Bird Signs and Speech in the Norse Beliefs

Sources
Poetic Edda
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Volsunga Saga
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Ragnars Saga
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Ynglinga Saga/Heimskringla
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Hrafnsmál from Fagrskinna
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Gesta Danorum
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Morkinskinna
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Tacitus, Germania
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Bede, History of the English People
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Pliny the Elder, Historia Naturalis
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Icelandic Folktale and Legend
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Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend
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Trolldom
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Language of the birds is in mythology, medieval literature and occultism, a mystical, perfect or divine language, or a mythical or magical language used by birds to communicate with the initiated.
Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". 'Auspices' is from the Latin auspicium and auspex, literally "one who looks at birds." Depending upon the birds, the auspices from the gods could be favorable or unfavorable (auspicious or inauspicious). Sometimes politically motivated augurs would fabricate unfavorable auspices in order to delay certain state functions, such as elections. Pliny the Elder attributes the invention of auspicy to Tiresias the seer of Thebes, the generic model of a seer in the Greco-Roman literary culture. This type of omen reading was already a millennium old in the time of Classical Greece: in the fourteenth-century BC diplomatic correspondence preserved in Egypt called the "Amarna correspondence", the practice was familiar to the king of Alasia in Cyprus who needed an 'eagle diviner' to be sent from Egypt. This earlier, indigenous practice of divining by bird signs, familiar in the figure of Calchas, the bird-diviner to Agamemnon, who led the army (Iliad I.69), was largely replaced by sacrifice-divination through inspection of the sacrificial victim's liver-haruspices-during the Orientalizing period of archaic Greek culture. Plato notes that hepatoscopy held greater prestige than augury by means of birds.

[@sage6935]

I once gave food and water to a baby crow that had fallen out of a tree next to my appartment building. A couple of weeks later, a group of men where harassing me and being gross at a busstop nearby and a small flock of crows attacked them....Moral of the story, be nice to birds, they have a good memory.

[@meowmix1023]

Especially crows.

[@jswets5007]

There is nothing wrong with the desire to not fight. The failure lies in the unwillingness to do so when it is necessary.

[@theloveclan41]

Do Birds have language? Yes absolutely! And it’s amazing what they say. All you need to do is get to know them and observe their calls and body language. Reiterating here please don't harm any animals - it's not needed to understand them !

[@davidt1621]

The local flock of sparrows gave me a message. They told me to wash my car and park under the carport.

[@RobotronSage]

they talk a lot of shit about humans lol

[@theloveclan41]

@@RobotronSage Ha ha ! Surely 🙊

[@DecanFrost]

Scientists have actually confirmed this with many types of birds. Ducks, doves, crows and more, don't remember all of them. But they basically took birds of the same species, transported them across the globe to the same species somewhere else and yep, at first they didn't understand each other but eventually they gained some understanding but their sounds still had, what we would call "dialect". That to me, sounds like very much like a language.

[@shadowdragon3521]

The idea of snakes granting special abilities is likely an allegory for the risen Kundalini serpent.

[@DirtyKid4Life]

Making battle was also called, "Setting the table for Ravens." The ultimate sacrifice for the birds

[@desertrat4532]

Ravens and crows follow the easy meal.

[@afsanarosebd]

Being that they are scavengers that eat dead things, then that makes sense.

[@bam142m]

I have a real relationship with my crows and ravens. I feed them everyday along with all of the other birds. The crows left me a little porcelain bead about a year ago. It's a long story but I've had a lot of intuition surrounding the crows for around 7 years now. Wherever I go crows show up and interact with me. ❤

[@steffironside]

Thanks for making this. Birds have always been close to my heart and with me since I was a kid. Just want to reiterate, as U did, that birds communicate with us all the time if we pay attention it is NOT necessary to harm them or snakes or any creature in order to understand them 🐦💙

[@theloveclan41]

@@taylorfusher2997 My guess is that they were both !? "haugbúi ("barrow-dweller") or an aptrganga, literally "again-walker" , Icelandic: afturganga". In "Old Norse Draugr = "a ghost, spirit, esp. the dead inhabitant of a cairn". Perhaps more of a revenant than a ghost, i.e., the reanimated of the deceased inside the burial mound, example of Kárr inn gamli in Grettis Saga"

[@robertsimpson7424]

In my family, owls are the messengers of the dead. Their way to show the living that they are watching us.

[@afsanarosebd]

That seems to be an omen for many people. I have an owl outside my window that wakes me up a lot. It lives in trees behind my house. I run outside to see it every time but I can never find it. During the pandemic lockdown I ran outside to find it one night and I could hear owls surrounding me. Owls hooting all over my neighborhood. It was the creepiest thing I've ever experienced. My husband ended his own life that year and my father died in 2020 as well. I see owls differently although. I see them as wisdom.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

These traditions even carried on into the 1700s and 1800s. Sailors considered it extreme bad luck to kill a seabird because it was said the bird carried the spirits of dead sailors. In the movie 'Master and Commander' one of the Marines tries to shoot a seabird and ends up accidentally shooting the ship surgeon which was a cool touch by the director.

