In Genesis 8 we see Noah sending out a raven to look for Elohim's promise In Job 38 we see Elohim providing food for the ravens that cry out 1st Kings 17 we see Elohim sending ravens to provide food for Elijah In Luke 12:24 we see Christ using ravens as an example of living a worry-free life of simplicity The raven is a symbol for solitude and an attribute of several saints whom ravens fed in the wilderness, including St. Anthony Abbot, St. Paul the Hermit, and St. Benedict. The raven symbolizes filial gratitude and affection, wisdom, hope, longevity, death, and fertility. |
| Ravens in Scripture & Celtic Lore |
| Ravens are a symbol of Elohim's promise that we will always be provided for |
"To have a raven's knowledge" is an Irish proverb meaning to have a seer's
supernatural powers. Raven is considered one of the oldest and wisest of animals.
Also a bird of wisdom and prophecy, Raven was the totem of the Welsh god, Bran the
Blessed, the giant protector of the Britain, the Isle of the Mighty. After the battle with
Ireland, Bran was decapitated, and his head became an oracle. Eventually Bran asked
to have his head buried in what is now Tower Hill in London to protect Britain from
invasion. Bran's Ravens are kept there to this day, as protection against invasion.
During World War II, Tower Hill was bombed, and the ravens were lost. Winston
Churchill, knowing full well the ancient legends, ordered the immediate replacement
of ravens, and they were brought to Tower Hill from Celtic lands - the Welsh hills and
Scottish Highlands.
Raven was the favorite bird of the solar deity, Lugh (Irish/Scots), or Lludd (Welsh) the
Celtic god of Arts and Crafts. Lugh was said to have two ravens to attend on all of his
needs (similar to Odin and his ravens).
Many Celtic tribes and clans descend from animals. An ancient clan called the
Brannovices, the Raven Folk, once existed in Britain. To this day, the Glengarry
MacDonalds of Scotland have a raven on their heraldic arms, and their war cry is
Creagan-an Fhithich - Raven's Rock, a landmark on their ancestral lands.
The Scottish goddess of winter, The Cailleach, sometimes appears as a raven. A touch
from her brings death.
Giving a child his first drink from the skull of a raven will give the child powers of
prophecy and wisdom in the Hebrides.
In Cornwall, as in England, King Arthur is said to live on in the form of a raven, and it
is unlucky to shoot one.
The Welsh Owein had a magical army of ravens.
In Welsh folklore, the raven is also an omen of death. If the raven makes a choking
sound, it is a portent of the death rattle. A crying raven on a church steeple will
"overlook" the next house where death will occur. A raven could smell death and
would hover over the area where the next victim dwelt, including animals. Ravens
were heard to "laugh" when someone was about to die.
supernatural powers. Raven is considered one of the oldest and wisest of animals.
Also a bird of wisdom and prophecy, Raven was the totem of the Welsh god, Bran the
Blessed, the giant protector of the Britain, the Isle of the Mighty. After the battle with
Ireland, Bran was decapitated, and his head became an oracle. Eventually Bran asked
to have his head buried in what is now Tower Hill in London to protect Britain from
invasion. Bran's Ravens are kept there to this day, as protection against invasion.
During World War II, Tower Hill was bombed, and the ravens were lost. Winston
Churchill, knowing full well the ancient legends, ordered the immediate replacement
of ravens, and they were brought to Tower Hill from Celtic lands - the Welsh hills and
Scottish Highlands.
Raven was the favorite bird of the solar deity, Lugh (Irish/Scots), or Lludd (Welsh) the
Celtic god of Arts and Crafts. Lugh was said to have two ravens to attend on all of his
needs (similar to Odin and his ravens).
Many Celtic tribes and clans descend from animals. An ancient clan called the
Brannovices, the Raven Folk, once existed in Britain. To this day, the Glengarry
MacDonalds of Scotland have a raven on their heraldic arms, and their war cry is
Creagan-an Fhithich - Raven's Rock, a landmark on their ancestral lands.
The Scottish goddess of winter, The Cailleach, sometimes appears as a raven. A touch
from her brings death.
Giving a child his first drink from the skull of a raven will give the child powers of
prophecy and wisdom in the Hebrides.
In Cornwall, as in England, King Arthur is said to live on in the form of a raven, and it
is unlucky to shoot one.
The Welsh Owein had a magical army of ravens.
In Welsh folklore, the raven is also an omen of death. If the raven makes a choking
sound, it is a portent of the death rattle. A crying raven on a church steeple will
"overlook" the next house where death will occur. A raven could smell death and
would hover over the area where the next victim dwelt, including animals. Ravens
were heard to "laugh" when someone was about to die.
| Tha gliocas an ceann an fhitich & Fice ceann na fhitich are Scots Gaelic proverbs meaning "There is wisdom in a raven's head." |
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