Crows & Ravens In Celtic and Norse Mythology

When it comes to Celtic mythology there are many animals that are prominent in the tales that are told. The environment and nature itself are held dear. Birds, ravens to be exact, are one of the animals that inhabit many legends and tales. Why? Where did these legends and tales begin?

In the 8th century, Vikings began raiding the Celtic lands. All six nations of the Celts felt the sting of the Viking invaders. Yet, along with these dark times came the sagas and legends that we know of today. This is due to the fact that, like the Celts, Vikings held many animals sacred.

So, where do Crows and Ravens fit into their belief system?

Many of us know that both ravens and crows feed on carrion. This means that they feed on dead things. With their dark black feathers, croaking, and cawing, they can be seen as fairly creepy. Some might consider them an omen of death. However, both of these birds are also seen as creatures that span the worlds. Both the living world and the world of the dead. This is one of the reasons why they’re considered messengers of the two worlds.

Irish mythology sees a couple goddesses taking on the form of ravens and crows. First, we have Badb who is a goddess of war and is, frankly, scary. She is responsible for spreading terror on many battlefields. The Morrigan is another goddess that takes on the form of a raven. While more magical in nature, she too likes to scare her victims. She has perched on many a man’s shoulders at the time of his death.

In Norse mythology, ravens are very important. Odin, himself, has two messengers that are ravens. Their names are Huginn and Muninn. (Thought and Memory although memory is a very loose translation) For the Valkyries, ravens are also important. Valkyries are the women warriors that choose who will live and who will die on the battlefield. The warriors that are chosen to die are picked for a reason. Odin needs warriors for the coming of Ragnarok, after all. There are tales of Valkyrie that sit down with ravens to discuss potential warriors and whether or not they should be permitted to enter Valhalla.

Even the longships and the banners that they flew have ravens on them. Some of these banners still fly to this day.In both Celtic and Norse mythology, we find ravens and their kin. Their importance is evident from the number of times their likeness is carved into shields, armor, weapons, and helmets.

The next time that you see a Raven or a Crow, you might want to give them a second glance. You never can tell whether or not it’s message from Badb or a summons from Odin. They may seem scary or creepy, but they have one hell of a following.

More items found on Magical Duck.

Originally published at www.magicalduck.com.