Crows form strong bonds (they mate for life), meaning that any loss is one that could be deeply felt. As far as we can tell, these are displays of mourning.
They have even been spotted placing sticks and other objects on the deceased, holding a funeral of sorts. When a dead crow is spotted, dozens flock to and surround it. One behavior of corvid birds that has baffled scientists for years-and is fitting for our more morbid associations-is how they treat the dead. Others have associated them with omens and disease, being that they are carrion birds. Norse lore often depicts the ever-wise Odin flanked by two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, whose names mean “thought” and “memory.” In the Yoga Vasistha, an old sage assumes the form of a crow to recount the history of the Earth. In a number of Pacific Northwest Indigenous traditions, the raven is tied to creation stories.
These qualities are reflected in many world mythologies, in which corvids are often portrayed as psychopomps-creatures or spirits that escort the dead to the afterlife. Among their most remarkable traits is their memory: they can remember specific human faces and places, and even pass along ancestral recollections and information on to their offspring. Thanks to works like Poe’s, many of us carry macabre connotations of ravens, crows and other members of the corvid family -but did you know that they are incredibly social and cunning creatures? When it comes to brain-to-body ratio, they are on par with dolphins and primates, capable of solving complex problems. In this macabre story about grappling with grief, a talking raven appears, repeatedly reminding the lover of what will no longer be and driving him further into the depths of despair with the simple phrase: “nevermore.” In one of the most widely known pieces of American poetry, “ The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe tells the tale of a man lamenting his lost love, Lenore.
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