The term "raven" originally referred to the common raven ( Corvus corax), the type species of the genus Corvus, which has a larger distribution than any other species of Corvus, ranging over much of the Northern Hemisphere. Guerzou, Ahlem; Guerzou, Mokhtar; Derdoukh, Wafa; Souttou, Karim; Doumandji, Salaheddine (2019-02-28). "Corvus corax Diet Composition in Different Agricultural Lands in Algeria". Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis. 67 (1): 41–57. doi: 10.11118/actaun201967010041. ISSN 1211-8516. S2CID 159285619. Ornithologist Heinrich spent four winters in the Northeastern woodlands in an intense study of raven behavior. Very thorough and readable. a b Brown, Richard E; Brain, Joseph D; Wang, Ning (1997). "The Avian Respiratory System: A Unique Model for Studies of Respiratory Toxicosis and for Monitoring Air Quality". Environmental Health Perspectives. 105 (2): 188–200. doi: 10.1289/ehp.97105188. PMC 1469784. PMID 9105794.

Ravens have been used in mythological stories many times, like in Celtic mythologies. Even in Celtic mythology, they represent darkness and death, especially in the case of deaths of warriors. The Celtic war goddess, the Morrigan who was also known as queen of demons or the phantom queen can be seen holding a raven on her hands in all her pictures and she even takes the form of ravens at times.A traditional Scottish chant to shapeshift into a crow (for astral traveling), while holding a crow or raven’s feather: (From the witch trial of Isobel Gowdie) A Raven skull tattoo was shown in the ‘Expendables’. Wondering about the ‘Expendables meaning’? It’s the name of a movie series. Tattoo of ravens that stand on a skull can be seen worn by a character in the movies. Raven’s element is air, and she is a messenger spirit, which Native American shamans use to project their magic over great distances.

Raven is the messenger of the Sun Gods, both Helios and Apollo. She is also associated with Athene, Hera, Cronos and Aesculapius. The intelligence and adaptability of Raven really makes Her an appropriate totem for any time or season. Farmer, C. G. (2010). "The provenance of alveolar and parabronchial lungs: insights from paleoecology and the discovery of cardiogenic, unidirectional airflow in the American alligator( Alligator mississippiensis)" ". Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 83 (4): 561–575. doi: 10.1086/605335. PMID 20377411. S2CID 9114993. Irish and Scots Bean Sidhes (Banshees) could take the shape of ravens as they cried above a roof, an omen of death in the household below. Raven artwork is all around us. In the northwest Indian and Alaskan cultures, Raven is the Creator Deity. Native American artists have created artifacts, T-shirts, emblems, and all sorts of sacred raven art.a b c d e f g Eduardo, J., Bicudo, P. W., Buttemer, W. A., Chappell, M. A., Pearson, J. T., Bech, C. (2010). Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Birds. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 134-186. ISBN 978-0-19-922844-7. In the Norse shamanic tradition, Odin’s ravens represent the powers of necromancy, clairvoyance and telepathy, and they were guides for the dead. This poem expresses a shaman’s fear of his loss of magical powers. (Source: The Well of Remembrance by Ralph Metzner, Shambala, Boston, 1994

Crows and Jays, A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the World, by Steve Madge and Hilary Burn, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York, 1994;

Sacred Rituals

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth sees the raven as a herald of misfortune as it “croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan.” Although the vast majority of archaeologists agree that ‘Paleoindian’ cultures were well-established throughout the Americas dating to the end of the last glacial period (about 12000 BC), when their ancestors first arrived across the Bering Straits, is still debated. In Norse mythology, Odin was the King of Gods. Odin’s ravens named Hugin and Munin , used to fly all over and whisper information in his ear. Raven and its scavenger hunting was originated from Odin and thus he was known as the ‘raven god’. Odin’s raven symbolise memory and thoughts. In Anglo-Saxon culture , the three triangles are jointly associated with death and burial grounds , and something premonitious. This raven tattoo idea is so far speaks for itself without even waiting for it to be explained. The death stare from Odin’s eyes and the shadow work done with detailing and filling the areas looks very remarkable. The thunder engorging from behind the three triangles also known as Valknut , looks lethal and astounding. The ideal place to ink this raven tattoo would be on the arm , so as to jump out of anyone who sees it. If you are a fan of Norse mythology, or love the lore of Odin and Thor then, this can be a great tattoo to go for. The blood composition of the common raven is similar to that of most avian species. In general, the blood is composed of plasma and cells. Plasma contains approximately 85% water and 9-11% protein. The remaining components include glucose, amino acids, hormones, electrolytes, antibodies and waste products. The erythrocytes (red blood cells) of the common raven are elliptical with a centrally located oval nucleus. Avian blood has counts of between 2.5 and 4 million red blood cells per cubic millimetre. The red blood cells of birds are larger than those of mammals and have a short life span of 28 to 45 days. [17] Common Ravens’ erythrocytes contain two components of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin A accounts for 60% to 90% of the total, and the remainder is hemoglobin D. [21] Avian thrombocytes contain a nucleus and are involved in hemostasis. Avian white blood cells include lymphocytes, heterophiles, monocytes, and eosinophils. [17] Osmoregulation [ edit ] Environmental challenges on osmoregulation [ edit ] The modern English word raven has cognates in all other Germanic languages, including Old Norse (and subsequently modern Icelandic) hrafn [1] and Old High German (h)Raban, [2] all of which descend from Proto-Germanic * hrabanaz. [3]