The Old Owl Said "Who". Eric Ode. Courtesy of youtube.

 

This is a little video to accompany this weeks stories about the Owl. Hope you enjoy it.

The Storyteller.

The Storyteller.

There’s turf on the fire

There’s tea in the pot

Sunday’s here again

It’s been a good week

And now is the time

To hear the tale’s again

So pull up a chair and sit awhile

The clock is striking three

Tune in to WRFM

And join the Seanachái.

 

 

Welcome to my blog.

If you have any comments or requests for stories please leave them on here and I'll see what I can do.
I really appreciate any feedback and will try to respond as quickly as possible.

On behalf of myself and WRFM 98-2 I would like to thank you for taking the time to listen to my show and hope you enjoy it.

Join me on Sunday at 3-00pm until 4-00pm, pull up a chair and sit awhile.  You are never too old for a story.

Music play list 22nd September 2013.

Music Play List for 22nd September 2013.

 

·       Newgrange by Clannad.

·       Ring of bright water by Val Doonican.

·       The Old Owl Said “Who”. A Halloween Song Youtube Kiddo Tunes.

·       Run rabbit run. Flanagan and Allen. Wmv. Youtube.

·       Rat Song from Pied Piper of Hamelin Musical (with lyrics).

·       The Raven Song by Wendy Rule.

·       When You Believe by Celtic Women.

The Autumnal Equinox.

It is the time of the Autumn Equinox but what does this mean.

Autumn Equinox:

The Autumnal Equinox signals the end of the summer months and the beginning of winter. At this time of year, days have been shortening since the Summer Solstice some three months earlier, and the Equinox is the point where nights reach the same length as days. After this point, the Sun will shine lower and lower on the horizon until the Winter Solstice in about three months' time.

The Autumn Equinox is a time of harvesting and preparation. It is a time to reflect on your life and to start making plans for the future. The main agricultural harvest has been gathered and all that is left are the late fruits, berries and nuts.

As plants wither, their energy goes into the hidden roots and nourishes the Earth. The leaves of trees turn from green to red, brown and gold - symbolic of the sinking Sun as nature prepared for winter. This is the time of balance between the outer and the inner worlds. From now on, we should turn towards nurturing our own roots, pondering our inner lives and planning for the long-term. Thoughts can be seeded, gradually growing in the unconscious until they can emerge in the spring. It is the drawing in of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

A time of celebration for the bounty of the earth and a time of balance reflecting on the equal length of both day and night. Hospitality is another tradition common for this time of the year as in times past you never knew when your neighbour might have to provide food for your family if your own supplies ran low during the winter months. Weak and old animals and livestock were often slaughtered at this time of year to preserve winter feed stocks.

A lovely place to visit at the time of the Equinox is Loughcrew. If you get the chance go and check it out, you won’t regret it.

The sites consist of cruciform chambers covered in most instances by a mound. A unique style of rock engravings are seen there, including lozenge shapes, leaf shapes and circles. The site has three parts,  two are on hilltops, Carnbane East and Carnbane West. The other, less well preserved cairn is at Patrickstown.

The Irish name for the site is Sliabh Na Caílli, which means mountains of the witch, and legend has it that the monuments were created when a witch who was also a giantess was challenged to drop an apron full of stones on each of the three Loughcrew peaks, if she succeeded she would be proclaimed the ruler of all Ireland. She was successful on the first two peaks, but missed the third and fell to her death.  Legend tells us that she is buried where she fell, on the slopes of Patrickstown Hill.

The Otter.

Following on from last week I thought I would add a little bit to the folklore and stories of the Irish Otter and the Dobhar Chu. Then follow up with a little bit of folklore and some superstitions and stories about other members of our Irish wildlife. So I hope you enjoy it. Here goes.

The Otter. Madra Uisce.

