harmless, and therefore represents the character of those born of the Spirit."
The raven has long been looked upon as the antithesis of the dove, and has a wide reputation as being a bird of ill omen. Drayton[1] makes Noah's sooty messenger return to the Ark from its fruitless errand; Jewish tradition shows it remaining aloof to feed on carcases. Bishop Wordsworth[2] seems to favour the opinion that it did not re-enter the Ark, but merely hovered thereabout. Wodan,[3] the supreme deity of Teutonic mythology, had in his character of god of victory two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who were brave, cunning, and wise, and who sat on his shoulders and whispered into his ears whatsoever they saw and heard. It is also said that they were heralds of death to heroes; and what with their black plumage, croaking voices, and uncanny ways, it is not surprising that their appearance was associated with misfortune. Darkness and cacophony may well fill the soul with a sense of coming horrors.
"The greedy raven that for death doth call,"[4]
says Drayton in The Owl, wherein we have likewise
The shrieking litch-owl that doth never cry
But boding death."[4]
In the Mooncalf[5] we are told that the night crow "boded great mortality to men"; and in the Barons Wars[6] we have, amongst the concatenation of portents which presented themselves to Edward II. in captivity,—
The ominous raven often he doth hear,
Whose croaking, him of following horror tells,
Begetting strange imaginary fear
With heavy echoes like to passing-bells:
The howling dog a doleful part doth bear,
As though they chim'd his last sad burying knells.
Under his cave the buzzing scritch-owl sings,
Beating the windows with her fatal wings."
