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As regular readers of my blog will know corvids, and especially Magpies, are my favourite birds. Whilst there are many species this article is mostly about the mythology associated with the main ones that can be found in the UK.

There are approximately one hundred and twenty species in the corvid family and they can be found right around the world, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. But, unfortunately, they are often still seen as vermin by farmers and gamekeepers in the UK. These birds are some of the cleverest members of the natural world. Their intelligence can be compared to that of primates, so it’s probably no wonder that they have entered into folklore.

Jay

The Jay, although a beautiful bird to look at, is also extremely shy. Therefore, unless we are very lucky, we rarely catch a glimpse of it. Perhaps that is why there do not seem to be any myths attached to it.

Jackdaw

The Jackdaw is the smallest member of the Crow family, and the translation of its Latin name means “little money bird.” This is probably because it likes to steal bright objects such as coins. Years ago they were often kept as pets and, predictably, given the name of Jack.

One old wives tale says that these birds are a mix of good and bad. It holds that if you see one perching on a building then it’s a sign of misfortune. However, if you see a group of them it means that there will be not only an addition to your family but also a rise in its financial prosperity.

Rook

The UK has the largest population of Rooks in the whole of Europe. In folklore Rooks are traditionally said to be able to predict the weather, and also to sense impending death. They were believed to escort the souls of the deserving to heaven. And, in relation to a rookery itself should they desert it then this was held to mean bad fortune for the family who owned the land it was situated upon. In East Anglia, especially, it is considered extremely lucky to have them near your home but, as just mentioned, very unlucky should they leave.

Crows

It seems that the Crow family gained its ominous status in the Middle Ages, if not earlier, because they fed on the dead bodies of those left behind on the field after a battle, and on the corpses left to swing on the gallows. There are also some legends that tell of the Crow once being a white bird that was turned into a black one. This might be a reference to the suppression of paganism by Christianity where the belief in a mother goddess was replaced by one with a father god.

There is one story from the Tyrol, in Austria, where the child Jesus saw some Ravens bathing in a stream. They ignored him when he wanted to drink the water and just went on wading around. So he is supposed to have said: "Ungrateful birds, proud you may be of your beauty, but your feathers now so snowy white shall become black and remain so until Judgement Day."

Whereas in the occult tradition there are often differences between Crows and Ravens, in mythology Crows are usually seen a symbols for the spiritual side of death. They are about the transition of the soul to a life after death, while the Raven is more concerned with the negative, or physical, side of death.

For the Neo-Pagans Crows are believed to be very psychic and are connected with ether, or spirit, rather than with air. Partly this might be to do with the occult idea of the colour black being associated with the depths of infinite knowledge, or it may be to do with the modern occult belief that the colour black, especially wearing it, helps with psychic ability.

The Compendium of Materia Medica considers Crows to be kind because they feed their old, weaker, parents, which is thought of as a good illustration of filial devotion.

According to Chinese legend the world once had ten suns that were produced by ten Crows. This had a devastating consequence on nature, so the Chinese despatched their most renowned archer, Houyi, to attack nine of the Crows leaving just one of them. There is a belief amongst the Chinese that Crows are unlucky, perhaps because they are black birds.

Crows and Ravens are connected to many gods, goddesses, and myths around the world. To cite just a very few examples:

Hinduism: On the Shradha Day Crows, called Bali kākka, they are thought to take food and offerings to those who have died.
There is a belief that the battle which motivated the last blood-spattered night of the war in the Mahabharatha was between Crows and Owls.
The god Shani travels astride a Crow.

Buddhism: The protector of Dharma is signified by a Crow.

Tibetan Buddhism: Crows are frequently cited.
The Dalai Lama is closely connected with the Crow. They were said to have protected the first one, as a small child, when his home was attacked by robbers and his family had fled leaving him behind. And, Crows are believed to have signalled the birth of some of the Dalai Lamas since the original one.

There is a small southern constellation named Corvus, or The Crow. It is thought that it started out as being known as The Raven by the Ancient Greeks, and it was mentioned in Ptolemy’s original Almagest that contained forty-eight constellations.