[@jimbunn8267]

I’ve been lucky enough to feed a pair of crows for several years. They now have 3 offspring that are now coming around. I live in an apartment complex which makes it much more difficult for close interaction. I understand and have truly embraced this relationship

[@aliciamarie9704]

Has anyone had a crow bring gifts? Last year a crow brought me things like the hide of a mole, a corn Cobb, dried flesh from animals that I didn’t recognize (my dog loved it). There were other things. I kept this weird collection of things until spring ended and they stopped coming around. This year, the new crows didn’t interact or bring gifts, but they would still call out for food. I suppose the new generation learned to be entitled.

[@zeropointconsciousness]

Many feathers.

[@reiokami]

I had an interesting experience with a Raven one time. I was taking a Norse Mythology class and for homework we were reading Saga of the Volsungs. In a park, I was waiting for a friend to get off work, reading the saga out loud. (I'm an audio learner). Eventually, a Raven landed in the tree above me. He got my attention by cawing and I greeted him before continuing to read. Eventually, he started making strange almost mechanical noises. I asked if it was him making the noise and he seemed to respond. After almost an hour of my reading and conversing with him, I got a text from my friend. I told the raven it had been nice talking to him, but that my friend was coming soon and I didn't want him to get offended if I left suddenly and forgot to say goodbye. The Raven acknowledged this, then hopped around a bit before flying away. I felt so happy to have had that moment. I'm looking forward to trying to befriend the corvids in my neighborhood now that I live in a house instead of an apartment.

[@afsanarosebd]

I was distracted by crows once and so excited to see so many flying over my house. Long story short, the treatment that I had put into my long luxurious hair had dried and I couldn't rinse it out. After three days of trying to rinse it out I gave up and had to cut off all of my hair all the way to my scalp. I sacrificed my hair. It taught me to love myself anyway, hair or not. I gained knowledge.

[@snodgerbill9111]

A video on Huginn and Muninn would be really interesting, I would be interested in the written accounts about them, thanks for the videos, very educational. 👍

[@NeonCicada]

I like their relationship to Odin's fear that one day they will fly away and never return -- reflecting Odin's fears around developing Alzheimer's/Dementia in his old age; losing all of the knowledge that he worked hard to attain.

[@afsanarosebd]

@@NeonCicada that is one of my biggest fears as well. I had no idea Odin feared that. I was thrown onto the back of my head in a krav maga martial arts class six years ago and blood came out of my left ear. I was basically out cold on my feet. Then I was assaulted in 2021 and again thrown onto the back of my head and now I suffer from severe brain fog, tinnitus and neck problems. The nerve at the base of my skull is damaged and it controls the sensation of pain as well as many other bodily functions. So I have gained so much knowledge from the severe pain I experience and I'm so scared that I will suffer memory loss as I grow older. Thank you for your comment because I truly believe that Odin has given me this knowledge because I have fought for my life like a true warrior soul. I am a warrior and I am a protector and healer.

[@casstay4499]

I also would like to see this!👁

[@tuathadesidhe1530]

My youngest son and I have been having a Viking inspired market stall as part of a homeschool project, one day the lady running the markets asked us to stand under this big tree and wait for her, then a noise happened and all the birds in the tree flew off... And some shit on my son - which he was rather upset about. I told him that my Granny has said that getting shit on by a bird was good luck, and he got shit on 3 times so we must be going to have a great selling day, he said he doesn't care it's just gross = we ended up having our best selling day to that point! And I said see, Granny GG was right, just imagine how much we could have made if it shit in your eye - apparently that's the best luck you can have, now if we are having a slow day I say go on, get out there and find some birds. Meanwhile he has a pet ringneck that's just an asshole, and it shits all over the place just because it wants you to be its slave cleaning up after it.

[@thegreenmage6956]

Lots of hidden meanings in bird behaviours for the Celtic peoples. In my family we have specific signs which always happen when someone is going to die.

[@Taticalfun]

I have felt some interesting connections to owls…. I see them quite often and hear them even more! This is why I go and sit out at night to see if my friends visit.

[@Non-Serviam300]

YES 👍🏻 The other day I saw two big owls and it looked like they were fighting for a sec. When they hoot it’s magical. Quickens the spirit!

[@Taticalfun]

@@Non-Serviam300 I have seen owls Often since I was a little kid. My Grandma was obsessed with owls… I am starting to think it may be her…. She died when I was two years old. My father said she loved owls and he has a lot of her belonging which have a lot to do with owls. This may be a sign…

[@Non-Serviam300]

@@Taticalfun indeed. Sounds like it warrants what could be an intriguing and meaningful follow-up.

[@ivornelsson2238]

Thanks for this interesting video :-) IMO the poetic language in Norse Mythology is in fact very specific and precise regarding the natural physical and spiritual description of the Norse World Perception of the Three Midgard, Asgard and Utgard Realms. To modern humans, it can be somewhat difficult to decipher the natural symbolism used in ancient myths, but the symbolism is very natural and logical indeed. Birds are connected to both the terrestrial (Midgard) and celestial (Asgard) realms and are the connection symbol between these two realms and the knowledge of them. Odin represent “cosmic wisdom” gained from the “Well of Knowledge”. Ravens represent the “spoken language in Asgard” which is INTUITIVE communication without orally spoken words. As with Ravens, their “language” can sound recognizable but it´s really not and the same problem is when learning the intuitive cosmic communication: One have to get used to it in silence by practicing this meditative language. Hugin represent intuitive knowledge from the past (inclusive the Creation Story) and Munin represent intuitive knowledge of the FUTURE. When scarifying to birds, one personally and generally really worship the spiritual connection and growth. When Odin is described having “just one eye” this really represent the “one connected knowledge of everything”. Thanks again and Best Wishes from Ivor Comparative Mythologist & Natural Philosopher

[@ivornelsson2238]

BTW: When Odin and the Valkyries get each their 1/2 of the death humans, Odin gets the human Light Spirit and the human body goes back to mother Earth for the normal recycling.

[@WiseAngelUK]

The only black bird I find myself drawn to, is the beautiful Raven. Here in Sunderland UK, we have our own Serpent Myth called the Lambton Worm.

[@wodanswolf]

I asked the allfather humbly to send a raven to me as a sign. I was sitting in a car with my colleague to go to a job. 5 mins later we stopped at a traffic light and a raven landed on the beam in the middle and snapped his head to look right at me. I was very surprised, but then we arrived at the job site which was 500 meters from that traffic light. And when I was working this raven circled the job site 3 times while looking at me and flew off. That was one of the experiences that solidified my belief.

[@kylesprenkel680]

at night a crow (might be a raven been awhile i know it is some kind of corvid) taps on your window 3 times someone in your family dies. crossing the path of an owl in certain native american lore is an ill omen of death. I have experienced one of these possibly both the timing for the owl was off by 20 days.

[@afsanarosebd]

Another great video. I thank you so much. Hahaa I'm not a member of any Facebook pagan or "Viking" groups. Thank goodness, because I do not tolerate racism of any kind. My grandfather taught me, when I was young, how to read the birds and horses especially. They will tell you when bad weather is coming and living in Oklahoma we get the most crazy weather and that information is very useful. They will also warm of bad omens by their behaviors. I was taught how to raise and respect horses and how much you can learn from their behavior. I've never met a horse that was spooked by me and I road bare back as a kid and had lots of great memories connecting with the horses and talking to them. I'm so fortunate to have been so close with my grandfathers and learned much from them. My mother not the same. She did not listen to her father when she was pregnant with me and wanted to watch him butcher a hog. Even though he told her no and that she would go into labor, and she did. I was born 5 weeks early, on the new moon in November. I weighed 4.5 ounces and I survived. I think the sagas words are not to be taken so literally. In my humble opinion. The birds do speak to us but in ways that are not always language that we hear. I was bitten by a white spider and almost died. I was so sick and had such a high fever. I got Tularemia or "rabbit fever." I think I've always had a gift with animals but perhaps that enhanced it? Call me crazy but I feel the wind speaks to me as well. If I just listen. I can also hold a plant leaf or tree leaf or stump and tell someone a message. Sometimes it's gibberish and I don't understand it but others get it. Again thank you for your knowledge and sharing it with us.

[@sanguinoid8919]

Aww this was a special one I love all the neighborhood birds and talk with them every day AND I've learned to mimic a very convincing crow call that they love. We shout back and forth playing at repeating the specific sounds and patterns. Great video as usual.

[@afsanarosebd]

I've been told that if you make friends with a crow that they will bring you gifts. Has your crow friend brought you a gift. My teacher "Grandmother Raven" warned me to not leave my crystals outside too long after charging them in the moonlight because once the sun rises the crows will steal shiny things.

[@Rose-Dew]

This made me think of Mozarts love for birds, and his pet starling, which he supposedly called 'rascal' and 'nutty bird', though name unknown. In the three years they were together, Mozart wrote quite a few pieces, it's speculated he used bird tunes in them. He also he wrote a sort of requiem for when it died, quite endearing. He mostly loved Leberknödelsuppe though haha.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

MIke Tyson also has an extreme love for Pigeons. If you google it there are some pretty crazy stories.

[@kevinmurphy6036]

Just purchased a mjolnir necklace from your online shop super pumped to get it brother

[@jswets5007]

Madness is a gift because; you don't have to work here to be crazy, but it helps. (You don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps.)

[@shaktipriestess2553]

My ex husband came to visit his son. We were outside getting ready to go to the ocean. Two sparring crows flew close to my child and I, with feet splayed , never saw that before. I said thought and memory.

[@derekv1718]

Birds are like walkie-talkies for the gods.

[@kariannecrysler640]

Ever wonder about these gifted souls? How many lifetimes will they have? Did they teach their gift’s or did others devote themselves to gaining that knowledge? Who did they have to guide them? They must have been very lonely on the human side

[@zeropointconsciousness]

It is not lonely when humans only interrupt our train of thought to be honest with you and I am a great believer in reincarnation. (clear knowing)

[@RobotronSage]

Great work fren The ability to understand bird speech is very real and tangible So is a lot of spiritual ''weirdness'' i would say

[@orangeandyoghurt]

Great video again, thank you! I appreciate that you make references to other cultures as well. It makes the knowledge more grounded in the earth, for the lack of a better word, and the similarities of the belief systems more vivid.

