The sight of certain birds has long been associated with death and misfortune throughout history. Their ominous presence on battlefields, cemeteries, and scenes of death have earned them an almost supernatural reputation as heralds of doom.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: The raven, crow, vulture, and owl are among the birds most commonly linked with death and dying.
In this comprehensive guide, we will examine the bird species most closely tied to concepts of mortality and examine the origins and reasoning behind their dark associations. Delving into folklore, mythology, superstition and symbolism, we will uncover why these winged creatures have been seen as harbingers of life’s end for centuries across cultures.
Birds Commonly Associated With Death
Ravens
Throughout history, mythology and folklore, ravens have long been viewed as harbingers of death. Their jet black feathers, raucous calls, and diet of carrion cemented their reputation as ominous birds. Ravens were believed to escort fallen warriors to the afterlife in Norse mythology.
In many European cultures, seeing a raven perched on a roof or in a cemetery was thought to portend illness or death. Even today, the sight of a raven conjures up visions of doom and darkness for many people.
While ravens certainly have an eerie aura about them, modern science has revealed their intelligence and social nature. Ravens can mimic human speech, solve complex puzzles, and develop strong social bonds.
Their foreboding image is likely tied to their scavenging habits and dark coloration rather than any supernatural powers. Still, the raven remains one of the most prominent avian symbols of death in many cultures worldwide.
Crows
Crows are close cousins of ravens, and they too have a long-standing association with death in myths and folklore around the world. In Greek mythology, crows were believed to be companions of Hades, the god of the underworld.
Among the Norse, the great god Odin was accompanied by a pair of crows called Huginn and Muninn, representing thought and memory. Across Europe, seeing a crow perched in a church steeple was once thought to signify an impending plague.
Like ravens, crows are highly intelligent birds with sophisticated communication abilities. Their ominous croaking calls certainly lend an air of foreboding. Crows’ scavenging habits also reinforce their image as harbingers of doom.
While not supernatural, crows do seem strongly attracted to sites of death. Their acute senses likely guide them to roadkill and other carrion for feeding. Regardless of reasoning, the presence of crows remains an eerie signal of mortality to many people worldwide.
Vultures
Few birds are as strongly tied to death as vultures. Unlike ravens and crows, vultures play an active role in the process of decay as nature’s cleanup crew. Drawn by keen eyesight and an acute sense of smell, vultures circle high above and then descend to feed on carrion.
Their bald heads and hunched profiles lend them a sinister appearance as they pick at cadavers.
As a result of their grim eating habits, vultures have long symbolized death, mortality and misfortune in many cultures. In cartoons and caricatures, vultures are frequently depicted perched on withered trees, waiting for victims to perish.
In the Middle East, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs used vultures to represent death. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the vulture embodies ritual impurity and impending doom.
Despite their macabre associations, vultures provide a valuable ecological service. As nature’s garbage disposals, they prevent the spread of diseases by removing rotting carcasses. While hardly cuddly, these massive scavengers help cleanse the environment and complete the cycle of decay and regeneration.
Owls
With their imposing stare and nocturnal habits, owls are often portrayed as accompanying ghosts, witches and other beings linked to the underworld. In many cultures, hearing an owl’s hoot or catching sight of one flying by is still considered an omen of impending death or disaster.
In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, owls were linked with wisdom, but they were also thought to accompany Hades and Persephone into the underworld. Gliding silently in graveyards, owls seemed otherworldly to medieval Europeans, who deemed them witches’ companions.
The Aztecs and Mayans viewed owls as fierce underworld messengers,Images of owls guarding cemeteries can be found across Mexico even today.
While superstitious fears still exist, modern science has revealed the owl’s adaptations as an effective nocturnal predator. Their plumage allows silent flight to catch prey unawares, and their facial discs focus even faint sounds with lethal precision.
Rather than ghosts or spirits, most owls are simply surveying their territory for a meal. Nonetheless, their shadowy mystery and ties to death remain intact in the popular imagination.
Origins and Symbolism of Death-Related Bird Folklore
Cultural Beliefs and Mythology
Birds have long captured the human imagination with their ability to fly and their freedom of movement. Throughout history and across cultures, certain bird species have developed strong associations with death due to their physical characteristics, behavior, or mythology.
Here are some interesting examples:
In Ancient Egypt, the owl was linked to death because its call was thought to represent the weeping of Isis over the death of Osiris. Owls were also associated with cemeteries and accompanied deceased pharaohs to the afterlife.
In Greek mythology, the owl was sacred to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. However, it was also considered a bird of ill omen and often portrayed next to Greek goddesses representing death, like Tyche and Nyx.
In Celtic folklore, the raven was closely tied to the battleground and those who died in combat. Seeing a raven before a battle foretold death and defeat. Ravens were thought to contain the souls of the dead and could help guide them to the afterlife.