Corvus constellation:

For the Ancient Greeks its origins came from Typhon, one of their gods. He was held to be a terrifying monster that all the other gods ran away from when he stormed Mount Olympus. Those gods included Zeus who, after turning himself into a ram, couldn’t escape from Typhon’s clutches and was captured and imprisoned by him. Meanwhile the god Apollo had changed himself into a Crow, or a Raven, and escaped. In the end Typhon was conquered when Zeus dropped Mount Etna onto him. But, as Typhon was immortal he was unable to die and stayed confined beneath the earth, only to erupt when he was disturbed. These veiled pictures of the escaping gods were put into the night sky to serve as a reminder against becoming complacent.

Chough

The Chough is the symbol of Cornwall, and it died out in the county back in the early 1970s. However in 2002 a pair were found to be breeding again; and they have been back ever since with their numbers steadily increasing. The Chough is shown on the county’s coat of arms and it frequently occurs in Cornish legend.

 
These legends maintain that King Arthur would be reincarnated as a Cornish Chough, and its red beak and feet are said to symbolize his violent, and gory, end. The legends from Brittany and Wales also speak of him returning, but some relate him as having already been re-embodied as either a Crow or a Raven. One such story tells how, back in the 18th Century, a man shot at a Raven on Marazion Green and was roundly reprimanded by an old man on the grounds that the Raven might be King Arthur.

King Arthur has long been associated with one or other of the Crow species, and in the early traditions from Brittany his whole family were shape-shifters. For example, we have the legend of Uther Pendragon, King of Britain, changing himself into a believable representation of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, to seduce the Duke’s wife Igraine; from which union Arthur was born.

There are quite a few places in Cornwall that have links to King Arthur. Contrary to what is said about him in the more common myths, in Cornwall legend tells that he was fatally injured during a battle at Slaughter Bridge, very near Camelford, with the place itself bearing the name of Arthur’s Grave. On Bodmin Moor there is a placed named King Arthur’s Hall, and at Kellybury, near Wadebridge, you can find a large Hill Fort that was thought to be his home. Some maintain that Camelot gained its name from the River Camel, while others say that he was buried on the Isles of Scilly rather than the more well-known area of Avalon on Tor Hill at Glastonbury.

Regardless of where the legends that King Arthur was a real person originated he embodies the Spirit of Cornwall, and reminds people of their Celtic heritage. One legend even goes so far as to say that one day he will return and restore Cornwall to independence.

In Cornwall, until quite recently, it was thought to be very bad luck to kill a Chough, due to the belief that King Arthur has returned in this guise.

There is an in-depth article about King Arthur, and why he was believed not to have died, at this link:
http://www.arthuriana.co.uk/n&q/return.htm
It’s quite long, but well worth the read.

Magpie

There are many superstitions that feature the Magpie and, in folk belief, the bird normally concerns misery and misfortune. In many places in the UK Magpies are hailed in one of several ways to counteract the magical powers they are held to possess. Some people will greet it verbally with a phrase such as: “Hello Mr Magpie, how/where is your wife?” or “How are all your little ones?” Or they might say: “Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening sir,” depending on the time of day, and then make a cross in the air. Others may say: “Devil, devil, I defy thee,” at the same as time removing their hat and spitting in the direction of the bird, or simply by saying: “I defy thee,” seven times. Another version of what might be said while removing their hat is to bow respectfully, spit over their shoulder and say: “Clean birds by sevens, unclean birds by twos, the dove in the heavens, is the one I choose.” Some will pinch the person they’re out walking with, or just pinch themselves if they’re alone.

However, the one I like best, and the one I personally do, is to salute it. Not because I believe that it wards off bad luck, as many people believe, but because it is a very widespread salutation to the Magpie. Others might cross their thumbs and say “I cross the Magpie, the Magpie crosses me, bad luck to the Magpie, good luck to me.” Failing all of that, you could look around in the hopes of seeing a Crow as that is said to counteract the bad luck that the Magpie purportedly brings.

