Viking shield with carved Raven figure

This shield features a raven figure done in beech hardwood, attached to the center of the plywood base, with ornamental relief carved along the rim.
Huginn and Muninn are a pair of ravens who, according to Norse mythology, are enlisted in Odin’s service. The birds depart every morning at dawn to fly around the Norse world, Midgard. At dinner, they return to their perches on Odin’s shoulders and tell him what they have seen.
Physically speaking, Huginn and Muninn don’t have much to set them apart from your garden variety raven. They are large, ominous-looking birds with inky black feathers and big, sharp beaks. Their powerful wings can lift them high into the sky, while their beady eyes allow them to make out the landscape below in vivid detail.
Although Huginn and Muninn might look like common ravens, they have been endowed by Odin with wonderful powers. First, the birds are able to fly the entire world of Midgard in a single day. Second, they have the ability to understand, and even speak in, the language of men. Third, they have extremely shrewd minds and wonderful powers of observation. The ravens are no mere spies for Odin; they are important advisors and confidants too.
Huginn and Muninn can also accompany Odin into battle, where they inform him of his enemy’s movements and help him guide and heal his horse.
The shield base is made out of 15mm thick birch plywood, and finished with wood staining and varnishing with linen seed oil and acrylic transparent coating. The raven composition was carved separately on a 50 mm thick hardwood piece, and attached to the base.