avesnoir

By Richard George Crows roost in large, sometimes huge murders (a flock is called a murder) at night. A hundred years ago one could find these roosts just outside villages and towns, and it was thought they did this for safety from dogs, cats and owls that like to nest in human built structures. Now, however, these roosts are most

By Forwearemany Jean de La Fontaine (July 8, 1621, Chateau-Thierry, April 13, 1695) was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. While he did not hesitate to borrow freely from other writers, both ancient and modern, Jean de La Fontaine nevertheless created a style and a poetic universe at

The Red Door "Today I heard a raven in the distance. As he flew over me he sent out his throaty, gravelly call. I called back, pretty nicely I might add, but he kept going without answering. However, as he flew by, the whispers of his wings pushing the air landed so quietly on my ears it nearly took my

Ravens appear in fairytales from all over the world, from simple anecdotes of wisdom (Aesop) to elborate illustrated stories (The Brothers Grimm). This tale,like The Twelve Brothers, The Six Swans, and Brother and Sister, features a woman rescuing her brothers. In the era and region in which it was collected, many men were drafted by kings for soldiers, to be

A "˜murder' of crows is based on the persistent but fallacious folk tale that crows form tribunals to judge and punish the bad behavior of a member of the flock. If the verdict goes against the defendant, that bird is killed (murdered) by the flock.

Meri C Fox-Szauter has been observing one flock of crows for almost a decade, working from her car studio every day at Acadia National Park, Maine in the North-East USA. Her break through work in drawing crows came a few winters ago when they would land on the asphalt, "...they would fluff out their skirts and become crowbergs. That inspired

Dreamland is a series from illustrator Alice Richard inspired by the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, intended to accompany the spectacle by the same name played by EidÔloN. As is commonplace with Poe, Crows and Ravens make an appearance throughout the series without having to be intriduced formally by the words. By a route obscure and lonely,Haunted by ill angels

By haythornthwaite.c Crows in Japan have long had a bad reputation, perhaps moreso than anywhere else. They are prevalent, noisy, and very commonplace but does that mean they should be regarded as vermin?  Colin Tyner, Japanese resident, does not think so. He writes, "The other day, I was looking out of my window and I spotted a large crow's nest