The otter lives along riverbanks and beside lakes all around Ireland and It’s very good at swimming and diving and if you’re lucky you may see them playing among the rocks undergrowth. The otter has a small-flattened head, a long thick neck and a thick tail that narrows to a point.  It can be 3 feet in length, which is about a metre and when they are fully grown up they can weigh about 20 lbs roughly 9 kilos. It has a long body covered with thick coat of grey or brown fur and it belongs to the same family as the stoat, pine marten and badger. The otter looks a little bit like a seal and like the seal it is a carnivore, which means that it usually eats meat and often eats shellfish. To get at the shellfish the otter  bangs it against a stone in order to break its shell and in this way he can get at the food inside.

The Dobhar-chu.

In Irish folklore, the Dobhar-chu is the king of all otters, the seventh cub of an ordinary otter. It is said to be much larger than a normal otter, and it never sleeps. The king of all otters is so magical that an inch of its fur will protect a man from being killed by gunshot, stop a boat from sinking or stop a horse from being injured.

The Dobhar-chu is also often said to be accompanied by a court of ordinary otters. When captured, these beasts would grant any wish in exchange for their freedom. Their skins were also prized for their ability to render a warrior invincible, and were thought to provide protection against drowning. Luckily, the Otter Kings were hard to kill, their only vulnerable point being a small point below their chin, (first you had to get past those sharp teeth).

There are also traditions of the "King Otter", who is dangerous, and will devour any animal or beast that comes in its way. This otter is sometimes described as white with black rimmed ears and a black cross on his back, and sometimes as pure black with a spot of white on his belly. He could only be killed by a silver bullet and the person who killed him would die within 24 hours. Its pelt was considered to have magical powers and protected its owner from all types of accident.

It was believed that if you were bitten by an otter then the only cure was to kill and eat another otter. However these days the otter is protected under Irish law and it is a criminal offense to kill one. So you’ll have to suffer in silence and get to hospital

The otter is a loyal mate and a good parent who will look after its cubs for longer than most other animals and for this reason it’s often used as a symbol of a strong family.

Irish harps used to be carried in bags made from otter skin as it protected them from getting wet.

A warrior’s shield would be covered in otter skin (lining the inside) and in this way they protected the warrior in battle.

It was believed that the magical power of the otter’s skin could be used for healing. It was used to cure fever, smallpox and as an aid in childbirth.

If a person licked the still warm liver of a dead otter they would receive the power to heal burns or scalds by licking them.

So there you have it, a little more on a beautiful animal.

The Owl.

Now for a few superstitions and stories about that beautiful nocturnal bird the Owl.

The Owl.

This bird has a reputation for being the wisest of birds and yet it has also developed a bad reputation that stems from the fact that it is a solitary bird that has a nocturnal existence.  It has been suggested that it is for this reason that it has been associated with the hours of night time when the darker forces are said to walk the earth. It has even been said that to see one during the day is a sign of bad luck. The Barn Owl is now on the Red List as a threatened species due to many factors such as loss of habitat, road accidents and changes in agricultural practice. They mate for life so the loss of a mate is devastating.

Should an owl brush its wings against a window pain or be seen perching for a considerable length of time on a roof then it is traditionally believed that illness and even death is present within.

 To look into an owl's nest is reputed to leave the observer with a sad and morose soul.

 According to an old Welsh tradition if you hear an owl hooting amongst a densely built up area then a female in the locality is said to have just lost her virginity!

A dead owl has served many purposes including mixing some of the flesh with boar's grease as an ointment to ease the pain of gout.

Owl broth was once used to feed children to avoid whooping cough according to tradition.

 The eggs were also once thought to help prevent epilepsy, bad sight (for obvious reasons) and to bring drunks back to their senses.

An Owl that enters the house must be killed at once, for if it flies away it will take the luck of the house with it.

To counter evil owl power put irons in your fire. Or throw salt, hot peppers or vinegar into the fire, the owl will get a sore tongue, hoot no more, and no one close to you will be in trouble.

When you hear an owl, take off your clothes, turn them inside out and put them back on. You might not want to do this if you are in public.

