Raven: Uncommonly Intelligent Bird, Symbol Of Providence, Wisdom And Prophecy

A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Raven was a prominent figure in the myths and legends of many ancient cultures. It was considered a magical and elusive animal that symbolized both good and evil.

The raven (like the coyote) had mythic status because it was a mediator animal between life and death. Raven’s symbolism is complex.

As a talking bird, the raven also represents prophecy and insight, and in stories often serves as a psychopomp, connecting the material world with the spirit world. Like a scavenger, he belonged to the chthonic sphere and was gifted with the ability to fly to the heavenly realm.

The raven – an uncommonly intelligent bird – was a symbol of hope, according to Suetonius (c. 69 – after 122 AD), a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire.