hræfn
/xræfn/masculine
The Old English word for raven is hræfn.
hræfn refers to any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage.
Meaning: any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun hræfn is masculine. When used as an accusative singular, it becomes hræfne and the genitive plural form is hræfna.
How do you pronounce it?
/xræfn/
Did you know?
- In Old English poetry and mythology, the hræfn was often called a 'beast of battle', appearing alongside wolves and eagles to signal the start of a fight or the aftermath of a slaughter.
- In the Anglo-Saxon period, the raven was frequently used in 'kennings', which are metaphorical compound words, such as calling the sea a 'whale-road' or the raven a 'corpse-tearer'.
- Old English speakers associated the hræfn with the occult and prophecy, often viewing the bird as a messenger of death or a sign of impending doom.
Examples in context
- Se hræfn is sweart.The raven is black.
Example conversation
Eadgyth and Eadric are walking through a dark forest.
- EadgythHwæt is þæt on þǣm bōge, Eadric?What is that on the branch, Eadric?
- EadricHit is sweart hræfn, Eadgyth.It is a black raven, Eadgyth.
- EadgythIs se hræfn gōd tācn?Is the raven a good omen?
- EadricIc nāt, ac hē is swīþe micel.I do not know, but it is very large.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “raven” translations and entries hræfn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
