R A V 



R A V 



one or two cannon might be placed as fecure from the 

 enemy's fire as thoCe behind the orillon of a baftion. See 

 Military CONSTRUCTION. 



RAVELLO, in Geography, a fea-port town of Naples, 

 in Principato Citra, the fee of a bi(hop, united to Scala ; 

 II miles W.S.W. of Salerno, N. lat. 40^ 39'. E. long. 

 12° 10'. 



RAVELWATER, a river of the county of Antrim, 

 Ireland, rifing in the mountains in the northern part, and 

 flowing tiirough Ravel glen to the river Main. 



RAVEN, CORVUS, in /tjlrommy. See CoRVUs. 



Ravkn, Corvus corax of Linna:us, in Orn'ithology, a large 

 bird of the crow kind, well known throughout the world, 

 as being found in all climates, and all regions. The colour 

 of the whole bird is black, finely gloffed with a rich blue, 

 the belly excepted, which is dullcy. The ravens build in 

 high trees, or upon the ruins of lofty buildings in the neigh- 

 bourhood of great towns, being held in the fame veneration 

 as the vultures are in Egypt, and for the fame reafon ; for 

 devouring the carcafes and filth that would otherwife prove 

 a nuifance. They lay five or fix eggs, of a pale greenifh 

 colour, marked with fmall brownifli fpots. There are 

 many fabulous ftories of the longevity of the raven ; but 

 birds are in general long lived, and the' crow kind not lefs 

 fo than the reft. The raven is a very docile bird, and may 

 be taught to fpeak, as well as to fetch and carry. In clear 

 weather, ravens are remarked to fly in pairs at a great 

 height, making a deep loud noife, different from the com- 

 mon croaking; and their fcent is remarkably good. See 

 CoRvus Corax. 



The quills of a raven are ufed in tuning the lower notes of 

 a harpfichord, when the wires are fet at a confiderable dif- 

 tance from the fticks. 



It is rare to find this creature white, yet it happens fomc- 

 times. Boyle mentions one. There was alfo one (hewn 

 to the Royal Society fome years ago. Boyle's Works abr. 

 vol. ii. p. 46. 



Raven, Night, an Englifh name for a heron, which 

 flies in the night, and makes a very odd and hoarfe noife. It 

 has been applied by fome to the' bittern, or ardca Jlellaris, 

 but improperly, belonging of right to the fmaller grey 

 heron, called nydicorax. See Herox. 



Raven, Sea, or Corvorant. See Corvls Aqualicm. 



RAVENA, in Hindoo Mythology, is the name of a cele- 

 brated king of Lanka, or Ceylon. Such was his prowefs, 

 and the oppreflTion which he exercifed over his fubjefts, that 

 it became necefl'ary for Vifhnu, the preferving power of the 

 deity, to defcend on earth for his deftruftion, and the relief 

 of the fuffering world. He accordingly became incarnate 

 in the perfon of Rama ; and the wars that enfued between 

 the forces of the tyrant and the divine general, for the re- 

 covery of Sita, his ravifhed fpoufe, are the fubjeft of the 

 fine epic poem, thg Ramayana ; under which article of tliis 

 work, and under Rama, and others tlience referred to, the 

 poem, and the hiftorical traditions connefted with thefe 

 points, are fufficiently defcribed and difcuffed. 



Although obfcured by mythological fables, thefe perfons 

 and wars are admitted to have had hiftorical exiftence ; and 

 fome important points of chronology hinge upon them. 

 We have, therefore, in this and other articles, noticed at 

 fome length the legends connefted with thefe fubjefts. 



