There isn’t much wildlife to look at outside this wintry time of year, since we don’t have our bird feeders filled; the only signs of life in our yard have been a few squirrels and some large black birds skulking around the yard.
The other day Chessie, our cat, was outside on her leash, getting some fresh air for the first time in weeks. I peered out to see her cowering at the sight of four huge, ominous looking black birds looming over the house from a tall, naked tree. Envisioning the birds flying down and scooping up the cat and soaring off, I brought Chessie in the house.
Last summer, I remember watching in surprise as two of them swooped down and opened a plastic bag in the garbage can that was out in front waiting to be picked up on garbage day. The birds took the food out and flew off. As the raven isn’t common in our area, I must believe they are crows. Ravens and crows are in the same family, but ravens are larger birds with heavier bills and more fan-shaped tails. They act the same as the crow, and their shape and color are exactly the same. There has been much written about blackbirds, ravens and crows. So what’s the fascination with this fowl?
The most fascinating thing I found was the nursery rhyme printed in 1744: “Sing a song of six pence, a pocketful of rye, four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. When the pie was opened the birds began to sing. Wasn’t that a tasty dish to set before the King?”
That was really done in the 16th century. Common blackbirds were used for this extravaganza! They didn’t actually cook the live birds. Apparently they used a deep pie dish and baked the crust, putting a hole in the center, the size of a fist. Then, just before presenting the dish to the king, they’d open the top crust and place live birds inside the shell. The birds then would flutter out of the pie and fly off. (We can only hope that those birds pooped on the king and his consorts on the way out of the palace!)
It is believed that Shakespeare may have been referring to this poem in “Twelfth Night.” Sir Toby Belch tells a clown, “Come on; there is sixpence for you: let’s have a song.”
The raven has long had fascinating lore surrounding its eerie presence. Consider Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Raven.” Here, the subject is lamenting a lost love, while a raven perches staunchly on the symbolic statues above his door, taunting in repeated reply, “Never more, never more.”
According to Wikipedia, Poe was inspired by Grip, the raven in “Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty” by Charles Dickens. Dickens’ raven could speak many words and had many comic turns, including the popping of a champagne cork, but Poe emphasized the bird’s more dramatic qualities.
Crow lore tells us: One Crow Sorrow, Two Crows Joy, Three Crows a Wedding,
Four Crows a Boy, Five crows Silver, Six Crows Gold, Seven Crows a Secret Never to be told.
According to Welsh folklore, the raven is a symbol of death. A raven can smell death and will hover over an area where the next victim dwells. Witches and devils transform themselves into ravens, according to this lore.
Although I’m not superstitious, whether those large black birds in the yard were crows or ravens, I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to hear them crow, “Never more, never more.” I’m glad I brought my cat in the house that day.
Deb Drinkwalter is a Lockport resident. Her column appears every Sunday. Contact her at d.drinkwalter@yahoo.com.
Deb Drinkwalter
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Deb Drinkwalter is a Lockport resident. Her column appears every Sunday. Contact her at d.drinkwalter@yahoo.com.
DRINKWALTER: As for the birds ... fascinating lore
- Deb Drinkwalter
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DRINKWALTER: As for the birds ... fascinating lore
There isn’t much wildlife to look at outside this wintry time of year, since we don’t have our bird feeders filled; the only signs of life in our yard have been a few squirrels and some large black birds skulking around the yard.
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DRINKWALTER: Does going to church make you fat?
Every week, our church prides itself in the after-church coffee hour experience. Volunteers bring cookies and other goodies to serve with coffee, tea and juice for fellowship after the church service.
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DRINKWALTER: I had the flu shot, so why am I sick?
I had to clear the cobwebs out of my head to write today’s column. I just recovered from an awful cold. You may remember the 1945 movie, “The Lost Weekend,” with Ray Milland and Jane Wyman. I spent an entire day on the couch, kind of in that “The Lost Weekend” state.
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DRINKWALTER: Storms grip the Northeast!
The days when the sun shines on the bright, white snow make you realize that spring is just around the corner. I can feel it; as the days get longer, my energy level and spirits are beginning to soar.
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DRINKWALTER: ’Twas the Month After Christmas
So here we are again, wrapping up several months of feeding frenzy and wondering why our clothes are so tight.
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DRINKWALTER: No double-dipping for Chessie
No dipping! I say that a lot. You might think I’m referring to someone using chewing tobacco
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DRINKWALTER: The year 2011 is finally here
So, we made it through another Christmas, and 2011 is finally here.
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DRINKWALTER: ‘So there was this pirate and this nun ...’
As the winter doldrums approaches, it’s good to make a point of getting out and about, even if we don’t feel like it. Of course, we do tend to get sick more often during rainy or snowy weather.
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DRINKWALTER: SAD-ly the Winter blues cometh
Here we go again! Today is the end of Daylight Saving Time, or should I say the beginning of winter blues. Most of us find daylight savings time changes confusing. Just remember in the fall we fall back; in the spring we spring forward.
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DRINKWALTER: Halloween for saints or sinners?
Today is Halloween. It was my favorite occasion as a child and my mom used to say that before summer even began, I already started talking about what I wanted to be for Halloween.
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