Thought and Memory
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.
—Grímnismál
Huginn and Muninn. Óðinn's ravens. Huginn roughly translates into thought and Muninn into memory. Why might Óðinn be more worried about losing memory over thought?
Our day-to-day thoughts are so heavily influenced by the circumstances of the world around us. They change over time and even throughout our day. They depend on the things we see before us, our interactions, or lack of them. Memories are our connection to the past, the ancestors and even our Gods. Think of the earliest point in your life that you remember, the stories your grandpa told you about his Granddaddy, that recipe your mom taught you that her mom taught her, or even those traditions that have always been part of your family going back generations. This is your connection. To lose those memories and never pass them on to the next generation would break that connection. This is the importance of speaking of the stories of those who have passed and saying their name.
Let me tell you about Lorainne Flaim. My Mom became pregnant with me in 1970. A time when being a single mother was just not done. Being the oldest of 10 children, my mom decided to tell her parents she was going away to college. She returned a year later with me in tow. Although it seems impossible, I have a vague memory of waiting in a car and seeing a pretty lady run down the steps of the house we were parked outside. She embraced me and treated me as her youngest daughter. From that moment on, we had a special bond. Eventually my mom moved out of her parent's house and married my dad who adopted me as his own. I still spent almost every day by my grandma. She was a wonderful woman, who taught me how to cook for an army and respect traditions. As a teenager, I went through a stage of rebellion against my parents....just as most teenagers do. I ran away and lived on the streets of Indiana. One day I was tired, running out of cash, and wanted to be home; so I took everything I had left and bought a bus ticket back to Wisconsin. I got off the bus not sure who I was going to call or where I was going to go. Right there in front of me was my grandma. I was shocked and broke down. She brought me to her house and I lived with my Grandparents for a bit. One night I asked her how many times she had gone down to the station to see if I was on a bus and she told me, just the once because she knew I was coming home. Eventually I would go back to my parent's house, but that bond with my grandma continued. She even knew I was pregnant with my first son before I did. I was with her when she passed and even today when I speak about talking to my "Grannies" during rituals, she is one of the three I am speaking about. I will forever share stories of my Grandma Flaim with my children, grandchildren, and others. She was amazing and will never be forgotten.
Hail Lorainne Flaim!
Cattle die
And kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
One thing now that never dies,
The fame of a dead man's deed.
—Havamal
Our Gods are concerned about the bigger picture. Things like the AFA and the white race. That is not to say that we shouldn't reach out to them in time of need, but it's our ancestors who care about your day to day life. Your Grandma cares if you ate today, if you get that job, or if your children are safe. Talk to her and start building that relationship. Engage your Ancestors in the gifting cycle, ask for their guidance, and seek their wisdom.
Share their memories. Say their name. Honor them through bright words and deeds. And they will live on forever, never forgotten. The connection never broken.
Hail the Gods!
Hail the Ancestors!
Hail the AFA!
Folkbuilder Sara Ault
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