Many references toravens exist in world lore and literature. Most depictions allude to the appearance and behavior of the wide-rangingcommon raven (Corvus corax). Because of its black plumage, croaking call, and diet ofcarrion, the raven is often associated with loss and ill omen. Yet, its symbolism is complex. As a talking bird, the raven also representsprophecy and insight. Ravens in stories often act aspsychopomps, connecting the material world with the world of spirits.
French anthropologistClaude Lévi-Strauss proposed astructuralist theory that suggests the raven (like thecoyote) obtained mythic status because it was a mediator animal between life and death.[1] As a carrion bird, ravens became associated with the dead and with lost souls. In Swedish folklore, they are the ghosts of murdered people without Christian burials and, in German stories, damned souls.[2]
The Raven has appeared in the mythologies of many ancient peoples. Some of the more common stories are from those of Greek, Celtic, Norse, Pacific Northwest, and Roman mythology.
InGreek mythology, ravens are associated withApollo, the God of prophecy. They are said to be a symbol of bad luck, and were the gods’ messengers in the mortal world. According to the mythological narration, Apollo sent a white raven, or crow in some versions, to spy on his lover,Coronis. When the raven brought back the news that Coronis had been unfaithful to him, Apollo scorched the raven in his fury, turning the bird's feathers black.
According toLivy, theRoman generalMarcus Valerius Corvus (c. 370–270 BC) had a raven settle on his helmet during a combat with a giganticGaul, which distracted the enemy's attention by flying in his face.[3][a]
The raven (Hebrew:עורב; Koine Greek:κόραξ) is the first species of bird to be mentioned in theHebrew Bible,[5] and ravens are mentioned on numerous occasions thereafter. In theBook of Genesis, Noah releases a raven from the ark after the great flood to test whether the waters have receded (Gen. 8:6–7). According to the Law of Moses, ravens are forbidden for food (Leviticus 11:15; Deuteronomy 14:14), a fact that may have colored the perception of ravens in later sources. In theBook of Judges, one of the Kings of theMidianites defeated byGideon is called "Orev" (עורב), which means "Raven". In theBook of Kings 17:4–6, God commands the ravens to feed the prophetElijah. The male lover inSong of Songs 5:11 is described as having hair as black as a raven. Ravens are an example of God's gracious provision for all His creatures in Psalm 147:9 and Job 38:41. (In theNew Testament as well, ravens are used byJesus as an illustration of God's provision inLuke 12:24.)
Philo of Alexandria (first century AD), who interpreted the Bible allegorically, stated that Noah's raven was a symbol of vice, whereas the dove was a symbol of virtue (Questions and Answers on Genesis 2:38).
In theTalmud, the raven is described as having been only one of three beings onNoah's Ark that copulated during the flood and so was punished.[6] The Rabbis believed that the male raven was forced to spit.[7] According to the IcelandicLandnámabók – a story similar to Noah and the Ark – Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson used ravens to guide his ship from the Faroe Islands to Iceland.
Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer (chapter 25) explains that the reason the raven Noah released from the ark did not return to him was that the raven was feeding on the corpses of those who drowned in flood.[8]
The name of the important Frankish KingGuntram means "War Raven".
According to the legend of the fourth-century Iberian Christianmartyr SaintVincent of Saragossa, after St. Vincent was executed, ravens protected his body from being devoured by wild animals, until his followers could recover the body. His body was taken to what is now known asCape St. Vincent in southern Portugal. A shrine was erected over his grave, which continued to be guarded by flocks of ravens. The ArabgeographerAl-Idrisi noted this constant guard by ravens, for which the place was named by him كنيسة الغراب "Kanīsah al-Ghurāb" (Church of the Raven). KingAfonso Henriques (1139–1185) had the body of the saint exhumed in 1173 and brought it by ship toLisbon, still accompanied by the ravens. This transfer of the relics is depicted on thecoat of arms of Lisbon.
A raven is also said to have protectedSaint Benedict of Nursia by taking away a loaf of bread poisoned by jealous monks after he blessed it.