In the Hindoo theogony, the origin of Ravena is thus 

 related. Two etherial warders of Vifhnu's palace carried 

 the pride of office fo far as to infult the feven Maharl>iis, 

 (fee Maharshi, or Rism,) who had come to off"er their 

 adorations. The offended faints pronounced an impreca- 

 tion on the infolent warders, condemning them to be adho- 



yont, or born below, thrice in mortal forms, before tliey 

 could be re-admitted into ihe divine prefence. Tlie impre- 

 cation of a Ridii, even if provoked by a god, is fcarcely to 

 be averted ; and the oftenders, in confequence, appeared in 

 their firft birth as Hiranyakflia, or golden-eyed, and Hiran- 

 yakafipu, or clad in gold ; lecondly, as Ravena and Kum- 

 bhakarna ; and laftly, as Kanfa and Sifupala. 



The hiftory, if fuch it may be called, of Ravena, Rama, 

 &c. is perpetually alluded to in Hindoo writings ; the Ra- 

 mayana, containing an infinity of fuch legends, being one 

 of the mofl popular works of the Eaft. Ravena, or Ra- 

 vana, has become a generic name for a tyrant. He is alfo 

 called Dafagriva, or the ten-necked ; he being ufually ro- 

 prefented witli that number of heads, and twenty hands, 

 fymbolical of fapicnce and prowefs. A couplet in the 

 Ramayana may be thus tranflated. " Where Ravana is, 

 the fun lofes his force, the winds ceafe to blow, the fire 

 ceafes to burn : the rattling ocean, feeing iiim, dills its 

 waves." Such are the hypcibvlical relations of his potency, 

 obtained by the ulual procefs of felf-inflifted auflerities. 

 So ardent was he in this irrefiltible fpecies of merit, that he 

 offered to Siva nine of his ten heads fucceflively ; and thus 

 extorting the favour of the condefccnding deity, plealed 

 with fuch an important facrifice, he obtained a promifc, with 

 fome equivocal ftipulations, of whatever he fhould defire. 

 This fort of aufterity is called Tapas, under which word 

 fome account is offered of various modes of praftifing it. 

 The gods and demi-gods, alarmi d at Siva's promife, 

 befought him to recall it. But fuch conduft is deemed un- 

 becoming in deities, who, however, do not fcruple to evade 

 the performance of their promifes by deceit or prevarication : 

 and, on this occafion, Nareda was deputed to found Ra- 

 vena as to what he would demand, which, as iifual, was 

 univerfal dominion, &c. Nareda artfuUy perfuaded Ra- 

 vena that Mahadeva (or Siva) was drunk, and had pro- 

 mifed him what he could not perform : whereupon the 

 vindiftive giant tears up Kailafa, the paradife of Siva, 

 which, being contrary to the ftipulations, releafes Siva from 

 his promife, and he confents to the deftruftion of Ras'ena, 

 which is brought about by the avatara, or defcent, of 

 Vifhnu in the perfon of Rama. From this ftory we are 

 told to learn that all worldly affairs are the predeftined 

 ordainments of providence ; whofe will, that any event 

 fhould take place on earth, includes prefciently all the 

 routine and detail of its accomplifhment ; although we 

 only fee the links of a chain of caufes leading naturally to its 

 eflea. 



We will here add an extrafi from the Hindu Pantheon, 

 whence a confiderable part of this article is taken, fhewing 

 how unceafingly the mythological machinery of that poetical 

 people is introduced into their popular works. The names 

 diftinguifhed by capitals imply that articles are given under 

 thofe words, in this work ; and a reference may be made 

 to them for any defired information. 



" Refpefting Ravena," fays the author of the publica- 

 tion adverted to, " I will notice but one more tale, as re- 

 lated to me by a Brahman ; who, unable fully to make me 

 feci the poetical beauties, or comprehend the morality of 

 the Ramayana, blnfhed while he developed its follies ; 

 which, in conformity with popular taite, or if taken fepa- 

 rately, are apparently very numerous ; although it muft be 

 confeffed, they are fo contrived as to be intimately con- 

 nefted with the main aftion of the poem. The following 

 idle tale is of this defcription : but I fhall not here explain 

 the caufes that led to the predicament, or the confequences 

 that enfued. 



" Ravena, by his power and infernal arts, had fubjugated 



all 