Any man who eats roasted owl will be obedient and a slave to his wife. So be sure to check the turkey this xmas??

Many people used to believe that owls swooped down to eat the souls of the dying. If they heard an owl hooting, they would become frightened. A common remedy was thought to be turning your pockets inside out and you would be safe.

Due to the Barn Owls eerie appearance, its habit of screeching and nesting in old abandoned buildings and churches people believed it was associated with ghosts and death.

Witches were thought to transform into owls and suck the blood of babies. It was believed you could discover a person's secrets by placing a feather or part of an owl on him while sleeping.

 The Custom of nailing an Owl to a barn door to ward off evil and lightning persisted into the 19th century.

 

 

 

 

Wise as an Owl.

This is a tale that I have adapted from the North American Indian tradition and it’s about the Owl.  Have you ever heard someone say “As wise as an owl”.  But you know owls are not always that wise as we are about to hear.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when the world and all the animals were being made the owl was sat in a queue waiting to talk to god. God had already given the owl a voice, two eyes, a head, body, and strong wings but he wanted to ask god to give him a long neck like the swan, jet black feathers like the crow and a powerful beak like the eagle.

Now god was extremely busy trying to do all those things that god does but he patiently listened to the owl. He agreed to give owl everything he asked for but told him he would  have to wait his turn.

Now god had a few rules and one of those rules said that no one was allowed to watch him work and he looked at the owl and said,

“Your eyes are open and you know that you are not allowed to watch me when I’m working. Go away, keep your eyes shut and wait until I call you.  I’m busy creating a rabbit”. With that god turned to the rabbit, the rabbit was shaking and looking rather nervous, well you know what rabbits are like.  God asked him,

“What would you like little rabbit”?

“I’d like long legs and ears” the rabbit said quietly, “Oh and can I have fangs and sharp claws please, I’d really like sharp claws”

God snapped his fingers and the rabbit’s ears and long legs appeared. God then sat and stroked the rabbits ears, smiled and said,

“I think I could manage a nice set of fangs and some sharp claws”

The owl who was standing nearby hooted loudly and said,

“Stupid creature, why don’t you ask for something useful like wisdom. What are you going to do with fangs and claws”

God got rather annoyed, looking towards the owl he said,

“ I’ve already warned you, stop looking at me when I’m working. Mind your own business, be quiet and wait your turn”

The owl who was full of his own importance turned to god and with an angry glare said to him,

“Now you listen to me god, you have to give us what we ask for and I demand you give me wisdom”

“You were warned but you would not listen” sighed god.

He slapped the top of the owls head down into his body which made his neck disappear and shook the owl so much that the owl’s eyes open wide in fright. Then he pulled both the owls ears until they stuck out from his body. God then said to him,

“I’ve made your ears big so you might listen when you are told something, I have made your eyes bigger so you might see where you’re going wrong, and I’ve given you a short neck so you may hold your head still.  Your head is now packed with wisdom as you demanded so I advise you to fly away before I take back what I have given.

The owl was no longer a fool and he took gods advise and flew away as fast as his wings would take him hooting and screeching as he went.

God smiled and turned back to the rabbit but by this time the rabbit had run off, he didn’t like arguments and shouting. So he never did get his fangs and sharp claws, but maybe someday.

As for the owl, well he knew he had angered god and he also realised that if he was ever to anger him again then he would lose all that he had gained. Because of this the owl will only come out at night when he thinks that god is asleep.

 

I Talk With the Moon           

I talk with the moon, said the owl
While she lingers over my tree
I talk with the moon, said the owl
And the night belongs to me.

I talk with the sun, said the wren
As soon as he starts to shine
I talk with the sun, said the wren
And the day is mine.

~ Anonymous.

The Rabbit/Hare.

In Celtic mythology and folklore the rabbit and the hare are treated in very much the same way as far as superstitious belief goes. There are slight variations on the stories told but they basically revolve around the same theme. So I’ll start off with the rabbit.

Rabbit . Irish Hare.

