Blair Collection > Gaelic names of beasts (mammalia), birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, etc

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, cnaimh-fhitheach or fhich, cnaimh-lithgheach,
craimheach, creumhach ; Fang, fiach, fiachdab or fia'h-dubh (Ir.),
fidheach, fitheach ; Gaii*-lhitheach ; Neabhan, neamhan ; Preachan,
preachanach, preachan-cnaimh-fhitheach or cnaimheach ; Teathra,
trodhan, troghan.
Cockrel (young male), corbei, corbie, corbie-craw, corby, croaker,
croupy-craw ; Feeder ; Glutton (Skye and Uist) ; Hraefu, hraem,
hi'efu (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 limes 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 ccmfcrred 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 ])riest.
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. "Glengariy" 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 Wliitsunday 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 Airidlimhuillin ; a crow being the second. A legend
also exists in Germany, that the ravens have to forsake the Hartz