Ravens are large, intelligent black birds that are members of the corvid family, which also includes crows, jays, and magpies. They can live up to 20 years in the wild and are found across the Northern Hemisphere. Ravens have long had a reputation as being either good or bad in mythology, folklore, and popular culture. This article will examine evidence on both sides of this debate about whether ravens are good or bad.
Evidence That Ravens Are Good
There are several pieces of evidence suggesting ravens play a helpful role in ecosystems and culture:
– Ravens are nature’s clean-up crew. They are scavengers who feed on carrion and help clean up rotting carcasses. This prevents the spread of diseases from decaying bodies.
– Ravens help spread seeds and replant forests. When they eat fruits and nuts, ravens disperse the seeds through their droppings. This helps regenerate plant life.
– Ravens form lifelong monogamous relationships. Raven pairs cooperate to build nests together each year and share parenting duties like incubating eggs and feeding nestlings.
– Ravens have cooperative social groups. Related ravens will stick together in juvenile and adult life and help raise young ravens together.
– Ravens are believed to be one of the most intelligent bird species. They use tools, solve puzzles, mimic noises, and engage in play. Their advanced cognitive abilities indicate complex social and communications behaviors.
– Ravens feature in many world mythologies as clever tricksters, assistants to gods, and messengers. In some Native American cultures, like the Tlingit people, ravens are revered as creator deities.
– Ravens and crows appear in works ranging from the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe to Game of Thrones as intelligent talking birds. Often they are portrayed as wise guides.
So in nature and human culture, ravens are often viewed as smart, social birds that provide helpful services to ecosystems and people. Their intelligence and mischievous behavior may have contributed to their perception as being morally good birds in folklore.
Evidence That Ravens Are Bad
However, there are also perspectives on ravens that paint them in a more negative light:
– Ravens are predatory and will kill other animals. They have been known to hunt young reptiles, rodents, and smaller birds.
– Ravens will raid crops and fruit orchards causing damage to agriculture. Their unchecked foraging can threaten farmer’s livelihoods.
– Ravens are often associated with death. Their scavenging habits and black coloration has linked them to omens of illness, warfare, and dark magic in some myths.
– In the Bible, ravens were the first birds released by Noah from the ark after the flood. However, they did not return as commanded, so they were cursed to be black scavengers and not return to the ark.
– Ravens will sometimes attack sick or injured large animals like moose and deer, accelerating their death. This is nature’s way, but creates an image of ravens as harbingers of doom.
– Groups of ravens are called “unkindnesses”, suggesting their mobbing behavior is ominous compared to more pleasant group names for other birds like doves (“cotes”) or finches (“charm”).
– In horror movies, tales, and Halloween decor, ravens are sometimes used as creepy symbols of evil or death. Their croaking calls, black appearance, and tendencies to swarm create an eerie, scary ambiance.
So between their predatory habits, associations with death and the supernatural, and malevolent portrayal in some myths and popular culture, ravens have acquired a reputation for being bad or wicked birds in the minds of some.
Conclusion
There is evidence on both sides of the debate regarding whether ravens are good or bad. On the positive side, they are highly intelligent, social birds that provide helpful ecosystem services like cleaning up carrion and dispersing seeds. Many cultures revere ravens as divine messengers or wise elders. However, their predatory habits, crop raiding tendencies, and associations with warfare, doom, and evil lead them to be viewed negatively as well. Reality lies somewhere in between. Ravens are intelligent birds playing out their natural behaviors. Humans may impose moral judgements on them by human standards. But ravens likely have no concept of good or evil. They are wild animals acting on natural impulses, neither good nor bad. In nature, ravens simply are.
Raven Facts and Statistics
Raven Species
There are several species of raven worldwide:
– Common Raven – Most widespread species found across the Northern Hemisphere and high mountains of Central America. Largest raven species.
– Chihuahuan Raven – Native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.Smaller than common ravens.
– Forest Raven – Found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and parts of Australia.
– Pied Raven – Found across much of Africa. Has white feathers interspersed in plumage.