[@brendamaggio9189]

I didn't know about these practices among many cultures, either. I guess that's why the Bible lists what to eat and what not to. I never knew snake and lizard meat is dangerous. A "natural mummy" found in an old salt mine in Iran, was discovered with tapeworm eggs in his stomach. The "gods" of old instructed their people on what to safely eat, evidently.

[@mumo9413]

I always leave meat trimmings for my crows & don't eat from my fruit trees. Leave them as offerings! When I say ' My crows' I have wild crows that visit me every morning. I talk to them & taught them to bounce, the whole famiky flock(murder) now do this - as if they've been taught ! They will sometimes follow me to the corner shop & sit on the shops sign! It's so funny as they will then follow me home! The neighbours get freaked out! This has been going on for 4 yrs! Lol! I've never eaten any dragon/snake/ blood or harmed any animal or bird!

[@ladyspider4904]

Thank you so much for sharing this. Your videos are amazing and your knowledge is unbounded.

[@TalosCreative]

Perhaps the stories represent early account of people sending messages via ravens and other birds, so people assume the bird spoke to them directly. But only some had the gift of knowing the language it was written in. The written word is very aptly described as thought and memory manifested. Gaining knowledge from distant places quickly would have been all knowing power to everyone else. Though its always depicted requiring a form of sacrifice, blood, heart or an eye...but could represent the hard work required to study...or a form of barrier to entry. Stories are a more artful way to represent such ideas. I think all old tales has some kind of truth and wisdom to them.

[@TrueNativeScot]

There is a Scottish folktale with lots of parallels with what you said. Hopefully I can type it all below: THE LEGEND OF EILEAN DONAN CASTLE In the Highlands and the Hebrides, there is an ancient belief that supernatural powers will fall upon a child who, after he has been weaned, is given his first sip from a raven's skull; for the raven is accounted the wisest and most knowing of his kind. Long ago, there lived a chieftain in Kintail who decided to see for himself whether there was any truth in this belief; and accordingly, he gave his young son Shamus his first drink of cow's milk from the light, fragile skull of such a bird. For a long time there was no sign that the boy possessed any unusual powers. He played and prattled exactly as other children did, and like them he was sometimes wilful, sometimes good. But one day his father came upon Shamus as he sat under an apple tree, looking up into the boughs and uttering strange sounds that did not belong to the human tongue. Then, as the chieftain drew nearer to the tree, there was a flap and flutter of wings, and a handful of small birds flew away in alarm. 'Oh, father, you have frightened them away' said Shamus. 'They were telling me of the warm lands they visit while we are shivering in the winter's cold, and of the great ocean that lies blue under the sun all day while the grey waves break upon our shores" 'But how can that be, my son? asked the chieftain. For the birds do not speak our language"' "Yet I understand their tongue,'" said Shamus 'and I can talk to them and listen to their speech as if it were my own '. Thus the chieftain discovered that the knowledge of bird-language had been bestowed upon his son, and he knew that there was truth indeed in the old belief concerning the raven's skull. As the years went by, Shamus's power did not lessen. When he rode out hunting, he conversed with the falcon on his wrist; as he walked by the shore, the sea-birds would tell him of travellers upon the ocean; and the little birds that flew near his father's house spoke of what they had seen about the countryside. He grew up to be a youth blessed with wisdom and courage as well as supernatural power; and all the clansmen declared him a worthy heir to follow in his father's place when the time should come.

[@TrueNativeScot]

