324 RAVEN 



This bird or waterfowl is seldom seen, being so shy and 

 cautious ; a Lowland saying, arising from this, expressing impossi- 

 bility of performance is "herding a water-rail." It derives its 

 name from its harsh cry. 



RAVEN. — Biadhtach, biatach, bran, bran-fhitheach, bran- 

 orgain; Cnaimheach, cnaimli-fliitheach or fliich, cnaimh-lithgheach, 

 craimheach, creumhach ; Tang, fiacli, fiachdab or fiach-dubh (Ir.), 

 fidheach, fitheach ; Gair-fhitheach; Neabhan, neamhan; Preachan, 

 preachanach, ])reachan-cnHimh-fhithe.'ich or cnaimheach ; Teathra, 

 trodhan, troghan. 



Cockrel (young male), corbei, corbie, corbie-craw, corby, croaker, 

 croupy-craw ; Feeder ; Glutton (Skye and Uist) ; Hraefu, hraem, 

 hrefu (A. S.), hremu (Old Eng.) ; Lichfoul (night) ; Rabin, Ralph, 

 ravven, ravvin (Yks.), remm, rewin. 



The origin of the word is said to be " kravn," from " krap," to 

 make a noise, a far root being, "gra, gera," cry. " Branu " is the 

 Slavonic word. The word " Biadhtach " just signifies provider, 

 farmer, (lit.) "fooder." 



The raven was believed to live nearly thirty times the 

 age of a man, or, say, two thousand years. Three times is, 

 however, nearer the mark, or about two hundred years. It was 

 in a raven's second nest that Coinneach odhar, the famed seer 

 of Brahan, found the magpie stone which conferred the jirophetic 

 gift on him. The Evil One was supposed to assume the shape 

 (cruth) of this bird, it being reported that he came thus from 

 the East to carry off Michael Scott, or at least his heart, but was 

 frustrated by a white dove which came from the West. The 

 spirits of the departed are reported to have taken also the form 

 of ravens, as when St Columba, being once at sea, saw a vast 

 number of these birds flying overhead chasing another of extra- 

 ordinary size, at once told of the death of the son of Connal. 

 In Adamnan's Life of Columba mention is made of Artbrannan, 

 and Art Bran is found as an Irish name in Celtic writings, "art" 

 signifying, of old, "priest," and "bran" a raven, the raven priest. 

 King Arthur is supposed to be changed into a raven, which still 

 survives ; one of the questions put by Fingal to Halba, the daughter 

 of Cormac, King of Ireland, was " Ciod is duibhe na'm fitheach } " 

 the answer being " An t-eug." What is blacker than the raven } — 

 Death. "Glengarry" was called the black raven, nevertheless 

 in the district of that name, no less than 475 ravens were killed 

 by gamekeepers in the period from Whitsunday 1837 to Whitsunday 

 1840. It is unlucky to see one the first thing of a morning — or 

 indeed any time ; if seen by more than one person at the same 

 time, death prophesied to one in the company. A white raven 

 was one of the four signs heralding the misfortunes of Uist, killed 

 by Angus Airidhmhuillin ; a crow being the second. A legend 

 also exists in Germany, that the ravens have to forsake the Hartz 



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