Hugin and Munin

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Huginn and Muninn sit on Odin's shoulders in this illustration from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript.

Huginn and Muninn, sometimes Anglicized Hugin and Munin, are a pair of ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. Hugin and Munin travel the world bearing news and information to Odin. Hugin is "thought" and Munin is "memory". They are sent out at dawn to gather information and return in the evening. They perch on the god's shoulders and whisper the news into his ears. It is from these ravens that the kenning 'raven-god' for Odin is derived.

The name Munin has its roots in the Old Norse word for memory.

From Grímnismál:

The whole world wide, every day,

Fly Hugin and Munin;

I worry lest Hugin should fall in flight,

Yet more I fear for Munin.

[edit] See also

• List of fictional birds

	Norse mythology
	List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns | Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freyja | Loki | Balder | Tyr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök
	Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle | Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence
	Society: Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers
	The nine worlds of Norse mythology | People, places and things

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