The raven and eagle need only be periphrased by blood or carrion. The raven's heiti (Huginn, Muninn, holdboði) and the eagle's (ari, gemlir, hreggskornir) are attested with eleven verse examples (Þjóðólfr, Einarr, Víga-Glúmr, Óttarr).
Tveir eru fuglar þeir, er eigi þarf at kenna annan veg en kalla blóð eða hræ drykk þeira eða verð. Þat er hrafn ok örn. Alla aðra fugla karlkennda má kenna við blóð eða hræ, ok er þat þá nafn örn eða hrafn, sem Þjóðólfr kvað:
There are two birds that need not be periphrased otherwise than to call blood or carrion their drink or food. Those are the raven and the eagle. All other masculine birds may be periphrased by blood or carrion, and it is then a name for eagle or raven, as Þjóðólfr spoke:
Þessi eru nöfn hrafns: krákr, Huginn, Muninn, borginmóði, árflognir, ártali, holdboði. Svá kvað Einarr skálaglamm:
These are the names of the raven: krákr [crow], Huginn, Muninn, borginmóði, árflognir, ártali, holdboði [flesh-announcer]. Thus spoke Einarr skálaglamm:
Svá kvað Einarr Skúlason:
Thus spoke Einarr Skúlason:
Ok enn sem hann kvað:
And again as he spoke:
Sem kvað Víga-Glúmr:
As Víga-Glúmr spoke:
Sem Skúli kvað Þorsteinsson:
As Skúli Þorsteinsson spoke:
Örn heitir svá: ari, gemlir, hreggskornir, eggðir, ginnarr, undskornir, gallópnir. Sem Einarr kvað:
An eagle is called thus: ari, gemlir, hreggskornir, eggðir, ginnarr, undskornir, gallópnir. As Einarr spoke:
Sem Óttarr kvað:
As Óttarr spoke:
Sem Þjóðólfr kvað:
As Þjóðólfr spoke:
Ok sem hér er:
And as here:
Ok enn sem Skúli kvað:
And again as Skúli spoke:
Skaldic quotations
Þjóðólfr (örn/korp = blóðorri, blodorre; ara örð, örnens säd)
Blóðorra lætr barri bragningr ara fagna. Gauts berr sigð á sveita svans örð konungr Hörða. Geirs oddum lætr greddir grunn hvert stika sunnar hirð, þat er hann skal varða, hrægamms ara sævar.
The prince makes the blood-grouse [raven] rejoice in the eagle's barley [carrion]; the king of the Hörðar bears Gautr's [Óðinn's] sickle [sword] onto the blood, the seed of the raven [carrion]. The lord makes his retinue stake out every shallow southward with spear-points.
Einarr skálaglamm (korp = hrafn)
Fjallvönðum gaf fylli, fullr varð, en spjör gullu, herstefnandi hröfnum, hrafn á ylgjar tafni.
The army-marshaller [prince] gave the mountain-wont ravens their fill — he became sated, and spears clanged — the raven on the she-wolf's prey [carrion].
Einarr Skúlason (korp = Hugins ferma, Hugins last)
Dolgskára kná dýrum dýrr magnandi stýra, Hugins fermu bregðr harmi harmr, bliksólar garmi.
The precious strengthener [prince] can steer the dear din-gull [raven]; grief withdraws the cargo of Huginn [carrion] from grief.
Einarr Skúlason (korp = Muninn)
En við hjaldr, þar er hölðar, hugþrútit svellr, lúta, Muninn drekkr blóð ór benjum blásvartr, konungs hjarta.
And at battle, where men bow, courage swells; blue-black Muninn drinks blood out of the wounds, out of the king's heart.
Víga-Glúmr (korp = borginmóði)
Þá er dynfúsir dísar dreyra mens á eyri, bráð fekk borginmóði blóðs, skjaldaðir stóðum.
When the din-eager [ravens] of the dís of gore [valkyrie] ... on the gravel-bank; borginmóði [the raven] got raw meat of blood; we stood shielded.
Skúli Þorsteinsson (korp/örn = árflognir, årflygaren)
Myndit efst, þar er undir árflogni gaf ek sárar, Hlökk í hundraðs flokki Hvítinga mik líta.
Hlökk [valkyrie] would not see me foremost in the troop of a hundred of the Hvítingar, there where I gave the year-flier [raven] the wounded.
Einarr (örn = ari)
Sámleitum rauð sveita, sleit örn gera beitu, fekksk arnar matr járnum, Járnsöxu grön faxa.
He reddened the whiskers of the swarthy-faced steed of Járnsaxa [the wolf] with gore; the eagle tore Geri's [the wolf's] bait; the eagle's food was got with irons [weapons].
Óttarr svarti (örn = ari)
Örn drekkr, undarn ylgr fær, af hræum sylg, oft rýðr ulfr köft, ari getr verð þar.
The eagle drinks a draught of corpses, the she-wolf gets a morning-meal, often the wolf reddens its jaws, the eagle gets food there.
Þjóðólfr (örn = gemlir)
Segjöndum fló sagna snótar ulfr at móti í gemlis ham gömlum glamma ó fyr skömmu.
The witch's wolf flew a short while ago in the old shape of a gemlir [eagle] to meet the tellers of the tales [men].
Anonym (örn = hreggskornir)
Hreggskornis vil ek handa háleitan mjöð vanda.
I will fashion a lofty mead [poem] from the hands of the hreggskornir [eagle].
Skúli Þorsteinsson (örn = gallópnir)
Vaki ek þat er val heltk ekka víðis áðr ok síðan, greppr hlýðir þá góðu, gallópnis vel, spjalli.
I wake — before and since I held the falcon-grief — the poet then well heeds the good confidant of the gallópnir [eagle].