As you may have noticed, the other day Victoria shared a link with us. It's a reading of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, his most popular poem. Feel free to watch it. Interestingly, today I talked to Andrea, who told me you might be working with this poem in the future. She suggested working on symbolism.
So,
I'd like you to search the web for different possible interpretations
of birds as symbols, especially in connection to death. You will find
that different species represent a variety of things, so there isn't
only one right answer. Finally, make sure you find out what ravens symbolise for different cultures in literature and myth.
Write your answers in a comment below.
First,I thought in the peace dove, but nothing about the death. I searched on the web but i didn t find anything, only abaut the crows, which are always or usually just before someones dies.
ReplyDeleteValentin Pastorini
That's a good start, Valentin. Of course I agree that doves symbolyse peace, but that is not what we are concentraiting on. It was a good choice to look up crows, since they are quite similar to ravens in terms of symbolism. You are on the right track.
ReplyDeleteI've found some information about different kinds of birds and its symbolisms. Here is what I've found:
ReplyDelete"Since ancient times, because of the Birds connection to the sky, they have been thought of as a supernatural link between the heavens and the earth.
Middle Eastern and Asian cultures often speak of birds as symbols of immortality. In East Indian myth, every bird in the world represents a departed soul, and in Christian art, birds often appear as saved souls.
The Crane is a symbol of long life and immortality. The Eagle typifies power, resurrection and generosity. The Falcon signifies, "A Light that Shines in the Darkness". The Nightingale suggests love and longing. The Owl is synonymous with death and darkness; yet it can also bring wisdom, insight and virtue. The Peacock heralds spring, birth, new growth, longevity, and love. And the tiny Sparrow, represents the love of God for even the "least" among us."
Also, I've found a lot of information about the different symbolisms of the Raven not only in connection to death. According to different cultures, this bird can be considered both a good and a bad omen.
Here are some negative superstitions about the raven:
Weather Raven Lore:
-Ravens facing the direction of a clouded sun foretell hot weather
-If you see a raven preening, rain is on the way
Raven Superstitions of Death and War:
-Ravens flying towards each other signify an omen of war
-Seeing a raven tapping on a window foretold death
-If a raven is heard croaking near a house, there will be a death in it
-If a raven flies around the chimney of a sick person's house, they will die
Here are some positive superstitions about the raven:
Many parts of Celtic Britain and Ireland view the raven as a good omen:
Shetland and Orkney - if a maiden sees a raven at Imbolc she can foretell the direction of her future husband's home by following the raven's path of flight
Wales - if a raven perches on a roof, it means prosperity for the family
Scotland - deerstalkers believed it bode well to hear a raven before setting out on a hunt
Ireland - ravens with white feathers were believed a good omen, especially if they had white on the wings. Ravens flying on your right hand or croaking simultaneously were also considered good omens
The raven symbolises not only death and war, but also it is considered to be a bird of prophecy, a protector and a bird full of wisdom.
The full information about the raven I've found is in this page: http://www.squidoo.com/raven-symbolism-lore
Feel free to check it out! It also have some information about the origin of the bad omen of the ravens related to Celtic Mythology.
Very useful information, Victoria! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete"The Raven." These are birds that observe, as if lurking and waiting for their next victim. They can be wily and scary.
ReplyDelete----------
The raven symbolizes many different things to different peoples. In most traditions you see a link to death. With the Native Americans that link was through the ravens ability to shape shift, symbolizing the transition into the afterlife. For the Celts the goddesses of war called down the ravens to feast on the dead at battle fields.
You also find in most traditions the idea that the raven is a wise trickster. Unlike the coyote in Native American myth who is tricky but often times foolish the raven has the knowledge to fool its opponents and get away with it. This often leads to Shamans believing that the vast knowledge held by the raven should only be sought in times of great need and only with great care.
And finally you see throughout almost all traditions a link between the raven and magic. Perhaps because of its knowledge or maybe its tricky ways the raven is linked to the Shamans magic in Native American myth, to witches and warlocks in English myth, to the miracles and portents of the future in Celtic myth and to the magical escapes of evil priests in old Christian myth. Depending on the prevalent view of magic at the time of the myth the aspect of the Raven can shift from that of a powerful healer to something more akin to the bringer or foreteller of death or evil.
All in all, the raven has always been seen as the king of the tricky corvus family and, as such, a force to be reckoned with.
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_raven_symbolize#ixzz1r10nTyLG
Very interesting!
DeleteI found this part particularly thought-provoking:
'With the Native Americans that link was through the ravens ability to shape shift, symbolizing the transition into the afterlife.'
I've found Birds As A Spiritual Symbol of The Divine.
ReplyDeleteThe text that i have read explain that birds have a connection with the sky and for Asian cultures birds are symbols of immortality.In the other hand, in East Indian myth, every bird in the world represents a departed soul, and in Christian art, birds often appear as saved souls.
