{Birds Revisited}: Ravens

 Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose.

 The references to birds in Beatles music and imagery is a common theme. Please see the full, original post, "Birds" for more on the meanings of birds of the Beatles.

Raven:  Though not mentioned specifically by the Beatles in lyrics, I would argue the imagery of "Blackbird", for many people leads to the visualization of a Raven or Crow, especially with the "dead of night" setting; therefore I will include some Raven symbolism. Since Edgar Allen Poe is prominently on the Sgt. Pepper's album cover, and he is most notably known for his poem "The Raven", I feel the raven is rightly tied in. 

 "The raven belongs to the most intelligent of all the birds. To give some idea of its intelligence, if the average IQ for a human being is measures at the 100 mark, then the average IQ of a raven is 138. Its linguistic skills are legendary, and it is possible that the raven can understand as well as imitate human words. It is this intelligence, and the playful nature of the raven. that makes it the ultimate symbol of the trickster. [...]

Even if the raven has never been taught to speak in human languages, its voice carries a surprisingly human inflection and tone. This led to a belief that the bird knew everything, as personified by the ravens that belonged to the Norse god Odin. Called Hugin and Munin, from the words for thought and memory, the birds flew back to the gods at the end of every day where they whispered into his ears all the doings of mankind. Odin- also known as the Raven God- had daughters, Valkyries, who appeared as ravens, and similarly, witches are said to be able to shape-shift into the form of ravens, which is how they travel, anonymously, to their meetings.

More sinisterly, the raven is seen as a harbinger of death, as personified in the Morrigan, the great Battle Goddess of Celtic myth who takes the form of a raven. The raven is a carrion bird and was often to be seen at the site of battles, making a grim meal of the bloody remains of the defeated army. In addition, the spooky black appearance of the bird certainly lends itself to the dark imagery posited by horror stories. In the Mahabharata, the bird is a messenger of death, but paradoxically to those of a Western sensibility, this does not mean that the bird is a symbol of ill omen. [...]

The ravens at the Tower of London are a symbol of protection par excellence. Birds have been kept in this spot for a thousand years, due to the ancient legend that the country would be safe from invaders while the Ravens remained there. Indeed this idea is so firmly entrenched in the national psyche that when the raven population dwindled during the Second World War, Winston Churchill arranged that ravens be "imported" from Wales to keep the country safe.

Despite its color, the Ancient Greeks had the raven as a solar symbol, and it is dedicated to the Goddess Athena and the God Apollo." (ISS)

"[...]The raven's intelligence is possibly its most winning feature. Indeed, these birds can be trained to speak. This speaking ability leads into the legend of ravens being the ultimate oracle. In fact, the raven is often heard to cackle utterances that sound like "cras, cras." The actual word cras is tomorrow in Latin. This lends more fuel to the legendary fires that distinguish the raven as a bird who can foretell the future, and reveal omens and signs.

Countless cultures point to the raven as a harbinger of powerful secrets. Moreover, the raven is a messenger too, so its business is in both keeping and communicating deep mysteries.

Raven symbolism of wisdom and knowledge-keeping is connected with the Welsh hero Bran, the Blessed whose name means raven. Bran was the holder of ancestral memories, and his wisdom was legendary. So much so, that he had his head (the vessel of his powerful wisdom) removed and interred in the sacred White Mount in London. Ravens are still roosting there (in the Tower of London), and they're thought to keep Bran's wisdom protected and alive by their presence."       <Follow link to source site>; Also- It's very worthwhile to learn more about Bran as a Celtic oracle here:More about Bran and Celtic Skulls Symbolism}

See also Blackbird for more on Blackbird symbolism