Fertility rituals: place a rabbit skin under your bed to bring fertility and abundance to your sexual activities. If you're opposed to the use of real fur, use some other symbol of the rabbit that you're more comfortable with.

The obvious one -- a rabbit's foot is said to bring good luck to those who carry it, although one might argue that it's not so lucky for the rabbit.

To bring yourself boundless energy, carry a talisman engraved or painted with a rabbit's image.

If you have wild rabbits or hares that live in your garden, leave them an offering of lettuce, shredded carrots, cabbage, or other fresh greens. In some magical traditions, the wild rabbit is associated with the deities of spring.

Rabbits and hares are able to go to ground quickly if in danger. Add a few rabbit hairs to a witch bottle for protection magic.

In some legends, rabbits and hares are the messengers of the underworld -- after all, they come and go out of the earth as they please. If you're doing a meditation that involves an underworld journey, call upon the rabbit to be your guide.

Although rabbits, in the Christian era, were still sometimes known as good luck symbols (hence the tradition of carrying a "lucky rabbit’s foot"), they also came to be seen as witch–associated portents of disaster.

Despite this suspicious view of rabbits and their association with fertility and sexuality, Renaissance painters used the symbol of a white rabbit to convey a different meaning altogether: one of chastity and purity. It was generally believed that female rabbits could conceive and give birth without contact with the male of the species, and thus virginal white rabbits appear in biblical pictures of the Madonna and Child. The gentle timidity of rabbits also represented unquestioning faith in Christ’s Holy Church in paintings such as Titian’s Madonna with Rabbit (1530).

Hares feature in Irish folklore, and the hare is older than our island’s culture itself. The Irish hare has been immortalised as the animal gracing the Irish pre-decimal three pence piece. Hare mythology exists throughout almost every ancient culture and when the first settlers colonised Ireland, the Irish hare was already an iconic figure.  There are many examples in Celtic mythology, and storytellers still relate tales of women who can shape-change into hares. The cry of the Banshee foretelling death might be legend but it may have parallels with the Irish hare of today as it struggles to avoid extinction in modern times.

Eostre, the Celtic version of Ostara, was a goddess also associated with the moon, and with mythic stories of death, redemption, and resurrection during the turning of winter to spring. Eostre, too, was a shape–shifter, taking the shape of a hare at each full moon; all hares were sacred to her, and acted as her messengers. Cesaer recorded that rabbits and hares were taboo foods to the Celtic tribes. In Ireland, it was said that eating a hare was like eating one’s own grandmother — perhaps due to the sacred connection between hares and various goddesses, warrior queens, and female faeries, or else due to the belief that old "wise women" could shape–shift into hares by moonlight. From 1893 edition of Folklore: “Country people in Kerry don’t eat hares; the souls of their grandmothers are supposed to have entered into them.

The Celts used rabbits and hares for divination and other shamanic practices by studying the patterns of their tracks, the rituals of their mating dances, and mystic signs within their entrails. It was believed that rabbits burrowed underground in order to better commune with the spirit world, and that they could carry messages from the living to the dead and from humankind to the faeries.

As Christianity took hold in western Europe, hares and rabbits, so firmly associated with the Goddess, came to be seen in a less favourable light — viewed suspiciously as the familiars of witches, or as witches themselves in animal form. Numerous folk tales tell of men led astray by hares who are really witches in disguise, or of old women revealed as witches when they are wounded in their animal shape.

Hares were strongly associated with witches. The hare is quiet and goes about its business in secret. They are usually solitary, but occasionally they gather in large groups and act very strangely, much like a group of people having a conference. A hare can stand on its hind legs like a person; in distress, it utters a strange, almost human cry which is very disconcerting to the listener. Watching such behaviour, people claimed that a witch could change her form at night and become a Hare. In this shape she stole milk or food, or destroyed crops. Others insisted that hares were only witches' familiars. These associations caused many people to believe hares were bad luck, and best avoided. A hare crossing one's path, particularly when the person was riding a horse, caused much distress. Still, the exact opposite superstition claimed that carrying a rabbit's or hare's foot brought good luck. There is no logic to be found in superstitions.

