The continuing fascination with ancient creatures who may have once been deemed Gods in their cultures of origin shows in this post. Given a brief footnote may be unfair at best. Deeper research shows the importance of their skills and functions which kept the realms they inhabited moving and lively. Without giving them enough space, much has been given to humanoid Gods who received power from them, enabling them to deliver to Earth. In the current post, the Eagle of Yggdrasil takes his place.
Hraesvelgr is the name of the gigantic eagle who drives the four winds of Yggdrasil, a monumentus task. Each of the winds corresponds to the basic elements of air, fire, water, and Earth. For manifestation to occur, something must be sacrificed to them. Death causes decay, which the winds uncover, blowing what is left into areas requiring its composition. The Eagle’s wings create the winds in ancient myth. His name means “corpse-eater”, a function usually associated with vultures. The biting winds blow heat and cold into decaying matter, as needed, spreading it over vast areas. Fertilization occurs, creating new life from the old. His function is in both destruction and creation as continuous cycles in the Nine Worlds. Without him, nothing could change. All would stay without new life and fresh perspectives. He picks at the dead limbs and branches, raining them down into the roots below the tree, waking up a sleepy, irritated serpent called Nidhog, to be covered in more depth in another post.
Ratatosk is the squirrel carrying messages as previously noted. Here, he delivers insults between these two warring predators. It keeps them working their own functions to shift reality as the Wheel of the Year turns its cycles. The tree grows as Hraesvelgr picks out dead pieces to toss at his rival. New shoots are uncovered. His purpose is also to keep the tree from being overburdened with death. Argumentative creatures do not wish to be seen as vulnerable, so he hides behind that due to his exposure in the tree’s canopy. Blustery is a gift in this case to hide behind. Power is kept through continual insults that fuel the work done by him.
Some would see this as toxic. Misunderstanding the culture and how this manifests as Valor is what is missed. Today’s Norse Pagans can compretend this much better than others might. Strength and courage drive battles that can seem superficial. They serve a purpose in the tree itself. With the lore is the prophecy that the Eagle’s wings fuel the winds of Ragnarok, driving it. With legends about these birds as noble, it causes one to pause to reflect upon the meaning of it. If the Eagle drives Ragnarok, what higher perspective is within it? Something to consider, is it not? Perhaps the concept of neutrality is inappropriate here. Where the Eagle exists is true Spirit with leadership. This bird is always associated with noble causes. Ragnarok is about the shifting of one kind of power to another. The Eagle is part of that shift as its driving force for ultimate change.
Lofty creatures look down their noses at others. Really? Maybe their agendas do not match expectations or rigid dogmas of systems. Cycles of rigidity may require fresher air to infuse them with life. The Eagle flaps its wings but soars ever higher over landscapes, riding air currents human eyes can not perceive. Not all have the ability to understand the lone Eagle who prefers not to share those currents.
Raptors are not corvids. These birds hunt prey. Therefore, it’s habitation of the Yggdrasil canopy means it finds its sustenance within the canopy or close by. The beating of its wings and its shrill calls mimic high pitched winds, scaring out other creatures to become its true meals. This bird appears to be kin to the great South American Eagle, the Harpie Eagle, but it’s region is the cold and often frozen North. With deforestation of Europe and polar areas, many species are long extinct. It is possible this creature once existed as a species of Eagle who inhabited the primordial tundra and ancient forests.
Ancient peoples could not easily bury their dead in frozen lands. The advent of mingling cultures suggests burials did not occur in some areas as we do today. The dead were not necessarily treated with the kind of reverence seen in some cultures by modern standards. Given to the elements may have been their respect for how humans become part of Earth after death that changed with different beliefs emerging to counter it. Due to climate, it was inappropriate to dig graves and use caskets. Funeral practices still existed, simply according to cultural beliefs.
Some research is suggested for any with an interest beyond myth to search for evidence of this eagle’s existence. Happy hunting! May the winds of courage blow freely for the reader.
Sources: “The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures”, by John & Caitlin Matthews; “Encyclopedia,of Spirits”, by Judika Illes.