But one black day, something happened to turn the old chiefs anger against his son and cause Shamus to leave the land of his birth in sorrow. For while he was waiting upon his father at the high table one evening, the chieftain pointed to the smoke-blackened rafters of the hall, where innurnerable birds had made their nests for as long as anyone could remember, and said: "Tell me, my son, what are the starlings chattering about tonight? I have never known thern make so much noise before" Then Shamus lowered his eyes before his father's gaze and replied 'If answer your question, father, I fear you will be angry." Naturally, this reply only made his father more curious, and at length Shamus told him: The starlings are saying that one day our positions will be changed, and it is you that will be waiting upon myself at your own table in this very hall, father. Now as soon as the chieftain heard these words, he was filled with wrath: for what could such a prophecy mean but that one day his son would rise up against him and take his inheritance before it was due to him? "Traitor!" cried the old man, dashing his wine-cup to the floor, 'would you betray your own father? Leave my house, bid farewell to your clansmen, and never let me see you again!" And, in spite of his protestations of loyalty and devotion to his father, Shamus was forced to say goodbye to his kinsfolk and leave the home he had known all his life. He went forth from Kintail as a poor man, with nothing but the clothes on his back; and when he reached the shore, he thought to himself: "The whole world lies before me across the ocean. I will find a ship and sail to those blue seas and sun-filled lands of which the birds have spoken." Now there happened to be a ship leaving for foreign lands that very day, and Shamus thought himself lucky indeed when he managed to get taken on as one of her crew. Away he sailed, through calm and stormy seas, until the ship came to the fair land of France. Here Shamus decided to continue his journeying on foot, so he set off across the countryside with lightness in his step and his heart ready for adventure. Before long, he came to a great park where lilies grew amongst the green grass In the distance he caught a glimpse of gilded turrets against the sky; and then he knew that he had reached the King's palace. As he drew near the great gateway, he heard a sound of sawing and lopping, and saw that an army of woodcutters was busy felling a spinney of poplar trees that stood before the palace courtyard. But that was not all: to Shamus's astonishment, he saw that all round the palace the sky was filled with birds - little brown sparrows whose shrill cries fell ceaselessly upon the air, so that he had to cover his ears with this hands. Just then a servant accosted him and said: Ah, stranger, you may well try to shut your ears against that unholy din, but it will be useless. Not only outside the palace, but indoors, too, we are assailed with this incessant chirping and cheeping. It is enough to drive a man out of his right mind, and the King is at his wits' end to know how he may rid himself of the plague. At once it occurred to Shamus that he of all men might be able to help the King in his trouble; and he asked the servant to take him to his royal master. The servant led the way through long galleries, where hosts of sparrows beat their wings against the panelled walls; across a terraced walk where the ladies of the court vainly tried to converse with each other above the never-ending hubbub, and past a room filled with fluted pillars, where birds perched on every ledge and cornice, drowning the deliberations of grave counsellors. At last they reached a little room where the King sat alone. The windows were shut fast, and a sentry stood guard by the door, but in spite of these precautions, one sparrow swifter than his fellows had managed to enter the room when the Queen visited her lord that moming. The King was watching the bird where it perched on the arm of his chair, his chin cupped in one jewelled hand, in an attitude of deep despair. 'If you please, sire,' said Shamus, 'I think that I, of all men, may be able to rid you of this feathered curse that has fallen upon your palace'

[@TrueNativeScot]

At once the King's face brightened and a gleam of hope shone in his eyes. 'If what you say is true, he declared, 'your reward will be great and you will earn my everlasting gratitude. But why do you imagine that you, of all men, can help me in my trouble?" Then Shamus told the King of his power of speaking with the birds in their own tongue. 'There must be some reason, sire' he said, 'why the sparrows are waging their shrill warfare against you.' He turned to the little bird that was perched beside the King, and spoke to it in its own language, uttering the strange sounds that his father had first heard him make long ago under the apple tree. When he had finished speaking, the bird flew on to his out-stretched hand and replied with an excited chattering of which the King could not make one word of sense, but which Shamus seemed to understand perfectly. At length, he turned to the King and said "Why, sire, the solution of your trouble is quite simple. You have incurred the anger of the sparrows because you have ordered the woodcutters to fell the poplar trees in which they build their nests, and the birds fear that they will soon be homeless. They promise that if you give orders for the woodcutters to stop their work, then they will trouble you no more". At these words the King rose up and flung wide the door of his room, issuing commands to his sentry. Forthwith, six heralds with six silver trumpets went out to proclaim that not another tree, bush, branch, or twig that stood within the palace grounds should be lopped off. And again he swore by his bushy beard and by all the saints of France that if after this the birds plagued him no more, then Shamus would be richly rewarded. No sooner had the last woodcutter's axe fallen silent, than from the long panelled galleries, from the terraced walk where the ladies sat, from the pillared room where the counsellors deliberated, and from every nook and cranny throughout the palace, a great company of sparrows few out and soared away above the gilded turrets, to rebuild their nests among the poplar trees. And from that day, the King of France was never troubled by so much as one little sparrow as long as he lived. True to his word, he fewarded Shamus richly for his help, giving him a long galley, fully-equipped and manned, and a quantity of gold. In this fine new ship, Shamus sailed away across the water to seek more adventure. He visited the lands of dark-skinned peoples where gold lies unheeded upon the ground, like so many pebbles an the hillside, and he sailed between fair islands where no man's foot had ever left its imprint. And wherever he went he gained wealth and wisdom. But in all these distant places Shamus never forgot the hills, the mountain tarns, and heather slopes of Kintail, and after ten years of roaming be could no longer withstand his great desire to return home and see his own people once more. On a day of days his rich galley with its golden prow nosed its way through the creeks of the misty Hebridean sea, and anchored in the narrow channel between Totaig and a certain rocky islet. When they beheld the great ship there, Shamus's kinsfolk and clansmen gasped at its magnificence and wondered what rich stranger had come to their shore They took the news to the old chieftain himselfhe who had sent forth his son so long ago and he came out to welcome the stranger and offer him hospitality. He did not recognize his son in the handsome man who accepted the shelter of his roof, but treated Shamus with all the honour due to a young nobleman of courteous bearing. But that evening, during the great feast that had been prepared for him, Shamus disclosed his identity and healed the unhappy rift between himself and his father. For, following the custom of those days, which decreed that the master of a house should himself wait upon an honoured guest, the old chieftain brought wine to Shamus as he sat at the high table and as the old man knelt before his son, bearing the drinking- cup, Shamus cried 'Oh, my father, do you not remember me? I am your son whom you sent away in wrath because of the prophecy of the birds. Now that prophecy has come true: for you are waiting upon me at your own table. Oh, Father, receive me as your son again. Once more I swear to you that the thought of treachery was never in my heart, nor did I ever harbour any evil design against you.' At these words the old man sprang up with a glad shout, and fell on Shamus's neck. In the sight of all the company assembled in the hall he restored his son to his inheritance; and great was the clansmen's rejoicing. When the tale of Shamus's wanderings was told, his fame as a traveller spread far and wide, until at last it reached the ears of the King of Scotland himself. Now at that time the western coast was much harried by the Norsemen's attacks and the King wished to find a man of trust whom he could place in command of a stronghold of Kintail. He summoned Shamus to his court, and finding him a man of great wisdom, he commanded him to build a castle on Eilean Donan, that rocky islet opposite Totaig, to bea watch-post and a stronghold against the Norse invaders.

