Huginn & Muninn
| File:Huginn&Muninn.jpg Left to right: Muninn and Huginn | |
| Species | Hooded Crow(Corvus cornix) |
|---|---|
| Sex | unknown |
| Born | unknown Ulsteinvik, Norway (assumed) |
| Residence | Hovsetskogen, Nordika |
| Height | unknown |
Huginn and Muninn are the names of two crows who could be regularly seen eating bread or leftovers on a balcony in Anholen, Nordika until their death. They are of the species corvus cornix, and are a cornerstone of Nordikan culture. Huginn and Munin were named after the two ravens that belonged to Odin in norse mythology, who would sit on his shoulders every night and whisper into his ear what has happened throughout the day on all human and godly planes of existence. This is partly what made Odin all-knowing.
Life
Huginn and Muninn showed up around the same time almost every day on the same locations to wait for leftovers. Feeding what is left in the fridge to the crows have resulted in a major reduction on unnecessary food waste; and since crows are carnivores, they giddily chow down on almost anything; however they refused to eat vegetables if offered to them. If there are no leftovers, or the dog is rather picky on a new sort of dog food, Huginn and Muninn were fed dry dog food or occasionally slightly old dog sausage; that is, sausage made for dogs. Having figured out that dry dog food can hold for a longer time without getting bad, and is full of nutrients; the crows could be seen at winter stuffing their beaks, but not swallowing, presumably to store the food at various locations around.
Huginn
Huginn ("thought" in Old Norse) is characterised by being impulsive, intrusive and slightly fat compared to his companion as well as having a single twisted, light grey feather sticking out under his right wing. He could be startled by the unexpected presence of humans, but is generally not very shy and wouldn't care about you unless you stood too close to the food, which he can get used to if you don't move your hands very much. He did not hesitate to scream into an almost constantly open window crack in order wake up the Nordikan Prince if he himself was too lazy to go get breakfast somewhere else; to the ensuing meal his companion happily joins. Huginn, when not doing other crow related business, he spent his time shitting on a specific neighboring house and spying for leftovers from a lamp post. While often being referred to as a "he", it is not known what gender Huginn belongs to.
Muninn
Muninn ("memory" or "mind" in Old Norse) is, unlike Huginn, characterised by being shy and not very fond of humans as well as being coated with a few more white spots, and being slimmer than her companion. She was easily startled by the sight of someone showing up, unless that person sat very still and did not move until she has finished eating. Muninn spent her time, while not engaged in other crow related business, sitting on a neighboring rooftop, where she could very often be spotted, while her companion nagged for leftovers or sat beside her. While typically being characterised as a "she", it is not known what gender Muninn belongs to.
History
Before Nordika
Prior to becoming the sole upholders of Nordikan culture, they were regularly fed by a now deceased neighbor and local football hero, Jan. After his passing in early February 2019, the then unnamed crows were mentioned in a speech made by his daughter in the funeral ceremony of Jan, claiming the two crows as "the crows he had raised", continuing to claim they were "clueless after his (Jan's) passing". This confirms that there have been two crows observed hanging out around the same spots since as early as at least 2018.
_%26_Muninn_(left).png){kind=link}
Personal relationship
Due to the implications of the aforemeintioned speech, Huginn and Muninn are likely the same crows that have been around since then, and are often believed to be siblings. Contrary to the theory that Huginn and Muninn are siblings, a quick google search finds that, for instance American crows, once mated, usually stay together most of the year for the remainder of their life. Another search asserts that hooded crows specifically, are indeed monogamous and can form long-term pairs with each other.
Escutcheon: azure, a corvid rampant Sable, langued Gules, the wings charged.
Nordika
Originally, seagulls were the national animal of Nordika. This showed itself on the Nordikan coat of arms-prototype in which a seagull held up the first edition of the seal of the state. Closing in on spring, a period in which seagulls are particularly annoying in the region, the national animal was slowly starting to lose respect and thus challenged the the state and its cultural integrity. Having had enough of this loud and rude beast representing the Nordikan state which was at the time experencing a massive surge of activity and nationalism; Prince Bomis motioned for the seagull to be replaced by the crow as Nordika's national animal. On an unspecified date in January 2020, what would be later known as 'Motion X was passed by the Council of State, having 4 votes in favour, 1 vote against, 0 abstain votes, and 2 absentees.
In heraldry
The first and only use of the crow in Nordikan symbolism came on 7 July 2020 when the first coat of arms of Nordika was designed. Though it has not become official yet, it remains the only time the crow has been displayed in its capacity as a national symbol despite the fact that it is not a hooded crow. The hooded crow is planned to feature on future symbolism.
Believed Death
On 19 November 2020, it was announced by the Nordikan Government that Huginn and Muninn had gone missing and that two dead crows were found shot in a trap by the local landfill which looked like the crows, on 23 November 2020, they were declared dead.