Here are two little stories that illustrate how the Hare is viewed in Irish folklore.

The Hare

Hares are considered unlucky, as the witches constantly assume their form in order to gain entrance to a field where they can bewitch the cattle.

A man once fired at a hare he met in the early morning, and having wounded it, followed the track of the blood till it disappeared within a cabin. On entering he found Nancy Molony, the greatest witch in all the county, sitting by the fire, groaning and holding her side. And then the man knew that she had been out in the form of a hare, and he rejoiced over her discomfiture.

The woman of the house had a central role in dairy production.  From this fact springs the idea that women were those essentially involved in the theft of the farmers "profit".  Old, widowed, unmarried or independent women were usually pinpointed as the main culprits.

Another story tell us that

Once upon a time there was a tailor who after attending a neighbours Wake was returning home very early in the morning  when he saw a hare sitting on the path before him. Not wishing to run away, he approached the hare with his stick raised to strike her, as he did so he distinctly heard a voice saying,

"Don't kill it."

However, he struck the hare three times, and each time heard the voice say,

 "Don't kill it." 

The last blow killed the poor hare and immediately a great big weasel sat up, and began to spit at him. This greatly frightened the tailor who, grabbed the hare, and ran off as fast as he could.

When he arrived home his wife saw how pale and frightened he looked, she asked him what had happened, and he told her the whole story.  They both knew he had done wrong, and offended some powerful witch, who would be avenged. However, they dug a grave for the hare and buried it, they were afraid to eat it, and thought that now perhaps the danger was over. However, the next day the man became suddenly speechless, and died before the week was out, without another word passing his lips. All the neighbours knew then that the witch-woman had taken her revenge.

The Rat.

One animal that has very few friends, seems to be everywhere and appears to be on the increase is:

The Rat. Francach.

The Irish name Francach  derives from the belief that the rat originally came here from France during the Anglo-Norman invasion. It is also known in ancient Ireland as Luch (the same word for mouse) although to distinguish them they were also called Luch mór (big mouse) while the mouse was Luch beag (small mouse). You could say it was the original invasive species as is witnessed from the way it has spread across the world.

Rats are known as relentless survivalists that can adapt too many conditions. Their ability to breed and overrun a place along with their association with disease has made them almost universally reviled. Certainly a few enthusiasts enjoy the charms of these clever and prolific mammals, but most people cringe in their presence. Fear of rats has been a longstanding attitude throughout history. As they were hated and loathed so much it is not surprising that most of the folklore concerning rats concerns different ways to get rid of them

Since ancient times rats have been associated with the souls of certain people. Their supernatural character caused them to be regarded as ominous creatures that sometimes had foreknowledge of disaster. This is most frequently illustrated by reports of rats abandoning ships before putting to sea. When this happens, sailor superstition holds that the ship is doomed.

The dread of rats is not limited to seafaring folk. Rats are often the creatures in legends that act as agents of vengeance for murdered souls. A very gruesome story from Germany tells of how the Bishop Hatto of Mayence locked starving people in a barn during a famine in 970 and set the building on fire to reduce the number of hungry people in the region. There is no historical record to confirm this horrendous  tale  and there is no account of the supposed army of rats that hunted down the Bishop and killed him, but it does  make a good story.

Gaelic poets were said to be able to banish or kill rats with the power of their verse and the power of the poets was mentioned by Shakespeare in As you like it.  It was even believed that you could banish them by writing them a letter (if only that was true).

Rat Superstitions:

A great increase in the number of rats foretells a war. In County Wexford rats were considered a sign of war as they attacked Kilmore before the war of 1641 when they ran through all the houses. They had not been seen there before.

If a rat gnaws your clothing, you will soon remove your furniture from that house (probably because of rat infestation). It was also believed that you should never mend any clothes that a rat has chewed, for it will bring you bad luck.

