Arnike

This name derives from the Old Norse “*arnu- > Arn-,” meaning “eagle.” In turn, this name derives from the Proto-Germanic “*arô.” The name represents a pet form or a short form of names beginning with the element “arn-.” The eagle is a symbol of strength and death in Norse mythology. The eagle was also an image of the battle-field, for it often ate at the dead bodies. An eagle was one of the three birds of Odin; the other two were ravens, who was the god of death, among other things. Odin is often pictured with an eagle. He occasionally took on the form of an eagle, as did other gods and giants. An eagle also sat on the topmost branches of “Yggdrasil,” the World Tree, where it flapped its wings and created the winds in Midgard, the world of humans.