Crows are having a moment in stories right now. Blame all the fairy books, the obsessed fantasy authors, or even just those of us who grew up on gothic-style children’s stories, crows are fixture in our collective consciousness.
Popularized by literary works since ancient times, crows have long been associated with the gothic, death, and decay. The Ancient Romans used crows as tools of divination, and their intelligence has landed them a place in literary tradition as tricksters, harbingers of the otherworld and occasionally, as the ultimate sidekick. Earning the trust of a crow speaks volumes about the human friend. In Appalachian folklore, a crow hanging around the house is a sign of imminent death. Pay attention when you see a crow appear in the novel, as they might be trying to tell you something.
Last winter, during an especially cold snowstorm, I noticed the crows hanging out in the trees around my home. I brought out a bag of unsalted peanuts for them every day in the winter, and after about a week, I noticed that the crows started to caw whenever I left the house. This is an unsettling feeling and sound, even for someone who likes crows. When this winter rolls around again, I will be ready with a bag of unsalted peanuts, in hopes that they will come back.
Image Credit: Image by Image by Bianca VanDijk from Pixabay