[@bearclaus2676]

My ancestor. Thank you.

[@corvusscottwilliams4751]

Excellent. Thank you. Among way's I have studied. Various aspects surrounding Garnets and bird speech, carrying, swallowing etc.. another name for garnet is dragons blood. Also where I live in Cornwall England an ancient practice in understanding bird's of black feather,, involves the poisonous Adder we have here. All the best from Trencrom Cornwall.

[@corvusscottwilliams4751]

@@taylorfusher2997 can't really remember. We are pretty much Draugr free in Cornwall these day's. I think their limited power depended on what the greed was about? Often shrouding mist's involved. I would think like that of a ghost depending where you are over a large slice of the world.

[@American_Heathen]

I remember plowing my fields and I would have a crow or a Raven show up just watching me plow. This little black one would show up everyday for almost a month. After a while I worried about this one

[@ColoradoStreaming]

I remember whenever I would till my garden at my old house a robin would literally walk behind me and pick up the worms that were exposed when the dirt was tilled over.

[@bluenovacorgi8230]

Ive been feeding birds for a year now every other few days ill get some crows which are lovely they are my favorite birds, next are chikkadees, i see decent amount of diff birds every few days or weeks n its relaxing to watch em interact with eachother n also collecting their feathers is very fun thing to find

[@davidt1621]

The native Americans have a prophecy that says, when the white raven returns, the beginning of the end of the world will begin. It's a reference to animistic re-genesis, the beginning of a new age/cycle. When I heard that, I was reminded of the Taoist YinYang symbol of dualism. Funny how symbols from across the planet share common underlying animistic spiritual significance.

[@NihilIslands]

The only poems about dragons could be the Round Table Nights stories and Romanian fairy tales inspired by Dark Ages. Lazy Dragon species discovered in Romania, and we have a family of Dragons knights Vlad Impaler with his famous dad Vlad Dracul( Drako, Dragon same also Balaur which stands also in my family name and Middle East Ancient Tale of Bel and the Dragon. Edit there is this degree in knight/cavalry class that of Dragons!

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

Wow, he was son of the Dragon, Vlad the Impaler, his dad was a prisoner of the invaders.

[@NihilIslands]

@@cyankirkpatrick5194 The Dragon connection probably has connections either slewing or taming them for own benefit like Bel and the Dragon who had probably also a biblical descendant who worshipped Baal another descendant cult of Bel and the Dragon story but also the story gave a sense of people being led by a fear or pity of a Wrathful Dragon God than one of Love and Understanding. Like today, but the story goes certain people deserve that status and punishment and there was always a bigger evil to take place of a former one with escaping Universal Law and Order of the ancient times. My great great ancestor Ballack used a Druid Balaam and both knew Great things that jews & others use to fool people!( Eg Ashtaroth people or today new age space love cult or Raelians how they are called spiritual beings)

[@JohnMelland]

I had a crow and my aunt has a crow named Edgar. Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Sabé, is my spirit being. Crows are also corvids and aid other animals and humans alike. ❤

[@steveanderson3444]

I had a friend who had a parrot. I could understand it. It could curse better than I can. 🤣

[@degbhavansinghji1152]

I saw your mugwort video and just took it today some coincidence that you say in that video it is taken on august 24 and it i recieve it today, the 26 of august it arrived in the mail, something in my guts feels the profound truth in these storys. the mugwort truly suports the story time energy i feel the truth init.

[@ron1836]

Things like this I believe to be real. What I perceive it as is really an honesty and an openess. And having a deep heart. If you are willing to second guess your actions as well take notice and envelope your senses in picking up the feelings of everything around you. You can make connections with animals or even just general areas. And doing this you can atleast partially feel what that animal feels. Or feel some present emotion of the earth or a building you are in or near. I also think our subconscious is picking up on every single thing that happens in our lives. Even things we cannot be conciously aware of. And being open and honest I believe you will have sudden attention to something like the actions of a bird or other such things around you. This is because something in yourself doesn't feel right and a portion of yourself is scanning your surroundings to bring something to the forefront of your mind in a way that it knows will give you a valid excuse to question yourself and your course. Our minds and bodies are very complex things. Especially when we stop trying to fight against and subdue them. But let them practice and become stronger. This is what Intuition is.