In the legends about the German EmperorFrederick Barbarossa, depicting him assleeping along with his knights in a cave in theKyffhäuser mountain inThuringia or theUntersberg in Bavaria, it is told that when the ravens cease to fly around the mountain, he will awake and restore Germany to its ancient greatness. According to the story, the Emperor's eyes are half-closed in sleep, but now and then, he raises his hand and sends a boy out to see if the ravens have stopped flying.[9]
Inthe Qur'an's version of the story of Cain and Abel, a raven is mentioned as the creature who taught Cain how to bury his murdered brother, inAl-Ma'ida (The Repast) 5:31. {Surah 5:27–31}[10]
The story, as presented in the Quran and further postulated in the hadith, states that Cain, having murdered Abel, was bereft of a means of disposing of his brother's body. While scanning the surroundings for a solution, Cain noticed two ravens, one dead and the other alive. The still-living raven began digging the ground with its beak until a hole had been dug up, in which it buried its dead mate. Witnessing this, Cain discovered his solution, as indirectly revealed by God.
To theGermanic peoples,Odin was often associated with ravens. Examples include depictions of figures often identified as Odin appear flanked with two birds on a 6th-centurybracteate and on a 7th-century helmet plate fromVendel, Sweden. In laterNorse mythology, Odin is depicted as having two ravensHuginn and Muninn, serving as his eyes and ears –huginn meaning "thought" andmuninn meaning "memory". Each day the ravens fly out fromHliðskjálf and bring Odin news fromMidgard.
TheOld English word for a raven washræfn; inOld Norse it washrafn; the word was frequently used in combinations as akenning for bloodshed and battle. "Hrafn" was also used as a given name, or an element of a name like "Hrafnkell".
The raven was a common device used by theVikings.Ragnar Lothbrok had araven banner calledReafan, embroidered with the device of a raven. It was said that if this banner fluttered, Lothbrok would carry the day, but if it hung lifeless, the battle would be lost. KingHarald Hardrada also had a raven banner, calledLandeythan (land-waster). The bird also appears in the folklore of theIsle of Man, a formerViking colony, and it is used as a symbol on theircoat of arms.
Ravens are prominent in earlyWelsh mythology, with theMedieval Welsh poemY Gododdin repeatedly associating ravens with battles, bravery and death. The poem refers to the battlefield as the "ravens' feast", with descriptions of the ravens eating the dead bodies of the fallen warriors. In praising the bravery of a warrior named Gwawrddur, the poem's author references his affinity with ravens:[11]
He fed black ravens on the rampart of a fortress
Though he was noArthur
Among the powerful ones in battle
In the front rank, Gwawrddur was a palisade.
In theMiddle Welsh textThe Dream of Rhonabwy, King Arthur prepares for theBattle of Mount Badon with his knightOwain of Rheged, Owain is accompanied by a host of ravens and protests three times to the king that they are being attacked by the king's servants.[12]
Ravens are prominent throughout medieval Welsh texts and several characters in Welsh mythology have names associated with corvids and ravens.Brân the Blessed and his sister,Branwen are two of the best known characters from theMabinogion, both names derive form the Welsh word for raven. According to theTrioedd Ynys Prydein, following Brân's death he commands his men to cut off his head and carry it to "the White Mount, in London, and bury it there". This White mount is often associated withTower Hill and the fortress that is now theTower of London's White Tower.[13][14]
The Celtic legends around Brân and the tower may be the origin of the still-current practice of keeping ravens at the Tower of London. According to English legend, theKingdom of England will fall ifthe ravens of the Tower of London are removed.[15] It had been thought that there had been at least six ravens in residence at the tower for centuries. It was said thatCharles II ordered their removal following complaints fromJohn Flamsteed, the Royal Astronomer.[16] However, they were not removed because Charles was then told of the legend. Charles, following the time of theEnglish Civil War, superstition or not, was not prepared to take the chance, and instead had the observatory moved toGreenwich.[citation needed]
The earliest known reference to a Tower raven is a picture in the newspaperThe Pictorial World in 1883,[17] as well as a poem and illustration published the same year in the children's bookLondon Town.[18] This and scattered subsequent references, both literary and visual, which appear in the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, place them near the monument commemorating those beheaded at the tower, popularly known as the "scaffold." This strongly suggests that the ravens, which are notorious for gathering at gallows, were originally used to dramatize tales of imprisonment and execution at the tower told to tourists by theYeomen Warders.[19] There is evidence that the original ravens were donated to the tower by theEarls of Dunraven,[20] perhaps because of their association with the Celtic raven-god Bran.[21] However, wild ravens, which were once abundant in London and often seen around meat markets (such as nearbyEastcheap) foraging for scraps, could have roosted at the Tower in earlier times.[22]