In the UK there is a legend that it was the only bird not to weep and sing to comfort Jesus on the Cross, and it was therefore cursed for all time. While in Scotland it was believed to have a drop of Satan’s blood under its tongue. Another version of this tale is that the Magpie would have the ability to speak if a drop of blood from a human tongue was put into a scratch made on the bird’s tongue.

Around Europe, as in the UK, it is often seen as a thief because of its liking for picking up shiny items. In Sweden it is connected with witchcraft because it was thought to be capable of being a witch’s familiar. Also, in Europe, Magpies have symbolic meanings. Here are some of them:

One Magpie = danger, if seen flying around a house it indicates bad luck. If on a windowsill it presages an imminent death, but if the bird is chattering it signifies the arrival of a stranger.
Two Magpies = joy in a union, or if seen sitting on the roof of a house you should rearrange a journey.
Three Magpies = a good journey.
Four Magpies = new beginnings.
Five Magpies = guests coming.
Six Magpies = an ending.
Seven Magpies = a good omen, continue with your plans.
Eight Magpies = a waiting time, halt your plans for the time being.
Nine Magpies = love is about to arrive, or an old love will return to your life.
Group of Magpies = abruptly deserting their nesting place then hard times are coming.

Of course, most of us are familiar with the old rhyme concerning the Magpie, although there is, in fact, more than one version of it. But the most common version, and the one that I was taught as a child, is this one:

One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told.

Another version goes:

One for sorrow
Two for mirth
Three for a funeral
Four for a birth
Five for heaven
Six for hell
Seven's the Devil his own self.

In Yorkshire there is a version that reads:

One for Sorrow
Two for Joy
Three for a Girl
Four for a Boy
Five for Silver
Six for Gold
Seven for a tale never to be told
Eight you Live
Nine you Die
Ten you eat a bogey pie!

In Manchester they say:

One for sorrow
Two for Joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told
Eight for a wish
Nine for a kiss
Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss
Eleven for health
Twelve for wealth
Thirteen beware it's the devil himself.

And in Warwickshire they say:

One bring Sorrow
Two bring Joy
Three a Girl
And Four a Boy
Five bring Want
And Six bring Gold
Seven bring secrets never told
Eight bring wishing
Nine bring kissing
Ten, the love my own heart's missing!

Raven

Since time immemorial the Raven has been associated with death. This is probably because, like the Crows with which it’s often interchangeable in mythology, and as I have previously mentioned, it had a habit of feeding on the dead who were left to lie on battlefields.

Across most of the world the Raven is thought of as a prophet and an ill omen. It has long been linked with the supernatural, and its croaking sound was thought to represent the speech of the dead.

In the indigenous nations of Bhutan, northeast Asia, the northwest coast of North America, Scandinavia, Siberia, Ireland and Wales, the Common Raven has been venerated as a god or spiritual figure. Ravens, and Crows, occur in the myths and legends of many people on a worldwide scale, and especially those of the Celtic nations. They are frequently found in legends as foretellers of doom, or even death. However, the interchangeability between Ravens and Crows only tends to be true on the European side of the Atlantic.

In Europe the Raven is a signatory bird that represents the old gods, whereas for the Native American Indian tribes the Raven is the god. In these shamanic cultures the Raven might be seen as a trickster, but it is also the protector of ritual magic and of healing circles. For their shamans the bird is a spirit messenger used to transfer their power over long distances. And amongst the Native American Indians of the North West the Raven helped to create the world. There is a very good article about Ravens in their various guises at this link:
http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/murders.htm

The Northern Raven, which is the largest member of the Crow family, is also found beyond the Arctic Circle, right up to the edge of the pack ice. Due to it being able to endure the conditions there the Inuit deem it to be one of their cultural heroes.

In the East the Raven symbolizes the sun at all times of the day. And in Japan the Shinto Goddess, Amaterasu, is sometimes symbolized as a large Raven.

In India the god Brahma is depicted as a Raven in one of his personifications. Ravens are also considered as being sacred to the deities Kali and Shiva.

For the Egyptians the Raven signified devastation and malice, and the Arabs named the Raven as the Father of Omens.

