The most common totems in the Norse world, at least among warriors, were the bear, wolf, and raven.
We don’t know much about the various totems, but bears were prestigious and aristocratic, while wolves came to be associated with outlaws.
Totems are likely connected to ideas of a fylgia, the form the soul takes as shaped by a person’s life. For example, someone who was crafty would have a fylgia in the form of a fox.
- Arith Härger, “Totemism in Norse Culture“, YouTube (Sept. 5, 2018).
More Information
- Jackson Crawford, “Spirits: The Dís and Fylgja in Norse Myth“, YouTube (Sept. 21, 2017).
- Arith Härger, “The Animal Fylgja“, YouTube (Mar. 6, 2019).
- Arith Härger, “Hamingja – The Guardian Spirit“, YouTube (Feb. 10, 2019).
- Arith Härger, “Hamingja – Walking in Shapes“, YouTube (Feb. 6, 2019).
Revised Oct. 29, 1019 to add links.