[@drengrperuna2737]

In The Netherlands, there is a pagan story that says that if you cut off the tongue from a bird, dip it in honey and put it under your tongue, you can hear what the birds are saying. There is also another, later story, about the Christian Frankish emperor Karel de Grote (Charlemange) where he and another nobleman can hear the birds speak when they put spices in their mouth.

[@MiszCella]

Im dutch but never heard about this. But i dont know much about pagan netherlands,.. im new to this,.. any good video resources??

[@drengrperuna2737]

@@MiszCella I don't know about videos, but books on this subject are usually better. Especially older sources.

[@billyjoeleader7064]

Hahahaha," but if your going to try this at home here's some tips" 😂 Most definite full disclosure

[@DJJinxC2006]

I remember watching that one of the bird perching on your altar, was mind-blowing to say the least.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Great discussion brother!

[@BitStClair]

Would love to see you do your take on great Odinns ravens!

[@Archer-Sterling]

I saw a crow. Eric Draven is near.

[@meredith7236]

What a fantastic story

[@kurtbogle2973]

If science ends up creating a dragon using bird DNA I'm going to be completely weirded out!

[@kpheathen9370]

Great video

[@shanesorensen7878]

It’s sounds like a shamanic ability almost to me in jarls.

[@berserkerboy9777]

I was reading about German werewolf myths, and quite a few mention a belt of wolf fur. Do you think that could hint somewhat at the Ulfhednar? If so do you think the Ulfhednar would use the back legs of the wolf pelt to make a belt to keep the pelt on?

[@nj1639]

Spend time in the forest alone and you'll learn all kinds of things.....

[@FriedPickles2023]

Do you have any videos regarding cats in Norse mythology?

[@earthmamma85]

I have a murder of crows that hang around my house… one of them I talk to on a regular basis. My family thought I was crazy until the other day, my crow buddy showed up and we preceded to caw back and forth for at least 15 minutes.

[@mcusa77]

Thanks.

[@nicholassmith2223]

Thanks for all these videos. I love learning about others. It all makes me wish I had something of the sort. I respect you have to take time to earn it. Time being the most expensive thing ever, it seems sometimes. My buddy tells me he's never saw a bald eagle, and he sees them all the time when we go fishing. I should send him this, I'm just a little worried. He claims he is Norse, has tattoos. However, I know the only time he goes outside is when I make him go fishing with him. It sorta feels wrong, he's making clams he didn't work for.

[@Italianguy37]

As an Italian. When I see an eagle looking at me. Is it Jupiter 🤔

[@jennklein1917]

Why does a bird always appear when a loved one dies? This seems to be a reality based myth! When my mum died, a Tawney frogmouth kept sentry in the tree outside my door for a week! My son I named Morgan. Morgan is a Welsh goddess of the Dead, in the form of a black crow she collects the souls of the slain in battle.

[@sarahgilbert8036]

I remember mom saying "oiseau de mauvaise augure" about someone saying things that predicted something bad would happen; so birds as bringers of bad news was/is a thing also in France - I never asked, as I didn't realize at the time what thr saying implied. I remember a card-game we had when I was a kid. All birds, to be collected into families by the players. There were 4 in each family. Gulls, ducks, owls, "meiser", sparrows, etc, 7 families total. And watching birds on the feeders in winter, or "Naturmagasinet" on TV ... I also grew up with us having budgies, in addition to a cat - always a cat! - with one of them being specifically mine and which became very tame.

[@AntiQris]

Damn that was my point after all that madness!!! The rh- can speak bird only because they don’t have the allele of the ground creature. There are many alleles though many “gods” /eles (alleles) that can aid us as such. Look into the lettered alleles and it’s fun to guess

[@bijanthegr91]

I've been seeing a lot of Ravens flying over my house since I called upon Odin for our meeting. Never had a conversation with them, but I did have an urge to feed them. Mostly, I fed them stuff that I wasn't going to eat, like meat and fish. Oh, and for damn sure I was visited by Loki, because there was a Falcon that almost hit me in the face, after I did a little taunt to Loki. Learned a value lesson: Don't tease the Trickster. Though I still don't know what the Ravens mean, especially flying over my home.

[@AstiJay]

Oh to be a shapeshifter, the naughty things I’d do!

[@kurtbogle2973]

Thank you for doing this. Information about the North of Europe is almost nonexistent in the United States.

[@thesharkormoriantm274]

You said that we should not harm animals unnecessarily, but how did you get that wolf hide in the background?

[@ericaskye7704]

Wow my mother that has past… middle name Sigrid was obsessed with birds and feathers…hhmmmm

[@pjopitz]

The salmon of wisdom from Irish sources comes to mind.

[@lucindypowell3711]

What about vivid dreams of ravens? I had 3 dreams straight in a row where a raven told me the same messages. It happened about a week ago.

[@nuclearmaga9694]

I've fairly recently wondered if its one intelligence but different instruments or forms of life thru which it is expressed

[@blackbass4u2c]

The Dragons were a Knights fraternity...

[@ryanorionwotanson4568]

Very, good video, cringe pagan free... 😆. There are many times when I see ravens or crows flying over me ( directly) is this phenomenon spoken of in the lore?

[@user-pp6fx7si4g]

It has been known that Ravens and Crows can learn our languages. So, one can actually talk with them.

