We have an important reference to the bird in the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, which tells us how vital its role was in the creation of humanity. The crow or raven also features in the ancient Mesopotamian mythology. There are several aboriginal myths that tell us about the important role that the crow played in things such as bringing fire to the Earth, saving humankind from disastrous forces, and also in the origin of death. Apart from being a culture hero and a trickster, the crow is also believed to be an ancestral being. While the Swedes believe that the birds are the enraged ghosts of people who have been killed/murdered, the Danish people believe that they are, in fact, exorcised spirits.Ĭrows and ravens enjoy numerous positive affiliations in Australian Aboriginal mythology and are, therefore, held in high esteem. Moreover, in Sweden and Denmark, crows and ravens are considered to be malevolent spirits. Therefore, ravens are looked upon as divine messengers in Norse mythology. In fact, Odin owned a pair of ravens named Huginn and Muninn who, according to Norse myths, journeyed all across the world, known as Midgard, and brought important information to their master. The Norse mythology associated crows and ravens with Odin, the Father of all Gods.
Counting the crows as a way to interpret omens also originated from the Cornish tradition however, by “counting crows”, the British referred more to magpies (another member of the corvidae family) than crows and ravens, as the black and white coloring pattern of the magpies symbolized the realms of the dead and the living, respectively. The Cornish folklore associates crows and ravens with death and bad omens, and regarded them as otherworldly creatures. Nevertheless, even today, ravens are looked upon as protective spirits, and the birds are looked after at the Tower of London, under the care of a trained Ravenmaster. King Arthur, however, is known to have dug up the head, in order to affirm his power and strength in the kingdom.
It was believed that as long as the head remained there, Britain would never be invaded by an outside force. According to a folklore in the famous Welsh Triads, the king’s severed head was buried on the location where the Tower of London stands today. In fact, the name of the king itself means “crow” or “raven”. In Welsh Mythīrân the Blessed, the mythical king of Britain, is represented by crows and ravens in Welsh mythology. So, whenever a large flock of crows or ravens are seen in flight, it is often believed that the looker is being watched over by the goddess. Morrígan is also often accompanied by a large fleet of ravens and crows. She is the goddess of strife, battle, and sovereignty, and Celtic myths tell us that she flies over fighting warriors, guiding them throughout the course of the battle. In Celtic mythology, a crow or raven represents Goddess Morrígan, who often appears in the form of a crow. This Mysticurious article will shed light on the symbolic meanings of crows and ravens in different cultures across the globe. We have several depictions and legends about these birds in various cultural traditions but more often than not, we see that both birds are mentioned synonymously, except in some extremely rare cases. They have even crossed the boundaries of reality, and penetrated deep into the cultural and religious myths of various cultures around the world.Īlthough crows and ravens are two different birds, it is often difficult to tell them apart. And it is perhaps owing to the conspicuous and brash ways of these birds, that people have been forced to take notice of them. While most people describe these corvids as noisy, destructive, aggressive, ugly, and dirty birds, we also often tend to come across people who are pretty impressed by their sagacity, cleverness, and also with their playful problem-solving antics. People have all sorts of opinions about crows and their close cousins, ravens, who are also equally common (and are often mistaken as crows). They are, by far, the most common birds that we come across almost daily, irrespective of whether we live in rural or urban areas. There may be hardly anyone in the world who does not recognize a crow. Mystery of creation, destiny, personal transformation, intelligence, higher perspective, audacity, fearlessness, adaptability, omens, mischief, and the power of insight.
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