Two ravens sit on his (Odin’s) shoulders and whisper all the news which they see and hear into his ear; they are called Huginn and Muninn. He sends them out in the morning to fly around the whole world, and by breakfast they are back again. Thus, he finds out many new things and this is why he is called ‘raven-god’ (hrafnaguð).

Hugin and Munin
Fly every day
Over all the world;
I worry for Hugin
That he might not return,
But I worry more for Munin

The connection between Odin and ravens is very old and very deep. Already in the sixth and seventh centuries AD – well before the beginning of the Viking Age in the late eighth century – visual depictions of Odin on helmets and jewelry frequently picture him accompanied by one or more ravens.

The skaldic poetry of the Viking Age often uses kennings involving ravens to refer to Odin, and vice versa. (A kenning is a common Old Norse literary device that uses images from a body of traditional lore to refer to something rather than calling it by its everyday name.) Odin is called the “raven-god” (Hrafnaguð or Hrafnáss), the “raven-tempter” (Hrafnfreistuðr), or “the priest of the raven sacrifice” (Hrafnblóts Goði; this is surely a poetic way of describing fallen warriors as “sacrifices” to the ravens and other carrion birds, with Odin as a decider of who lives and who dies in battle). In the same vein, ravens are called “the greedy hawks of Odin” (átfrekir Óðins haukar), or else his “swan” (Yggs svanr), his “seagull” (Yggjar már), or – showing how far the bird equivalencies could be stretched – his “cuckoo” (Gauts gaukr)

Furthermore, the sight of ravens immediately following a sacrifice to Odin was taken as a sign that the god had accepted the offering

Why was there such a longstanding and intense connection between Odin and the raven, of all species? As those kennings suggest, the answer largely has to do with Odin’s roles as a god of war and death. Ravens, as carrion birds, were present when a battle took place, and were some of its prime beneficiaries. To slay someone in battle was, in a sense, to give the ravens a gift. Countless kennings express this concept

t: to cite but two, the warrior is the “feeder of the raven” (hrafngrennir) and the “fattener of the battle-starling” (folkstara feitir). But the gift of a dead man also went to Odin, due to his role as the ruler of the dead in Valhalla and the common practice of symbolically sacrificing an enemy host to Odin before a battle. Thus, the association between the raven and Odin was only natural for the Norse.

Yet there’s still more to this connection. Ravens aren’t only birds of gore and carnage; they’re also exceptionally intellectual birds, and Odin is an exceptionally intellectual god.

This also explains why Odin fears that Hugin and Munin might not return to him. Whenever a practitioner of magic sent out a part of himself (or, more commonly, herself) on some quest or another, there was some risk that the parts would become separated from each other, or that injuries suffered by the emissary would also be in flicted upon the rest of the person who had sent it out Such magical powers certainly didn’t come without their dangers, and even a god like Odin wasn’t exempt from them.

https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/others/hugin-and-munin/

The Celtic Beltane

Beltane, which means “the return of the sun”, is the Gaelic May Day festival. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Its festivities began on the night before May 1st. It fell out of practice in most areas around the 19th century, but was resurrected at one of the most popular Beltane celebrations, the annual fire festival which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The ancient Celts believed the sun was held prisoner during winter months only to be released each spring to rule the summer sky and they celebrated this mythic release with fire ceremonies and a huge feast to mark the occasion. In this Celtic take on May Day, rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops, and people, and to encourage growth. Beltane was a time to rejoice in the return of the land’s fertility and it was also the time when livestock would be out to pasture. It was a key moment in the Pagan Wheel of the Year .

"May Day is a-coming,
The busy bees are humming,
So bang the drums,
And fill thy cup,
For Nature is becoming."

- Freya Turrill

Wishing you all a very happy Beltane from Frith & Folk! 🜨ᛉ

In our day and age there is more polarization then ever. Right from the start the Tribe of the Fox decided not to identify with any political or religious ideology whatsoever. Also we don't follow any specific direction in heathenry or paganism but always strive to seek wisdom and first hand experience so we can follow our own path in harmony with our ancestors, naturespirits and deities. Yes, we had our teachers and we still have our teachers and respect them. We don't follow any 'leaders' above us and neither are we leaders. The Tribe of the Fox wants individuals to take charge of their own path. In our view religion and ideology lead to a narrow mind and view. If you look at history you see that lots of suffering was, and still is, caused by people and groups who follow the ideologies and ideas of others. We are not against groups, after all our ancestors lived in groups. However, our ancestors were practical people releated by blood (family) and not entangled in religion and political ideologies. That's why the Tribe of the Fox chooses a more individualistic approach. However we do not deny the strenght of a healthy and free collective. Yes, we also have strong opinions too, like everyone else. But we really want is that folks enjoy all the beauty that heathenry or paganism has to offer. The Tribe of the Fox want to restore the ancient and valuable traditions and knowledge of our ancestors. We want to clear the old overgrown paths again and grow as human beings. We want to share our knowledge and experience freely trough our channels. -Tribe of the Fox🦊

Comradeship is built around the camp-fire, sharing a Horn of Mead between kinfolk.