Vikings: Why There Are So Many Ravens (& What They Really Mean)

There are a lot of recurrent elements in Vikings, but one that has caught the attention of viewers is the ravens, which have also appeared in tattoos, banners, and more – but what do they mean? Created by Michael Hirst (The Tudors), Vikings made its debut on History Channel in 2013, and even though it was originally planned to be a miniseries (which is why the first season is so short), it was quickly renewed for a second season. Vikings lived on for six seasons, which allowed viewers to truly get to know characters like Ragnar, Lagertha, Rollo, Floki, and Ivar.

Vikings initially followed legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers. As the series progressed, it shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own journeys, allowing them to take over after Ragnar’s death in season 4. One thing that never changed, however, was the presence of ravens, not only the animals themselves but also their image in banners, armor, clothes, and more. As the series does take a lot of elements from Viking culture, there’s a good reason why there are so many ravens in the series, and why they are often linked to Ragnar.

From the very beginning of Vikings, it’s made clear that the characters take their Gods very seriously (or, at least, most of them did), and there were some characters that did their best to not piss them off, as was the case of Floki. Of course, an often mentioned deity in Vikings is Odin, the Allfather, who is associated with wisdom, death, war, victory, and more. Odin is often portrayed as a one-eyed man with a long beard, carrying a spear named Gungnir, and wearing a cloak and a broad hat. Odin is not alone, and he’s frequently accompanied by animals and familiars, such as the wolves Geri and Freki and the ravens Huginn and Munnin. Odin would send his ravens to Midgard (a.k.a. Earth) to act as his eyes and ears and thus bring him information about what was going on. The presence of ravens in Vikings symbolize that Odin was aware of what was happening in Midgard, and was always keeping an eye on the Vikings, particularly Ragnar.

Now, Ragnar was believed to be a descendant of Odin, and the frequent visits of Huginn and Munnin seemed to confirmed that (to him, at least), and so he attributed his success to Odin’s presence. Ragnar is the one who often carried the image of ravens in everything he could, and even had a raven tattoo on his head, as a symbol of Odin’s presence and guidance. Ragnar, like many other Vikings, was concerned about going to Valhalla when he died, as you can only get there if you die in battle, and Odin’s ravens were believed to collect the souls of those chosen to go there and join the Allfather’s Ragnarok army. Ravens, then, had a very important meaning to Ragnar in particular, and as they are a big figure in Norse mythology, they had to be added in Vikings.

Vikings is full of small details that are connected to Viking culture and Norse mythology but are easy to miss or are often believed to be insignificant. The heavy presence of ravens in the show is not just because they are aesthetically powerful, but because they hold an important connection to Odin and Ragnar as well. Not all ravens included in Vikings are easy to spot, so you might want to pay closer attention the next time you watch the show.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3273 Articles Published)

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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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