Ravens will one day rule the world

[ishmael]

I've been seeing more of them hereabouts. Hopping and flying around human detritus; kronking their kronk off in the woods. They always hit me as remarkably intelligent. If I come back as an animal, I'm hoping a raven.

It's a pretty consistent Indian myth that the raven is a trickster. A trickster is always contrary, and always smart. He's there to tell you what you don't know, and does it with difficult conundrums, like Zen koans you need to live before you can understand.

Corvide always make me smile.

[Tristan]

Bernd Heinrich studied Ravens, among his many books he wrote a lengthy and wonderfully interesting book about them. As far as being a trickster, there is some evidence that, out west, ravens will follow animals (including man), calling, which alerts cougars to the presence of prey. A couple first hand accounts of folks who found they were being stalked by a cougar while Mr. (or Ms.) Raven hopped along overhead, calling and calling. When the cougar makes it's kill the raven gets the left overs. Pretty tricky (and scary).

[Meerkat]

You sure you don't mean Ravers will one day rule the world? :D

[ishmael]

Tristan,

That book, maybe "Ravens in Winter" about Ravens in Vermont? I read that, years back. It's a good read.

The story about raven cooperating with cougar makes sense. They are, mostly, scavengers who can't open a big carcass on their own. That it might be a source of the trickster myth is enlightening. Hadn't thought that way before. Lead the cougar to the prey, let the cat do the hard work, come in and clean up afterward. They are smart critters. Smarter than cats, by most estimations.

Bird intelligence has been a hot topic in the ethology press lately. Parrots who demonstrate real language skills, etc. Look a raven in the eye, and unlike a sparrow someone is looking back.

[ishmael]

One day raven met the maker of songs. It took many days, but eventually they learned each other's language. The maker of songs was interested in raven, because he knew things the maker didn't. The raven was interested in the maker for the same reason, but mostly out of joy. There wasn't much the maker of songs could teach raven. Raven was pretty wise.

One day, as they spoke, raven told the maker about the nature of death. What a hard conversation, but the maker listened, because he wanted to know, and he'd come to trust raven. Raven told him it's not how it seems. After we die, we don't really die. We don't become what the stories tell, we become something more marvelous. We become all we ever dreamed, or ate, or pissed on, or loved. Raven then flew off.

This fascinated the maker of songs, and he's told that story ever since.

[BrianW]

I believe they've followed me while hunting. They always start to show up even while still gutting a deer.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

The Norsemen had some ideas about ravens, too.

And, of course, should the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the kingdom will fall...

...so one of the Yeoman Warders is Keeper of the Queen's Ravens - and they have their wings clipped.

Interestingly, at the low point of WW2, there was just one raven in residence - a breeding programme was set up, and has continued!

[PatCox]

That story of ther Raven and the maker of songs, sounds just like something from one of the "Crow" poems by Ted Hughes.

Here's one:

Crow's Fall


When Crow was white he decided the sun was too white.
He decided it glared much too whitely.
He decided to attack it and defeat it.

He got his strength up flush and in full glitter.
He clawed and fluffed his rage up.
He aimed his beak direct at the sun's centre.

He laughed himself to the centre of himself

And attacked.

At his battle cry trees grew suddenly old,
Shadows flattened.

But the sun brightened—
It brightened, and Crow returned charred black.

He opened his mouth but what came out was charred black.

"Up there," he managed,
"Where white is black and black is white, I won."

Ted Hughes

[Kim Whitmyre]

One day raven met the maker of songs. It took many days, but eventually they learned each other's language. The maker of songs was interested in raven, because he knew things the maker didn't. The raven was interested in the maker for the same reason, but mostly out of joy. There wasn't much the maker of songs could teach raven. Raven was pretty wise.

One day, as they spoke, raven told the maker about the nature of death. What a hard conversation, but the maker listened, because he wanted to know, and he'd come to trust raven. Raven told him it's not how it seems. After we die, we don't really die. We don't become what the stories tell, we become something more marvelous. We become all we ever dreamed, or ate, or pissed on, or loved. Raven then flew off.

This fascinated the maker of songs, and he's told that story ever since.


That would be what we are NOW. . .

[ishmael]

Somebody tell me that's quite nice. I made it up, though can't claim full responsibility.

I tried to translate well an old native myth, and what I wrote isn't it, it's original to me.

Andrew,

The English myth of ravens and the tower is wonderful. We've got some extras around here if the plot weakens.

[PatCox]

Its nice to be compared to Ted Hughes, he was poet laureate after all.

[ishmael]

Pat,

Ted's is better than mine.

Mine's not bad, but Ted's is a quantum.

Sad we don't like words, real words much anymore. I'm not sure what it says about us, but it says something.

[uncas]

What's the old story, if the ravens ( rooks ) leave the Tower of London, England will fall?
Umm, I love Ravens but the ability of them surviving is way out classed by cockroaches. Now, those suckers will survive.

of course, the story maybe true. England hasn't been conquered since the Tower was built.