Always drop a baby's tooth into a rat hole and the new tooth will be beautiful. However, if a rat finds a tooth that you have thrown away, you will get a rat tooth

If you see rats leaving a building, it will soon burn. If you see them leaving a ship then it means the ship is doomed.

It is the sign of good luck to have a rat jump out of a drawer that you have opened. Now that is one superstition that I don’t agree with.

Rats will not remain in a cellar where there is a mole.

To drive away rats, singe the hair from one rat and turn it loose.

It is the sign of a cave-in, if a white rat is seen in a coal mine.

"I smell a rat." This saying relates to the suspicion that there is something concealed which is mischievous. The allusion is to a cat smelling a rat.

The famous tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is a great example of how music is supposedly able to charm rats. In 1284, the Pied Piper supposedly emptied the town of rats by playing his pipe.

The beady eyes and their nasty habit will maintain their unpopularity among people. They will continue to breed and cause problems for humans particularly as we have now supplied them with lovely comfy homes due to this new craze of wooden decking in the garden coupled with the creation of composting areas by people who are untrained in the art. Add to this the now prevalent build up of black plastic bags containing waste in our rural areas as people wait until they have sufficient to make a trip to the land fill viable as we are no longer allowed to burn or bury our waste,  and we have created rat heaven.

As you can guess I am no lover of rats and they do appear to be on the increase and are now presenting us with a common problem in rural areas. The only ones who seem to gain from their presence are the creatures which prey upon them.

The Raven/Crow.

The Raven/Crow. 

 

In Irish folklore the Raven and the Crow are often interchangeable so I will just refer to them as Crows. They were associated with the Triple Goddess the Morrigan and it was believed that the Crow that flew over the battlefield was the Morrigan. Some would consider her the protector; others looked upon her as the bringer of death. She was however the protector of warriors. Her message really means that in war there can only be one winner and that is death.  As a symbol of death the Crow would be buried with its wings outstretched in order to symbolize the connection between this world and the otherworld and the Crow as a messenger between the two.

 

Superstitions regarding this large family of birds:

                 

Banshees could take the shape of crows as they cried above a roof, an omen of death in the household below.

 

 "To have a Crow's knowledge" is an Irish proverb meaning to have a seer's supernatural powers to see all, to know all and to hear all.  The Crow is considered one of the oldest and wisest of animals.

 

 The Crow was the favourite bird of the solar deity, Lugh. Lugh was said to have had two Crow’s that attended to all his needs.

 

Giving a child their first drink from the skull of a Crow will give the child powers of prophecy and wisdom.

 

The Crow, with its glistening purple-black plumage, large size and apparent intelligence has inspired man from ancient times. It is regarded as an omen of both good fortune and bad, carrying the medicine of magic. It is often associated with war, death and departed spirits.  However, the Crow has not always been associated with death, spirits and darkness. Quite the contrary, the Crow was believed by some to be the bringer of light, truth and goodness.

 
A Crow sits on the shoulder of Ulster hero, Cú Chulainn, to symbolise the passing of his spirit.

The Bible (Genesis, chapter 8: 6-13 of the Old Testament) tells how birds are sent by Noah to detect whether there is any dry land outside the ark that he had built to withstand the Flood:  At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. This was the first recorded use of the Sat Rav (sorry, my sense of humour).

The druids would predict the future by studying the flight and the cries of the birds. The Crow is believed to be an oracular bird, and a bearer of messages from the Otherworld. It’s a symbol of the connection between this world and the next and it was said to represent the balance between life and death and the creation of the new.

Crows are associated with knowledge, warning, procreation, healing, and prophecy and are also a form favoured by shape shifters.

Finding a dead crow on the road is good luck. Not for the crow though.

Crows in a church yard are bad luck

A single crow over a house meant bad news, and often foretold a death within. "A crow on the thatch, soon death lifts the latch."

When crows were quiet and subdued during their midsummer's molt, some European peasants believed that it was because they were preparing to go to the Devil to pay tribute with their black feathers.

