Raven is the Wake Up call, telling us to look beyond
the surface of
things. Know that things are not always what they
seem.
One crow for sorrow,
Two crows for joy,
Three crows for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five crows for silver,
Six crows for gold,
Seven crows for a secret never to be told
As this rhyme makes clear, crows and their kin are
augurs, keepers of
secrets and mysteries. The Roman author Suetonious
recounts the tale of
a prophetic crow, a pet of the Emperor Domitian, who
could talk, but
would only say "All will be well."
Ravens are smart, sociable and entertaining. They appear as wise tricksters in the myths of ancient Native American and European cultures and display complex behaviors including life-long relationships with their mates, co-hunting relationships with wolves and humans, elaborate vocal communication and even play
For centuries, Ravens and Crows The corvids Family have had a special place in the mythology of various cultures From Edgar Allen Poe's literary classic to the film of James O'Barr's graphic novel "The Crow", these birds still exert a powerful hold over the psyche of a significant fraction of the population. Many of the Celtic goddesses are linked with the Raven or crow. In this mythology the goddesses are the aggressive deities, those associated with war and death. Badb, Macha and Nemain are all associated with crows and/or ravens, as is Nantosuelta, a Gaulish water and healing goddess. The wife of the Fomorian sea-god, Tethra, was said to be a crow goddess who also hovered above battlefields, and Scottish myth has the Cailleach Bheure, who often appeared in crow form
other main characteristic of Raven in Irish and Welsh myth is that of prophesy. The Morrigan was prone to prophesising, predicting the outcome of battle. King Cormac also came across the Badb as an old woman dressed in red garments (always a bad sign) who explained that she was washing the armour of a doomed king. Raven also acts as a messenger for the Irish/Welsh gods. Bran the Blessed (Bendigeidfran) is perhaps the best known of the Celtic gods associated with the raven
In nearly all cultures, the raven or crow was originally white. In one of the Greek tales, Coronis, the daughter of Phlegyes was pregnant by Apollo. Apollo left a white crow (or raven) to watch over her, but, just before the birth, Coronis married Ischys. The crow informed Apollo of this, and Apollo was not impressed. He killed Coronis and Ischys, and turned the crow black for being the bearer of bad news
Raven can do almost anything, and will, but only if he gains by it. His smaller cousin, Crow, is a much more merciful and fair character. His concern is with justice, albeit oft times extreme justice, and he tempers Raven's greed in the European myths. Raven, in particular, is a creature of paradox, and to take him at face value is to ignore his devious Nature
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