Before the Tang Dynasty, crows were auspicious and prophetic birds in China folk culture. There used to be a historical common sense legend that "the crow gives good news, and Zhou Xing begins". In the Spring and Autumn Period, Dong Zhongshu quoted Biography of Shangshu: "When Zhou will be prosperous, there will be a kind of big red and black valley, which will gather on the Wangs. Wu Wangle, the doctors are happy. " Ancient history books Huai Nan Zi, Zuo Zhuan and Historical Records are also recorded in famous articles.
After the Tang Dynasty, crows were said to be ominous. In the Tang Dynasty, Youyang Miscellanies said: "There is no good sound on the ground in Wu Ming. When people leave, they follow the crow's voice. They are so happy. This old occupation is unstoppable. "
"The crow feeds back, and the lamb kneels and suckles" is a consistent view of Confucianism, which holds that people are taught "filial piety" and "courtesy" by animal images in nature, so the image of "filial bird" of the crow has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. "Compendium of Materia Medica Birds" said: "This black beast was born, and its mother ate it for 60 days, and its mother ate it for 60 days, which can be described as filial piety."
In some areas of China, Tibet and Sichuan, crows are also worshipped as a kind of god bird, which can be proved by the unearthed Tubo documents and the custom of hanging coffins and celestial burial in southwest China.
Wudang Mountain is a Taoist ancestral temple. Crows are regarded as "spiritual crows" and there is a crow temple on the mountain. "Crows catch food" is one of the eight scenic spots in Wudang. Even tourists who enter the mountains should carry some food with them and give it to crows for pecking.
Crows are regarded as treasures in the British royal family. Ravens have lived in the Tower of London for centuries.
1660, the royal astronomer John Fransted watched the stars at night in the Tower of London. He complained to charles ii that the ravens' unbridled gathering and flying affected his observation at the top of the tower.
However, when charles ii ordered the crow to be driven away, so many people came out of nowhere and vowed to protect the crow's subjects. They all said with one voice: These crows are sacred to the Tower of London. It has long been said that if crows leave, the Tower of London, the monarchy and Britain will fall apart.
Since the time of Elizabeth I, people have gradually established feelings of trust and respect for crows. Now, Charlie is shocked by people's firm will and extraordinary enthusiasm for crows.
Because Britain was in the civil war at that time, in order to win the hearts of the people and not go against the sky, he ordered the construction of Greenwich Observatory, so that astronomers would no longer disturb the leisure of crows in the Tower of London. Moreover, charles ii has officially issued a decree that the Tower of London must have at least six ravens to ensure the prosperity of Britain.
Since then, these crows have become legal "citizens" of the Tower of London. In order to respect the ancient legend, the British government also paid for raising crows in the tower. It is said that as long as there are crows in the tower, England will not be invaded, otherwise, the country will be unlucky.
In order to ensure that these crows don't all leave the Tower of London, they have actually lost the ability to fly because they have cut off some feathers, but they are taken care of very carefully.
Crow's international cultural image is as contradictory as China's: ancient Greek mythology influenced most early civilizations in southern Europe. It is said that Apollo, the sun god, fell in love with Grace and sent a holy bird to monitor Grace's integrity. One day, the Holy Bird saw that Grace was having an affair with another man, thinking that she was having an affair with another man, so she reported it to Apollo. Apollo shot Grace in a rage.
Later, it was confirmed that Grace had not had an affair with other men. Apollo angered the bird and turned its white feathers black. This is the origin of crows, and crows are given the notoriety of cheating. In English, eating a crow means hitting yourself in the mouth.
Contrary to southern Europe, in northern Europe, crows became the embodiment of Hu Jin and Mu Ning. It is said that Odin, the Lord of the gods, can turn a blind eye and observe the whole world forever. When he opened his eyes and the universe could not see him, he sent two crows to patrol the world on his left and right shoulders, so Odin, the Lord of the gods, knew everything about the world.
In North America: There is an old legend in Vancouver, Canada. In ancient times, after a flood that destroyed the world, a crow swimming on the beach found a big shell and made a strange noise. It turned out that human beings were inside, so the crow led them ashore, but they were all men.
The crow went to the seaside to find a huge turtle, and all the women hid under it. Crows bring them together, encourage them to communicate with each other, bring them the sun, moon and stars, fire, salmon and Chinese fir, teach them to hunt and cultivate, and guide the evolution and development of mankind day by day.
In the fishing and hunting areas of ancient East Asia, crows were also worshipped as divine birds. According to Japanese and other documents, Emperor Jimmu marched eastward to Xiongye and was besieged by the enemy in Xiongye Mountain. The gods sent "eight birds" to lead the way. Later, more than 3,000 Kumano shrines were established nationwide to worship crows. Influence to this day.
Extended data:
Living habits of crows:
Crows like to live in groups with strong clustering, and a group can reach tens of thousands. Living in groups in forests or fields, they are forest and grassland birds, mainly foraging on the ground, and their gait is stable. Except for a few species, they often nest in groups and wander in groups in autumn and winter. Complex behavior, showing strong intelligence and social activity ability. The singing is simple and rude.
Generally fierce and aggressive, they often prey on eggs and chicks in waterfowl and wading nests. Some crows in captivity can "talk", and some crows raised in the laboratory can learn to count to 3 or 4, and can find marked food in the box.
Omnivorous, eating grains, berries, insects, carrion and eggs of other birds. Many species like carrion, which is harmful to seedlings and grains. However, in the breeding period, small vertebrates, locusts, crickets, scarabs and moth larvae are the main food, which is beneficial to farmers. In addition, because they like to rot and peck at agricultural waste, they can eliminate the pollution of animal carcasses and purify the environment.
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