Physical Traits and Scavenging Behavior
Certain physical and behavioral traits also contribute to the perception of some birds as harbingers of death:
Vultures are scavenging birds that feed on carrion. Their presence circling over a corpse signaled death to many ancient cultures. In Hinduism, the vulture represents the remover of evil.
Crows, ravens, magpies, and jays are all highly intelligent corvids with black plumage. Their dark coloration and harsh caws link them to death symbolism across many cultures. They are also opportunistic scavengers.
Owls are nocturnal and stealthy hunters. Their large eyes and ability to swivel their heads give them an otherworldly vibe. Their silent flight allows them to suddenly appear as an omen.
Omens of Battle and War
In times of war, people looked for signs in nature to predict the outcomes of battles. Birds were closely observed as omens:
In Ancient Rome, owls hooting during the day were thought to foretell death, especially on the eve of battle. Pliny recorded that an owl hooting from the top of the Temple of Juno the night before Julius Caesar’s assassination was an ill omen.
Across Medieval Europe, ravens and crows were considered evil birds that feasted on the dead after war. Their appearance over battlefields predicted carnage and defeat. Some Norse warriors adorned their shields and banners with raven imagery to invoke their warlike attributes.
Native American tribes like the Apache viewed the owl as a bad omen before raids and warfare. They believed owls predicted death if they were heard hooting near camps before battles.
Literary and Artistic Depictions
The imagery of birds as harbingers of death has been used to powerful effect in art and literature over the centuries:
In Greek tragedies, the owl was a frequent symbol of approaching death. In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, an owl perches on the palace roof as a sign that death is imminent.
Edgar Allan Poe made haunting use of the raven in his famous poem “The Raven”. The raven ominously repeats “Nevermore”, driving the narrator to madness over the death of his beloved Lenore.
Alfred Hitchcock used threatening bird behavior to terrifying effect in his horror film The Birds. The film spawned popular culture images of crows as creepy symbols of impending doom.
From myths to movies, death-associated bird imagery continues to fascinate and unsettle us. Their connections to human mortality make them rich symbols across artistic mediums.
Other Birds Linked With Death and Mourning
Magpies
Magpies have long been associated with death and mourning in folklore. One common superstition holds that seeing a lone magpie foretells bad luck or even death. This led to the old saying “One for sorrow” when seeing a single magpie.
Some believe that the number of magpies seen together can predict how much good or bad fortune is on the way. For example, “Two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy” and so on. Magpies’ dark plumage and raucous calls likely contribute to their reputation as an ill omen.
In many parts of Europe, magpies were invited to funerals and thought to represent the soul of the departed. Ancient European pagan beliefs held that magpies served as psychopomps – guides who lead dead souls to the afterlife.
This association with death gave rise to superstitions about magpies that persist even today.
While the magpie’s connection to mourning and death has largely negative connotations, in some cultures the magpie represents good fortune. For instance, in China magpies are seen as happy birds and their appearance is welcomed, especially in springtime.
The Chinese name for magpie is “xi que”, which literally means “happy sparrow”.
Cuckoos
In many European traditions, hearing the call of a cuckoo is thought to foretell death. This belief may originate from the cuckoo’s association with springtime and the coming of warmer weather. Before modern medicine, death rates tended to rise during the cold winter months.
So the cuckoo’s return in spring coincided with an increase in deaths.
An old English saying states “If the cuckoo sings before the leaves shoot, there’ll be a death in the family before the year’s out.” The call of a cuckoo when leaves are still bare on the trees is considered an ill omen of death to come.
Some believed that the direction of the cuckoo’s call told how soon death would arrive and from which direction.
In Norse mythology, the goddess Frigg foresaw the future and her cuckoo form was thought to prophesize death. For Celtic people, hearing a cuckoo call to the south meant a good harvest, but if it called to the north it meant famine was on the way.
The cuckoo’s migratory habits add to its aura of mystery and association with fortune telling.
Blackbirds
Blackbirds have a complex mix of symbolism relating to death in folklore. On one hand, their dark coloration links them with death and mystery. An old legend claims that blackbirds flew out of pies at funerals and took the souls of the departed to the afterlife.
However, blackbirds were also considered benevolent guides and protectors of the dead. Their beautiful songs were thought to comfort grieving souls. Celtic mythology held that blackbirds sit close to a dying person to catch their spirit when it leaves their body.
In many traditions, seeing a blackbird is an encouraging sign and promises a peaceful transition at the hour of death. Their presence nearby represents hope, reassurance, and a continuity between life and afterlife.
So while the blackbird is affiliated with death, its symbolism is both complex and nuanced in its mix of dark and hopeful associations.
Conclusion
The ominous, dark presence of certain bird species has led to their powerful symbolic associations with death across cultures and throughout history. While some of the origins of these links have been lost to time, many persist into modern day superstitions and folklore.
However, our complex relationships with these winged creatures speak to humanity’s ancient and innate need to find meaning, and perhaps comfort, in the mysteries of mortality.
