Personally, I adore Ravens and Crows as well, however, they tend to get a bad rap, especially around Halloween.
Why? Who knows exactly, but according to Audubon.org these gorgeous ebony feathered creatures have a long history of getting bad press, and they offer a few possible explanations:
- Their color – black. In our western culture that color is often associated with death and sin. — That is a heavy mantle to place on shoulders of our fine feathered friends.
- Ravens and Crows are carrion eaters, in other words, they eat dead things. — Well, I do not think the steak I ate last night was alive, so I won’t be throwing stones at these dark winged beasties any time soon.
- “Some First Nation tribes of North America believe the crow is a shape-shifter and lives in a void of time.” — Well, as reader and writer of paranormal fiction, I ADORE shape-shifters, and might like to slip into a void of time when I am running behind in meeting a writing deadline. *WINK*
- According to Audubon.org, in German mythology, witches rode on Ravens instead of brooms.
Source: https://ca.audubon.org/news/meaning-birds-during-halloween
Consider this:
A flock of Crows is often referred to a Murder of Crows. UGH, no wonder they get a bad rap! Even harsher still, a flock of Ravens is often called an “Unkindness of Ravens”, a “Conspiracy of Ravens”, and cruelest yet – a “Treachery of Ravens”!
Sources: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/a-murder-of-crows-crow-facts/5965/ (this link is chock full of cool Crow Facts)
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-flock-of-ravens
On the brighter side:
Many Native American cultures view our ebony winged friends in a much more positive light. Crows are often viewed as intelligent animals, a sign of good fortune to come, and are thought to be “…cleansers of both land and mind.”
Source: https://www.worldbirds.org/crow-symbolism/
There are numerous Native American Myths & Legends about crows. You can find some of them here:
http://www.native-languages.org/legends-crow.htm
On the Non-Mythological side of things, I am not alone in my admiration of Ravens. See this Popular Science post:
https://www.popsci.com/ravens-smart-plan-ahead/
In my writing, I use the image of the Raven frequently. Why? They are beautiful birds, and I have always been fascinated with Norse Mythology & Odin’s Ravens, Huginn & Muninn. That is why my fictional motorcycle club of supernatural enforcers is called the Twin Ravens MC, and why my fictional paranormal BDSM club is called Raven’s Keep.
Here’s a link to really interesting blog post about Odin’s Ravens. I found the post fascinating for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact the author links the myth of Huginn & Muninn to the human mind. Check out the post for yourself:
https://gthic.com/blogs/jewelry-blogs/what-do-odins-ravens-symbolize
For the more visual among us, here is a link to a YouTube video about Odin’s Ravens: Odin’s Mythical Ravens – Huginn and Muninn (Norse Mythology Explained) –
