Because I love making people think and always come from out of left field...
 

...does anyone know any stories, myths, legends regarding crows/ravens, cats or owls?

I just read this at: http://www.moonmage.net/lair/mythtricksters.html

Raven: In some Native American cultures, Raven is a trickster, in others he is a hero. Usually, he's a bit of both. In one story, he brought Sun to the people, but at a cost, because the once white bird was now scorched black by the sun. In many traditions ravens were originally white. In fact, there is still a strain of white ravens and the white is actually dominant over the black. It is possible that all or most ravens were once black. Perhaps they were favored for their magical properties and killed for their feathers in great quantity. In Irish myths, ravens or crows are always signified as "female" instead of as "male"... they were sacred to (and a favored form of) the Morrigan. They were said to represent death, especially in battle... (gee, imagine that...) But I wouldn't name Morrigan as a trickster per se, although she was very much certainly cast as a manipulator in many myths.

Any others you know of?

Hmmmmmmmmm.......this is a thinker......but the only story that comes to mind this early in the morning is, indeed, "The Raven" by Edgar Allen (sp?) Poe. I know.....it doesn't hit the topic....but like I said....it's really early! LOL!

I'll get back to ya!

But the Raven is my fave poem of all time

Once upon a midnight dreary,
As I pondered, weak and weary
Over many a taint and curious volume
of forgotten lore.

Great stuff!!

Wildcats shall meet with hyenas,
goat-demons shall call to each other;
there too Lilith shall repose,
and find a place to rest.
There shall the owl nest
and lay and hatch and brood in its shadow

http://www.owlpages.com/mythology/

I have a serious love affair with this gigantic barn owl that I have known for 10 years.

Oh and there is a great book for kids that has the trickster tale of the Raven you describe. I will see if I can hunt it down.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...923329?v=glance

Cool - thanks for your assistance

I'm not sure if these are exactly what your looking for but reading your post I thought of 2 books I have that tell Indian legends & myths that have been handed down for years. These are both written for older children (maybe 5th grade & up) but I read them to my children when they were younger & they enjoyed them. They are old books & you may have trouble finding them. You can probably find the same stories in newer publications or on the net. But this is what I have:

"Iroquois Stories - Heroes and Heroines - Monsters and Magic"
As told by Joseph Buchac The Crossing Press Freedom, CA 1985

"Legends of the Mighty Sioux"
Compiled by: Workers of the South Dakota Writers' Project, Work Projects Administration.
Albert Whitman & Co. Chicago, Ill. 1941

Happy Reading!
teddy :) :) :)

PS: If your really interested & can't find them, I'd be happy to loan them to you if you PM me your snail-mail address. ~t~ :)

Lilith,

Who? lol

:spank: :D

What about Odin the All-Father from Norse Mythology. He had two ravens ...Hunnin and Munnin...or they were also called Thought and Memory.

White Noise,

I have noted seven Fairy Tales from the collection gathered by the brothers Grimm which feature these creatures. Grimm's Fairy Tales is a large book, so there may be more. No single theme connects an animal to one form, other than being projections of humans in similar conditions.

Another source I can suggest is Aesop's Fables.

Excellent work folks, keep you thinking caps on. I guess the modern take is 'The Crow' which is an idea I also like.

Funny how a group of crows is called a 'murder' isn't it?

Had anyone also heard the one about cats being able to see ghosts?

I know that Egyptains saw them as protectors from the dead.

It's a common idea actually that both cats and small children can see not just ghosts, but also other spirits, elementals and the like. They are also the only ones that can walk across witches' ceremonial circles without "breaking the seals".

Ravens and coyotes terrify me. Maybe it's because of all the myths surrounding them but I really think it has a lot to do with their eyes. They look at you like they know what you're thinking.

*shudder*