Many of the Celtic goddesses are linked with the raven or crow. In this mythology the goddesses are the aggressive deities, those associated with war and death. Badb, Macha and Nemain are all associated with crows and/or ravens, as is Nantosuelta, a Gaulish water and healing goddess. The wife of the Fomorian sea-god, Tethra, was said to be a crow goddess who also hovered above battlefields, and Scottish myth has the Cailleach Bheure, who often appeared in crow form. The association of the birds with death and war is an obvious reflection of its tendency to eat carrion, plenty of which is to be found in the aftermath of battle. This tendency led, eventually, to the persecution of the raven, as a harbinger of doom and destruction, and also to the common notion in modern European culture that the main attribute of Crow and Raven is their connection with the Otherworld. Upon Cuchulainn’s death, the Morrigan perched on his shoulder in the form of a raven

The Carrion Crows of Sendai City, Japan, have access to a supply of walnuts but have a tough time cracking them open. These feathered problem solvers, however, have found a solution. The clever birds perch on traffic lights with walnuts held in their beaks. When a red light stops the traffic, the birds fly down, position the walnuts in the path of the traffic and return to their vantage point. The light turns green, the traffic resumes, and the walnuts are crushed by tires passing over them. As soon as the light turns red again, the Crows return to the pavement to claim their food.

Original Photograph taken at Lochend Park,Restalrig,Edinburgh. 02-11-08…..Then manipulated with a Digital photo programme…contrast and equaliser.
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FEATURED ON RB HOMEPAGE 5-08-09