The Crow In Popular Culture

The big crow is an iconic species that belongs to the corvidae, a group of very intelligent birds. This species has the largest distribution of all corvidae, as it develops in the Arctic, Europe, North America, Africa, England and Everest.

The crow has spread well around the world because it is very intelligent: it approached  human settlements to take advantage of our remains, which makes it an animal close to different cultures around the world. This allowed, over the centuries, the raven to find its place in legends, stories and books known to all of us.

This bird is mentioned in many religious books, especially the Bible. In it, this bird is used to search for land and check the water level and, in addition, it is the ravens that saved the prophet Elijah from famine. They are also a deity to the Eskimos.

Ravens in Norse Mythology

However, the Viking peoples were the ones who made the biggest references about this species. One of the most famous, Ragnar Lodbrok, had this species as a standard ; the raven appears in a multitude of banners and coats of arms, as it was associated with one of its main deities, Odin.

Source: Diego Delso

In Norse mythology, Odin is accompanied by two ravens : Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents memory. These ravens informed the Lord of the Norse gods about everything that happened in their realms.

It is believed that they also  presented themselves as a representation of the Valkyries, who led to the Norse paradise, known as Valhalla, the war fighter killed during a battle. And it makes a lot of sense, since, in search of food, crows fill the battlefields.

Other European legends about the raven

For the Celts, ravens were also associated with the fields of battle and warfare, and especially with Morrigan, the goddess of death, who could take the form of a raven. This power was also possessed by Badb, goddess of war, who could also become a wolf. Both enjoyed men’s wars, just as crows do.

These birds appear in many legends and myths of European cultures. One of the most impressive is that of Federico Barbarroja, an ancient German king who was sleeping in the mountains of Thuringia (Germany), and who was  awakened when the crows stopped flying across the mountain.

For the Greeks, Apollo is the culprit of the raven’s black color. According to them, before the ravens were white, but after they failed to watch Coronis, Apollo’s lover, Apollo wore them in black forever.

The British Monarchy, Threatened by Crows

One of the most curious legends is that  England and its monarchy will fall the day there are no more crows in the Tower of London. The truth is that after that, many legends emerged. Some say that they went there because of the presence of corpses and, in fact, they are mentioned in historical executions such as those of Ana Bolena and Juana Gray.

Source: Sigurður Atlason.

Another legend says that  its wings were clipped so that an astronomer could work without the flights of these birds preventing him from seeing the sky. And it is even said that Charles II himself forgave them and kept them in the Tower of London after a great fire.

The truth is that there have been no wild crows in London for some time now, and those in the tower are being held captive. In fact, in World War II, only one survived the bombing, and  Winston Churchill himself ordered more to be brought in. The crows in the Tower of London were then cataloged as if they were soldiers of the Kingdom. They could be demoted, expelled from the army, and even had their own certification cards.

kings of literature

Crows appear in several literary works. They are protagonists in a poem by Allan Poe, fables by Aesop and also in stories by Charles Dickens. They are part of the symbolism of Erebor in The Hobbit and  have a central role in the series  “Game of Thrones” , where they are a communication channel and represent the “Night’s Watch”.

To top it off, the crow also  appears in Stephen King’s books, Asimov and even as the animal in one of Harry Potter’s houses. No doubt he has gained a prominent role in many literary works.

Image source: Brocken Inaglory, Diego Delso and Sigurður Atlason.