[@dmhq-administration]

I'd drink snake water to communicate with My feathered brothers and sisters. 🤔🥰🤗🇨🇦💖

[@melissahdawn]

I made a comment a regarding certain Nobel people listening to birds. But, it was no where when I looked to add another story, rather than make a new post. Oh well. In a music history class we learned that Gregoroan chant was said to have originated through the pope jotting down tunes from a bird. This is attested in a popular tapestry of a bird singing in to the pope's ear. Additionally, I recall a story about a Peloponesian war where before a battle the Greeks consulted chickens, who somehow signaled that their battle would not succeed, and the Greeks did fail. What I learned from these stories, as far fetched or unlikely as they seem, is that people thought listening to or consulting birds was not strange.

[@gryaznygreeb]

Not quite spiritual, at least not compared to a bird literally speaking to you, but I've began focusing on the birds in my area recently. You can tell when a person or other large animal is approaching from the angry alert calls of squirrels and birds, and they often go silent before storms. You can definitely learn the real signs of nature and some of how they communicate with eachother. Never had one tell me who the hottest woman was though. As a side note: A small gap in my bottom incisor teeth allows me to perfectly mimic a chicadee call, and I can even get then to follow me. They'll hop all around responding to my call like they're trying to find the other bird and can't realize I'm making the sound. It's pretty fun sometimes and I also use it to mess with people. If you don't know the chicadee by that name, people often call it the "cheeseburger bird" or "hey sweetie" because the call sounds sorta like saying that.

[@travisbremer6645]

I read on the internet that the duck is a symbol of frigg . but I don't know to be honest

[@wuldr]

I’ve eaten snake. Sometimes birds catch my attention and I feel a sense of importance. But, I can say I’ve never heard them speak 🫣😅 Must not have enough Noble blood.

[@Embassy_of_Jupiter]

Odin once took a shit on my cousin's fries when we were 8 or so and she didn't notice and almost ate them. What did Odin want to tell me back then?

[@judithtrigg1694]

I was out on a moor and got lost.I saw a feather then another .I followed these feathers and found my camp.the colour of feathers were black.

[@prollynamed3280]

I had a hawk drop a snake in front of my lawnmower pretty weird

[@rustysglass]

Most don't understand that the serpent is a symbol of knowledge... So it makes sense that they're all surrounded by snakes!!!

[@meredith7236]

Is there translation of the poems?

[@lukebaker2546]

when is your village happen? are plot for sale

[@schuurschuurvandewijk226]

Freya goddes of 💛💛💛

[@TheKetogenicMadScientist]

Adding my thanks. This is impactful. Birds have been communicating with me for about a year now. Its more than looking for signs- the signs find *me*. One of these days, I'll invest as one of your Patreon subscribers.

[@TheKetogenicMadScientist]

@@taylorfusher2997 we should leave the answer to the channel host. My reading suggests that by definition a draugr is DRT- dead right there. If they were undead then they would just be a nasty, greedy, unpopluar person. As for being invisible and undead and being a draugr? I think not- but that's just me. If the question is about a video game, may I suggest a different thread and or channel. :)

[@bradydavis6365]

oh man the bird shitting then " dear facebook" hahaha thats all too acurate unfortunately,,, however I did actually scream out to Big Papa Thunder one time to be answered by a red lightning bolt smashing our treehouse. my christian stepdad scolded me and said " dont ever do that wierd shit again" was it a coincidence or did the thunderer actually acknowledge little ole me?

[@sawsayhe3208]

how can i understand the bird sign and speech?i want to know.

[@PANZERFAUST829]

Al Af salfena ! From Cape Town Anton Hart

[@kurtbogle2973]

Lol, we are what we eat! This makes most of us convenient!

[@Yeeleaf007]

Can you do a video on how Vikings used ravens? Not just for finding land but maybe something mythical…. Plz

[@stephanusbuys8051]

I have been searching for a channel like this for a while now, one that is accurate. Most are "TV Viking" types , very cringe.

[@peropero2307]

We would tie eagle and the serpent but i dont know why. It was the times while we still terrorised Fra mb it was war thing, i know that eagle was lord of the sky and serpent lornd of the land but thats all

[@spacecats3649]

Consuming the serpents somehow gives you the ability to hear birds -- they linked that chickens as dinosaurs w/o dna testing - Chickensaurus! 😀

[@FriedPickles2023]

A seagull and a crow swept down on the doves after they were set free by the Pope in 2014. I would love to know the symbology of this. I have my own interpretation, but I would appreciate input from others as well.

[@zeropointconsciousness]

Very interesting as I interact with birds a lot and do understand them sometimes...in the genes I guess. ☆edit☆ and of course never believe everything we read I would follow our own intuition to learn wisdom and harm no living creature as everything is sacred on earth mother We are not so far removed from these beliefs in time and our ancestors are always with us.

[@univeriseman8008]

Are there a lot of birds in that part of europe

[@vivianp5962]

👍🏾

[@carolgolden7580]

Off handed question to you......can you give me genetics of my family name Vvinding? We come straight from Denmark only since my great grandparents.