[Raven, Crow; A small anthology of superstitions from France /part 2.]
Ancient auspices were interested in the direction of their flight or the type of croaking they did.
Gaspar Peucer wrote in the 16th century, in his book Les Devins :
"If the crows were crying on the right, it was a bad omen just as the cry of the crows on the left was a sign of hope; if it was on the east side, a great delicacy was quickly expected. If the crows cackled on the western side, or on the left with a stifled cry, it was a sign of extreme misfortune."
(…)
We sometimes interpret their cry (...) :"I'll have you, I'll have you!" or : "I'll have you, I'm waiting for you, quack, bugger! bugger !".
In the vicinity of Rennes, the crow repeats "Corpse! Corpse!".
[It is even said], still in Brittany, that the crows saw off the caskets of the coffins.
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OMENS :
When these birds are heard in the vicinity of a dwelling or if they hover above, a member of the family will pass away.
If the crow sings three times, it predicts the death of a man, twice that of a woman.
If they come near the house of a sick person, it means that he will not recover.
In many places, hearing the sound of a crow in the morning indicates that some misfortune is to be expected during the day.
In Lorraine, if the cry of the crows coincides with the death knell of the bells announcing a funeral, an imminent violent death will be deplored.
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BRIDES :
- Of course, the crow that caws when the bride and spouse leave the church is a sign of misfortune.
- However, in Vosges, very late (19th century), the crows are invoked before a marriage to enjoy a perfect union, convinced that male and female will remain faithful all their lives. (Thiriat, 1878).
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*Belief dating from the Middle Ages and present in "The Gospels of the Cattails."
[Excerpts arranged by me from Lacarriere + Delmas. Pic Source ]