Two crows would be released together during a wedding celebration. If the two flew away together, the couple could look forward to a long life together. If the pair separated, the couple might expect to eventually seperate. (This practice was also performed using pairs of doves).

It has been said that a baby will die if a raven's eggs are stolen.

Ravens are considered royal birds. Legend has it King Arthur turned into one.

Crows feeding in village streets or close to nests in the morning means inclement weather is to come - usually storms or rain.  Crows flying far from their nest means fair weather.

The Romans used the expression "To pierce a Crow's eye" in relation to something that was almost impossible to do.

An Irish expression, "You'll follow the Crows for it" meant that a person would miss something after it was gone.

The expression, "I have a bone to pick with you" used to be “I have a crow to pick with you".

A ritual for invisibility: Cut a raven’s heart into three, place beans inside each portion, and then bury them right away. When the bean sprouts, keep one and place it into the mouth. Invisibility occurs while the bean is inside the mouth. Don’t try this folks.

Ravens facing the direction of a clouded sun foretell hot weather

If you see a Crow preening it’s feathers then rain is on the way

Crows flying towards each other signify an omen of war

Seeing a Crow tapping on a window foretold a death within.

If a Crow is heard croaking near a house, there will be a death in it.

If a Crow flies around the chimney of a sick person's house, they will die.

Many parts of Celtic Britain and Ireland view the Crow as a good omen:

On Shetland and Orkney - if a maiden sees a Crow at Imbolc she can foretell the direction of her future husband's home by following the Crows path of flight

In Wales - if a Crow perches on a roof, it means prosperity for the family

In Scotland - deerstalkers believed it bode well to hear a Crow before setting out on a hunt

Here in Ireland - Crows with white feathers were believed a good omen, especially if they had white on the wings. Crows flying on your right hand or croaking simultaneously were also considered good omens

Raven is said to be the protector and teacher of seers and clairvoyants. In the past, witches were thought to turn themselves into ravens to escape pursuit.

 

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more."

Extract from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Crow Stories.

A Thirsty Crow.

Once upon a time, a crow flew all over the fields looking for water.  It was a very hot day and the crow was extremely thirsty but he couldn’t find water anywhere, he began to feel very weak and was beginning to lose hope when suddenly he saw a water jug below a tree.  He flew straight down to see if there was any water inside and to his delight he saw some glistening at the very bottom of the jug.

However, there was a problem when he tried to put his head inside the jug he found that the neck of the jug was to narrow. He thought about this for a while and then decided he would simply push the jug over so that the water would flow out but the jug was far to heavy.

Again the crow thought about the problem and looking around he saw some pebbles suddenly he came up with another idea. He began to pick up the pebbles one by one and dropped them into the jug.  As each pebble fell to the bottom of the jug the water began to rise, soon the water had risen high enough for the crow to drink, his plan had worked. So you see if you think about a problem hard enough you will usually find the solution.

The Fox and The Crow.

 

Once upon a time a fox saw a crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on the branch of a tree where it began to nibble away quite happily. The fox looked on greedily and said to himself,

 

“That cheese looks very tasty, it’s far too nice for her. I would appreciate it a lot more, it should be mine” so the fox came up with a plan to seperate the crow from the cheese.  The fox walked up to the base of the tree and said,

 

“Good morning Mistress Crow, how well you look today. Your feathers are so beautiful and shiny and your eyes are so bright and sparkly. You know I’ve had a bet with all the other birds in the forest that your voice must be the most beautiful of all the birds. Your song must be as beautiful as your figure. Can you let me hear just one song so that I can tell everyone that you are truly the queen of all the birds in the forest”

 

The Crow was very vain and she lifted her head and began to caw her loudest. However, as she opened her beak the piece of cheese fell out and landed on the ground where the Fox snapped it up.

 

“That will do nicely” said the Fox “That was all I wanted but in exchange for your cheese I’ll give you a little advice for the future. Never trust those who would flatter you”.