During the Second World War, most of the Tower's ravens perished through shock during bombing raids, leaving only a mated pair named "Mabel" and "Grip." Shortly before the Tower reopened to the public, Mabel flew away, leaving Grip despondent. A couple of weeks later, Grip also flew away, probably in search of his mate. The incident was reported in several newspapers, and some of the stories contained the first references in print to the legend that theBritish Empire would fall if the ravens left the tower.[23] Since the Empire was dismantled shortly afterward, those who are superstitious might interpret events as a confirmation of the legend. Before the tower reopened to the public on 1 January 1946, care was taken to ensure that a new set of ravens was in place.[20]
InIrish mythology, ravens are associated with warfare and the battleground in the figures ofBadb andMorrígan. The goddessMorrígan alighted on the heroCú Chulainn's shoulder in the form of a raven after his death.[24]
In theStory of Bhusunda, a chapter of theYoga Vasistha, a very old sage in the form of a crow, Bhusunda, recalls a succession of epochs in the earth's history, as described inHindu cosmology. He survived several destructions, living on awish-fulfilling tree onMount Meru.[25] Crows are also considered ancestors inHinduism, and duringŚrāddha the practice of offering food orpinda to crows is still in vogue.[26]
TheHindu deityShani (divine personification ofSaturn) is often represented as being mounted on a giant black raven or crow.[27] The crow (sometimes a raven or vulture) is Shani'sVahana. As a protector of property, Shani is able to repress the thieving tendencies of these birds.Dhumavati, the widow goddess associated with strife and inauspiciousness, is depicted riding a crow or in a horseless chariot bearing an emblem of a crow.
The raven is thenational bird ofBhutan, and it adorns the royal hat, representing the deity Gonpo Jarodonchen (Mahakala) with Raven's head; one of the important guardian deities.
In Persian sacred literature, a bird acted as the emissary for the diffusion of the Zoroastrian religion among the creatures living in Yima's enclosure (vara). The bird's name is given asKaršiptar orKaršift.[28] According to scholarship, its name would mean "black-winged" (fromKarši- "black",cognate toSanskritkṛṣṇá andSlavicchjerno; andptar-, cognate toGreekpterón). The name possibly refers to a raven, since this bird plays the role of divine messenger in several mythologies.[29][30]
The raven also has a prominent role in the mythologies of theIndigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, including theTsimishians,Haidas,Heiltsuks,Tlingits,Kwakwaka'wakw,Coast Salish,Koyukons, andInuit. The raven in these indigenous peoples' mythology is theCreator of the world, but it is also considered atrickster God.[citation needed]
For example, inTlingit culture, there are two different Raven characters that can be identified, although they are not always clearly differentiated. One is the Creator Raven, responsible for bringing the world into being, who is sometimes considered to be the individual who brought light to the darkness. The other is the childish Raven, always selfish, sly, conniving, and hungry.
When the Great Spirit created all things, he kept them separate and stored them in cedar boxes. The Great Spirit gifted these boxes to the animals who existed before humans. When the animals opened the boxes all the things that comprise the world came into being. The boxes held such things as mountains, fire, water, wind, and seeds for all the plants. One such box, which was given to Seagull, contained all the light of the world. Seagull coveted his box and refused to open it, clutching it under his wing. All the people asked Raven to persuade Seagull to open it and release the light. Despite begging, demanding, flattering, and trying to trick him into opening the box, Seagull still refused. Finally, Raven became angry and frustrated, and stuck a thorn in Seagull's foot. Raven pushed the thorn in deeper until the pain caused Seagull to drop the box. Then out of the box came the sun, moon, and stars that brought light to the world and allowed the first day to begin.
Bill Reid created the sculpture ofThe Raven and the First Men depicting a scene from aHaida myth that unifies the Raven as both thetrickster and thecreator. According to this myth, the raven, who was both bored and well-fed, found and freed some creatures trapped in aclam. These scared and timid beings were the first men of the world, and they were coaxed out of the clamshell by the raven. Soon the raven was bored with these creatures and planned to return them to their shell. Instead, the raven decided to search for the female counterparts of these male beings. The raven found some female humans trapped in achiton, freed them, and was entertained as the two sexes met and began to interact. The raven, always known as atrickster, was responsible for the pairing of humans and felt very protective of them. With the Raven perceived as thecreator, manyHaida myths and legends often suggest the raven as a provider to mankind.
