The raven is well known among the native tribes of the Pacific Northwest as a trickster who not only brought light into the world but also aided in the emergence of the First Nations' people. The stories of the Haida Gwaii show the raven as a sexually virulent troublemaker, a talented trickster who possessed a subversive magic and ability to shape-shift and whose cleverness and unquenchable desire occasionally lead him into distress. These are the very same qualities that distinguished the Norse god, Oðinn, among the Æsir. Known as Wodan among the Anglo-Saxons, this god of poetry, magic, and hidden knowledge was accompanied by two ravens: Huginn and Muninn, Thought and Memory. It was Oðinn's propensity to foster vengeance and bloodshed through his subversive magic and cleverness that earned the raven such a dark repute among Europeans. While the raven isn't obviously dangerous the same way a panther or a bear might be, its ability to co-opt others to its cause make it a power to be reckoned with. For instance, ravens in the wild have been known to alert wolves to nearby prey in order to feed on the carcass after those wolves make the kill. Especially in this day and age when technology masks the capability and motivations of many things, one should be leery of reading a book by its cover.
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