In European folklore, a crow king lives on the top of an impregnable mountain. Ancient (there is a belief that crows live up to 300 years) and wise, he personifies justice. In addition, the crow has a connection with the world of the dead, he can get living and dead water. If you want to know what crows mean then this article is the best choice for you.
In the Christian tradition, the crow serves as a harbinger of misfortune, symbolizes Satan and sin – because of its color, and also because, according to superstition, it pecks out the eyes of the dead. Along with this, a crow with a leaf in its beak or on a broken cup is an attribute of Benedict, the patron saint of Europe; the crow bringing food is a symbol of Paul the Hermit. The prophet Elijah is sometimes depicted as a crow who, at the command of God, brought food to Christ in the wilderness.
In Europe, the symbolism of the crow was influenced by the Celts with their goddesses of war (Badb, Morrigan, Nemain) in the form of crows, as well as the Vikings: their war god Odin was always accompanied by two crows – Hugin and Munin. These crows not only reported on events in the mortal world, but also symbolized constructive concepts such as reason and memory. Dedicated to Odin, the crow became the main emblem on the standards of the Danes (the Danes believed that a standing crow with folded wings portends victory, but if it spreads its wings, defeat).
Among the Paleoasian peoples, the crow was the creator of the world. He is still worshiped in Chukotka and Greenland. Crows living near human settlements feed not only on garbage – they are entitled to their share of meat. Killing a crow is considered a grave sin. In Chukotka, the ancient ritual dance of the Crow has been preserved. Shamans use the power of crows for mystical flights.
The symbolism of the crow in Judaism is also dual in nature: as a carrion eater, it is considered an unclean bird, but at the same time it symbolizes insight. According to Hebrew legend, the crow was originally white; when Noah sent him to see if the waters had begun to recede, and the crow returned without good news, its plumage turned black.
It is widely believed that the crow is a travel assistant and a soothsayer (because it can reproduce human speech), as,
The crow on the shield is a symbol of purification
for example, in ancient Greece, where it was considered the sacred messenger of the god Apollo and the goddess Athena. Crow brings messages from the spirit world. The crow is also associated with the solar cult of Mithra. In general, the crow is a symbol of the Sun, since it was believed that its shiny black plumage makes it possible to survive in close contact with the Sun.
In ancient Rome, where the cry of a crow resembled the Latin word “kras” (“tomorrow”), it was associated with hope.
The ancient Chinese claimed that the crow (crow) symbolizes the isolation of the individual living in the higher realms. In China, the three-legged crow is the emblem of the Shu dynasty, it symbolizes the sunrise, zenith and sunset (on which this legendary crow was believed to live). In both China and Japan, the crow is the emblem of family love. Shinto ascribes to the crow the role of the messenger of the gods. In Japanese mythology, a crow and a kite descend to earth at the behest of a god to lead Jimmu through the mountains to the lands of the Yamato tribal union, where Jimmu founded the first imperial dynasty.
In Africa and some other places, the crow is considered a guide to danger.
The hero of many tales of the Indians of North America, the crow is reputed to be cunning and deceitful. But at the same time, the crow is endowed with mystical powers and is considered the creator of the visible universe. Similar properties were attributed to her by the Celts, Scandinavians and the peoples of Siberia. For the Canadian Eskimos, the crow is the Father of the people, God the Creator; killing a crow can ruin the weather. The American variety of crows, which live in flocks and feed mainly on grain and insects, has a positive and even heroic reputation. So, in the myths of the Tlingat Indians, the crow is considered a sunny, creative, well-bred bird; in the legends of the Navajo Indians, the crow is the Black God, a participant in all events in the animal world. Both American and Australian myths explain the black color of crow feathers as an accident and do not see any bad sign in this.
In the Western European tradition, the symbolism of the crow also extends to its close relative, the crow. There is a belief that when crows begin to leave their nests, this portends famine or some other misfortune; Knowing the superstitiousness of his compatriots, Winston Churchill, during the rapid advance of the Germans in France in 1940, ordered to feed the crows if they decide to fly away from the Tower.
In alchemy, the crow is a symbol of the original state of matter, black and decay. But no matter how black and stinking the rotting primordial matter was, in potency it represented the future Philosopher’s Stone, and the alchemists addressed it with the words of the Song of Songs: “Daughters of Jerusalem! I am black, but beautiful!
A woman holding a crow in her hands is a symbol of the process of fermentation (Putrefaction), the canonical seal of alchemical Work.
The crow on the shield is a symbol of purification. In heraldry, the crow is a symbol of foresight and longevity; drawn in black.
The crow is a very mysterious bird. He is credited with both positive and negative qualities. Crow is a symbol that is often found in fairy tales, legends and myths. In many countries, many signs are associated with this bird. Therefore, it is worth considering the meaning of the crow as a symbol in different cultures, peoples and manifestations.
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