Another raven story from thePuget Sound region describes the "Raven" as having originally lived in the land of spirits (literallybird land) that existed before the world of humans. One day the Raven became so bored withbird land that he flew away, carrying a stone in his beak. When the Raven became tired of carrying the stone and dropped it, the stone fell into the ocean and expanded until it formed the firmament on which humans now live.
One ancient story told onHaida Gwaii tells about how Raven helped to bring the Sun, Moon, Stars, Fresh Water, and Fire to the world:[31]
Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of fresh water, and of fire. Gray Eagle hated people so much that he kept these things hidden. People lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.
Gray Eagle had a beautiful daughter, and Raven fell in love with her. In the beginning, Raven was a snow-white bird, and as a such, he pleased Gray Eagle's daughter. She invited him to her father's longhouse.
When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. By this new light he kept on flying, carrying with him the fresh water and the brand of fire he had stolen.
He flew back over the land. When he had reached the right place, he dropped all the water he had stolen. It fell to the ground and there became the source of all the fresh-water streams and lakes in the world. Then Raven flew on, holding the brand of fire in his bill. The smoke from the fire blew back over his white feathers and made them black. When his bill began to burn, he had to drop the firebrand. It struck rocks and hid itself within them. That is why, if you strike two stones together, sparks of fire will drop out.
Raven's feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from the firebrand. That is why Raven is now a black bird.
Other notable stories tell of the Raven stealing and releasing the sun, and of the Raven tempting the first humans out of a clamshell. Another story of the Kwakiutl orKwakwaka'wakw ofBritish Columbia who exposed boys' placentas to ravens to encourage future prophetic visions, thereby associating the raven with prophecy, similar to the traditions ofScandinavia.
In one legend, Raven transformed himself into a pine needle which is swallowed by the unmarried daughter of the owner of the box of daylight, who then becomes pregnant and gives birth to Raven in disguise.[32]
The raven god or spiritKutcha (orKutkh, (Кутх)) is important in theshamanic tradition of theKoryaks and other indigenousChukotko-Kamchatkan peoples of theRussian Far East.[33][34]
Kutcha is traditionally revered in various forms by various peoples and appears in many legends: as a key figure increation, as a fertileancestor of mankind, as a mighty shaman, and as atrickster. He is a popular subject of theanimist stories of theChukchi people and plays a central role in the mythology of theKoryaks andItelmens ofKamchatka. Many of the stories regarding Kutkh are similar to those of the Raven among theindigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, indicating a long history of indirect cultural contact between Asian and North American peoples.
Two ravens or crows, flying over the warrior's head in battle, symbolized inYakut mythology the Ilbis Kyyha and Ohol Uola, two evil spirits of war and violence. Some other gods or spirits in yakut shamanism, including Uluu Suorun Toyon and Uluutuar Uluu Toyon, are described as "great raven of cloudy sky".
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Ravens are commoncharges in worldheraldry. Within British heraldry, the raven is believed to derive fromNorman symbolism. TheCorbet family, which can trace unbroken male descent to theNorman conquest of England, traditionally uses a raven sable upon a field or as its symbol, only varying it by adding bordures or additional birds. Other corvids, such as thecrow and therook, are not typically distinguished from ravens.[36]
A raven is present on the crest of thecoat of arms of the Washington family. Consequently, the same image appears on the unit insignia of theWashington State Area Command, Washington Army National Guard.
Thecoat of arms of Lisbon recalls the story ofSt. Vincent's ravens.
Thecommon raven is theofficial bird of theYukon and of the city ofYellowknife, Northwest Territories.
The common raven serves as a city symbol inBaltimore owing to the downtown location ofEdgar Allan Poe's gravesite. Poe's most famous poem inspired the name and colours of theBaltimore Ravens, aNational Football League team.
The NorwegianNasjonal Samling party of 1933–1945 relied heavily on Nordic and Viking symbolism and used a crest of a raven clutching asun cross on documents and uniform insignias, particularly under theQuisling regime.
During the American involvement in theLaotian Civil War, "Raven" was adopted as the callsign for the 130 covertUS Air ForceForward Air Controllers who directed US air strikes on targets across Laos from unmarkedCessna 0-1 Bird Dog spotter planes. The association for Raven veterans is called theEdgar Allan Poe Literary Society.
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Notes
Citations
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)...legend has it that, if they leave, the kingdom will fall.
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