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Norse References to Wolves in Myth and Religion
May 19, 2010

It's another sad commentary on the loss of our modern cultures' connections with Shamanic traditions that there are problems with the Wolf population in Norway today.

In Catherine Feher-Elston's book, Wolf Song: A Natural and Fabulous History of Wolves, 2004, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, pps. 75-77, she notes:

    "Shamanic echoes ring through mythology. In myth, as in Nature, wolves and ravens are connected. Odin, ruler of the old Norse Gods, was accompanied by two ravens, Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory); and two wolves, Freki (Hungry One) and Geri (Greedy One). It is said that after Odin and his brothers made the world, Odin travelled the earth. He was lonely, so he made the First Wolves, Freki and Geri. He needed companionship and help with hunting. Freki and Geri were his constant companions; wherever Odin went, his wolves were beside him.
    "Odin loved the beauty and affection of his wolves. With his wolves beside him, he was no longer lonely. All of the world's wolves are the children of Odin's wolves.
    "Odin also made the First Ravens, Hugin and Munin. The ravens were excellent locators of game, and they were always hungry. But they were not strong enough to kill game animals by themselves, so they scouted for Freki and Geri. The wolves would make the kill and share the meat with the ravens. It is still so today: ravens and wolves travel together. Many hunting peoples maintain that the raven finds the game and leads the wolf to it, and that together they share food and survive.
    "Odin found happiness watching wolves and ravens play together, and he loved the joy both ravens and wolves found in the world. When Odin made First Man and First Woman, Embla and Ask, the parents of all humankind, he told them to learn from the wolf. He explained that the wolf would teach them how to hunt, how to raise a family and how to protect each other. Following instructions from the Viking King of Gods, the wolves shared their world and their wisdom with the early people. In the Viking world, to be a Wolf Brother- a mamber of the Wolf Clan, Ulfhedna-- was a great honor. Brave Viking warriors turned into magnificent wolves after they died, and they ran with Odin and his wolves.
     "In old Norse legends and sagas, Odin is said to have had children who were both wolf and human. They were called Vosung (Wolf Young) and Wulfsung (Wolfsong). They were fabled warriors who assumed wolf shapes in battle and when hunting."

I found this mythology of interest, not only because of my fascination with both wolves and ravens, but also because I am 1/4 Norwegian, and my ancestors on my father's side built ships for the Vikings. But the wolf is likewise revered in many indigenous cultures in the Americas, and the Nez Pierce tribe, with their lands in central Idaho, have put together a wolf-recovery plan. They are giving protection and use of their land to captive-bred wolves, but these wolves cannot be returned to the wild. Levi Holt, a Nez Pierce who worked with the wolves, says that "Restoring the wolf, protecting the wolf, sharing our lives with the wolf gives us a chance to have our culture reborn.... We will honor our ancient relationships. What affects them, affects us."

karen h.
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Posted: Wednesday May 19, 2010, 9:00 pm
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Ulfgar Gruette (0) 		Thursday January 20, 2011, 6:59 am
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