crow is a bird of the corvid family, usually characterized by its dark plumage (usually black) and found on almost every continent. Popularly, the crow is interpreted as the mystical sign of foreboding.
Symbolically, the crow is related to the bad omen, death, bad luck and with other dark and gloomy elements. However, it can also symbolize some positive characteristics, such as the wisdom, a cunning and the fertility.
Because of its mystical symbolism, the raven was (and is) widely explored in literature and other arts, mainly as a central theme of fantastic and horror stories.
the american writer Edgar Allan Poe, for example, was immortalized through the poem “The crow” (The Raven, in the original in English), becoming popular as one of the most iconic authors of dark romanticism.
In English, the word “crow” can be translated as crow or raven.
Learn more about the meaning of bad omen.
The origin of the "obscure identity" that crows (corvus corax) acquired over time is related to some common practices of these birds, such as scavenger habits (eat corpses), the ability to imitate the tone the voice of some animals (including humans) and the fact that they are predominantly black (a color that is traditionally attributed to darkness and what is obscure and malignant).
Contrary to the negative connotation attributed to the raven in most Western cultures, several ancient mythologies had this bird as a symbol of protection, regeneration and messenger of good energy.
For this reason, currently, the figure of the crow is also often used as a protection amulet, mainly in the form of tattoos.
Raven in Mythology
Yatagarasu
The figure of the raven is present in the mythology of different cultures around the world. In Central Asia and East Asia, for example, there is the Yatagarasu – a three-legged crow – known to be the messenger of the sky and the sun god.
Each of the feet of the Yatagarasu would represent one of the basic qualities of the gods, according to Japanese mythology: chi (wisdom), jin (benevolence) and yuu (worth).
Yatagarasu is not interpreted as a sign of bad omen, but rather as a powerful browser, This characteristic is observed in crows, which are able to orient themselves easily even on land. unknown.
In the Japanese translation, Yatagarasu would roughly mean "8-Legged Raven" or "Supreme Divine Raven", since for Japanese culture the number eight is interpreted as synonymous with what is "supreme" and "perfect".
Hugin and Munin
This one pair of crows it is present in the narratives of Norse mythology. According to Old Norse, Huginn means “thought”; and Munin it means “memory”.
Hugin and Munin are messengers of the god Odin, and that travel around the world of Midgard – realm of human beings (the Earth), as it was known by the ancient Norsemen – collecting information and transmitting it to the “father of the gods”.
crow in witchcraft
Ravens are also constantly associated with tales of sorcery and witchcraft. According to many cultures, witches and sorcerers use the precognition abilities of crows to predict the future and communicate with the spiritual forces beyond, as the raven would also represent the link between the world of the living and the dead.
In the Middle Ages, mainly, it was also believed that crows would be the pets of witches, or that they would have the magical ability to transform themselves into these birds.
But on the other hand, the shamans – indigenous sorcerers – from North American tribes regarded the crows as divine beings, animal counselors endowed with wisdom. They used to be represented on totems of protection against negative energies.
See also: the meaning of Witch.
