Frigid Trickster
I caught myself wondering out loud this morning, "How does that bird stay warm?" Listening to one on a light pole while it let out deep series of “Rupp…Ruup…Rupp” sounds, intrigued me...surely, this ice cold bird should make a higher-pitched sound than that. Five seconds went by and another quietly returned the call from a distance. The raven's poofy black feathers help it conserve energy, but I don't know how its toothpick-sized legs stay warm at temperatures reaching -40 F.
A few bits of trivia about the not-so Common Raven (corvus corax):
· A grouping is properly described as an “unkindness” instead of a "flock"
· First migrated to Alaska 2 million years ago across the Bering land bridge
· Have one of the largest brains of any bird species
· Known for their problem solving skills and intelligence (for birds)
· Are capable of imitating sounds from their environment, including the human voice
· Will lead predatory animals to food, waiting for them to rip the carcass open for easier scavenging
· Participate in horseplay as juveniles, even playing catch-me-if-you-can with wolves and dogs
Wiki Link: Common Raven
I’ve always thought of ravens as having a death or ill omen-related notion about them. Poe’s poem "The Raven" comes to mind (where a distraught lover mourning the death of his lover is taunted by a raven repeating one word – nevermore) is a good example of my cultural bias. Eventually the poor fellow comes to the conclusion that the bird has trapped his soul within its shadow.
Wiki Link: The Raven (poem)
A few bits of trivia about the not-so Common Raven (corvus corax):
· A grouping is properly described as an “unkindness” instead of a "flock"
· First migrated to Alaska 2 million years ago across the Bering land bridge
· Have one of the largest brains of any bird species
· Known for their problem solving skills and intelligence (for birds)
· Are capable of imitating sounds from their environment, including the human voice
· Will lead predatory animals to food, waiting for them to rip the carcass open for easier scavenging
· Participate in horseplay as juveniles, even playing catch-me-if-you-can with wolves and dogs
Wiki Link: Common Raven
I’ve always thought of ravens as having a death or ill omen-related notion about them. Poe’s poem "The Raven" comes to mind (where a distraught lover mourning the death of his lover is taunted by a raven repeating one word – nevermore) is a good example of my cultural bias. Eventually the poor fellow comes to the conclusion that the bird has trapped his soul within its shadow.
Wiki Link: The Raven (poem)
Link to the full poem here
While the morbid symbolism of the Raven generally holds true in the European/American culture, the birds traditionally hold pull higher rank in colder regions like Alaska, Siberia, and Scandinavia. Norse mythology held that two ravens sat on the god Odin’s shoulders, informing him of the goings on throughout the world. The artic Inuit culture considered the raven both a creator of the world and a cunning trickster. Another North American indigenous culture believed that the bird, tired of its own world (a bit of truth...it came over prehistorically from Asia after all), flew from the heavens with a stone in its mouth…eventually dropping it and creating the planet we now live on.
Wiki Link: The Raven in Popular Culture
Wiki Link: The Raven in Mythology
While the morbid symbolism of the Raven generally holds true in the European/American culture, the birds traditionally hold pull higher rank in colder regions like Alaska, Siberia, and Scandinavia. Norse mythology held that two ravens sat on the god Odin’s shoulders, informing him of the goings on throughout the world. The artic Inuit culture considered the raven both a creator of the world and a cunning trickster. Another North American indigenous culture believed that the bird, tired of its own world (a bit of truth...it came over prehistorically from Asia after all), flew from the heavens with a stone in its mouth…eventually dropping it and creating the planet we now live on.
Wiki Link: The Raven in Popular Culture
Wiki Link: The Raven in Mythology
After Thought: The trickster/mischievous nature of the raven reminds me of stories about The Coyote, a Native American mythological creature, read to me as a child. Some of these tales are hilarious, and I suggest them for further reading on the trickster archetype.
Wiki Link: The Coyote
Wiki Link: the infamous Wile E. Coyote
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