We?ve covered Odin?s ravens, Huginn and Muninn, but did you know that Odin had two wolves before he created his two famous ravens?
When Odin left his two brothers he wandered here and there doing things that only Gods do. Yet, like all of us, when alone for far too long, he became lonely. It wasn?t Huginn and Muninn that first kept him company and stilled the loneliness in Odin. Before men were given life and before Odin?s two ravens; there were Freki and Geri. Odin created two wolves to keep him company. One female wolf and one male wolf that populated the world in their travels with Odin.
(Don?t confuse these two with Skoll and Hati. Those two are bad and worse. Imagine that Yin and Yang grew fur and a shitload of teeth and both sides had a serious attitude problem.)
So Freki, Geri, and the fearless and wise ruler of Asgard roamed the worlds. After a time, the two wolves were finding food a bit scarce and so that is when Odin created Huginn and Muninn. two sets of wings located the prey and 8 legs chased that prey down sharing the kill with their feathery scouts. Forever after, the two creatures would follow one another. Wolves bring down the prey and share their feast with ravens.
It was after this that Humans were brought into existence. If you?ve ever wondered where wolves fit into the picture with Odin?s warriors; you?re about to find out.
Humans were created and Odin gave them their souls. Once that was finished Odin told the race of men to look to the wolves. They were told to learn from them and remember. A pack runs together and cares for their own. All offspring are cared for by every member and the pack survives together. There are love and courage that accompanies the heart of a warrior. Wolves, it?s said, are able to teach valuable lessons. There are stories that Odin fathered children that were half wolf. These children became known as the Wulfsungs. These creatures may be part of the reason that many warriors took on the name and symbol of the wolf. It is said that these Volsung were mighty warriors.
Choosing a wolf as your favorite animal, spirit animal, or guide is not a bad choice at all. These were the very first creatures that Odin created and are quite clearly favored by him. Do you have the heart or soul of a wolf?
Originally published at www.magicalduck.com.
