They’re harbingers of doom and they’re everywhere now that the season of death is upon us. You can see them sitting in the bones of the trees. Shiny and black, they call out mockingly. They follow you, sometimes singly, sometimes as a “murder” of crows. Yes, a group of three or more crows is called a “murder.” And with good reason.
Their inky black eyes with a liquid-like stare search for
carrion because the crow follows death wherever it goes and loves to scavenge dead animals, although it will eat just about anything. Many people find this behavior revolting and
because of that, they do not take the time to learn how intelligent the crow
is. It is one of the smartest
animals. It can use tools, hide and
store food across seasons, and distinguish between individual humans by
recognizing facial features. It is
one of the few animals capable of displacement, and it also has episodic-like
memory.
 |
| The crow waiting for an opportunity. |
Although the ancients didn’t have the above information via
research, crows seem to have found their way into the mythology and folklore of
many different cultures. In ancient Irish traditions, crows were associated with the Morrigan, the goddess of war and
death. In Cornish folklore, crows were
associated with death and the otherworld.
In ancient Norse religion, two crows or ravens combed the entire world and
brought information to the god Odin. He
is always pictured with two crows. In Sweden and Denmark, crows or ravens were the
ghosts of murdered men or exorcised spirits.
In Australia
the crow was the Trickster. And the list
goes on, from Japan to China to Korea
to India
and Islam. Everywhere in every age, the
crow is present.
But you don’t need to study any of that to get the heebie
jeebies this time of year when the crows are out and about. Simply listen to their mocking voices to
divine messages, but pray that they do not follow you. If crows follow you for some distance, unless
you are Old Jack, it may just be that you are the otherworldly message for that
day.
