The raven has long been associated with death and dark omens, but the real bird is somewhat of a mystery. Unlike its smaller cousin the crow, not a lot has been written about this remarkable bird.
The raven belongs to the most intelligent of all birds. To give some idea of its intelligence, if the average IQ for a human being is measured at the 100 mark, then the average IQ of a raven is 138.
Its linguistic skills are legendary, and the bird can understand as well as imitate human words. In captivity, ravens learn to talk better than parrots.
Ravens are able to mimic other noises like wolves or foxes to attract them to carcasses that the raven is not capable of braking open. When the wolf is done eating, the bird gets the leftovers. They also can trick animals out of their food by making another raven distract the animal while the one plotting it steals the food. They have few predators and live 17 years in the wild and up to 40 in captivity.
Ravens also make very sophisticated nonvocal signals. They gesture to communicate. The bird points with it beak to indicate an object to another bird, just as we do with fingers. They also hold up an object just to get another bird's attention.
Ravens can live in a variety of habitats, from snow to desert to mountains to forests. They are scavengers with a huge diet that includes fish, meat, seeds, fruit, carrion, and garbage. Despite their trickster nature, ravens feel empathy. When a raven's friend loses in a fight, the bird will console the losing bird. They also remember birds they like and will respond in a friendly way to certain birds for at least 3 years after seeing them. They also respond negatively to enemies and suspiciously to strange ravens.
Many Europeans cultures took one look at this large black bird known for its intense gaze and thought it as an evil act of the flesh. In France, people believed ravens were the souls of wicked priests, while crows were wicked nuns. In Germany, ravens were the incarnation of damned souls or sometimes Satan himself. In Sweden, ravens that croaked at night were thought to be the souls of murdered people who didn't have proper burials. And in Denmark, people believed that night ravens were exorcized spirits, and you'd better not to look up at them in case there was a hole in the bird's wing, because you might look through the hole and turn into a raven yourself.
Cultures from Tibet to Greece have seen the raven as a messenger for the gods. Celtic goddesses of warfare often took the form of a raven during battles. The Viking god, Odin, had two ravens, Hug'In (thought) and Mun'In (memory), which flew around the world every day and reported back to Odin every night about what they saw. The Chinese said ravens caused bad weather in the forest to warn people that the gods were going to pass by.
The raven's intelligence and its playful nature make the bird the ultimate symbol of the trickster. They have been observed in Alaska and canada using snow-covered roofs as slides. In Maine, USA, they have been seen rolling down snowy hills. They often play keep-away with wolves, otters, and dogs. Ravens make toys using sticks, pine cones, golf balls, or rocks to play with each other or by themselves. Sometimes they just taunt or mock other creatures because they feel funny.
Ravens love to lie in anthills and roll around so the ants swarm on them, or they chew the ants up and rub their guts on their feathers. Songbirds, crows, and jays do it too. Maybe the ants acts as insecticide and fungicide for the bird or have a soothing effect over the bird's skin.
Ravens will work together for the benefit of the group, and so have come to symbolize the benefits of teamwork.
Ravens mate for life and live in pairs in a fixed territory. When their children reach adolescence, they leave home and join other groups of young ravens. They live and eat together until they mate and pair off. Scientist have found higher level of stress hormones in teenage raven droppings than in the droppings of mated adults.
A raven appear several times throughout the Bible and are used as symbols of greater meaning because of the level of intelligence that the bird has, or because the bird was prolific in that time period. We have the most common verses using the raven and its applicable meaning:
Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no store room nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! (Luke 12).
It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there (1Kings17). Every raven in its kind (Lev11).
He sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth (Gen8).
He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens which cry (Psalm147).
The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it (Prov30).
His head is like gold, pure gold; his locks are like clusters of dates, and black as a raven (Sol.Songs 5).
But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, and owl and raven will dwell in it; and he will stretch over it the line of desolation and the plumb line of emptiness (Isaiah34).
Who prepares for the raven its nourishment when its young cry to God and wander about without food (Job38).
Ravens were used as sacrifices. God provided food for ravens. Ravens were unclean and not to be eaten. Ravens were described as having black color. Ravens are described as carnivorous. Elijah was fed by ravens. The plumage of the ravens illustrate the glory of Christ. The raven of the valley was called to execute punishment. Ravens are described as solitary in disposition and improvident. A raven was sent by Noah from the Ark.
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