Other different text say that he Owl is a symbol of death and darkness.
To see an Owl in a dream, symbolizes wisdom, insight and virtue. However, the Owl is also synonymous with death and darkness.
- The Hoot of an Owl, denotes disappointments and forewarns that death or deceit creeps closely in the wake of joy and health.
- A Dead Owl, signifies a narrow escape from illness and death.
The Owl, since it hides in darkness and fears the light, has come to symbolize the Prince of Darkness, Satan. As Satan leads humans to evil, so the Owl is said to ensnare other birds, into the traps set by hunters.
Thanks, Malena. Owls are typically associated with the night, which I imagine is why they represent such dark concepts.
DeleteMiddle Eastern and Asian cultures often speak of birds as symbols of immortality. In East Indian myth, every bird in the world represents a departed soul, and in Christian art, birds often appear as saved souls.
ReplyDeleteThe Crane is a symbol of long life and immortality. The Eagle typifies power, resurrection and generosity. The Falcon signifies, "A Light that Shines in the Darkness". The Nightingale suggests love and longing. The Owl is synonymous with death and darkness; yet it can also bring wisdom, insight and virtue. The Peacock heralds spring, birth, new growth, longevity, and love. And the tiny Sparrow, represents the love of God for even the "least" among us.
'In East Indian myth, every bird in the world represents a departed soul' taht's interesting!
DeleteAnd what about the raven?
I found something interesting about crows:
ReplyDeleteThe superstitions related to crows have always regarded as a bird of ill omen.
If you hear croaking is a sign of approaching death.
If the crow flies over a house brings bad luck to habitants and If crowa flies over a herd it means that one of the animals will die soon.
Thanks, Guadalupe. Quite interesting indeed!
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_in_mythology here there's a lot of information about crows! What catched my attention the most is that it seems that in celtic mythology ravens are very important!
ReplyDelete"In Irish mythology ravens are associated with warfare and the battleground in the figures of Badb and Morrígan. Then there is the god Lugh, whose name is also derived from a Celtic word for "raven." He is the god of the sun, and the creator of the arts and sciences."
Also, in Norse mythology (that actually interests me quite a lot!) a powerful god, Odín, is associated with ravens. It says that "Odin is a principal member of the Æsir (the major group of the Norse pantheon) and is associated with war, battle, victory and death, but also wisdom, magic, poetry, prophecy, and the hunt" so, maybe, crows were associated with these concepts too.
I also would like to mention the firebird Phoenix, that appears a lot in middle-east and asian culture and mythology. This bird ignates itself when its time of death has come, and then, rebirths from the ashes. It represents reincarnation and inmortality.
Very useful info, Paula! To be honest, I'm not well-versed in Norse mythology, so I'll have to do my own research.
DeleteIt's interesting that you brought up the Phoenix, since it is such a rich creature to analyse it's definitely worth looking into!
I have found that the Owl is a symbol of death and darkness.
ReplyDeleteFor example, To see an Owl in a dream, symbolizes wisdom, insight and virtue. However, the Owl is also synonymous with death and darkness.
If we talk of a different animal, we can talk of The raven. Symbolises not only death and war, but also it is considered to be a bird of prophecy and a good protector.
That's quite connected to what Malena mentioned.
DeleteThanks, Ignacio
i found this about birds conected with death, i think is really intresting!
ReplyDeleteLife, Death, and the Soul
Many myths have linked birds to the arrival of life or death. With their power of flight, these winged creatures were seen as carriers or symbols of the human soul, or as the soul itself, flying heavenward after a person died. A bird may represent both the soul of the dead and a deity at the same time.
Bringers of Life and Death. Some cultures have associated birds with birth, claiming that a person's soul arrived on earth in bird form. A remnant of this ancient belief has survived into modern times: one traditional answer to a child's question "Where do babies come from?" is "The stork brings them."
Birds have also been linked with death. Carrion-eating birds such as vultures, crows, and ravens, for example, were connected with disaster and war. Celtic* and Irish war goddesses often appeared in the form of crows and ravens—perhaps because crows and ravens were known to gather over battlefields and to feast on the flesh of fallen warriors. It was said that if one of these goddesses appeared before an army going into battle, the army would be defeated.
The mythological bird called the phoenix combined images of birth and death to become a powerful symbol of eternal rebirth. According to Egyptian legend, the phoenix burned up every 500 years but was then miraculously reborn out of its own ashes, so it was truly immortal. In myths from China and Japan, the phoenix does not emerge from a fire but instead causes itself to be reborn during times of good fortune.
Read more: Birds in Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia - Greek, god, story, legend, names, ancient, animal, snake, war, norse
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Be-Ca/Birds-in-Mythology.html#ixzz1rgexG7y8
Thanks for posting, Manuel
DeleteThe first two paragraphs are very interesting indeed. The idea of linking birds and birth is very rich, I hadn't thought of that before.