In The Wooing of Emer, a tale from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, we are told that Badb is the same as the Morrigu (The Morrígan) and that she is the battle crow and a goddess of battle. The word Badb, or Badhbh (pronounced something akin to Bayve) actually means crow, and Badb the goddess is also named Badb Catha, the battle crow. The similarities between the goddess(es) and the bird include the dark shadows they throw over the battlefield, the wailing cries and the stubborn and wilful nature they both seem to have.
Being associated with battle seems to naturally tie in associations with death, which makes sense as the crow is a scavenger; a carrion eater, and a battlefield for a crow is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet with extra juicy bits. Bresal, King of the Formorians, named his druid ‘Crow’, for being wry, witty with words and greedy (source: The Metrical Dindshenchas).
I’ve never known Crowley (my crow) to be particularly greedy, but he is savvy. If he is full, sometimes he will take the piece of food I am proffering and hide it away somewhere. Later, I will see him sidle back to his stash and, spying suspiciously around to make sure he is not spotted, he will surreptitiously slide his treasure out for a sneaky snack.
Crows can learn to speak, but even without this talent they are fantastic communicators. They can learn to use tools, and even teach other crows bout human faces they can trust- and those they can’t.
Through the telling of old Celtic tales and simple observations we can tie the following correspondences and attributes to the crow
• Badb
• Morrígan
• Nemain
• Battlefields
• Wit
• Intellect
• Communication
• Death
• Change
• Moving between worlds
• Mischief
• Devotion (crows mate for life)
This story is from the Edition 27 edition of The Magical Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Edition 27 edition of The Magical Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Wonder Of Unicorns
People nowadays believe that unicorns are creatures of myth and magic. However, these seventh dimensional ascended horses with light spiralling from their third eye are beings of light who vibrate at a higher level than we do. This is why we often cannot see them.
The Ever-Living One
I vividly remember when I first started writing my devotional to Hekate.
The Magic Of The Crow
Crows, black shadows flying overhead, omens of death and war. Feeders of battlefields, their cries signal dark times ahead and warn of evil prophecies. Or do they? Even though the crow is often seen as a harbinger of dark tidings, there is much more to the mythology and folklore of this amazing, intelligent bird than black luck.
Living Your Magic
One of the questions that I’m asked the most is ‘how do I do what I do? How do I live every day in my magical space?’
Tours In India With Vish Singh
1. Why did you become a tour guide?
Beneath Every Green Tree
When the universe was young and the barren earth untouched, God called forth from the soil a lush and verdant garden.
Unravelling The Past
Over the past century human, have accomplished many things from the creation of auto-mobiles to moon landings - they have broken the bonds of gravity and redefined time and space. In my ‘spirit travels’ I too have defied the natural order, bypassing what is known as current time to go back to the past.
Herbs Of The Sun, Moon & Planets
Yes, you read the title correctly, and are no doubt wondering how there can be any herbs growing on any of the other heavenly bodies of our solar system.
Working With The Cycle Of The Seasons Plant Magic
Today we have the luxury of buying what we want whenever we want; however, change is afoot in the mundane world with a movement that focuses on seasonal and local food. For Pagans and Wiccans, this goes hand-in-hand with a spirituality that celebrates the seasonal wheel of the year.
The Wren: The Brilliant Trickster...
To them I was not human but a stone or tree: I felt a sharp wonder they could not feel.
