Hei and Minke

The Scandinavian god Wodan is often depicted with two ravens. These are called Huginn and Muninn. The ravens symbolise memory and thought, and they accompany the supreme god or herald his arrival. We also encounter this symbolism in Frisia: stylised ravens depicted alongside the face of a god.

In collaboration with Han Nijdam from the Fryske Akademy, these birds have also been given Old Frisian names. These are based on the Old Frisian and Proto-Frisian that has survived: Hei and Minke. ‘Hei’ is the masculine form and ‘Minke’ the feminine form, and they complement each other. Ravens are almost always seen in pairs.