Reincarnation is a very old belief and in the traditions of the West it was thought that the human soul migrated into a bird. With regard to European mythology it was thought that the souls of those who had not been baptised migrated into Ravens. Whereas in the Languedoc region of France it was believed that priests who had been guilty of wrongdoing turned into Ravens after death. This may be where the idea that birds can be prophetic comes from as, being the spirits of the dead, they can see both past present and future. Thus, in this tradition both Ravens and Crows have been considered birds of ill omen.

In European folklore the Raven is most often seen as being malevolent, associated with evil and destruction, and they are occasionally allied to the gods and goddesses of malevolence and death. Both The Devil, and witches, were believed to be able to take the shape of a Raven. Even Shakespeare used the Raven as an image of evil, and a portent of bad news in some of his plays.

However, in Ancient Greece the bird was seen as a messenger of the Sun, but it was also connected to the goddess Hecate, (the goddess of war).

In Norse mythology the god Odin was often attended by two Ravens called Huginn and Muninn, who symbolized Thought and Memory. They flew around the world delivering his messages and collecting knowledge to report back to him. His daughters, the Valkyries, were also believed to be able to take the shape of Ravens, and Odin himself was sometimes known as the God of the Ravens. In the Norse shamanic belief system Huginn and Muninn represented the powers of necromancy, clairvoyance, and telepathy, and they were the escorts for the dead.

Celtic myths frequently contain a Raven, and here the bird often plays the role of a prophet. For example, one Gaelic proverb from Scotland translates as: “There is wisdom in a Raven’s head.” And another tradition from the Hebrides says that giving a child their first drink from a Raven’s skull will also give the child the powers of prophecy and wisdom. In the Scottish Highlands the Raven has long been associated with the second sight. While in Ireland there is a proverb that goes: “To have a Raven’s knowledge,” which means to have supernatural powers. And in both Scotland and Ireland the solar god Lugh was thought, like Odin, to have two Ravens to take care of all his needs.

In Celtic mythology the Morrigan was a goddess of battle and war who could take the shape of a Raven to feed on those who had died in the fighting. Such myths also contain prophecies concerning the future, and the Morrigan is said to have made many, especially about the end of the world. You will find mention of the Morrigan in an article I wrote in the Autumn of 2006, called The Cormons and Other Strange Creatures, which can be read here:

One of the deities of the Welsh pantheon is Brân who, amongst other things, was represented as a Raven god of battle. He was also believed to carry the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. A translation of his name from the Welsh means Blessed Raven.

With such a rich Celtic tradition it is not hard to understand why they also believed that they could tell the future from the flight and/or call of the Raven. At the following link there is a very good article about the meaning of the Raven in Irish mythology:
http://www.tairis.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128:nem-sky&catid=41:cosmology&Itemid=7

Many names have been given to the Raven, and some of the European ones are:

In the Druidic tradition Ravens also play their part. However, as we know very little about what the ancient Druids believed this must be a modern system, and not one that I have time to research.

Of course, I can’t leave these thoughts about Ravens without mention of those kept at the Tower of London. Like many others I was brought up on the ancient legend that if the Ravens ever leave the Tower of London then England will fall. Although the actual legend holds that if they leave then the White Tower will crumble and a dreadful catastrophe will happen to England.

It was King Charles II who decreed that at least six Ravens should be kept at the Tower at all times in order to prevent the legend from coming true. To this day Ravens are still kept there and, when I visited it many years ago, I wondered how it was that they don’t fly away. It seems that this is avoided because one of their wings is clipped. This practice does them no harm, and the procedure itself doesn’t hurt them in any way. Also, from that time to this their upkeep is paid for by the British Government; in other words the taxpayer. But I think that few of us would begrudge any costs to keep Ravens at the Tower.

There is, of course, far more to learn about the mythology surrounding corvids. And perhaps my short foray into the subject has stimulated your desire to seek out further knowledge. Should you have read this brief piece thinking that they are ominous, or are simply vermin, then I hope that I have shown that these birds have been feared and revered since ancient times. And long may that continue.

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