Ravens

Ravens have always been birds with a reputation. Pestilence and death attract them, so they are feared as harbingers of all that is dark and sinister. Yet to the native tribes of the Pacific Northwest they are celebrated as givers of light and life, inventors of the world. They have many identities: thieves, clowns, tricksters, scavengers, companions, holders of supernatural powers.

On the basis of their colorful character, sheer nerve and intelligence, these clever birds have earned an enduring place in stories, myths and legends, everywhere in the world where they are found. Legend has it that England will never fall while there are ravens at the Tower of London, so, even today, a minimum of six lucky birds get full honors as guardians of a nation, under the protection of the Crown -- room and board, and a special Tower Ravenmaster to tend to their every need. Not bad for a misbehaving black bird with a reputation!