– Brown-necked Raven – Found across northern and eastern Africa highlands and along the coast.
– Fan-tailed Raven – Found across semi-arid southern Africa. Tail feathers spread out like a fan.
Raven Populations and Lifespans
– There are an estimated 7-15 million common ravens globally. Other species numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
– Ravens can live 15-30 years in captivity. Average lifespan in wild is 10-15 years.
– Ravens breed at age 3-4 years. Pairs raise 1-2 broods per year of 3-7 nestlings.
Raven Physical Traits
– Length: 22-27 inches
– Wingspan: 45-48 inches
– Weight: 1.5-3.5 lbs
– Jet black feathers cover entire body, wings, head and feet. Blue-black sheen in sunlight.
– Thick neck feathers fan out giving “beard” appearance.
– Strong black bills 0.8-2 inches long.
– Feet have four long toes for perching and walking.
Food Source | Details |
---|---|
Carrion | Dead animals, roadkill. Up to 95% of diet in winter. |
Crops | Grains, berries, fruits. |
Small animals | Rodents, reptiles, birds and eggs, fish, invertebrates. |
Human trash | Food scraps from trash cans and landfills. |
Pet food | Dog food, cat food left outdoors. |
Raven Behavior and Intelligence
– Ravens are highly social and live in mated pairs or small family groups. Young from previous years help care for new nestlings.
– They often play and manipulate objects. Documented behaviors include sliding down snowbanks, flying kites, and pulling tails of wolves and dogs.
– Ravens are among the smartest birds. Their brains are larger than all other songbirds relative to body size.
– Ravens use calls and body language to communicate and convey emotions like excitement, anger, or affection. At least 33 distinct vocalizations have been documented.
– They solve problems and use tools in the wild, such as cracking hard nuts by dropping them in streets for cars to run over.
– Ravens can mimic noises and human speech. Some captive ravens can imitate up to 70 different sounds.
– They remember faces of people who were threatening or kind to them. Ravens hold grudges against those who hurt or threaten them.
The Raven in Mythology and Folklore
Ravens feature prominently in the mythology and folk tales of many cultures, often portraying ravens as cunning tricksters.
Norse Mythology
– Odin, the supreme deity, has two raven companions named Hugin and Munin (Thought and Memory) who fly around the world and report back on events to Odin.
– Raven banners were carried on Viking ships in homage to Odin.
Greek and Roman Mythology
– Apollo (Greek) or Apollo (Roman) use ravens to spy on lovers. The raven informs Apollo of the unfaithfulness of Coronis, who Apollo kills in anger.
– The Greek goddesses Athena and Demeter turn sisters into ravens for revealing secrets only meant for the gods.
Native American Mythology
– Raven is a key figure across many Northwestern Native American tribes, featuring as both the creator deity and trickster in folklore.
– The Tlingit and Haida cultures tell of Raven releasing the sun, moon, and stars into the sky by stealing them from another spirit who was hiding them.
– In Tsimshian stories, Raven also brings humans and animals into the world before taking on his tricky ways.
Australian Folklore
– In Aboriginal folklore of Australia, several tales feature Crow as an ancestral creator and trickster who sometimes gets into trouble through his mischief and has to be rescued by Eaglehawk.
– For example, Crow steals fire from the Seven Sisters to give to humans. Then he has to flee the angry sisters by turning into a raven.
English and Irish Folklore
– In England, ravens are thought to contain the souls of wicked priests or are seen as omens of doom, death, and dark magic.
– In Ireland, ravens are associated with warfare and the battle-goddesses Morrigan and Badbh. Seeing ravens before conflict was an ill omen of bloodshed to come.
– The Celtic goddesses Macha and Nemain also take the form of ravens when spurring on violence or laying curses.
Hindu Mythology
– The Hindu epic Ramayana tells of a raven (or crow) named Kakabhusundi who lives through cycles of the universe to retain a wise perspective and is respected as a spiritual teacher.
So while occasionally feared, ravens more frequently appear in myth as revered spirits, creators, and elevators of humankind. Their intelligence translates into supernatural powers of wisdom and prophecy.
