practices points toward an increasing Patriarchy in Norse society even before the adoption of Christianity and an increasing power base amongst the rich, this is also reflected in building status.
Then something changes, perhaps the poor have had enough of their lot and decide it’s time for a change, we’ll probably never really know.
What we do know is that many of the big buildings are destroyed and there seem to be less rich pagan burials about.
At about the same time Christianity gains a foothold.
One possibility is that the rich decide to give up their wealth and become poor Christians... That seems a little unlikely to me.
Another possibility is that the rich are kicked out and seek refuge with another patriarchal system which supports their divine rights of leadership...
If so, then it would appear that the rich and powerful, who were also the most likely to be followers of the Oðinnic Cult, were amongst the first to convert, leaving the more popular Cult of Þor as the main target for Christian missionaries. There is some family name evidence for this in the Christian histories.
This also fits nicely with the rising fashion of Þórr’s hammer pendants which is not matched with any corresponding fashion for symbols of Oðinn even though the followers of Oðinn would presumably have been much more likely to afford such symbols.
That provides an interesting perspective to the writings of later scholars such as Sturlusson and the anonymous recorders of the poetic sources. Not only were they Christian but as many would have come from wealthy families, their ancestry was more likely to have supported the Oðinnic Cult and correspondingly more likely to record surviving myths from their own perspective.
This does much to explain why Þórr is generally made out to be just a figure of fun and also why all the early independent Goddesses are now simply recorded as the wives of the apparently much more important male Gods. This patriarchic attitude does not really appear in the earliest sources.
The rivalry between Þor and Oðinn is hinted at in many sources but non so clearly as in Hárbarðsljóð which is a flyting between Þor and Oðinn in disguise.
(Spoken by Hárbarðr (Oðinn in disguise))
“The noble who fall in the fight hath Oðinn,
And Þórr hath the race of the thralls.”
Meant as a taunt, so probably an overstatement. Never the less this makes it clear that there is a social divide between the dead gathered by Þórr and Oðinn. (Followers not deemed worthy would of course have fallen within Hel’s remit.)
From GRIMNISMOL
(Spoken by Oðinn)
Five hundred doors and forty there are,
I ween, in Valhall's walls;
Eight hundred fighters through one door fare
When to war with the wolf they go.
Five hundred rooms and forty there are
I ween, in Bilskirnir built;
Of all the homes whose roofs I beheld,
My son's the greatest meseemed.
This provides a reference for the name and a description of Þórr’s hall but also points out that Bilskirnir is the greatest, which indicates that it is large enough to accommodate a majority.
In pre industrial Europe this majority was undoubtedly the peasantry made up of Freemen, Freedmen and Thralls.
Another thing to consider is that while Oðinn was seen principally as a psycopomp or god of death
Last edited:
![IMG_2578_zpswa15oti8.jpg](http://[URL="http://s1100.photobucket.com/user/BR1GANTES/media/IMG_2578_zpswa15oti8.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g416/BR1GANTES/IMG_2578_zpswa15oti8.jpg)