Notable Ravens in History and Popular Culture
Specific ravens have attained fame across history for their notable feats or symbolic importance:
Famous Ravens in History
– During World War II, a raven in the Tower of London became a wartime symbol of Britain’s resistance against Germany. He was named Grip after the raven in Charles Dickens’ novel Barnaby Rudge.
– Ravens in the Tower of London are famous as residents and protected birds. King Charles II mandated at least six ravens must remain at the tower or else the monarchy and tower would fall.
– Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” features a raven who symbolizes grief, loss, and oblivion through his constant refrain of “Nevermore”. Published in 1845, it was an overnight sensation.
Ravens in Game of Thrones
– The three-eyed raven acts as a spiritual guide and seer, advising Brandon Stark on his prophetic visions.
– Ravens are used to send messages across the kingdom of Westeros with notable ravenry rookeries at Winterfell and the Citadel.
– Odin’s raven companions Hugin and Munin from Norse myth are reimagined as Bran Stark’s pet ravens Hodor and Wylis.
Ravens in Disney Films
– In Snow White (1937), the Queen turns into an old peddler woman with a raven perched ominously on her shoulder as she deceives Snow White with the poisoned apple.
– Diablo the Raven is the evil sidekick pet of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959). He helps find Princess Aurora for Maleficent.
– In The Sword in the Stone (1963), Archimedes is Merlin’s pet raven who is portrayed as educated and grouchy. He teaches the young Arthur.
So whether appearing in classic poems, wartime lore, or popular fantasy and animation, ravens continue capture public fascination through their symbolic importance in history and storytelling.
Scientific Understanding of Ravens
Objective scientific study has shed further light on ravens revealing them to be highly intelligent and social birds.
Language Abilities
– Field research shows ravens have a complex vocabulary of calls to share information about threats, food sources, and social interactions.
– Captive ravens can mimic human speech and noises with a high degree of accuracy, comprehend meaning of words, and respond appropriately to novel sentences.
Tool Use and Problem Solving
– Wild ravens use tools such as sticks to access food and interact with objects. Captive ravens readily use tools and solve multi-step puzzles.
– Ravens drop nuts and shells on roads so cars can crack them open. They place bait to go fishing. And they sled down snowy rooftops for fun.
Social Complexity
– Young ravens form social bonds and juvenile gangs that cooperate to find food, gain territory, and defend against rivals.
– Raven pairs share duties like nest-building, defending territory, and raising young together year after year. Some remain paired for life.
– Related ravens will stick together in communities, with young from previous years helping raise new offspring. This may be why ravens were seen as wise elders in mythology.
Self-awareness
– Ravens are one of few animals that recognize themselves in mirrors. This indicates self-awareness and higher intelligence.
So modern science supports what many indigenous cultures realized about ravens thousands of years ago – they have impressive cognitive abilities and social bonds.
The Raven’s Place and Perception in the World
The raven occupies a unique place in the natural world and human culture. On one hand, the raven is just a bird playing out its inherent behaviors as a scavenging predator. On the other, it has taken on rich symbolic meaning across many traditions.
Aspects leading ravens to be seen negatively:
– Tendency to feed on carrion and raid crops associated with death and evil
– Dark coloration and croaking vocalizations perceived as ominous
– Trickster portrayal in folklore for cunning sometimes amoral behavior
Aspects leading ravens to be seen positively:
– Help clean up rotting carcasses and replant forests through seed dispersal
– Highly social, long-term bonded pairs demonstrating intelligence and emotion
– Revered in mythology and indigenous cultures as creator figures and wise spirits
A balanced modern view:
– Ravens are wild animals playing out natural behaviors to find food and defend territories.
– They are neither good nor evil; such judgments come from human values imposed upon nature.
– With intelligence and social complexity, ravens provide insights into the evolution of language, tool use, and cooperation.
So while the raven has a complex mix of symbolic meanings across cultures, a rational perspective recognizes ravens as intelligent birds worthy of appreciation and study for what they inherently are.